We were wandering around Brooklyn on a rainy evening after seeing a fantastic exhibit at Brooklyn Art Museum (Norman Rockwell… it’s thru April 10, 2011), looking fora place to grab a bite. We walked by a number of places and used Urban Spoon to find a recommended place. Before we knew it, we had wandered to 5th Ave in Park Slope to find Alchemy (56 Fifth Avenue at Bergen Street).
Inside, there were a few small tables and then a few communal tables.
We started with Herbed Goat Cheese in Philo Dough with watercress, pears and lime vinaigrette. The Philo was perfectly crispy and the salad underneath was very good. I also loved how the goat cheese paired with the pear.
We got brussels sprouts and shells and cheese with bacon and peas as sides. The sprouts were DELISH! The shells and cheese needed more depth.
Mike got the burger. It was well cooked and the fries were well crisped.
I chose the Grilled Hanger Steak (all natural angus beef) with herbed butter, mashed potatoes and kale. The potatoes were DELICIOUS and the steak had a good char. And what could be wrong with butter on steak? Nom nom nom.
I’m always skeptical of kale that isn’t crispy, but this was perfectly cooked so the ultra bitter taste was gone and it was just delicious, greeny, garlicky goodness.
The dessert menu had some great options…
But I had to choose the Sticky Guinness Pudding with toffee sauce and candied hazelnuts. How could I not? And MMMMMM was it good! I wanted to lick the plate. The pudding itself was a bit overcooked, but the flavors were so good that it didn’t even matter.
I don’t know why I am constantly surprised by how good food can be in Brooklyn. We have been pretty lucky with our BK Stumble Upons. Overall, Alchemy was better than good. The price points are close to NY, and the food is NY quality. I would go back here in a heartbeat. I would love to try Alchemy for brunch.
Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10
