A Brooklyn Life

So, it seems as if south Carroll Gardens (as I define the term, below 2nd Street), may finally be coming into its own in the food and drink arena. Yes, I think the arrival of Buttermilk Channel at Court and Huntington streets puts us over the edge.

Beyond its very presence, Buttermilk Channel makes walking south down Court Street worth it in two very important ways. One, it serves delicious oysters. Two, it has a beautiful dining room. Three (here’s the bonus) there’s a bar where you can sit and eat oysters and enjoy the beautiful dining room without even committing to a full meal. But you’d be missing something to miss the full meal.

I’ve had the pleasure of doing takeout burgers ($11, which includes fries) and found the patties moist, delicious and wonderfully seasoned–there’s not a better takeout burger around. I’ve also enjoyed a so-so glass of white wine at the bar while chatting up a friend, but as I have been reminded of before, ordering a glass of white wine is like playing Russian roulette. But on to the full meal!

We started with oysters, which were satisfyingly briny in a way that East Coast oysters usually aren’t. We then moved to the delicata squash tart, which was the one real disappointment of the evening. A bit dry, lacking any real flavor (despite the presence of homemade ricotta)–it had no oomph. Mains, however, blew us away. The warm lamb and romaine salad–served with cauliflower, fried capers and a soft-boiled egg–gives meat eaters a reason to eat, and savor, salad. We saw more of those babies coming from the kitchen than we could count, and for good reason. A little salty, a little sweet and very satisfying; it’s so hard to find a good salad, and this is one to come back for.

On to the evening crowning glory: the buttermilk fried chicken atop a waffle. More chicken than any one person could reasonable eat, deep-fried to a golden brown, and moist from crust to bone. The powder sugared waffle proved a nice foil, but in another nod to the kitchen’s ho-hum approach to veggies the accompanying root veggie slaw was a lifeless afterthought.

We finished things off with the apple cider donuts, which were not as good as I remember them being at the orchard in apple picking season, but a nice end to the evening.

A note to those with children: The kids get their own menu (organic hot dog, grilled cheese, mini cheeseburgers etc.), and I’ve seen plenty of families dining at the 5 and 6 o’clock hours.

Buttermilk Channel is open 5-11pm Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 5pm to 12am Thursday through Saturday. Brunch is "coming soon" (but not soon enough).