Honest Food, No Fuss Fare at The Grocery

A few weeks back I was treated to a pleasant dinner at The Grocery in Carroll Gardens, courtesy of my girlfriend. We had always wanted to check out this neighborhood favorite, known for their seasonal fare and quaint dining quarters. The menu here changes regularly, and although prices are not that inexpensive, portion size makes up for that, with some appetizers bordering on entree size.

Our meal began with a duo of small bites, courtesy of the kitchen. The first was a fruit soup, refreshing and light it was a nice start to the meal. Following this bite two crisp, round potato croquettes graced our table and we quickly gobbled them up. We each ordered an appetizer and I have to say, my girlfriend's was much better than mine. She had ordered the roasted beet salad, but this was no ordinary roasted beet salad. The beets, yellow and red, were somewhat haphazardly layered atop multiple goat cheese raviolis. The dish certainly didn't look sloppy, it was just refined enough to fit in with the surroundings, and boy was it delicious. The delicate ravioli burst open letting the creamy goat cheese mingle with the beet juice, fried shallots, pine nuts and vinaigrette. Have I mentioned this was the better of the two appetizers? Don't get me wrong, my charred calamari salad with cranberry beans was good, just a bit one note, and the portion way too big. A good thing to know, while the menu is seasonal, the beet salad is a menu staple. The kitchen also brought out, as a courtesy, the special risotto of the day, duck confit risotto. A greatly appreciated gesture, the risotto was unfortunately not too exciting. Prepared more as a rice, with really no creamy element to it, we picked out the duck as we certainly didn't want that to go to waste.

Moving onto our entrees again, my girlfriends dish made me a bit jealous, apparently she just knew how to order better than I did here. Her slow roasted duck was served with greens and a starch I just can't remember. The skin was perfectly rendered, with all it's crispy fat shimmering amongst the candle light. The duck was tender and served with a properly done pan sauce. My entree was good as well, but didn't have the complexity of the duck. I had ordered slow roasted pork shoulder with polenta and greens. The pork was certainly fork tender, but lacked neither a sweetness or spiciness that I would have wanted. Again, my portion was big enough for two diners, a great thing if you're looking for value, but in this case it was just too much.

We decided to skip dessert, but were treated to a fruit sorbet and a few petit fours. The service was remarkably pleasant, welcoming from the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out. We had never been here before, but the were made to feel like regulars, a restaurant trait that I value now more than ever. I imagine everyday at The Grocery can feel like this and I look forward to visiting again. One thing to note, with the weather warming up The Grocery has a quaint little garden that is first come first serve seating.
288 Smith Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11231, 718-596-3335, Price - Moderate/Expensive ($50-80/person), Reservations - Highly Recommended