1073 Manhattan Avenue (at Eagle Street)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn [map]
(718)389-3638
Lamb & Jaffy (named after the owner's favorite childhood toys) is the face of the changing neighborhood in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This canary in the coal mine is the child of former caterers Michael De Prima (Oceana) and Tara Steilen and sits at the very northern end of Greenpoint - only Bleu Drawes' Jamaican restaurant (review forthcoming) is more out of the way - but is well worth the travel.
The interior is outfit in dark lacquered wood and exposed masonry, but the hard interior belies warm service and food inside. The service is quite warm and chatty (but not obnoxious), and dog friendly when the large exterior doors are open. Small details such as water served from old handblown glass bottles, adds to the charm. Lamb & Jaffy is a good choice for both intimate meals, and larger group meals.
For dinner the we would recommend the excellent flank steak, which is pan-charred with creamy potato gratin on side. Herself enjoyed the tilapia dish, which while generally spicy, seems to fluctuate in terms of spice level on different occasions. Lamb & Jaffy also sports an excellent brunch menu, with giant pancakes or the kielbasa and pepper omelet your best bet.
While not high dining, the redeeming elements of Lamb & Jaffy are the relaxed atmosphere and the good, if safe, dishes. This may become our favorite neighborhood restaurant, especially in the winter when the heavier meals will be a welcome respite from the cold. Lamb & Jaffy is the very definition of cozy neighborhood restaurant - until the masses figure this out, and invade yet another favorite restaurant.
195 Franklin Street (at Green Street), Greenpoint (Brooklyn) [map]
Nestled in the confines of industrial Greenpoint lies the Greenpoint Coffee House, an intimate location for coffee, hot chocolate, or morning brunch. On a summer day outdoor seating is available for those who wish to watch the happenings on Franklin Street (there are artists studios across the street). But on these days of fierce winds, the cozy, slightly retro, interior of wood paneling, low light, and comfy semicircular booths create a refuge from the elements. If Herself is not available, and I am in the area, I often retreat the Coffee House for hot chocolate until arrival time.
Connoisseurs looking for typical coffee house fare will find the Greenpoint Coffee House adequate in their libations. Homemade Chai, the required cappuccino or espresso, gourmet coffee and the aforementioned hot chocolate - not to mention a fine selection of wine - round out the drink menu. On summer days, a cold beer outside is a fine way to spend a weekend morning.
As for vittles, the Coffee House serves both brunch and sandwiches throughout the day. I would suggest the Garlic Ham and Gruyere, which comes pressed and with a side salad. There is an excellent egg-based brunch item which is neither heavy nor greasy, but your critic regrets that he cannot remember the name. He will endeavour to research the topic in order to bring clarity to the connoisseurs.
The Greenpoint Coffee House is a wonderful step back into the confines of the independent coffee house. All the ambiance of a 50's jazz club without nostalgia and pulp, coupled with adequate service (it is an independent after all), and libations make this a welcome stop for those connoisseurs in the Greenpoint area.
116 E 27th Street bet. Park & Lex [website map]
For all the hype surrounding the rebirth of Barbecue in New York City, there are a dearth of barbecue restaurants of note. There are, of course, excellent mom-and-pop barbecue and the ubiquitous Dallas BBQ with six (yes six!) locations in New York City. But no barbecue location has gained cachet as the media-darling Blue Smoke.
Blue Smoke is located in fashionable, if empty at night, Kips Bay (or Upper Gramercy as some put it) one block over from 3rd Avenue's Curry Lane. Blue Smoke's location is convenient enough for causal passersby and close enough to the more inexpensive Curry Lane assemblage of restaurants to afford the connoisseur ample choice. Which is fortunate, because on a Friday night the wait is 1-2 hours and on Saturday night the wait is 2+ hours - longer if there is a show at the downstairs Jazz Standard. Call ahead or use Open Table for reservations to miss the rush, or if you wish to brave the crowds, there is ample bar space and the bartenders are quite helpful to those wishing to buy marked up beer and spirits. It is "Upper Gramercy" anyway and you will be paying those prices at the bar. An aside: the whole upper/lowe, is this Gramercy Park is annoying as the Realtors who push these silly names onto the public.
Once seated in the quite large dining area (there is an upper and lower space) the wait staff are quite courteous and operate on the "team" method. Who knew something invented by fancy French restaurants would make it into a barbecue joint? The menu is awash in animal products and good hearty vegetables. Your vegetarian friends might be able to find sustenance here, but count your vegan friends right out. This is a barbecue joint for God's sake.
