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“Roman's”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Brooklyn	Moderate	Don't Bother

he waiter about the broth (the brodo) he said it was just a shallow broth, and the dish was really about the pasta. Sounded great to us, but how wrong he was. It was a bowl of chicken soup with little coin-sized dumplings. If I had wanted chicken soup with kreplach, I would have been pleased, but I was hoping for ravioli. I guess it was a matter of expectation but in truth it was also a bit bland and not particularly interesting or satisfying. However, the chitarra—a hand cut pasta that resembles spaghetti—had a great texture, and the simplicity of the sauce was lovely. But the menu indicated the sauce would have some heat and the spice was like a phantom, nowhere to be found.  

By this time we had finished our bottle of white and got the bartender to help us with some red. We chose a biodynamic red from Axel Prufer ($36), which was interesting with a bit of effervescence at first. While we liked the wine, disappointment continued with the pork roast with sausage and kraut ($24).

We had ordered this dish to share as our entree after the waiter had said the portion was large enough for three to share. I don’t know what kind of appetite most people who eat at Roman’s have, but this was not a plate hearty enough for three. (Granted I can’t fit into skinny jeans so maybe I should change my appetite.) But when I think of a pig dish big enough to share I think of something like the maialino (roast suckling pig) for two at Mailalino which certainly is, but this plate of pork was barely enough for one. The plate contained one fat and fantastic pork sausage and a very generous pile of crunchy and appropriately vinegary sauerkraut, but we were expecting a nice hunk of roast and what we were served instead amounted to three thin slices of pale, fatty loin, what resembled undercooked bacon. Was someone asleep at the wheel? What was happening in the kitchen? How disappointing. The side of tatsoi ($7), sautéed with garlic, olive oil and lemon, was delicious, but it wasn’t enough to rescue the meal.

We were pretty hungry by the end of dinner and excited for dessert, which the waiter explained included two sorbets: apple or chocolate, and a cookie plate, none of which sounded particularly satisfying on a cold winter night.  

As I said at the beginning of this review, I rarely get out to restaurants these days, what with babysitting at $80 a night. So when I do go out, an ... [more, click below]

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Posted: January 21, 2010

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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