Since I'm spending so much of my time and money on food and drink, I decided to start keeping track of some of my experiences. At the very least, I will have a nice running list of places i love and hate (always good). A repository of crazy dining stories would also be good. So let the fun begin.
Up first:
Freemans (left, photograph credit: Freemans website) This is a seriously charming place in an unlikely locale. Located at the end of Freemans Ally off Rivinginton between the Bowery and Christie.
Behold the entrance. Obviously a totally happy couple strolling into the place arm-in-arm is a good start, right? OK, so the entrance, and inside, the decor is totally rustic and appealing. A surprisingly large restaurant seemingly carved out of, literally, a hole in the wall complete with worn mirrors, hardwood floors, quilted backing to the wall booth seats and its fair share of (eek!) animals fresh from the taxidermist. Completed with a score of ancient books in shelves lining some of the walls, dried flowers and birch branches, and you have a totally alluring setting.
Sitting at the back bar, we started with bloody marys. Being Saturday morning, I had seriously high expectations for my retox beverage. Despite the very pleasant demeanor of the bartender (who let me use his pen to scrawl out the potential design of my next tattoo for my entire meal), the bloody was decidedly average. A little more spice and probably a celery stalk (hey, i'm traditional sometimes, too) and it would be awesome.
Moving on...to hash potato heaven. I'm fairly sure if you're a strict vegetarian you should steer clear...these babies were cooked up in a delightful mix of butter and bacon fat. Finished with sauteed onions and some fresh herbs. Delicious. Segue into the soup of the day: the greenest of green, split pea. Since my dining partner was Dutch, we figured it was only right to try this out. Very satisfying texture with a good balance of spices and just the right amount of ham (although the waiter told us it'd be bacon, I wasn't unhappy with the switch).
To finish up, we split the Piedmontese burger which came with some killer fries. This is a fairly new addition to the menu and is touted as a "healthy" burger...yeah....made of grass-fed/no-antibiotic/etc beef from Piedmont and The burger was super fresh, cooked on the rare side of medium rare (hooray!). The fresh, thinly sliced pickles were great on it. Highly recommend if you love a good burger but have them toast the bun because it is juicy. Screw it, I don't like hamburger buns that much so I took mine off after a couple bites. Not a dealbreaker for me, but if you like your buns on the less-saturated side, toast em up.
A really pleasant surprise was the spice of the french fries. With a slightly acidic tinge from what was probably malt vinegar, they were hot, crispy and definitely worth the calories. At $14 it's definitely on the expensive end for a burger by most people's standards but that's probably it's greatest flaw.
I was really happy with my venture from Brooklyn to visit Freemans. The focus on good tasting fare complete with the appropriately bad-for-you items (bacon fat, rare meat) was really refreshing. Hopefully, the owner won't mind his "rugged, clandestine, colonial American tavern" being exposed to the blogging public....i'm guessing not so much.
price: $50 for 2 people brunch. We were both full and content when leaving despite sharing.
ambiance: very old, rustic american. dimly lit but not dreary.
service: sat at bar, very pleasant, hostess was also nice if a bit flustered by the brunch rush since we arrived around 12:30
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