New York - September 27, 2001

DailyCandy's Guide to Brooklyn Dining

Guide to Brooklyn

You’ve seen and been seen at the Park. You were turned away from Man Ray, and Thom gave you the old “six-thirty or eleven o’clock?” reservation option. Nice.

Are you too jaded, too overloaded with Manhattan cool? Hit Brooklyn. We know you die-hard Manhattanites might find the journey a bit daunting (but oh! we have to change trains!). Trust us, it’s worth the trip. Hey, you might even live there.

Los Pollitos
148 Fifth Avenue, between Douglass and Degraw Streets (718-623-9152). Great for casual Mexican fare, this family restaurant (you know the gig: crayons on white-paper-covered tables, etc.) Fare ranges: roasted chicken and plananos rellenos; v. large burritos with salsa, shrimp seviche, and generous glasses of sangria. The wait staff is incredibly sweet (another reason to dine in Brooklyn: waiters with manners).

Second Street Caf?
189 Seventh Avenue, at Second Street (718-369-6928). Crowded at brunch, but the wait is still minor-league compared to, say, the one at EJ’s or Sarabeth’s. Try the homemade chicken-apple sausage and whole-wheat pancakes with fresh maple syrup. (Go home and nap afterward.) Dinner is home-style: meatloaf with mashed potatoes and onion gravy; chicken, blue cheese, and apple salad. Big slices of apple or Key lime pie make it a terrific spot for dessert and coffee after antiquing in the neighborhood flea market and Seventh Avenue shops.

Bistro St. Mark?s
76 St. Mark?s Avenue, at Flatbush Avenue (718-857-8600). Fancy dining has finally come to Flatbush: Dominique Drevet and Johannes Savin (of Le Zoo and 131 Duane) recently opened this Parisian-style bistro. Go for the thyme-encrusted tuna and the monkfish medallions. (All entrees are under $22) Stay for the cr?me caramel or chocolate cake.

Blue Ribbon Brooklyn
280 Fifth Avenue, at First Street (718-840-0404). The neon “Oysters” sign in the window is a giveaway that the Bromberg brothers have moved out to Brooklyn. For those of you who are not mollusk fans, there’s fresh fish (trout, shrimp scampi, or monkfish). After dinner, head next door to Great Lakes bar (a Park Slope hangout for beer and live music).

Rose Water
787 Union Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues (718-783-3800). A romantic bistro. Rose Water has a rustic look, combining wicker, wood, and dim, flattering lighting. (Think of it as having dinner at your English aunt’s country cottage in Cornwall.) Try the white-corn-and-tomato salad or rosemary chicken in the summertime. Come back in the fall for squash or pumpkin soup or roasted chicken. (The menu is seasonal.)

Brick Oven Gallery
33 Havemeyer Street, at Bedford Avenue (718-963-0200). There are scads of old-school pizza joints in Brooklyn (ever see Do the Right Thing ?) But few and far between are those where the pies are baked in a century-old brick oven. Try the eggplant salad or chicken parm. In a ‘hood of skyrocketing rents and posh bars (think: the Stinger Club), here’s a nod to the new generation of neighbors. The walls belong to local artists.

Convivium Osteria
68 Fifth Avenue, at St. Mark’s (718-857-1833). A traditional tapas bar that looks and feels like a Barcelona hideaway. Convivium Osteria is perfect for lingering over seafood or country tapas and a bottle of wine. Decorated with long oak tables, hand-blown Spanish glass. Esp. cool: the open courtyard with birdbath and Spanish tiles. The downstairs wine cellar is a great date spot: Only tapas are served, and the only light comes from candles. Cash only. No reservations.