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“Farm on Adderley”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Brooklyn	Moderate	Good

e a week for those fries—skin-on thick-cut potatoes fried so that they are crunchy and the darker side of golden. The curry mayo they come with is an innovative companion that adds a note of warm sweet spice. But I’d eat them plain. I’d eat them straight from the fryer. I may need a support group.

Beyond the fries, there are other riches to this menu, a happy read that reflects the sort of soulful home cooking that you wish someone were in your kitchen making for you every night. For instance, a thick slice of a terrine made from root vegetables ($7)—Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and baby carrots—is bright and zippy in flavor, not somber and earthy as you might think. It is served with a mesclun salad dressed in a straight-forward vinaigrette that was simple and correct, the right balance of high (acid) and low (olive oil). Getting these smaller details right, especially in a fledgling restaurant, is the stuff that impresses me. But the service was also impressive. It is that perfect balance of friendly, knowledgeable, and adorable. Our waitress, a cute 20-something with pigtail braids who addressed us with a “Hey, girls,” balanced her sweetness with fierce wine and food knowledge. I’ll admit it. I had a total girl crush on her. I’ve told Craig already. He’s in favor. Boys will be boys.

Anyway, back to the food. An appetizer of sweet potato gnocchi comes well dressed in brown butter, Parmesan and a flurry of shaved brussel sprouts. The gnocchi were quite substantial, cut into large dumplings the size of mini frankfurters, and while I loved the combination of the brussel sprouts, butter and cheese, some counterpoint—some acidity, smokiness, or heat—would be nice to balance out all that richness. The dish was too round; it needed some edges.

Kearney does a few daily specials and we couldn’t resist two of them—calamari stew served over cracked wheat in a smoky mussel broth ($14) and braised oxtail Roman style served over basmati rice ($18). The calamari stew tasted like a bouillabaisse from Marseille that got crossed with a fish stew from Spain, stocked with fine sea creatures in a wildly rich and smoky broth. While I loved the flavor of it, the oxtail could have used a better butcher job. It was served on the bone and it was quite fatty which made it quite difficult to get to the meat. Once you did, you were good to go, an ... [more, click below]

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Posted: January 29, 2007

Other restaurants in Brooklyn :
+ Chickenbone Cafe-- Closed   + Pier 116-- Closed   + Chestnut   + Lunch at Peter Luger's   + 360   + Palo Santo   + The Good Fork   + Porchetta-- Closed Now   + Bocca Lupo   + Flatbush Farm   + DuMont Burger   + Dressler   + Farm on Adderley   + The Grocery   + Saul   + Black Mountain Wine House   + The General Greene   + Char No. 4   + James   + Chestnut   + No. 7   + Vinegar Hill House   + Motorino   + Buttermilk Channel   + Buttermilk Channel   + Vutera   + Watty & Meg    + Prime Meats   + Aqualis Grill   + Jack the Horse Tavern   + Roman's   + Fatty 'Cue   + Thistle Hill Tavern   + Broken English   + Trix, by Dara Pollak   + An Ode to New Orleans in Williamsburg: Maison Premiere, By Dara Pollak   + Brooklyn Wok Shop by Dara Pollak   + Arthur on Smith   + La Vara   + Gran Electrica   + Pok Pok Ny   + Ganso    + Reynard   

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