Dine in Brooklyn--2008
Some restaurants are already advertising their participation in DIB/2008 and are accepting reservations. However, visitbrooklyn.org still has the 2007 line-up on its web site.
Anyone know of an accurate list of 2008 participating restaurants?
famdoc
Mar 04, 2008 07:05AM
i got to this link through an e-mail i got from my in nyc amex:
http://www.amexnetwork.com/dineinbroo...
it has what appears to be a complete listof 2008 restos participating.
my next question on the DIB subject is -- whats really worth it?? i mean i love waterfront ale house for my burger and buffalo calamari, but i dont think it really makes sense to spend $23 for a 3 course meal there.
places i would consider that i would think might be worth it would be bacchus, armando on montague (just because its reportedly closing soon), le petit marche, queen, crave?
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thanks. I also got that email a few minutes after I posted my inquiry.
Anyway, your question is a good one. Obviously, I wouldn't do a $23 DIB dinner in a place normally offering a meal around that price (Tempo comes to mind: they have a $25 prix fixe anyway). Also, I'd avoid the "attitude" restaurants: those that traditionally have treated DIB diners inferior to regular diners (Stone Park has this reputation).
Just scanning the list, I like Ici's DIB menu and have already booked.
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Where did you see Ici's menu for Dine in Brooklyn? Checked their direct website and couldn't find it.
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When you eat at Ici, you can sign up for their email mailing list. They sent an email this week announcing their participation in DIB and providing their menu.
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If I remember correctly, last year's DIB @ Waterfront had a great BBQ platter with ribs, pork, chicken, and brisket (way too much for 2 people) for $23. Fingers crossed for that again.
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As far as Bacchus, I used to really like the place for reasonably priced bistro food. Last year, I had the duck, and it tasted as if it may have turned bad and was under a cloyingly sweet sauce, as if trying to cover it up. I've never sent anything back before until that time, yet they kept insisting it was fine. It was a Wednesday, so it was 2 for 1 entrees. In the end, they didn't even comp it because of the 2 for 1 special. They offered me something else, but at that point, I didn't even want anything. In any event, I don't think $25 will save you that much there, and I think they still ahve Wednesday 2 for 1 entrees.
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Adding to this, you dont need to be an AMEX cardholder to make the reservation before the 11th, that's a bunch of BS.
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If you're willing to travel to Bay Riddge, St Germain, the Pearl Room and Areo have good food and are worth a try.
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It might be a good time to check out the River Cafe if you've wanted to go...the view is the best part of the place, so it's a chance to do so without spending a lot.
Applewood might be nice as well-I'd assume they'll do it right.
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Applewood was my choice. Just made reservations for the Friday of restaurant week and was very pleased to get an 8:30 time. Over the next few days all the good places will be booked so get on it fast, just dont waist the reservation if its not worth it. Like someone said earlier, not all places really take RW seriously. Other suggestions, Rose Water, Tempo, Aliseo in Prospect Heights
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I have visited Applewood for DIB two years in a row and have been very satisfied. If tables are full, don't hesitate to eat at the bar. Same menu.
Tempo has a $25 prix fixe year-round, so I would not use up my DIB reservations there.
Ici did not ask me whether I was an Amex cardholder when I reserved, so that marketing ploy is obviously bogus.
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Tempo has raised their menu price, at least the weekend menu price with $4, to $39. Am I wrong to assume that they must have raised their weekday price, too?
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Tempo raised there prices $4 across the board a few months ago. Sunday through Thursday is now $29, and Friday and Saturday is now $39.
However, it appears that they got rid of the supplement on a number of the items and reduced the price on the remaining supplements.
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I'm new to this area, and just made reservations for Applewood on Saturday night at 10:15PM. The only slots they had were before 6:00PMor after 10:00PM. I chose the after 10:00PM slot.
It's my first time at DIB, and also at Applewood. The question I have is: what have your experiences been like when getting a late reservation for DIB. Have there been occasions when restaurants have run out of choices? Has the level of service remained the same (if it was good to begin with).
Any/all thoughts/suggestions/experiences welcome.
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I've done DIB at Applewood several years in a row and can enthusiastically state that DIB patrons are NOT treated any differently than others and that the menu choices in years gone by have been quite good. You should search this board for others' opinions, as this thread generated numerous responses in past years.
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Rose Water still has some spots open, FYI, they are giving tables 1.5 hrs before turning them over. I understand due to the special menu, but just know so you don't get all pissed off when you try to sit and chat over coffee and dessert for a while.
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I had a very unimpressive lunch at River Cafe during Restaurant Week. I'm glad I went just for the scenery and view.
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I found it's supposed to be March 24–31, 2008 for Dine in Brooklyn, while I browsed River Cafe's Restaurant Menu, it says, March 24-28, 2008 for lunch.
