Robert Burns once wrote that, "The best laid plans of mice and men go often askew and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy." Such was almost the case when my planned birthday dinner with my sister at Roberta's Pizza ran into a roadblock the size of their Saturday night dinner rush. The evening's bar plans would not allow for the 45 minute wait and I was left racking my brain for a nearby replacement. Thankfully, I remembered the Roebling Tea Room a short trip away on the L train.
The Roebling Tea Room's dimly lit interior features the sort of farmhouse-like rustic American decor that seems to be popular among Brooklyn restaurants these days. Wooden, candle-lit tables with uneven slats surround a central bar offering a wide array of high end liquors. There was a slight wait when I arrived and so I spent a few moments enjoying a neat pour of Hudson Manhattan Rye. I haven't seen this whiskey, the first rye made in Manhattan since prohibition, anywhere else and its quality alone makes Roebling a destination.
Of course I wouldn't be writing about this place if the booze was the only thing that was local. This restaurant is one of many in New York that gets its hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed beef from Hardwick Beef which works with small, sustainable farms across the northeast. It also works with Heritage Foods for a number of naturally, responsibly raised meat products and with Blooming Hill Farm for local, organic produce. The menu changes often to match what's locally available and in-season.
Once I got past the wobbling of the plate on the uneven table I dug into the steak tartare appetizer ($10). While the meat itself was fresh and clean - as good tartare is - the dish as a whole was overworked; garnished with capers, fried chickpeas, radishes, lemon and mayonnaise. The crunch of the chickpeas adds a nice texture but together with the capers the dish is too salty, and together with the mayo the dish is too oily. The freshness of the raw radish and the bite of the lemon were not enough to balance the heaviness of the rest.
The chicken entree ($22) was a nice celebration of many parts of the bird. The pan-fried breast and drummette were tender and juicy while the meatball made of dark meat was rich and tangy - flavored like a chicken sausage. It was the cockle braised in citrus that was the star of the plate, however, with a sweetness that cut perfectly through the slow-cooked fattiness. The only fault was the skin of the chicken which was a tad over-salted. It hit on most notes but the sweetness of the cockle was not enough to fully bring balance to the entire plate.
The roasted lamb shoulder ($23) was served with a fantastically creamy side of mashed potatoes that was light, fluffy, and the perfect counterpoint to the meat. The lamb was served slightly over medium-rare and was quite tender with a helping of soft, earthy mushrooms and a cream sauce. The middle parts of the roast were wonderfully flavored with none of the gamey-ness that causes some to fear lamb. The outer crust, however, was also too salty.
Roebling's menu changes seasonally - there are already differences in the two and a half weeks since this meal - and, despite some over-zealous seasoning, features some really satisfying cooking. The salt only provided a slight distraction from what was otherwise a pleasant meal. The restaurant's laid back interior belies the ironic hipster maelstrom raging outside and, seriously, if nothing else stop by for that whiskey.
Roebling Tea Room
143 Roebling St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
The Roebling Tea Room's dimly lit interior features the sort of farmhouse-like rustic American decor that seems to be popular among Brooklyn restaurants these days. Wooden, candle-lit tables with uneven slats surround a central bar offering a wide array of high end liquors. There was a slight wait when I arrived and so I spent a few moments enjoying a neat pour of Hudson Manhattan Rye. I haven't seen this whiskey, the first rye made in Manhattan since prohibition, anywhere else and its quality alone makes Roebling a destination.
Of course I wouldn't be writing about this place if the booze was the only thing that was local. This restaurant is one of many in New York that gets its hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed beef from Hardwick Beef which works with small, sustainable farms across the northeast. It also works with Heritage Foods for a number of naturally, responsibly raised meat products and with Blooming Hill Farm for local, organic produce. The menu changes often to match what's locally available and in-season.
Once I got past the wobbling of the plate on the uneven table I dug into the steak tartare appetizer ($10). While the meat itself was fresh and clean - as good tartare is - the dish as a whole was overworked; garnished with capers, fried chickpeas, radishes, lemon and mayonnaise. The crunch of the chickpeas adds a nice texture but together with the capers the dish is too salty, and together with the mayo the dish is too oily. The freshness of the raw radish and the bite of the lemon were not enough to balance the heaviness of the rest.
The chicken entree ($22) was a nice celebration of many parts of the bird. The pan-fried breast and drummette were tender and juicy while the meatball made of dark meat was rich and tangy - flavored like a chicken sausage. It was the cockle braised in citrus that was the star of the plate, however, with a sweetness that cut perfectly through the slow-cooked fattiness. The only fault was the skin of the chicken which was a tad over-salted. It hit on most notes but the sweetness of the cockle was not enough to fully bring balance to the entire plate.
The roasted lamb shoulder ($23) was served with a fantastically creamy side of mashed potatoes that was light, fluffy, and the perfect counterpoint to the meat. The lamb was served slightly over medium-rare and was quite tender with a helping of soft, earthy mushrooms and a cream sauce. The middle parts of the roast were wonderfully flavored with none of the gamey-ness that causes some to fear lamb. The outer crust, however, was also too salty.
Roebling's menu changes seasonally - there are already differences in the two and a half weeks since this meal - and, despite some over-zealous seasoning, features some really satisfying cooking. The salt only provided a slight distraction from what was otherwise a pleasant meal. The restaurant's laid back interior belies the ironic hipster maelstrom raging outside and, seriously, if nothing else stop by for that whiskey.
Roebling Tea Room
143 Roebling St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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