Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Brunch Bets: Prime Meats


Rarely, if ever, do I crave steak and eggs for breakfast. But when said steak and eggs are from Prime Meats, I'm easily swayed. Owned and operated by childhood friends Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo (aka "the Franks"), this Carroll Gardens restaurant is perpetually slammed with diners. And for good reason, the food and cocktails are absolutely delicious. Described as a farm-to-table restaurant with German influences, Prime Meats specializes in pre-Prohibition era handcrafted cocktails and hearty alpine cuisine. While dinner remains their specialty, one would be foolish to overlook the solid brunch.


Known primarily for their charcuterie-laden Vesper Brett and the massive DeBragga & Spitler Dry-Aged Côte De Boeuf, The Franks certainly don't pull any punches when it comes to food, and they hit with their brunch as well. MW and I were initially overwhelmed, not knowing how best to attack the enticing menu with its array of house made baked goods and pastries, plus a bevy of dishes made with Lancaster County farm fresh eggs. An obvious decision was to start our meal with two Stumptown Coffees.


Already anticipating ordering some hearty fare, we ultimately succumbed to the restaurant's excellent House-Made Pretzel with Butter and Sea Salt despite our best efforts. Fat and chewy on one end, thin and crisp on the other, these are the antithesis of those despicable versions sold by street vendors. Adorned with some coarse sea salt, a pad of soft butter and a side of Bavarian Sweet Mustard, these pretzels are the perfect remedy for a big night out and are tasty to boot!



With two Poached Eggs, a slab of Faicco's Thick Cut Bacon, Potato Rösti and Toast, MW's Farmer's Breakfast was the stick to your ribs breakfast you'd associate with a restaurant named "Prime Meats." Yet they serve up more than just killer steaks, as the eggs were perfectly poached with runny yolks that were quickly sopped up with toast. As with any good steakhouse, the bacon contained a slight char and was nice and thick.

The wedge of cripsy rösti was a thing of beauty. Thinly grated and deeply caramelized, this was as good as any version I had eaten, recalling memories from my travels throughout Switzerland and Germany.


My Steak and Eggs consisted of a 4 oz. Strip Steak, two Fried Eggs, Potato Rösti and Toast. Unlike the mystery cut of "steak" found at your typical diner, Prime Meats uses a strip steak for this dish. Cooked medium rare, the minerally taste of the steak was accentuated by the rich yolk, crispy rösti and toast.


In his two star review, Sam Sifton harped on two problems: a no reservations policy and not accepting credit cards. Well, apparently all of Sifton's bitching finally paid off as Prime Meats eventually ditched its cash only policy and now accepts credit cards. Still, while they still doesn't accept reservations, and the waits for dinner continue to be maddening, you'll likely encounter no such issue at their deeply satisfying brunch.

Prime Meats
465 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 254-0327

http://www.frankspm.com/

To see all the pictures from this meal click HERE.

Prime Meats on Urbanspoon

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