Would it be an error of date or some restaurants are always like this, offering Restaurant week service only in weekdays?
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Those that offer Lunch Only, often are also weekdays only.
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Has anyone ever tried Queen for DIB week? I've been meaning to try it forever, but don't know how they treat DIB week. Have done Applewood before and may do that again. Thoughts on Rose Water? Any idea on their DIB menus, b/c their websites don't have them posted?
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Yes, I went with two co-wrokers for a DIB lunch at Queen a few years ago. I don't remember exactly what was on the three-course menu... But I remember that we all enjoyed it, and thought it was a good value (i.e., less than those three courses would normally cost there).
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Could someone post the entries to Ici's DIB menu?
What do you all think of Brooklyn Fish Camp for DIB? However, they don't seem to take reservations...
Thanks.
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I don't know the offerings at Ici this year, but just made reservations because last year's DIB dinner was excellent. Was crowded, but every course was great, cannot wait to go back.
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I'm a Brooklyn newbie. Only been to Park Slope once and Williamsburg a few times. What are the must-go restaurants that participate in DIB? Applewood seems cool since I'm into the whole fresh from the farm, Chez Panisse type cooking.
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Rose Water is quite good and always offers a good mennu, Stone Park Cafe is good as well. Applewood is my first recommendation though.
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Hey krystle920, a lot of reservations are filling up quickly, so don't wait too long to decide. As of yesterday (3/18), Stone Park still had some lunch slots free. But Palo Santo, for example, was totally booked for Friday and Saturday. I would be surprised if Applewood (dinner only) still had any slots left.
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I believe Applewood is full and Rose Water was close when I made my reservations earlier in the week
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So... I have reservations for both applewood and iCi. Which one would people recommend? I don't have the menu for applewood but the one for iCi I've pasted below:
Poached Shrimp with Winter Greens Slaw & Sesame
Seasonal Soup
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Wild Striped Bass with Bok Choy & Romesco Sauce
Braised Pork with Anson Mills Grits & Brussels Sprouts
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Evan's Farm Yogurt Panna Cotta with Candied Grapefruit
Chocolate Tart
Thanks in advance for your help! Trying to decide...
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if you're not using your applewood resy and it's on sat night, i would love to have it. no pressure though.
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sorry krystle.. applewood's thurs and ici (which is now canceled) was on sat.. looks like i'm going to applewood! hope it doesn't disappoint :)
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Applewood has now posted its DIB menu. I have reservations for Saturday. Does anyone know if they offer their regular menu, as well. I have to say, I wasn't blown away by their menu. I know its DIB and they're working on a lower margin, but it seems that other menus I've seen, such as iCi and Rose Water are more interesting. Plus, $8 and $10 supplements for certain appetizers seems pretty high, though for an entree I can understand. Hopefully, I'm wrong. thoughts?
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thanks for the heads up on Applewoods menu being posted. it looks pretty good to me, I mean I haven't dined at the restaurant before, but all things considered $23 for a soup/salad, duck (what I plan on getting) and dessert is more than reasonable. I do agree, some of the supplements seem high especially for the starters. I personally may get the cheese plate if anything for $12 and call it a night for only $29 a person ($23 + $12 cheese plate).
I didn't see the menu as much better than Rose Water actually. Although Rosewater offers 1 more starter and dessert the types of food and variation of ingredients didn't seem all that different.
Regardless, I'll be able to compare as I'm going to Rose Water Wednesday and Applewood Friday.
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Wow. I have reservations at both too. Please post back after your meals. You're right, the entrees between the two are comparable. I just thought the appetizers at Rose Water were a little more interesting.
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Agreed, salad and soup is not as exciting. I'll be sure to post reviews for both meals, looking forward to them.
http://always-eating.blogspot.com/
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Ate at Rose Water last night, overall a good meal, but a few missteps. I'll make this brief as I will post a formal review on my site, but the risotto was note terribly good. The preserved lemon really just added an awkward flavor to the whole dish, we didn't finish it by any means. I also ordered the caramelized brioche for dessert, it sounded lovely, but when it arrived it was scorched on about a 1/4 of the bread. Now I know they were probably turning these dishes out quickly, but I expected a higher level of quality control from the kitchen. All I could smell was the burnt caramel and I sent it back (even though the host did not fully agree with me). Once I received the fresh, un-burnt, brioche it was delicious.
Stay tuned for more.
