BROOKLYN FARE FREE

My assigned seat was closest to the action, suiting me fine. Photographs, pens and paper were prohibited (confirmed, without asking, at my reservation a complete menu can be e-mailed afterwards). Some thought executive chef César Ramirez arrogantly aloof to others, he was friendly and informative. They’d varied wildly, not so much about the exceptional food, as the experience. Walking the few steps to CTaBF, I thought about the reviews. What if I told them I was living upstairs temporarily, and could come within 15 minutes to fill cancellations or no-shows? Reservations at CTaBF are among NYC’s hardest-to-get, with a two-month-plus wait. I planned to absent myself occasionally to give the new family time alone together. My priority was still family, but now I’d be there for weeks, taking care of Robbie while Anne worked half-time finishing her job. My visits were frequent, but also short spending time with my children was my priority. Even before the Michelin two-star brouhaha, I’d considered attending one.

And I’d peered with interest as the additional section was outfitted for cooking classes, then morphed into its current dining/demonstration format. Often enough to see Brooklyn Fare Grocery’s beginnings. I’ve visited often since Anne and Ben moved there. Regardless, Anne and Ben’s apartment is spacious (by NYC standards), with a huge (by any standards) balcony encompassing gorgeous sunsets and the Statue of Liberty. Schermerhorn is more or less a dividing line between downtown Brooklyn and those quaint shops and streets. Even so, “bleak and brutal” is over the top. New York Magazine’s Adam Platt called the Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare a “ragtag, neighborly” operation, describing its 200 Schermerhorn Street address as a “bleak, even brutal section…across from the subway, just down from a large Park Fast lot.”īut as Michelin Guides director Jean-Luc Naret said when the 2011 NYC edition was released, “It’s not about the name on the door, it’s about who’s cooking behind the stove.” He called the Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare “one of the greatest restaurants in New York….definitely one of the 300 greatest in the world.”įunny – I lived at 200 Schermerhorn for most of January and February this year, helping with my new grandson.Ībout Platt’s “bleak and brutal” description: Yes, the building that encompasses my daughter and son-in-law’s apartment as well as Brooklyn Fare grocery and its Chef’s Table appendage isn’t on one of Brooklyn’s picturesque, brownstone-lined streets or on a thoroughfare of intriguing shops and restaurants. It wasn’t even a restaurant – it was part of a grocery store! Nor was it in Brooklyn neighborhoods that have become magnets for young/stylish/hip/artistic crowds flocking there to escape Manhattan’s astronomical housing costs. For the first time, a place in Brooklyn – not Manhattan – was among those ten favored spots. Will the three-star establishment that lost its young celebrity chef keep its stars? How many stars will that chef garner in his new restaurant? Who’s in, who’s out who’s up, who’s down?īut the biggest buzz following the 2011 Michelin NYC guide release wasn’t about the three-stars – all five have been there for years.

Each fall, speculation abounds leading up to the next Michelin release. That’s true even in New York City, which has lots of folks proffering restaurant advice ranging from the New York Times restaurant critic, to reviewers in New York Magazine, Time Out NYC, and hoards of amateur bloggers. They’re still used and respected by both diners and chefs, in part because of their international scope, and not least because their reviewers remain “famously anonymous.” Michelin now publishes 25 guides in 23 countries, reviewing and allotting stars (up to three) for more than 45,000 restaurants. They’ve become as famous, if not more so, than the tires they were created to promote. These days, Michelin guides are still red and even more widely read. Over time Michelin Guides covered most of Europe and beyond. Those first guides became French motorists’ Bibles for excellent food. Part of the new touring craze included finding good places to eat. Suddenly, traveling near and far wasn’t just commonplace for the wealthy, or a sometime experience for the expanding bourgeoisie.

BROOKLYN FARE FREE

Begun in France in 1900, the first red Michelin Restaurant booklets were given free as tire promotions. Partially that’s because they’re the oldest. In the world of restaurant ratings, Michelin guides have long been at the top.

Chef Ramirez assembling plates at Chef’s Table.

Brooklyn fare