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Dining in The Grocery’s matrimonial back garden
Josh Guttman | July 13, 2007
My mom and sister came to Brooklyn last night for dinner. We walked down Smith Street and ended up at The Grocery around 9pm. The hostess sat us in the delightful back garden, which conjures up visions of elegant wedding decor - ivy-covered brick walls, flagstone patio, an outdoor bar covered by white canopy and a tall pine tree stretching up over it all. There’s something nice about strolling into a restaurant that, according to Zagat ranks in NYC’s top 20, keeping the same company as Nobu, Babbo, Il Mulino and Chanterelle (all restaurants with a 27 for food), without any reservation and being seated immediately at a prime table in the garden (in 2004, Zagat ranked The Grocery #7 in NYC). I probably shouldn’t let this secret out, but of the four times I’ve indulged at this neighborhood institution, only once did I call ahead for a reservation, and I’ve never had to wait more than 15 minutes. Perhaps it’s my local nature and they give me preferential treatment.
My mom and sister shared the teenage greens with squash blossom, while I ordered the rosted beets with goat cheese ravioli to start. Both were delicious. For our main courses, I took our servers rec to heart and tried the farm-raised trout with couscous arugula pudding. My mom and sister both ordered the slow-rendered duck (a house specialty). To cap off the meal, we split the dessert special - a peach and blueberry cobbler a la mode. I’ve never met a cobbler I didn’t like, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. All of the dishes were yummy with inventive sauces and flavor combinations, and the 2004 Chablis nicely complemented it all (so nicely that my mom jotted down the name). The best thing about The Grocery, though, is the no-attitude, no frills, casual approach that chef-owners Sharon Pachter and Charles Kiely instill in the place. It’s all about the food here, and this makes it a gem of the neighborhood.
The Grocery is located at 288 Smith St between Union and Sackett. Their number is (718) 596-3335.
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