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Posts from the ‘Cobble Hill’ Category

Banania

I think this place is closed/in flux (4/06)

I'm not a brunch person. I like the concept, but the dining event takes
effort. And really, its a social affair. Friends meeting friends from the
neighborhood. Youngsters placating visiting parents. And depending where you
live, brunch is a playground substitute. If anything I shy away in Carroll
Gardens because I find strollers, drool and colic less than appetizing.

But we ventured out on a sunny Sunday morning anyway. Banania is one of
the more popular brunch spots in the area (my out of town sister and
boyfriend nosed it out unaided on their last visit), I'm not sure why, the
food is standard fare, I guess the prices are fair, there is outdoor seating
and a complimentary bread basket, complete with chocolate croissant. Thanks
to the nature loving throngs who adore dining al fresco (I generally don't)
there were actually free tables inside during prime time. No complaints
there. James and I went Hollandaise crazy and ordered eggs benedict and
Florentine, respectively (I never realized people had such issues with
Hollandaise. The woman on my right ordered Florentine minus the sauce,
though clearly wasn't fat-phobic since she ordered an extra plate of bacon.
The woman on my left wanted her Hollandaise on the side. Why don't they just
order egg white omelets and be done with it?). They were pleasant enough
renditions and came with home fries and salad greens. It's doubtful I'd
return any time soon, no fault of Banania, brunch is just a very occasional
thing.


Banania * 241 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Cubana Cafe

Cute but cramped, and in a more claustrophobic way than most elbow-to-elbow NYC eateries. We bailed on our first attempt to dine here a few months ago. It was freezing and the only open tables were in the heated, but still off-putting front room addition. This time we managed to avoid the annex, but our table was one of three in a row that are barely bigger than barstools. Good for cocktails, not so good for dinner

The food, however, is reasonably priced, most entrees stay under $10. My empanadas were flavorful, the drinks were interesting, but the mains were kind of so-so. Not that they werent well prepared, its just my bias against this kind of rice, beans and a meat cuisine. I don't get enthusiastic over rice and beans, I've never understood the big deal. So, my inclination would be to return on a weeknight and get a Cuban sandwich, appetizers, sides, whatever, and split a pitcher of sangria. Maybe in another couple months.

Cubana Caf * 272 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Hill Diner

I don't generally do brunch. Not out of any sort of principle. I like breakfast food and I never cook it myself, but I just cant get up and going early enough. Brunch usually means close to home and my close to home equals lots of strollers and needlessly affectionate couples that I already get enough of on the F train.

So, Hill Diner was random and spur of the moment. And it didn't kill me to wake up and get myself together on a late Saturday afternoon. I've discovered that there's no one worth impressing in the vicinity of my apartment anyway, and South Brooklyn chic consists of women with no makeup, ponytails, glasses and Patagonia fleece. I've never gotten the I'm so full of substance and intellect that I have no need to enhance my looks aesthetic. Getting dolled up for omelets in this climate is futile and a waste of good product.

My croque madame, roasted potatoes and coffee were enjoyable. The company around us, not so much. My jest "doesnt being in here make you want to start a family?" was met with a steely glare, and made me ponder what life would be like with a boyfriend possessing a better grip on jibing humor. Clearly, my problems with brunching has nothing to do with the actual food.

Hill Diner * 231 Court St., Brooklyn, NY

Savoia

Savoia has reasonable prices, better than average pizza, and is a little more inventive than many of the Carroll Gardens (or is this Cobble Hill? I get the borders confused) red sauce restaurants I like to avoid, but its probably not a draw if you live outside the neighborhood. Smith St. is pretty blah despite everyone seeming to bestow it restaurant row status. We were going to try the new, probably mediocre Cuban place, but it was full as new restaurants often are. Savoia, with free tables and a warm glow, beckoned from across the street.

I had reservations about ordering the fattoressa pizza (spinach, gorgonzola, sausage, mozzarella), not because it didnt sound enticing, but because somehow saying the word fat might make me seem fatter myself (this is the sort of bizzarro self-consciousness that a skinny individual would never even consider). Though I've ordered lardo without giving a thought to being viewed as a lard ass. So, the fattoressa was fine, if not a touch over-charred around the edges (I know, wood-burning ovens and all that).

With the number of yet untried restaurants clogging Smith St., it'll probably be a while before I return. Thats the problem with these types of establishments. I've never had a horrible meal in the neighborhood, but I've also never been revved to revisit a place.

Savoia* 227 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

La Rosa and Son

1/2 I don't care what anyone says, this is the best pizza I've had in the area (whatever the heck you want to call that area…Cobble Hill? Boerum Hill? Carroll Gardens North?). For such a scary Italian-American neighborhood, they don't do so well with the pizza. But La Rosa? They're alright. The staff is friendly and the wine is cheap (it even says so on the menu). (4/31/04)

Not bad, not bad at all. Maybe I've grown overly skeptical over new neighborhood restaurants. I don't know what it is with areas where professionals and families congregate begetting mediocre eats. La Rosa and Son has that readymade, built new to look old vibe, but compared to the blah pizza churned out at practically every legitimate old school Italian-American joint in the immediate region (and believe you me, there's more than plenty), I'm not complaining. Purists might say the pies are a little heavy on the cheese, but I'm no stickler, having grown up on the west coast loving gooey Hawaiian toppings (you could get killed trying to order ham and pineapple here). (5/21/04)

La Rosa and Son * 98 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Panino’teca

I'm crazy for a pressed sandwich, and who isn't these days? All the delis in town now have those glossy mass produced signs advertising them. Bye bye wraps. So, it's weird that I've been in Carroll Gardens for a while and hadn't visited Panino'teca yet. I took the opportunity on a rare visit from a friend and Williamsburger (you know how hard it is to convince them to leave "the shire" She's only branching out because she's in a mini-spat with a mutual friend who also lives in her nabe. Yes, I just said nabe.) to check this little cafe out.

