Comestiblog

Saint Germain: Germanely French in Bay Ridge

When last I dined at this Bay Ridge bistro, it was called Provence en Boîte.  Although owners Jean-Jacques and Leslie Bernat have since packed up and relocated their Provençal "box" to Boerum Hill, this space retained its Gallic flavor when Jerome Vidy reopened it as Saint Germain in August, 2004.  (The name, incidentally, comes from the Left Bank district in Paris around the quartier latin, or Latin quarter—an historic area known for its literary and artistic life.)  I've wanted to try the Third Avenue namesake of Saint-Germain-des-Prés for some time, but have always considered the prices un peu cher.  This spring's Dine-In Brooklyn, however, afforded me an affordable occasion to sample their cuisine.

Being seated at my favorite table brought back memories of this bistro's previous incarnation.  Little has changed in the dining room since my last visit:  guests must still pass the enticing dessert showcase upon entering; the bar still stands along the wall beyond the confections; and the banquette still lines the opposite wall.  Though the cooking has remained French, the service has not.  (I miss the Bernat's lovely niece, a delightful French serveuse.)

The special prix-fixe menu (please see below) comprised four starters, four main courses, and seemingly countless desserts.  It offered a well-chosen selection, mostly from the regular menu.  The unaccustomed generosity of the promotional portions came as quite a pleasant (and satisfying) surprise.

My Kir Royale apéritif set the tone for the first course.  Its rosy effervescence made a delightful partner to the smoked salmon platter.  The sparkling wine, combined with the sweet influences of the cassis, complemented the rich smokiness of the fish as well as the piquancy of the caper garnish.  Generously portioned and served with toast and lettuce, this was a marvelous starter.  Interestingly, the salmon platter does not appear on the regular menu, though it probably should.

Smoked salmon platter with toast and lettuce

I should have ordered wine for my second round.  Instead, I succumbed to the seductive appeal of the Brigitte Bardot cocktail.  The mixture of lemon vodka, triple sec, and sparkling French pink lemonade sounded better than it tasted.  What was I thinking?  (I wonder whether I'll fall victim to Wild Love or a Screaming Orgasm next time.)

Onward to the main course.  Since I had a hankering for meat, I chose the Flank Steak au Poivre with pommes frites.  Popular in French kitchens, this cut comes from a part of the cow that normally receives considerable exercise.  While quite lean, the flank can be somewhat tough and stringy.  Thus, it requires rapid cooking on high heat.  As for my steak, it was slightly tough (predictably), but very flavorful, and cooked almost perfectly.  I say almost because it was not quite so rare as I'd requested—a minor point, overall.  The peppercorn sauce (made with green peppercorns, brandy, and cream) was consistent with my expectations:  not great, but not bad, either.  It could have benefited from additional brandy.  The crisp pommes frites were authentic and very good, indeed.  Why can't all french fries be made from real potatoes?  Again, the ample portion's scale was more American than it was French.

Flank steak au poivre with pommes frites

Though sated after the main course, I still faced the prospect of selecting a dessert from the large display case.  With so many délices from which to choose, I picked the one that seemed to be exhorting me to consume it:  the apricot amandine.  My initial bite, however, revealed the real reason behind the tart's entreaties:  fear of being the last to be chosen.  Apparently, this dessert had been deserted awhile.  I found myself doing battle with the crust—it was far too rigid.  Age may have also played a role in helping the almond paste overpower the retreating flavor forces of the sliced apricots.  I prefer my steaks aged, but not so my desserts.  (Perhaps I should have ordered the Porcupine confection instead.)

Apricot amandine

Among my Dine-In Brooklyn meals so far, this one has represented the best value.  Considering that the regular dinner menu lists steak au poivre at $21.95 and desserts at $6 apiece, the $23 fixed price for my three courses was a bargain.  Overall, my dinner was quite satisfactory despite the disappointing apricot amandine.  While the bistro fare at Saint Germain is unlikely to win awards for creativity, it is fairly reliable and tasty.

Saint Germain

8303 Third Avenue (near 83^rd St), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

(718) 745-8899

By train:  to 86^th Street
By bus:  B37

Please click on the image above for a larger view of the menu.