I would recommend starting with warm Barbecued Potato Chips and blue cheese dressing as an appetiser. They are served in a galvanized bucket which rounds out the industrial chic dining room. But what you really came here for were Ribs, right? Fortunately for you, the carnivore of the family, Blue Smoke serves four types of ribs:
Each of the four rib types have their own cut and sauce. An explanation of the different cuts and types are necessary to rib enjoyment. Memphis Baby Back Ribs are what you expect to get when you think "Ribs." They are slow cooked and served without sauce. If you want your "Baby Back Ribs" get these. If you are looking for something leaner, you can choose the St. Louis Spareribs. These feature pork ribs which are leaner and less fatty than the other three rib selections but have the blade bone intact. A similar choice would be the Texas Salt & Pepper Beef Ribs which are full beef ribs prepared with a salt-pepper wrap. Finally, if you want to step away from the Chili's/Damon's rib type go with the Kansas City Ribs. These ribs you would have to cross the Mason-Dixon Line but now are accessable to us Yankee's. These feature the whole rib cut from the belly. You can choose from the long or the short section of ribs - both feature meaty ribs full of flavour. The differences between the two cuts depend on if you like the brisket; the short section has the brisket (the tough, chest portion of the beef) removed while the long section has the brisket. Take the brisket - it is very good and worth the trouble.
For those connoisseurs who count Damon's as high dining experience when it comes to ribs or who don't know which of the four styles to choose from, I would suggest the Rib Sampler where you can try out Kansas City Spareribs, St. Louis Spareribs, and Texas Style Beef Ribs. Try the ribs without extra sauce, and with the two provided sauces: barbecue and teriyaki. Both bring out the flavors of the ribs and show the care that has been taken to match sauce falvor with rib type. No A-1 Steaksauce experience here.
Along with the ribs comes the excellent pulled pork sandwich which is served on a brioche bun with sides of pickles & coleslaw. The coleslaw is not mayonnaise-based but rather uses a lighter creme base. Coleslaw enthusiasts might balk at the "dry" coleslaw, but to us Yankee's who think that coleslaw is a mess with too much mayo and not enough slaw will be satiated. Speaking of sides, the cornbread is served hot and is everything you would expect cornbread to be. Nothin' wrong with that.
When you are finished with your meal, go ahead and get a cup of coffee. I did not inquire where they procured their beans or of the roasting method, but rather savoured the blend in total ignorance. The coffee blend is matched very well to the meat-heavy menu at Blue Smoke and isn't too heavy. All said and done a 2-3 hour meal, with excellent service (only had to ask for water) will set connoisseurs back $30 a head including adult beverages and tips. Blue Smoke delivers on the hype, and I would not hesitate on recommending this barbecue joint to our Yankee and Southern connoisseurs.
342 E. 6th Street between 2nd & 1st Avenues
Having made several oblique references to the East Village's Curry Row in previous reviews of Indian restaurants, I finally have a worthy choice for the Eat NYC audience, a quiet, understated London-styled joint with above average food and a pleasant lack of red pepper lights, bhangra-disco soundtracks, or a door manned by the pushy maitre d's that line either side of the block. Actually, I just noticed that we actually do have an audience now, which is nice, so thank you Cindi Hare for your comments and interest in our site. Since I diverted into an aside, I would like to take this opportunity to note that Eat NYC is currently a work in progress, but please stay tuned while we work out the bumps in our fledgling site. We hope to deliver good content from a different perspective than the pros, and hope that our site is a pleasure to navigate, so I think it's safe to say that any comments regarding our reviews, the shape and form of the site, and your harshest critiques would all be very welcome.
Back to the review, many apologies for the diversion. Well, once you've skillfully dodged all those maitre d's on Sixth Street, tuck into a cozy table in one of Brick Lane's two terra cotta dining rooms, and select from a nicely composed menu of appetizers, bread, kebabs and rolls, curries, and biryanis. The selection at Brick Lane, unlike many of its Curry Row counterparts, is terse and well edited, and highlights the seven curries, organized from mildest to hottest top to bottom. The hottest, phaal, requires a verbal waiver upon ordering, however the restaurant will treat you to a complementary Singha should you finish the entire dish. I opted for Madras with chicken, fifth in line and just below my typical Vindaloo. The stew was a perfect balance of sweet and savory -- unfortunately lacking in the heat I was expecting in the third-hottest curry listed -- with a satisfying creaminess given textural depth with whole coriander or mustard seeds (i really don't recall which it was). I would recommend ordering the lamb over the chicken though, the poultry somewhat gamey, poorly trimmed and cut, and most likey from the cheapest possible part of the bird. The lamb, in contrast, was soft and supple as tasted in my companion's curry--which might have been the bhaat, a dark, rich tomato based dish, but i'm having memory problems today--a well stewed relief from the often tough and stringy lamb you find in lesser Indian restaurants.
Vegetarians and Vegans need not despair--not that they ever have to with indian joints--with an entire section of the menu devoted to strictly vegetarian and vegan choices. My other companion, an almost strict vegetarian, opted for the Saag Paneer, an indian staple if there ever was, a thick green porridge of spinach and homemade cheese. The dish was hearty and ribsticking, very mild and slightly bitter,with a slight touch of cilantro dancing aptly with the salty cheese and incredibly fresh spinach. A final disclaimer though, as i try to conclude without a silly rhetorical device (crap, was that just meta-rhetorical?)-- Brick Lane is slightly more expensive than the other restaurants in the area, so if you are angling for dirt-cheap mediocrity go to Milon Bangladesh around the corner instead. If you don't mind the upcharge though, Brick Lane is a very good bet and a great value, the overall high quality of the food, the pleasantness of the room, and the able yet relaxed service justifying the added expenditure.
