Eat This Sandwich Now!

Since I'm in court in downtown Brooklyn pretty often, Mile End has become a go-to lunch spot. Like Serious Eats, I'm not a huge fan of the smoked meat, but I love the rest of the lunch menu (I need to try dinner, especially for kasha varnishkes). Today, I had an amazing chicken salad sandwich that I feel compelled to write about.

Things started right when I watched the poppy-seeded bread being griddled with a schmear of schmaltz. Spread on top was a simple chicken salad, tasting like it contained even more schmaltz inside. A layer of crispy gribenes-- fried chicken skin-- provided crunch and chicken flavor, while dill pickled cucumbers and pickled cherry peppers cut right through the middle. A perfect harmony of salad and toppings.

I don't think I've ever had a better chicken salad sandwich. Eat it now!

Mile End
97 Hoyt St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

The Kitchen at Brooklyn Un-Fare

This past June, it was reported that The Kitchen at Brooklyn Fare would soon expand its dining room and increase seating for these highly coveted dinner reservations. Ever since its inception, this  partnership between chef César Ramirez and the Brooklyn Fare grocery store has thrived, often, being fully booked several months ahead. A glowing review by food critic, Alan Richman, and loyal followers of chef Ramirez's cooking has only contributed to comparisons from previous diners proclaiming The Kitchen Brooklyn Fare as "the Per Se of Brooklyn," quite a stretch in my opinion. Sadly, you can count me officially off the César Ramirez bandwagon (note I said chef Ramirez and not The Kitchen at Brooklyn Fare) as my meal there last January was anything but fair. Before writing this, I struggled long and hard about how to approach this post. In the name of objectivity, I felt it prudent to table any writing about the experience, hoping to avoid any knee jerk reactions that I would later regret. But after half a year, nothing has changed the fact that this was unequivocally, the worst meal I have ever experienced.

A Dinner Worth Traveling for at Saul

As is the usual case, a typical Friday night for me involves grabbing dinner with MW and possibly getting drinks later with friends. After a long week of work, the prospect of staying in and cooking just doesn't seem too appealing. Though MW and I have made it a habit of eating out in Manhattan, recently we have made a conscientious effort to dine out more in Brooklyn. And why not? While there was a time when Manhattan was the premier restaurant destination for all of New York City, Manhattanites are now traveling to destinations such as Brooklyn and Queens to satisfy their epicurean desires. Saul has been on my shortlist of "must-try" restaurants in Brooklyn for awhile now. So last Friday evening MW and I made the short trip to Smith Street instead of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Pot Calling the Kettle Yellow and Montreal Smoked Meats

Despite all the buzz around Mile End, the first time I heard about this small deli located the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn was when Chief suggested it for lunch before attending an Orientation to the Profession class presented by the good people at the Second Judicial Department. A three-hour class discussing legal ethics sounded about as much fun as attending a family reunion; mandatory, awkward and extremely boring with only the promise of good grub to help you through the excruciating pain. I kid, I kid! I don't despise my extended family that much, but the metaphor serves its purpose by emphasizing how good food can make a dull experience into an otherwise tolerable one. I've visited Montreal before, albeit only briefly, but was able to eat Montreal bagels and poutine so I was eager to see how this deli imported from Montreal stacked up.