Paper Palate

I don’t know what sort of crazy direction the NY Times editors have been giving their restaurant reviewers, but apparently it had something to do with heading out to my neighborhood and staying there. Frank Bruni seems even a bit surprised that he’s finding himself in Brooklyn: “Dining there is worth crossing neighborhood lines, even crossing water…,” he says when writing about Dressler, a new addition to our neighborhood.

There have been six reviews in the past couple months of restaurants and bakeries within blocks of my apartment in Williamsburg (a neighborhood in Brooklyn, across the East River from Manhattan). I suppose for a Manhattan resident, this wouldn’t be all that odd, but for me, it’s pretty weird. This mecca of hipsterdom is having a bit of a culinary boom, or so it must seem to those from the other boroughs … one would suspect that this would signal the end of the neighborhoods hipster/starving artists days. This brings up an interesting question, at least to me: Can fine dining (and by “fine,” I don’t mean Michilen or Zagat’s fine, I mean high quality) exist in neighborhoods where there isn’t a lot of cash? I think it can and does. What’s interesting though, is when people start paying attention.

Of the restaurants recently reviewed by the Times, initially, most of them had been open for a good chunk of time before their write-up. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Marlow (which I’ve written about previously here) and DuMont Burger ages ago. e were dining fine long before Manhattan knew about it at these and many more: Diner, Bonita, Aurora, Moto and DOC, to name a few. A couple, though, such as this past review of Dressler, have just opened recently, which leads me to believe the critics are now working to pick these new openings up quickly. Why is that? It may be partially because people who read the paper actually care (NY Times is well-known for its young/urban/liberal/wealthy readership). That would mean that the ‘mainstream,’ for lack of a better word, is moving in. It also means that the character of our fine dining is changing. The artists and hipsters in Williamsburg are not nearly as likely to go to a 2-star restaurant, which is what Bruni awarded Dressler, as they are likely to go to the tiny Pies and Thighs, also reviewed last week in the $25 and Under category.

Pies and Thighs sounds, quality-wise, to be just as good as Dressler (I’m basing this solely on the reviews I’ve read to date; I have yet to try either - no time yet!). The difference is the atmosphere and presentation. Funky concrete backyard dining vs. hand-made iron chandeliers and up-scale bistro-style tile. Artichoke and white bean salad vs. fried chicken and biscuits. These two places serve different clientele, it would seem. The fact that these two reviews ran in the same issue of the Dining Section shows what is happening: two worlds are colliding.

As Bruni points out, people aren’t just going to Williamsburg to go to the famous Peter Luger’s. They’re going for other places now. What he neglects to point out, though, is that these people aren’t traveling, they live there. That said, there’s still the artists and un-wealthy in the neighborhood and they’re still eating at Matamoros and the taco stand under the JMZ train (it’s elevated out there). I just wonder for how much longer.

If you live in the area and are curious to check out some of the other restaurants I mentioned in this post, I’ll try and be ahead of the Times and give some info (and these are just a few, there are tons more):

Diner - 85 Broadway (corner of Berry) - (718) 486-3077
Been around forever, in an old diner. Serves local and season new-American-ish food. Great brunch. Great dinners. I have rarely left disappointed. Same people that run Marlow.

Bonita - 338 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn - (718) 384-9500
Mexican. Again, same people that own Diner and Marlow. It’s dressed up Mexican, but real Mexican. My Californian parents love this place. Wonderful enchiladas, chile rellenos, tacos, and guacamole.

Aurora - 70 Grand St, Brooklyn - (718) 388-5100
Italian. Seriously some of the best pasta that I’ve had in NYC (and I’ve been to Babbo). Nice outdoor area for the Spring and Summer. Great ragu sauces. Gnocchi with truffles (seasonal) is exceptional.

Moto - 394 Broadway, Brooklyn - (718) 599-6895
Under the JMZ. Go here if you miss back-packing around Europe. Dark and cozy, it feels like you’re a Parisian artist. Wonderful food too. Deviled eggs with tuna are great. Brunch items are stand-out.

DOC - 83 N 7th St, Brooklyn - (718) 963-1925
Italian wine bar, more specifically Sardinian. Serve meat and cheese platters (antipasta) that I can’t get enough of. Best part is they make real ‘music-paper bread’ (Italian name is escaping me … anyone?)

Matamoros - 193 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn - (718) 782-5044
Tacos in the back of a deli. Real Mexican. Everyone who has lived in the area for a while knows this place as a quick and cheap place to get a great dinner.