With the potatoes? The perfect pain au chocolat? The baguette French toast? It’s no wonder this adorable Park Slope bistrot has folks braving long waits for a table at brunch nearly every Saturday and Sunday.
We started our meal in this gorgeous, art deco-style dining room with coffee and pain au chocolat. Truth be told, we could have stopped there and I would still have left a happy customer. This pain au chocolat was ideally flaky, with a substantial and just-bittersweet-enough bar of dark chocolate nestled inside soft layers of dough. As you can tell from the messy place mat, I tore mine apart quite eagerly. And don’t take my pastry-obsessed word for it — these little delicacies are popular with many more Brooklynites than me, and often sell out. The main event, French toast made with a crusty baguette, was no less of a hit at the table. With the crunch on the outside and the gooey bread inside, there isn’t a single complaint I can make about this version of the classic dish. The fact that it was topped with a smattering of fresh fruit was just a bonus on top of an already fabulous dish. Not content with this level of indulgence and craving something savory, we also elected to share a side of home fried potatoes. These were perfectly cooked and served perfectly hot, with a delicious flavor reminiscent of your favorite curly fries, minus the grease and made with ingredients you can probably pronounce.
While the lunch and dinner menus are a bit pricier than the brunch, I’ll certainly keep an open mind for a restaurant where $20 can buy me three such yum-inspiring dishes and a cappuccino to top them off during brunch hours. I might even wait for a table.
Posted by: Kim Partrick
Order: pain au chocolat, French toast, home fries
Price: $-$$
Location: 239 5th Ave. (at Carroll), Brooklyn
Type of Food: French
Veggie Friendly? Y
Tags: Brunch, French, Park Slope