Helen S.
Yelp
Part of me never wants to say Never Say Dive - but that would be gatekeeping. So let's discuss.
Not being a local, it was hard to pick out this humble bar in the humble Old Brooklyn neighborhood. Street parking in the adjacent residential roads is your best bet. You may be wondering what exactly a "high-low bar" is. Walk in and you'll start to understand - kitschy decor like a life size Star Trek Picard cut-out and lava lamps, obscenely bright blue tabletops with checkered floor tiles somehow make sense paired with bottles of French wine, caviar, and beautifully plated Toast.
There are a few patio tables out front for nicer days, but I found myself really enjoying the vibes inside the bar, and the hugely varied clientele.
We arrived to a packed house, but gave our name to the friendly hostess that evening who pointed shared that we would be able to get drinks at the bar and transfer our tab over to our table once we were seated. The bartender immediately hooked us up with a bottle of water and some cups and menus. While the food items are on the pricier side, the drinks were all very reasonable, ranging from $3 (yes, THREE) drafts and cans to $15 cocktails, and even some house-made seltzers which I will return to try. Each cocktail is creatively crafted and named - my Metallicus was a soothing green with all the refreshing flavors of a spring patio day.
Hospitality is certainly a strong suit. Our tatted waiter sat comfortably with us to review the menu and gave us ample time to decide on some food items to share. The menu isn't very long, but if you're anything like me, you'll want to bring as many friends as possible so you can order one of everything. We ended up sharing several items, some more sharable than others. The favorites were the Asparagus, Dive Dog, and Mushroom Toast. You wouldn't think that a hot dog could be elevated, but the perfectly crisp poppy seed bun, tender kobe dog, and subtle pops of caviar are simply *chef's kiss*. I nearly licked the plate to get every smear of white bean puree under the Asparagus, and the Mushroom Toast was a wonderfully complex mixture of flavors. Cavatelli was on the salty side (though the pasta itself was pillowy and delicious), and sweet soy marinade on the poke-style Tuna Toast was just okay.
Can't wait to see the next menus this talented and down-to-earth crew come up with!