For Christmas (yes, Christmas–over four months ago!), the Hubs and I received as a gift from my cousin and cousin-in-law, a crisp $100 bill. After reading a long ago post recounting a search for brunch, they had looked at the website for Buttermilk Channel, which I lamented not being able to go to for brunch on account of the fact that they were not open for brunch at the time (they are now, by the way, but only on Sundays), and so impressed were they by their menu that they indicated that the c-note was to be redeemed at Buttermilk Channel. Of course they would have been happy with me spending it at another restaurant, or, I imagine, on a crate of crazy straws. But, wanting to remain true to the spirit of the gift, I tucked the bill away into a drawer for safekeeping until we had a chance to go to the Carroll Gardens restaurant. Here is a picture of the Benjamin in question.
That chance arrived weekend before last, when we were finally able to commit a group of five people (this is a key number when it comes to Buttermilk Channel–with fewer people it is not possible to make a reservation, and the waits are more or less interminable without one). The restaurant is so popular that we had to make a reservation for 6:00pm, which might count as a late repast in Boca, but in a town where dinner at 10:00pm isn’t unusual, it seemed almost embarrassingly early. But, never mind, the light was great for my photos, so I didn’t complain.
We were seated promptly upon arriving. Our waitress was polite and attentive. In addition, there was a guy that seemed to be a manager of sorts, stopping at people’s tables occasionally. At least one of us must have looked perplexed for some reason, as he stopped by our table to ask if he could clear up anything for us. We asked a few questions about the menu, which he gamely answered. The waitress poured water and took our drink orders promptly, helping some of us with wine recommendations. Being pregnant, I softly whimpered into my water while others enjoyed vino from a great list of wines by the glass (their list by the bottle is more extensive).
After drinks came some complimentary popovers, which were light and popover-y, and drizzled with honey. Next came some house-made pickles (both sour and bread-and-butter style) and some sweet potato and goat cheese croquettes (photo above). The pickles were great, and the croquettes were addictively good–perfectly crisp on the outside, creamy and delicious on the inside. they were well seasoned, and lacked added sugar, something that ruins many sweet potato dishes in my opinion. I wish we had asked for two orders, so we each would have had one for ourselves. It seemed a shame to cut them in half. But there many other good things to come…
Next we had spring dandelion greens salad with red onion, chopped egg and buttermilk dressing, which was delicious, if a little over-oniony. I think there was something about the seriously pungent bitterness of the greens that would have been better paired with something less sharp than raw red onions, like maybe some marinated shallots. But, the creamy dressing helped mellow out the flavors a bit. A better starter was the butternut squash tart. Made with house-made buttermilk(!) ricotta, brown butter, and served with organic greens, it was huge winner. It was a perfectly balanced dish of sweet butternut squash (sliced and roasted squash, not mashed as you might expect in a tart), creamy ricotta, and flaky puff pastry crust. The Hubs raved that it was both “out-of-this-world” and “amazing.” The app was full of flavor that was much more than the sum of its parts.
As to entrees, let’s just get this out of the way, everything was good to great–there were no complaints. The duck meat loaf (left) was served atop a bed of creamed spinach and a pool of duck jus. That enormous bun-looking thing on top of it is in fact a single, perfectly fried onion ring. The plate was the smallest portion of all of the dishes, but was so exquisitely rich that it was perfectly filling. The buttermilk fried chicken was the most generously sized entree, with two enormous pieces of chicken served with cheddar waffles and coleslaw. It wasn’t the healthiest dish on the menu, but was really very tasty home cookin’. The chicken was tender, crispy, and flavorful to the bone. The coleslaw was made with savoy cabbage and carrots, and was delicious–not your standard throwaway side of slaw. The waffle was a yummy alternative to biscuits, and an unexpected southern touch in a place run by true Yankees. A vegetarian entree (no longer on the menu) featured the same waffle as the main attraction on the plate, along with some incredible mustard greens with mustard sauce (it possessed layers of delicious flavors you wouldn’t expect from that redundant-sounding description), roasted mushrooms (earthy and yummy), and the savoy slaw.
The bacon-wrapped trout, served with mustard greens and fingerling potatoes, was also good. How they managed to get the bacon crispy without overcooking the trout is a mystery to me, but one I wont question. The dish was deemed delicious, and every bite was finished. The Nantucket tilefish was served with black mussels, zucchini “noodles,” and basil broth. This was yet another great dish. The fish was perfectly cooked: flaky on the inside and well browned on the outside. Considering the mussels were a supporting player, they were top quality and very fresh. Also fresh were the herbs with which the dish was redolent. The portion was generous without being excessive.
After dinner, we were not so full that we weren’t tempted by the dessert menu. But, we had dessert from Veniero’s and some rum fresh from Panama (though for me, again, water!) waiting for us back at the Predicate’s apartment, so we departed without sampling the delicious-sounding sweets. I will be back, if only to sit at the bar and eat the pecan pie sundae (or perhaps the chocolate chip bread pudding with butterscotch sauce).
I would wholeheartedly recommend Buttermilk Channel. (Just try to get a group to go, and make reservations in advance!) The fact that they have a separate vegetarian and kid’s menu available, makes it a friendly place for a large demographic. No matter the menu you choose, the atmosphere, food, drinks, and service are all exceptional–I see multiple visits there in my future. And thank you, cousins, for giving us the one-hundred-dollar impetus to go!
Buttermilk Channel
524 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY
718-852-8490
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June 4th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Thanks for this! I was trying to put names with pictures of some of the dishes I had here a looooooong time ago but couldn’t remember a thing until I read this. Potato croquettes indeed.