salmaland.com » BK:PkSlope/ProspectHts

Brooklyn/Park Slope: Zuzu Ramen

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:26:53 +0000

Purists may balk at Zuzu’s unorthodox ramen—a recent special involved a broth made with dashi and beets, and hunks of sweet-tender duck confit—but that would be the wrong approach to take here. This small, cozy Park Slope noodle shop seems intent on busting free from the usual ramen repertoire, but it does so with focus and restraint, not to mention terrific ingredients. Ramen options range from one made with miso-green curry broth and piled with pork belly, or a garlic-soy broth with bok choy, bamboo shoots, and slow-cooked soups. And sides like the mini pork buns stuffed with braised pork shoulder and sweet chili sauce round out the meal nicely. The house hot sake is a generous pour at $8; it comes in a ceramic carafe kept warm in a bath of hot water. Zuzu is closed on Mondays, but another solid Park Slope cheap-eat is just a few blocks away: Tomato-N-Basil, home of arguably the Slope’s best margarita slice, made with tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves on a crispy crust.

Zuzu Ramen. 173 Fourth Ave. between DeGraw and Douglass Sts., Brooklyn; 718-398-ZUZU

Prices/Features: CHP, VGT (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Brooklyn/Park Slope: Taro Sushi

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:25:15 +0000

Pic courtesy of Taro Sushi

While Nobu and Morimoto and Masa and a handful of sushi chefs hog the local (and national) spotlight and preside over blingy, self-titled restaurants, the enormously talented Yuji Sano—who moved to NYC after training at his parents’ sushi place in Tokyo—toils away at Taro Sushi, a nondescript little spot on Flatbush. Which is just as well: This way Sano can greet his regulars personally and suss out which newcomers are so serious about sushi that they’re worth serving some of his most prized fish of the day. Sit at the sushi bar for maximum Sano interface, and prepare to eat some of the best sushi around. Don’t expect bells and whistles (no gold leaf or white truffle or caviar-adorned courses here); instead, prepare for a parade of profoundly flavorful, perfectly cut specimens, from botan ebi (jumbo sweet shrimp) to sawara (Spanish mackerel) to kohada (Japanese sardines) to luxuriously rich ankimo (monkfish liver). At $40-$60—depending on the number of courses—the omakase here is one of the city’s most exciting, least-known bargains.

Taro Sushi. 446 Dean St. at Flatbush Ave., Park Slope; (718) 398-0872.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Brooklyn/Prospect Heights: Franny’s

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:24:46 +0000

Pic courtesy of Franny's

That crowd jamming into Franny’s every night (show up early to avoid it) is pretty much here for the pizza. And the pizzas deserve the neverending buzz this place has gotten ever since it opened. But if you’re pizza’d out lately, or someone in your group inexplicably doesn’t like perfectly dense-but-crisp crusts with simple but sublime toppings like buffalo mozzarella and basil or clams and chilies, consider this: It’s just as easy to make a meal here out of the seasonal side dishes or pastas (like eggs with spicy pickles; fried potatoes with salsa verde; roasted sunchokes with spicy raisins and almonds; or spaghetti with anchovies, chilies, and breadcrumbs). In fact, order a few just ”to share” (which can be annoying sometimes, can’t it?), and you’ll be left wishing you’d commandeered the dishes all yourself. So order enough to make a meal. You can always come back for the pizza another time.

Franny’s. 295 Flatbush Ave. between Prospect Pl. and St. Marks Ave.; (718) 230-0221.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT, DRNK (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)