Le Grand Dakar - Clinton Hill

To explore some new food options, Justin and I trekked to Clinton Hill to try African-inspired cuisine. I wasn't sure what to expect - would it be more meat or fish or vegetables?

Le Grand Dakar located at 285 Grand Ave is a cozy, inviting spot painted in warm colors. The tables are large wood blocks with benches and wooden chairs surrounding them. African tribal art lines the walls to make you feel like you are in West Africa. The place was lit by soft lightening and candles yet it was a bit too dark to read the menu.

For an appetizer, we tried Accara (black eyed pea fritters), a specialty of Benin. They were fried, soft on the inside, and a bit spicy. We had a good portion (about 6) and they came with a yummy dipping sauce. They were pretty good and I would order it again.

For my entree, I chose the Okra Stew (savory okra, palm oil and served over plantain fufu). I had had Southern okra before so I was excited to see how it was different. This okra, however, was a bit hard and less vegetable tasting. I wasn't really sure what the other elements of the dish were but it did taste interesting. The stew had a meaty-quality to it, even thought it was meatless, which I wasn't really a fan of. The okra tasted sweet which I liked but the other elements didn't provide enough balance. Justin got a chicken dish which he seemed to like. They used some interesting spices to differentiate it from other kinds of chicken.

Le Grand Dakar is fun place to bring a group of friends and relax over a bottle of wine, and some shared appetizers. The waitstaff lets you sit as long as you like, such a rarity in New York. All in all, a fun exploration of a often-unknown cuisine.

Egg - Williamsburg

This spot has been on the 'best of New York', 'best of Brooklyn', and 'best brunch' lists for years. Thus I had to check this place out and see if it really lives up to the hype.

Egg is located in the heart of Williamsburg, the Williamsburg that closely resembles Alphabet City. Egg is located less than a 2 minute walk from the Bedford L stop at 125 North 5th, a few stores away from Bedford Avenue. The place itself is small with maybe 14 tables inside and about 3 outside. Since it was freezing, we opted for a table inside. The decor is reminiscent of a country inn with white washed walls, chalk boards, and ceiling fans. Egg is known for it's organic food and they don't let you forget it with stories of their recent trip to a farm in upstate New York strategically placed around the restaurant. The place is warm and cozy which makes it easy to forget the increasingly chilly weather of New York in late October.

Now onto the food. A big caveat - we went to Egg for dinner where you can order off the brunch menu and lunch/dinner menu, which increased our options considerably. Interesting options on the brunch menu include Egg Rothko (easy-cooked egg in a slice of Amy’s brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat or seasonal vegetables), Duck Hash (braised duck leg seared with potatoes and green onions and served with 2 eggs any style), and Chorizo & Eggs.

We opted to go off the dinner menu so look for Egg: Part 2 Brunch soon.

We split an appetizer of Preserves Plate (Chicken live ate, souse, toast, onion jam, mustard, and pickles). The pate was good – not too salty – but the rest of the food was a bit disappointing. We weren’t really sure what anything was and even taste-testing didn’t seem to solve the problem. Next time, I’d pass on the preserves plate. Egg gives you roasted peanuts as the standard appetizer (instead of bread). I appreciated the effort to be different and stay their local/organic theme. However, the peanuts tasted sorta strange. They were soaked in something but I have no clue what. Needless to say, I will be skipping ordering any appetizer next time.

The coffee came in my own personal French press, which was great fun. French press coffee tastes delicious but it’s also just fun to play with the machine.

For dinner, Justin got the Duck Sandwich (seared duck breast on baguette with mustard, onion jam, greens, duck liver pate. served with french fries or salad) or as he puts it ‘duck two ways’. This excited Justin greatly. I had a few bites of it and loved the onion jam but ‘duck 2 ways’ does not excite me in the same manner. I had the Fried Oyster Sandwich (Cornmeal-crusted oysters, spicy mayonnaise, lettuce on a roll. French fries or salad) which I was really pleased with. There were about 5 oysters as the meat of my sandwich, which I feel was the perfect amount. The oysters weren’t overly fried or oily which I liked as well. The oysters were delicious. The salads supposedly had a grapefruit vinaigrette on it was but I couldn’t taste it. It was a nice complement to a heavy sandwich. This dish was by far the standout of the restaurant.

Egg likes to play with food. It takes Southern Food staples and puts their own playful, organic spin on it. I’m really interested to see what brunch brings.