 

The Scoop on Jacques Torres' Ice Cream

Although I had just finished a very satisfying dinner, replete with dessert, the sign outside Jacques Torres' latest venture was too inviting to ignore:  "Come In! Try Our Ice Cream," it beckoned.  Inspired by the success of their ice cream sandwiches over the past four years, Jacques Torres and his partner Ken Goto opened an ice cream parlor adjacent to their chocolate factory on Water Street in D.U.M.B.O.  The new shop began dishing up its frozen wares two Saturdays ago, on 30 May.  Could the renowned chocolatiers also churn out superior ice cream and sorbet?  In spite of my satiety, I was determined to investigate.

Co-owner Ken Goto

An initial taste of the mango sorbet failed to portend a second dessert that evening.  Its formidable fruit flavor was, alas, unable to subjugate the surge of insuperable sweetness.  A second sample altered my supplemental dessert plans instantly, however.  A diminutive spoonful of the exquisite raspberry sorbet virtually exploded in my mouth, leaving behind its fruit-laden shrapnel for my taste buds to savor and exhort for more.  A small cup of this tasty treat revealed its silky-smooth texture that could best be described as mousse-like.  Its flavor and consistency make this possibly the best raspberry sorbet I've tasted.

Though I limited my trials to sorbet this time, a couple of ice cream flavors aroused my curiosity:  namely, the Wicked (spiced with ancho and chipotle chilies) and the Vanilla Caramel Popcorn Crunch.  In all, Mr. Chocolate offers more than a dozen flavors of ice cream and sorbet at very reasonable prices.  Cones and cups: one scoop ($3); two scoops ($4.75); three scoops ($6).  Having mastered chocolates, truffles, bonbons, and now ice cream, Mr. Torres is becoming the Jacques of all treats.  What sweets will he conquer next?

Jacques Torres Ice Cream

62 Water Street (near Main St), D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn

(718) 875-9772

http://www.mrchocolate.com/

By train: A,C to High Street; F to York Street
By bus: B25 to Main Street

Please click on the image above for a larger view of the menu.

Comestevents for June 5-7, 2009

Comestible events this weekend for New York and beyond:

Greek Festival

Enjoy homemade Greek foods and pastries, shop in the agora and flea market, and dance the night away.

Saints Constantine & Helen Cathedral
64 Schermerhorn Street (between Court St & Boerum Pl), Downtown Brooklyn

Friday, 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M.
Saturday, 1:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.
Sunday, 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Free.

(718) 624-0595

http://www.stconstantineandhelen.org/

By train: 2,3,4,5 (IRT) to Borough Hall, M,R (BMT) to Court Street
By bus: B41, B61, B63, B75

Gateway to Nations, NYC Native American Heritage Celebration

The largest Native American festival in New York City features three days of Native American singing, dancing, drumming, food, crafts, jewelry, birds of prey, and more.

Floyd Bennett Field
Gateway National Recreation Area
50 Aviation Road, Brooklyn

Friday, 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Donation: $12 Adults; $6 Children/Seniors

(718) 686-0012
(718) 686-9297

http://www.redhawkcouncil.org/

By bus: Q35

86^th Street Bensonhurst Street Festival

Rides, games, food, and entertainment for the whole family.

86^th Street (19^th Av to Bay Pkwy), Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Sunday, 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.  Free.

(718) 745-3511

By train: D,M to 20 Av
By bus: B1, B6, B82

Farther afield in the Comestiblogosphere:

Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off

About two dozen competitors from around the country serve up some 3,000 gallons of chowder as they vie for soup-remacy in Newport, Rhode Island's 29^th annual cook-off.  Taste and vote for best chowdah, as well as for best clam cake.  Over $10,000 in prizes are at stake.

Saturday, 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Admission: $20 (children 12 and under free with an accompanying adult)

http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/
http://www.gonewport.com/

Second Annual Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor®

This food fest returns to National Harbor on the Potomac River in our nation's capital.  This event celebrates the use of "local, fresh and responsibly sourced ingredients from both land and sea."  Admission includes tastings of food, wine, beer, and spirits, as well as access to seminars, chef demonstrations, and workshops.  Attendees also receive a souvenir bag and wine glass.

Saturday, 12:00 Noon to 8:00 P.M.
Sunday, 12:00 Noon to 6:00 P.M.