James ordered a glorified BLT (hardwood smoked bacon, tomato, red onion, arugula and mayonnaise), and I opted for the capacolla, peperanota, provolone with red chili mustard. Sweet, meaty, spicy and tangy at the same time. Nice. The bruschetta, salads, and cheese and meat plates all sounded worth trying. So many of the family-filled restaurants in the neighborhood just plain depress me, but not this one.

Panino'teca * 275 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Caserta Vecchia

I'm so not into the whole Carroll Gardens Italian thing. How I ended up here
on a Friday night is a bit of a mystery, especially since I was in the mood
for a suburban style buffet and James had emailed me earlier in the day
wanting to find a sit-down Pizza Hut for that evening's entertainment.
Caserta is neither Pizza Hut-like nor a buffet. It's just real average
Italian-American type food. My brick oven quattro formaggia pizza was
alright, the antipasto was adequate, James thought his fettucine with ham
was blah. It's just what it was. And then we got into a fight because I
wanted to throw James a birthday party and he didn't want one. How
ridiculous a fight is that? Now Caserta is imprinted in my mind as a
conflict-inducing spot with ok, but uninspiring food.


Caserta
Vecchia
* 221 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Pier 116

* Short-lived Smith St. restaurant. Now it's Taku.

I don't like battered, fried seafood, so really it's my own fault for not being wowed by the shrimp po'boy. This was one of those post-10pm weeknight meals that makes for meager dining choices. Carroll Gardens is so not about staying up past a respectable bedtime. We were the only people in the place, which is a nervous pet peeve of mine. The food was ok for what it was, it's just not my thing. James was irked by the bbq sauce on his fish sandwich, he insists that everyplace in the neighborhood puts bbq sauce where it doesn't belong (it ended up on a burger a few weeks later someplace else). I believe there are worse crimes, but whatever.

Pier 116 * 116 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Village 247

Some might call the dcor cheesy, but sometimes faux small town facades,
complete with a barber shop pole and street signs like Arugula Lane and
Meatloaf Place transported indoors are just what you need. I was always a
little put off by this place because it's always been empty when I've
thought about trying it out, but that's mainly due to the neighborhood being
eerily empty after 10pm on weeknights (Carroll Gardens was specifically
mentioned in a recent article about transitional vs. relational
neighborhoods, meaning single people hotbeds as opposed to shacked-up
sanctuaries. We're totally in a married with children enclave, it's
frightening.)

It's primarily a sandwich and burger type of place, and it does them
pretty well. I was sort of intrigued by the muffaletta on the menu, which
they don't actually call as such, and the Portland omelet. Denver is known
for their filled egg combo, but Portland? (What would be in it, soyrizo and
rice cheese?) I'd go back, but James was miffed by the bbq sauce on his
burger and now believes that the entire neighborhood is bbq sauce crazy (it
also showed up on a fish sandwich at Pier 116).

It's a goner.


Village247 * 247 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY

Lobo

Brunch is not my thing. I partake maybe once every four months, if that. One, I can't get out of bed, and two, I'm scared of the stroller set that plagues practically every eatery in the neighborhood. Sunday, James suggested going to Hill Diner, but there was a crowd out front so we went for Lobo, across the street, instead.

I think they actually do a good breakfast and weren't packed to the gills either. I tend to admonish people who always order the same thing like they're afraid of change, but I've started realizing that I'm equally guilty. Lately, I've been noticing when I add my little write-ups here that on previous visits I'd eaten the exact same items. In this case, that would be the Texas breakfast.

I am not chaste on those rare occasions I actually do go out for breakfast or brunch. I don't want to choose between sweet or savory offerings, I want both (that's why IHOP is so genius). You need an egg, a meat and a treat, and that's what I got: two eggs over easy, a mess of bacon and two large buckwheat pecan pancakes. I don't even care much for pancakes (one would've been sufficient) but I wanted something to slather butter and drizzle maple syrup on. If I ever return, I will force myself to branch out. (11/13/05)

This is the old Harvest, which I never ate at anyway, so that doesn't mean much to me. Supposedly the brunch is the same (I mean, it's advertised as such on the window). I very, rarely brunch (did I just use brunch as a verb?). I'm just not up early enough, and if I am I'm not in the mood to deal with sitting near the type of people who do eat brunch.

Well, it turned out to be pleasing in a hearty, satisfyingly stuffed to the gills way that you can't do on a regular basis. I get the same effect from Old Devil Moon's breakfast offerings. But here they have the Tex-Mex slant as opposed to the Southern thing. Country ham, grits, huevos rancheros, big omelets, it's the works. I opted for dense, pecan-laced, buckwheat pancakes, and normally I don't even like pancakes. It just sounded so toothsome and right. And it was. (1/24/04)

Lobo * 218 Court St., Brooklyn, NY