New York minutes/Latish October 2008
The good: Bocca Lupo in Brooklyn, where friends who live nearby lured us for a good catch-up meal and where my only complaint would be the noise level, although we certainly contributed to it after way too much of the reasonably priced wine. Walking there I realized yet again how much has been sacrificed to real estate greed on the big island; my neighborhood is totally overrun with Fuckin Donuts while Smith Street has small shops and character (at least from what I could see walking fast in the dark). Dr. and Lady Bugs know their food, I know, and so we let them do the ordering of a bunch of small plates to share. Veal and porcini meatballs were excellent swimming in sauce on a slab of sturdy bread, and braised endive was as good as it gets. Farro with mushrooms was also superb. We split bruschetti with eggplant and with butternut squash and an order of broccoli rabe, too. I’m not much on lamb or shrimp, but everyone else seemed happy with those dishes and with the Nutella and banana panino. WIGB? Absolutely, but we’re ready to go exploring other places around there first. 391 Henry Street, 718 243 2522.