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just got home a little bit ago from dining at applewood. i'll go into more detail when i'm more awake, but just have to say... it was a huge disappointment!! :( the restaurant was definitely stressed and hectic, the food was sloppy (altho i haven't been on a non-RW day, so maybe this is the norm?), and the service quite horrendous.. i literally made a point to try to slow down our waiter and make conversation because he literally took our orders and then did not say one word to us after that.. it was quite an unusual experience! i had the butternut squash soup (lacked depth and spicing, tasted pretty flat and was very creamy and filling but otherwise very unremarkable), the sea bass (fillet was definitely on the small side and shrimp underneath were very much undercooked (!), dish was overall not well-executed), and the bread pudding (very sweet, and not worth the $4 supplemental charge). the best part, ironically, was the complimentary bread and selection of three butters that they give you to start...
sad to report this as all other accounts from years past seemed to be pretty positive (hence my decision to give it a go). please, others that have gone this year, let me know your thoughts..
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I went yesterday and was very disappointed too. I went the year before and it was great. I found the butternut squash soup quite bland and milky. Also ordered the risotto which was undercooked with crunch rice kernels. Hardly any mushrooms in it, porcini broth was okay. The rice pudding for dessert was not very nice. Very blah and I didn't want to finish it. The bread and butters were the highlight for me. It was very fast paced and rushed, and all I could hear were waiters and waitresses stomping across the floor.
Last year was such a great experience, this year was a sad disappointment.
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kareny and gtrekker
That's really a shame. You should let Mgmt know. If they cannot do a good job during a promotion, they shouldn't participate. I've eaten there several times and, frankly, was never especially impressed with the place. The food is always ok, but never fantastic. I've never been bowled over by my meals, nor have my friends. That having been said, I'd have to say that trying a restaurant for the first time during DIB week (especially one so well regarded) is never a good idea, especially when it comes to the service.
In all fairness, I'd say to give it another try.
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i couldn't agree more re: being disappointed re: applewood! i too went last night for dib: the starter salad my dining companion had consisted of HUGE awkward to eat pieces of leaf lettuce, a few random pistachios and a vinaigrette that had not been tossed into the mix properly and had pooled at the bottom of the plate. my butternut squash soup was a bit better, but tasted mainly of cream and nutmeg and i would have preferred to taste more of the squash. i wanted to add salt and pepper to jazz it up a bit.
we both had the bass and felt it was boring and bland--and the shrimp beneath it tasted mushy. my friend thought her rice pudding was "interesting," and not in a good way. we liked the other dessert that was offered--an apple "crumble" that included tiny bits of bacon in the mix. this was actually tasty and had some sort of citrusy flavor i couldn't quite pinpoint. we also had the cheese plate (a supplement), that we enjoyed--esp. the house-made blue cheese "cake"--but for $12 it only included little crostini type things and 3 cheeses--i would have loved some infused honey or dried fruit or something to make it more interesting.
i had some sort of apple cinnamon cocktail that i was very disappointed with. our server insisted that the flavor was subtly infused into it, but it was so subtle i didn't taste anything. our service was okay, but it felt very rushed.
i have gone to applewood for dib before--last year and the one before--and was very pleased with both the professional yet relaxed service, and the food which was solidly good, if not spectacular in any way. i don't know what happened this year!
worst of all, i'd convinced a friend who lives and works in manhattan to trek over to brooklyn just for this and now have a feeling she'll be more hesitant than ever to cross the River.
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I'm supposed to be going tonight, but now I'm concerned. I think I will still go having never been, but what can you tell me to definitely avoid at all costs?
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My girlfriend and I would likely get the soups, duck, risotto, apple crisp and one of the two supplemental desserts (macademia financiers or the bread pudding. Based on all the comments this seems the safest route to go.
Thoughts? Warnings? Suggestions?
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I was there (Applewood) last night, too. My service was fine and the atmosphere didn't bother me, but the food was TERRIBLE. The only things that were done well were the scallop appetizer (for a $10 supplement charge!) and the complimentary spreads. I actually felt that $23 was too much for what was served.
Brooklynsabra is right on about the salad and the bass--in my bass dish, the shrimp were disgustingly mealy and disintegrated at the touch, and the rapini was in various stages of hot and cold. The bass (and the overall dish) had no real flavor. One can easily make better fish by tossing it onto the grill with salt and pepper. The risotto was pretty tasty in a creamy, comfort-food way, but was not a "wow" dish by any means and was both crunchy and one-dimensional.
The cherry rice pudding dessert has to be the oddest dessert ever in both appearance and taste (which there wasn't much of). I was actually appalled by it and wouldn't eat it, and I ALWAYS eat dessert! The crumble on the apple thing was tooth-breakingly hard.
In summation, I would say that the ingredients were nice, but the recipes and the execution were quite seriously flawed. Well, DiB over on the 31st, so not many will probably be helped by this -- but if you have reservations at Applewood, know that you are allowed to order from the regular menu (at regular prices).
