Traif - Williamsburg

Many entries to update but first a dinner update. Located near the JMZ and not much else, we journeyed to Traif in the southern part of Williamsburg. A pig on the front door gives you a good idea of what the menu is going to be like even before you walk in.

The decor is similar to many newer restaurants on Smith Street with lots of tables crowded on one side with a long bar on the other. We waited for about 5 minutes before we got a table though the Hostess had told us to anticipate a 20-30 minute wait. We were lucky enough to sit in the enclosed patio in the back of the restaurant with a view of the sky above and a garden behind us. It was cozy and comfortable.

Chef Jason Marcus is a chef well-known in Manhattan and so many people trek to Williamsburg to give this outpost a try. The menu is mainly small plates/tapas style with alot of bacon. Ironically enough, Traif is the Yiddish word for food that is not kosher. Dishes featuring shellfish, bacon, and cheese are decidedly not kosher so Marcus’s clever play on words is appreciated by this blogger.

We had inconsistent service. We waited for about 10 minutes before we were finally able to flag down a waiter. First, we got the bacon-wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates over spinach. This was the dish that food critics had raved about. It was good, not great. The blue cheese sort of overpowers the rest of the dish. You taste cheese and a slight crunch from the bacon - that's it. However, the tuna tartare and broccoli rabe dishes were each excellent - just a perfect dishes. Standout dishes period.

We also got pork belly, clams, and roasted carrots to round out our dishes. These dishes were pretty tasty too. The portions were all fairly small so I'd recommend 5-6 for 2 to split. After a long wait, we finally found our waiter to order desert. We HAD to order the bacon donuts for dessert because....well...bacon donuts, need I say more! They were great and a delicious way to end the meal. However, finding our waiter to get our check was a challenge. After debating where in the restaurant we’d sleep, our waiter emerged with the check.

All in all – Traif is recommended. For a bacon lover, this should be number one on your list. For someone who likes to try different and eclectic combinations of food, this is also a must visit. I’d give the food a 8 as the dishes are fun and unusual combinations but also delicious. I’d forget the bacon-wrapped blue cheese dates and order more tuna and broccoli rabe as they were truly spectacular dishes. Including service, I’d give Traif a 7 as the service was so spotty.