Nomination Thread: Best Eats in Brooklyn Heights

Higher end: Sociale, which has the virtue of a good price-satisfaction ratio.

Lower: Park Plaza diner.

Newest: Kogane Ramen.

Within walking distance, if you welcome something of a trek: Frankie’s 457 Spuntino in Cobble Hill.

Unspeakable: Great competition here–and I haven’t exactly “explored” the Montegue Street dining options, most of which shout “trayf.” But for reliably bad Chinese (or Chinese-American): Fortune House. One keeps going back there out of some form of optimism–the soups are passable, some appetizer-y things too, but….

My favorites, in no particular order:
Best newcomer and best ramen: Kogane Ramen (Brado and Maison keyser honorable mention)
Best Italian: River Deli (sociale honorable mention)
Best pizza: Julianna’s (honorable mention to all of table 87, Brado, luzzos, fornino, and dellaroccos)
Best outdoor dining: fornino
Best burger: Shake shack
Best finer dining / American: Henry’s end, jack the horse tavern, and river cafe
Best breakfast/brunch: Teresa’s

I’ll add one more unwelcome category. Most disappointing newcomer: friend of a farmer. For such a nicely designed place with so much potential, the service is awful and the food is middling at best.

I’m surprised that no one mentioned Noodle Pudding, a classic trattoria run by Antonio Migliaccio and Bevacco’s creative mutation into two separate, well-crafted spaces from one.

Thanks for the recommendations and caveats. Most times, I’m cooking. If not, on the north side:

Asian – Iron Chef House for sushi. It’s more reliably moist and plump lately, I’m happy to say. The newish techno music is a drag, though not horribly loud nor scratchy. The new Thai-style place on Henry is tasty – alas, I had a bad reaction. Forget the Lantern on Montague. Go south on Court to Lemon Grass Grill or Joya.

Pizza – Fascati’s is always good. Boy, have the prices gone up. I used to love Grimaldi’s, but the atmosphere has changed (bring back Frank, Tony and Ella!), Take-out is an uphill schlep with a big, hot pizza box. I do it once in awhile.

Dining, sandwiches, treats – Jack the Horse is an adult oasis (mac and cheese, pork chops and flatirons are favorites and the bar is, too). Heights Cafe is a nice place with OK food. Pan Quotidian’s good for sandwiches and bites. Cranberry’s for bakery anything, especially the black and whites.

Burgers – Once in a blue moon. Five Guys for a yummy Baltimore grease burger. California-style burgers at Shake Shack are respectable.

Diners – Last, but certainly not least, good old Teresa’s for soup, some entrees, all the sides, and swift, no-nonsense service. Park Plaza is mostly not good, but the Caesar salad is OK. I miss Grand Canyon..

P.S. The new ice cream place on Montague isn’t as good as a Ben and Jerry’s anything.

My favorites:
Best Breakfast: Friend of a Farmer
Best Lunch: Tazza on Henry, Almondine in Dumbo
Best Pastries/bread: Maison Kaiser
Best Dinner: River Deli and Sociale (tie), Tripoli
And a general vote for the Middle Eastern restaurants that survive amid the gentrification on Atlantic.

Most taste per dollar spent: Tutt Cafe.

And they’re always so friendly there too.

A few more:
That Halal Cart on the corner of Joraleman and Court has great lamb.

Hill Country BBQ has great brisket

Ample Hills has the best ice cream

friend of a farmer is great so is b.good. Pinto is awesome as well. Fascati is overpriced and not that great. The Oyster Room @ Jack the Horse is fantastic. Also loving the new coffee shop, Gregory on Montague almost by Court

Why do you have no connection to a gas line (by choice)?

We call Fortune House “Torture House.” No good Chinese in nabe, sadly. Atlantic Avenue has really stepped up. Beasts and Bottles in former Red Gravy (and for old timers, Mezcal’s) space is high end, but delicious for dinner. Have dessert at Colonie. Chez Moi for all shell creatures. We go for the $1 oysters and then have mussels. Brado is just a tragic reminder of Pete’s, the dearly, dearly departed. Tazza for breakfast, Swallow for lunch. Other new spots on Atlantic: Pair (wine and cheese), Sultan (Turkish), and all the best hookah places, especially Mocha Hookah.

Sociale & Jack The Horse.

OK, Mary Kim, I’ll throw in the following noms:

Japanese: Hibino (Henry, just south of Atlantic), go to Henry Public just north of there for cocktails first, it’s also excellent.
Chinese: Nothing. Go to Flushing Queens and bring a friend who speaks Mandarin.
Arabic: Yemen Cafe (!!!)
I liked Kogane Ramen but Ganso on Bond & Livingston, walkable for most, is far superior.
I like to buy the $0.75 burekas at Sahadi’s bakery counter every time I go. They’ll heat them up for you if you ask. Delicious and inexpensive snack to reward yourself during a grocery run.

Five Guys makes the best hamburger in the United States and consistently employs friendly people who smile at you when you place an order. While Shake Shack uses a similar method, they aren’t even competing when it comes to volume, juiciness, and availability of excellent toppings, and for what you get at Shake Shack they’re probably overcharging you to cover their hasty expansion, and judging by the distracted indifference of the staff, they don’t seem to be enjoying the benefits of the price gouging.

I’m sorry for what I’m about to say but while I respect the Fascati legacy I think their pizza is awful and don’t understand why everyone here is so nuts about them. We’re biased toward Delarocco’s because we’re friends with the manager so I can’t objectively offer an alternative.

I’m with you, SB, on Five Guys’ burger being superior to Shake Shack. Also, the fries at SS look and taste like the frozen Ore-Ida’s from my childhood, and not in a good way. The fries at Five Guys are always perfectly done. And yes, the nice folks who work there are a bonus.

The last time I ate at Fortune House, the chopsticks had the undeniable smell of insecticide on them.