An Effing Foodie

I Spy: Tongue and Cheek Terrine @ Franny's, Brooklyn

I'm a sucker for a good terrine, because in my heart of hearts, I know I'll never be the kind of gal who will take the time to press meaty off-bits into a sliceable miracle of natural gelatins and tender shreds.

So this item was a Quadruple Threat for me as I skimmed the menu at Franny's on a fine spring day: Pork Cheek? Beef Tongue? Terrine? AND a pun?

Yes, please!

And, dear readers, I had the same thought that you did upon spying this for the first time. This looks like...Spam. Fancypants Spam. Spam with spats and a pedigree.

Which is exactly what it tasted like. Being from the Spamtacular State of Hawaii, this is by no means a negative association. It was a luscious mosaic of faces, meaty and savory, the lean muscle of the beef tongue gelled together by the richness of the pork cheek.

[In a perfect world: Tongue and Cheek and Egg breakfast sandwiches. 'Twould be a heady glut of calories and sexy metaphors to face in the morning.]

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franny's
295 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11217
718 230 0221

Biscuit Like a Snow Hill: egg restaurant, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Brunch is one of those great love-hate relationships in New York.  On the one hand, what's not to love about eggs and booze? 

On the other hand, what's to love about long waits, no space to sneeze or seize, and dead-inside, hungover servers who drew the short straw?

Tricky, tricky.  But this last Sunday, Soft-Spoken Feisty Lady and myself were wandering about Williamsburg (destination: Artists & Fleas), and we did a lap around egg (diminutive case theirs), debating if we wanted to deal with the coiling line of people waiting to be nourished.

Well...why not?  When in Rome...wait as the Romans wait.  We put our name on the list and tuckered into the garage-ish waiting alcove.

The round of people we were waiting with were a well-coiffed bunch of quitters, so in 30 minutes, SSFL and I found ourselves seated on an aisle cafe table, sipping Mimosas ($7, the grapefruit one's a great change of pace) and eagerly awaiting eggs.

egg's Country Ham Biscuit ($8) has been on my to-do list of eating for years now, but never, ever finding myself in 'billysburg, it had become something like a bruncher's White Whale.  I may have danced a little dance when said whale hit the table:

Well, hullooooo.

That's a two-handed, feather-light work of fall-apart biscuit magic, layered with deeply savory (read: salty, but not too salty) Kentucky country ham, sharply creamy Grafton Cheddar and housemade fig preserves.

Feisty Lady and I were hard-pressed to choose a second candidate for a plate-swap, but we ran with the Eggs Rothko ($8.50), AKA Eggs-in-a-Frame of Amy's flaky brioche, blanketed with more Grafton Cheddar and paired with broiled tomatoes and candied bacon ($3.50):

Yep, you heard me right.  Bacon candy, baby.  It's less baroque than it sounds; a couple of the softer strips were not unlike mapled pancake neighbors, but there were one or two bronzed crispy critters that hit the candied mark.

I usually don't see what the big deal is with brioche, but this slice ate like a croissant, an ideal candidate for egg-and-cheese impregnation (made only better by spicy green sauce).  We liked the cheesy grits, but felt like they would have been better with the addition of a side of sauteed kale, broiled tomatoes, or a soft-cooked egg.

Funny, the difference a minute makes; like most bloggers, I tend to take pics as soon as the server walks away, without a flash and as quickly as possible, so the food doesn't get cold.  No sooner did I plop the camera back in my purse and raise knife and fork, a minor disaster struck.

Holiday Gift Guide, 2009: Fancypants Nosh from the BKLYN Larder

I'm an unabashed fan of Franny's, the BKLYN Larder's big-sister venture, so when I got the Larder's newsletter for Christmas goodies, a little involuntary drooling and clapping may-or-may-not have happened.

 

Jasper Farm?

Mast Brothers?  (Going to visit their factory this weekend, stay tuned!)

Neal's Yard Stichelton???

To all who have been sweating presents and are in spitting distance of Park Slope, now's your chance:

• Call them at 718.783.1250 to place your order. (Or visit them in person!)
• They ask that you place your orders by December 20th.
• They are open 7 days a week, plus from 10 AM to 6 PM on Christmas-Eve-Day for to pick up said order.  (They'll thankfully be closed Christmas Day!)

Browse their cornucopia of baskets here.

They're doing catering, too, for all the Christmas cheer with none of the toiling! 

Same rules for ordering apply.  Don't corner or kid yourself--you know if you're too busy to cook!

Little D Eatery, Park Slope, Brooklyn

I get a lot of emails and texts that look something like this: My so-and-so is coming to town, and they're not particularly adventurous eaters, but I want to impress them and not spend a lot of money.  Where should I go?

It's been increasingly difficult to come up with answers for this one, particularly in Manhattan.  But if you're not borough-bound, the answer is easy: Little D Eatery.

But EF, you say, Manhattan is chock-full of great restaurants!  Do we really HAVE to cross a body of water to eat cheaply and well? 

Well, no.  But if you don't like to wait in line, don't have the where-with-all to make reservations, enjoy unshouted conversations and don't like dealing with a lot of 'tude, Brooklyn's a better bet, and Little D has yet to disappoint.

With a red-brick, tea light-lit interior and a garden in the summer, it's intimate without being fussy, and feels right for both special occasions and everyday splurging (which has more to do with the quality of the food, rather than the price point).  Bring your mom, your hopeful third date, or the friends you like best.

Formerly called Little Dishes, this cozy spot does serve up their grub in the ever-popular small-plate format, to favorable effect: You will want EVERYTHING.

Don't bring sickies (no sharing = no fun), and make your choices with a well-made cocktail in hand; my mister and I fell for the Manhattan Sec (Bourbon, Lillet and orange twist).

There's a short, well-curated wine list (all available by the glass) and more than a dozen beers by the bottle to keep the suds nerds happy--the staff has a talent for pairing, so don't be shy about asking.

The hardest thing to do here is not get attached--considering how many times I've been here, I should've tried far more dishes, but I just get stuck on my favorites 'cause they're so effing good.

Monday MONDAY Monday: Goulash Mondays at Cafe Steinhof

 

One particularly unmotivated Monday, my man and I were craving little more than a comforting space and sustenance with a certain fortifying gravity.  (Yep, it was stupid cold out.)

So we poked our heads into Cafe Steinhof, and were greeted with a "Hi! Two for goulash?"

We were little taken aback, but who can refuse an offer like that? 

Franny's is Kind of a Big Deal (Franny's Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY)

Wooof...sorry for the hiatus, folks.  It's been gangbuster nutjob crazy lately.

Times like this, you think of the little things, things that are easy, gratifying, and offer maximal bliss. 

Things like dinner at Franny's.

I know, I'm not the first or the last nosh maven to coo about Franny's...but folks, you KNOW I have an unfettered dislike of places that rise and fall on the Big Hype Tide.  And even I have to put my Hype Hate aside and admit: Franny's is kind of a big deal.

Solely on the merit of their lighter-than-air, wood-blistered pies, you SHOULD be rushing to Franny's right this moment.  But unlike other players in the cult of NY pizza (who rely upon the good will and ducats of single-minded dough fanatics) if, God forbid, there were no pizza available, there would still be plenty of good eating to be had at Franny's.

You could describe their menu as artisanal, market-driven, or localvore-friendly, but all that would be missing the point.  Their food is carefully considered, sophisticated yet unassuming, and ultimately satisfying the way only well-done basics can be.