Tickets: $65 (ages 21 and older); $30 (ages 12-20); $15 (ages 6-11)

(443) 716-2800

http://www.foodandwinenh.com/

Northampton Restaurant Week

This weeklong event concludes Sunday, 7 June.  Fifteen Northampton, Massachusetts restaurants strut their stuff with three-course menus at the fixed price of $20.09 (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities).

(413) 584-1900

http://www.northamptonrestaurantweek.com/
http://www.explorenorthampton.com/

National Doughnut Day—Free Doughnuts!

Every year, the first Friday in June designates National Doughnut Day.  This holiday originated in 1938 with the Chicago Salvation Army to help feed the hungry during the Great Depression, as well as to honor the Salvation Army's female-volunteer "Lassies" of World War I.  Often using helmets as cookware, the Lassies prepared thousands of doughnuts for American infantrymen—or doughboys—behind the front lines in France.  The first Salvation Army doughnut was served in 1917.

As a tribute to the Salvation Army's work, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts, and a number of others are providing free doughnuts today.  Participating Krispy Kreme stores are giving away one doughnut per customer without any requisite purchase.  Participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, on the other hand, are offering one free doughnut with the purchase of a beverage.

To give back:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Visit the LaMars site for doughnut facts and a trivia quiz:

http://www.lamars.com/donutday/index.html

Hot Dog! Childhood Memories of Verona Park

Each of us has a private, nostalgic universe—that combination of sight, sound texture, smell, and taste that informs our memories.  I say "private" because it is impossible for another person to share our experience, even simultaneously, let alone after the fact, because our personalities and biases shape what is ultimately stored as memory.

Impossible as it may be to share an exact memory, there is a place that is special enough to conjure what my Comestaccomplice termed a "near-memory experience."

Verona Park in Verona, New Jersey was my boyhood haunt.  Nearly every day during the warm months, my grandmother and I made the long walk thither from my house in West Orange.  On the occasion of my recent visit to my childhood home, however, we drove.  As we followed the familiar old path to my little paradise, my friend marveled at how much ground my little legs were willing—nay, eager—to traverse to reach the park.  This alone conveyed the idea that Verona Park had to be very special.

When we arrived, my friend understood how heavenly this place must have been for a small child, with its variety of features to explore: a lovely lake with wetlands, inlets, an island and waterfalls; a playground; a bridge; a fort with a dungeon (or, in grownups' parlance, a bandstand).  My friend dug deeply into her five-year-old self to see this place through my young eyes.  The emotions from her own nostalgic venues were easily accessible as she immersed herself here.  For the rest of our sojourn at Verona Park, she was able to remain in that child's shoes, and experience it as I might have.  Contributing to the magic of this experience was that very little had changed in the decades since my childhood.

Of all the things that had not changed, or hadn't much changed, was the concession stand and the superior hot dog that it offers.  When I was a lad, the snack bar was situated inside the boathouse.  One could eat inside, or enjoy the food outside on the deck overlooking the lake.  Today the concession stand faces out to the deck, and the boathouse interior is closed.  It was a very busy day, yet there were plenty of spots available at the long picnic tables alongside the water's edge.

Consistent with the crowds was quite a wait for our franks (there's an ample menu, but no reason to order anything else).  Finally, they were handed to us across the counter … my Comestaccomplice could hardly contain her disappointment.  It took only one whiff of the hot dog's aroma and a glance at its crackly skin to realize that ordering just one had been a serious mistake.  Two or three would have been much wiser.

The hot dog's appearance—fine as it was—could only hint at just how good it actually tasted.  The grilled skin offers a gratifying snap as one bites into it.  The juice inside is just enough to keep the meat moist without it running down one's chin.  The flavors meld perfectly: good quality beef is blended with just the right amount of salt and savory spicing, and encased in that snappy skin with its slight charred flavor.

It is rare that as adults we can revisit a favorite childhood experience and even find it still enjoyable.  It's truly special when a visit down memory lane is not only pleasant, but measures up to our inner child's expectations.  Amazingly, the hot dog was exactly as I remembered it—how truly remarkable after all these years.  What a treat it was to share such a delectable old memory.

Verona Park

Bloomfield & Lakeside Avenues
Verona, N.J.   07044   (map)

http://www.essex-countynj.org/
http://www.veronapark.org/

By bus: 29 (Bloomfield Avenue)