New York - February 23, 2007

Prized Metal

Alchemy Restaurant & Tavern

It takes more than science to transmute a base into pure gold.

That’s the magic of Alchemy, Park Slope’s first gastropub — the kind of place you wish was around the corner from your apartment — where owner and former Lucky Striker Kevin Read has taken an old hardware shop and filled it with hardwood floors, booths, and communal tables.

Sit at the bar to keep the ’tender company (they’re still waiting for a liquor license). Snack on crispy chickpeas and admire the shelf of vintage cameras and chef Jared King’s (of Oceana and Peacock Alley) hearty menu.

Standouts include fried cuttlefish with chorizo mayo, braised pork cheeks wrapped in phyllo, hanger steak in red wine bearnaise, skate and chips, and roasted beet ravioli in goat cheese bechamel. Guinness toffee pudding needs no explanation.

As the name implies, there is plenty of good chemistry there.

Alchemy, 56 5th Avenue, at Bergen Street, Park Slope (718-636-4385).

  Beer, Brunch, Laid Back, Lunch Spot, Neighborhood Gem