Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

New/Notable Restaurants

Get Fresh Table and Market
370 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
718-360-8469
http://www.getfreshnyc.com

We happened upon this restaurant while strolling through the streets – a quintessential New York way of finding wonderful new dining experiences. It was lunchtime when we made our reservations, and we have to admit that there was a moment of hesitation because the restaurant seemed, perhaps, too café-esque for a dining party of 6 and a restaurant review. But, we threw caution to the wind, and made our decision based on the unabashed cheeriness of the lunchtime hostess. We were also lured in by their backyard herb and vegetable garden.

Fast forward to dinner. The lights were dimmer, and the ambiance had morphed from lunchtime café to comfortable restaurant with just a few well-thought out changes. What a feat! We were already impressed. They had prepared the large wooden picnic table at the front for our party, but we opted to push a few small tables together and sit in the back with a full view of the garden.

Get Fresh strives to support sustainability and local producers in their menu and in the décor of the restaurant. The floors are salvaged wood and the bathroom floors are recycled cork. The front of the restaurant showcases locally made products such as vinegars and coffee.

The restaurant does not serve wine or beer, but does have a BYOB option. They have an ingenious partnership with one of the local wine stores. With a quick swipe of the credit card and no extra cost to you, you can order from the wine store and the server brings it straight to your table! None of us had ever encountered that type of service before, but we certainly appreciate small businesses supporting one another.

The food was fresh, colorful and perfect for summer. We did not pass up on any of the appetizers; they all sounded so simple and delectable. The house-made radishes sprinkled with fresh garden thyme were delicious. All the pickled products, from baby Long Island beets to mussels, are made in-house. The smoked pickled mussels were an absolute hit. They were simply presented in a small jelly jar, and the pickling brine was just enough to complement the freshness of the mussels. Our party was pleasantly surprised and fully appreciative when the colorful Long Island beets (red, gold, and orange) with fresh chervil were presented at one end of the table, and their pickled stems were served at the other.

Our salad of romaine lettuce and watermelon was refreshing. However, we were slightly disappointed by the lack of bite in the jalapeno-apple dressing. We couldn’t detect any trace of real jalapeno or real apple. We lingered over the appetizers and discussed the restaurant’s use of not-so-common vegetables such as yellow cauliflower, sunchokes and ramps. In the midst of our musings, we were surprised with a granita palate cleanser of acai berry topped with candied orange peel and ginger.

Needless to say, our entrees were just as engaging to the eye as they were to the palate. The Massachusetts cod was perfectly cooked (moist and soft) and the bouillabaisse sauce was a more than worthy accompaniment. There was also a tender heritage pork served with potato gratin that we all thought was puff pastry because the slices were so thin. The grass-fed lamb sat atop a vibrant green heirloom bean succotash and sprigs of garden mint. Despite its beautiful presentation, this dish may have been the least favorite because of its heaviness. The moist and juicy roast chicken served with vibrantly colored baby carrots and roasted potatoes was delicious. The seared sea scallops were flaky to the touch, and the seaweed salad and mint-jasmine rice was served in a half clam shell with massaman curry.

We were so impressed with our entrees that we opted to forego scrutinizing the dessert menu and had the server bring us one of each of the four offerings instead. The passion fruit flan with poached peaches and nectarines was a table favorite – it had a light tang and was perfectly sweet. The requisite chocolate came in the form of a chocolate chili torte with coconut ice cream. It more than made up for the heat we had been missing from our jalapeno-apple dressing. Our tongues were quickly cooled off by the ice cream dish, and the two were a nice pairing. The ginger carrot cake had just enough of everything; it wasn’t too gingery and it didn’t have the heaviness of conventional carrot cake. Finally, we enjoyed a fresh fruit plate with a very subtle lavender syrup.

It was a wonderful evening. Our servers were friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu offering and ingredients. The entire dinner from beginning to end was convivial…just like a family dinner should be.

4 of 5 herbs