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Bacchus
409 Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
718-852-1572
When you market yourself as a bistrot à
vins, you might consider postponing your opening
till the liquor license arrives. Bacchus didn’t,
and it’s a testament to the quality of the
cooking and the congeniality of the owners and staff
that it’s already become such a beloved, albeit
temporarily BYOB, Boerum Hill fixture. A rustic, cozy
dining room, a tranquil garden, and a menu that deftly
combines the classics (coq au vin, $10; steak-frites,
$18) with the more contemporary (baked salmon with
tomato jam and artichokes, $12) make the dry spell
more than tolerable.
Financier Patisserie
62 Stone Street
212-344-5600
Saturated with fast-food outlets and plagued by
lackluster saloons, the financial district has always
been a budget-dining desert. This elegant café,
an offshoot of Bayard’s and Harry’s on
Hanover Square, is an oasis—not only for its
mouthwatering patisserie but for its lunchtime panini,
North Fork salad greens, and satisfying soups.
We’re partial to the chicken and goat cheese on
Tom Cat Bakery ciabatta ($6.50) but are easily swayed
by the equally compelling San Danielle
prosciutto-mozzarella-pesto or the house-cured tuna
($7 each). Bonus points: genteel service, real china,
and outdoor seating on a lovely cobblestone street.
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| Family Circle: Sunday afternoon
at Redhook's 360. (Photo by Kenneth Chen) |
360
360 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn
718-246-0360
The difficulty of getting to this cozy, off-the-beaten-track bistro
is offset by the ease of ordering: The $20 three-course prix fixe
changes daily and includes a choice of three appetizers, two entrées,
and two desserts. Co-owner Arnaud Erhart patrols the artisan-crafted,
vaguely ship-shaped room, recommending mostly organic or biodynamic
wines (his particular passion) and scolding scofflaw cell-phone
users who violate the house civility code, which also requires reservations
and payment in cash for the time being. Irascible interlopers might
balk, but the prospect of roasted scallops with leek fondue, a tender
paprika-tinged hanger steak, and lighter à la carte bites like
oysters and delectable charcuterie will keep you on your best behavior.
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