I'd also like to add that one of the three spreads on the plate they give you is DUCK LIVER. And they do not tell you this, which really made me angry as someone who doesn't eat any kind or part of birds. Thank god I asked what it was before I ate it, but others might not be so lucky -- who expects duck liver on a butter plate?! Vegetarians, beware.
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I've done DIB at Applewood three years in a row and am glad I didn't make resys there this year. My approach to DIB was different this year: with limited time, I only made two reservations: tonight at iCi
(anyone have any feedback yet) and Sunday at Korhogo126. I'm very excited about Korhogo: I've never been there before and it is just so different from all the other Slope/Cobble Hill joints that it can't help but be refreshing.
As for Applewood, it's certainly a shame that DIB is overwhelming them. For those of you who have waited for DIB to go there, I encourage you to give them another chance once DIB is over. I've always enjoyed their approach to food.
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I sure hope the Applewood folks have read this somehow, because I am going tonight!
Has anyone tried the braised pig? Is it worth the extra $$?
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see you there, I'll be going tonight as well. Let's hope for our sake things have improved since last night.
I'll be the one sending back food if it's no good!
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I never felt DIB did Applewood justice - and in years past, the highlight for me was the coupon they gave out for future meals there. We're skipping it this year as well, and instead focusing on our neighborhood bargains, like the 2 for $23 at Chip Shop, and the amazing BBQ plate at Waterfront.
Last night we headed over to Ici and had a pleasant experience. While the service was definitely rushed (in and out in under an hour), it was understandable and the staff was beyond courteous. As there are only two choices for each course, my fiancee and I were able to try the entire menu.
The starters were the least impressive things we ate. The potato garlic soup was lukewarm, and the shrimp over sesame slaw was good, but not memorable.
Both entrees were great - but the consensus winner was the pork. Meltingly tender pig with a crispy piece of skin over porky greens and grits. The fish was nice as well with kale, potatoes, and a romanesco sauce.
I'm not a dessert person, but I appreciated both the key lime tart and the chocolate cake. My date thought that both were fabulous, but preferred the key lime - as the chocolate pie was a bit too rich after eating all of that pork.
If we lived closer, ici would definitely be one of our favorite places.
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I just dined at Applewood last night for DIB, and let me say, I am glad I did not let the poor reviews of this post sway me from going there. The menu was different what everyone has described above and it was very good. The starters were changed, no leafy salad or butternut squash soup. This time it was a fantastic roasted beet salad with goat cheese fondue, basil pesto and a pine nut honey vinaigrette. The soup was a black bean soup, very thick and with coriander and cumin and topped with some sweet cream.
Main courses were also quite good. We ordered the duck, which was on the menu earlier in the week. The duck itself was very nicely cooked, juicy with a great crisp to the skin. Not a fan of the olive and swiss chard as it was just overly salty. I ordered the supplement, which was new last night, a gorgeous piece of grilled veal on top of a bed of shortibs with a chickpea puree and thyme jus. Wow, absolutely delicious. Very heavy and with a little too much salt in some bites, but overall very very good. For dessert we both ordered the apple crisp with bacon streusel. Okay, nothing amazing, but not terrible. We shared a bottle of the recommended red, the name escapes me, for $23. Service was great from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. The bread, as mentioned earlier was very good as I am now a huge fan of duck pate.
I'm wondering why the menu was changed, I know Applewood changes their menu regularly, but was it just a coincidence that the original DIB menu was recieved so poorly? I tried to ask, but no luck. My meal was around $90, but on another night it would have likely been closer to $150. With that said, a great deal and a great time. I plan to go back for the normal menu, when I have money saved, but more importantly I would go back for DIB.
Tonight is the last night of DIB for them so if you are still considering going I recommend it. The "new" menu is on the website.
http://www.applewoodny.com/dinner.pdf
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Thanks for the review. Since you did both Applewood and Rose Water, which did you have the better experience at?
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I would have to say Applewood. Granted I ordered the supplemental veal and shortrib I still would give the nod to Applewood. Rosewater had a major flaw in their risotto, their salad was overly simple and bland and the fact that they served me a burnt brioche for dessert did not help. Applewood was a little heavy on the salt in some areas, but not I was very happy with the 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 1 dessert we shared. Service at Applewood also seemed a bit more friendly, not to say Rosewater was unfriendly, but the overall experience at Applewood was more memorable.
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I had a similar experience Friday night. Three diners: cheese plate; good $23 wine; had black bean soup (terrific) others had beet salad--they loved it; I had veal over short ribs--liked the veal LOVED the short ribs--wife loved rissotto, brother liked duck; desserts were fine. Service-Excellent.
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Oh my gosh, I had no idea the butter at Applewood was duck liver pate. I asked and the guy just said it was french butter and one with paprika. I heard nothing about duck liver. It is also totally against my religion to eat duck and its parts. I feel so revolting. I am never going back there!
Should I call or email them?
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