6 Dishes Worth Seeking Out From Last Night's Tasting Brooklyn
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<br/><br/>Last night's <a href="http://brooklynexposed.com/tastingbrooklyn">Tasting Brooklyn</a> event brought together some of the borough's tastiest bars and restaurants for an evening of sipping and sampling. For an event celebrating the world's most precious enclave, the evening was mercifully devoid of anything overly twee—with the exception of some tiny wooden chowder spoons, but we'll get to that later. More than <a href="http://brooklynexposed.com/tastingbrooklyn/restaurants">two dozen purveyors</a> were on hand to show off their best dishes, from bigwigs like Sixpoint and DuMont to smaller venues and craftsmen making their way through the Brooklyn scene. Proceeds from the feeding frenzy benefitted the <a href="http://www.brooklyncommunityfoundation.org/brooklyn-recovery-fund">Brooklyn Recovery Fund</a>, which supports nonprofit organizations who are helping out victims of Hurricane Sandy.<br/><br/>We sampled everything the evening had to offer and identified six dishes we would happily seek out on their home turf.
<br/><br/><strong>Escargot Chowder from <a href="http://www.stoneparkcafe.com/">Stone Park Cafe</a></strong>: This snail riff on a classic clam chowder was everything you would want in a creamy soup with just a little bit of bizarre to keep it fresh. Snails have a similar texture to their ocean counterparts, but the flavor is ever so slightly more robust, bringing a nice earthiness to the chowder. The tiny, dense oyster cracker nibblets stood up well to the softer ingredients, retaining their crunch to the end. Plus everything taste better when eaten with tiny wooden spoons!
<br/><br/><strong>Petite Grilled Cheese from <a href="http://lavenderlake.com/">Lavender Lake</a></strong>: This pint-sized sandwich was the perfect bite of salty decadence and everything you'd want out of a grilled cheese sandwich. Extra sharp cheddar tucked between two slices of crispy, heavily buttered bread with just a touch of smoky sweetness from a schmear of heirloom tomato jam. Yes, you'll be in dire need of a napkin to wipe the grease from your fingers, but isn't that the way you want it?
<br/><br/><strong>BBQ Smoked Mackerel Sandwich from <a href="http://fort-reno.us/index.html">Fort Reno</a></strong>: This inventive sandwich doesn't appear to be on this Gowanus BBQ joint's menu, but it should be. The zany combination of smoked mackerel with sweet barbecue glaze is incredible. Add on crunchy coleslaw, cauliflower and carrot plus a sauce made of sour cream, scallion and bbq sauce and you have one killer "pulled fish" bbq sandwich.
<br/><br/><strong>Chicken Hot Dog and 66 Special cocktail from <a href="http://allswellnyc.com/">Allswell</a></strong>: Poultry-based hot dogs often suffer from a lack of fat that makes traditional hot dogs so delectable. Not so here, as the chicken dog was perfectly moist and well-seasoned with a great snap from the casing. The pickled relish topping added a great spicy, acidic zing while the soft potato bun lent a tiny bit of sweetness. The accompanying cocktail, which contained three different kinds of booze (Ron Zacapa, Liquor 43, Elijah Craig 12 Year) plus lime juice was both potent and delicious.
<br/><br/><strong>Vegan Queso Fundido Mac & Cheese from <a href="http://www.elbowroombrooklyn.com/">Elbow Room</a></strong>: This mac and cheese creation makes a strong case for vegan food even omnivores would crave. The spicy "cheese" had a pleasingly creamy texture—a must in any mac and cheese—and some additional heat from pickled jalapenos and smokey soyrizo. The pasta was topped with chunks of avocado, which added additional lusciousness, and crunchy strips of fried tortilla.
<br/><br/><strong>Boat House Punch from <a href="http://www.cloverclubny.com/">Clover Club</a></strong>: Lovers of retro cocktails—or anyone who loves an artfully crafted drink—flock to this <a href="http://www.cloverclubny.com/gallery/">beautiful</a> Cobble Hill bar to imbibe tasty alcoholic beverages. The bar brought their Boat House Punch last night, a potent mix of Dorothy Parker Gin, Aperol, St. Germain, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice and Rose Champagne. The drink is very herbal but with the perfect balance of sweetness from the citrus juices. We're not ashamed to say we went back for another round.