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“Sweet Melissa”

As a new resident of Cobble Hill, I’ve been doing my culinary due diligence, eating in the neighborhood as much as possible and checking out the local goods. Last night, for instance, we had the chance to check out Sean Josephs’ Char No. 4 at a small pre-opening bash, and lemme tell you, when it opens, it’s going to be mobbed. Matt Grecco’s food is terrific. (He worked with Andrew Carmellini, so you can understand why.)

Anyway, last week, on my way back from a walk down to Citibank, I stopped in at the new Sweet Melissa Cremerie, a newly opened ice cream shop next door to the well-loved patisserie of the same name, owned by baker Melissa Murphy. While I was tempted by the fresh-churned vanilla, butter almond and chocolate ice creams, what caught my eye was the charming new dining room, the lush garden out back and their all day every day brunch menu. I walked out with a scoop of vanilla—dense, cold and creamy and flecked with specks of vanilla bean—and planned to return for a “real” meal.
Craig and I stopped in last Saturday and were totally won over by the place. The garden is quite expansive, larger than many indoor dining rooms actually, with picket fencing, flagstone paths, butterfly bushes galore and wrought iron patio furniture set up in tables for two, four and more, all covered with canvas umbrellas the color of warm sand. It’s like an enchanted English garden back there.

The menu includes brunch every day, which always appeals to me. We had the frittata of summer squash, Gruyere and caramelized onions ($8.50), which was served with a generous heap of salad. While it was priced right, it was a rather skimpy portion and tasted pre-made and reheated. Bummer. I’d have given up a ten spot for a bit more. By comparison, Craig’s chicken tarragon salad was a nice healthy portion of fresh and meaty (not too much mayo) studded with apples and walnuts, overstuffed into a fluffy baked croissant ($10.95).

The café also offers Panini (like the one layered with ham, camembert, and green apples, $8.50) and salads like a classic salad nicoise ($12.50), daily soups, and lots more. While the food can be better, it’s an oasis of calm back there, and makes for a really pleasant place to share a meal, have a snack, or just a cold glass of lemonade in the sunshine. There’s wireless too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Inside in the café, you’ll find a bounty of just-baked goods—cookies, tarts, bread pudding cakes, sticky buns, muffins, scones, hand-dipped chocolates, and on and on. This is clearly Melissa’s forte. These baked goods—especially the bread pudding and those sticky buns—were excellent. Enjoy!

Sweet Melissa is located at 274 Court Street, Brooklyn, 718-855-3410.

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Posted: September 4, 2008

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