The Grocery

I'm on the couch typing away, trying to find a happy medium between blogging productiveness and watching the Olympics. I'm gaga for the Games. My life and friendships go on hold for two weeks during them. I can't talk to anyone or do anything while they're on, unless I'm in a bar or at a party cheering with former swimmers.

A few of us went to The Australian on Saturday night and we were all very impressed. The bar was filled with Americans and Aussies and we all stood on the rims of our bar chairs to cheer at the top of our lungs for each swimming race. It was great and unlike anything I'd ever seen in this city. Excitement for swimming? In a bar? Sign me up! We had full volume and all the screens. That and the bartender bought shots for everyone when an Australian won the gold and a beer when an Australian medaled. I think at one point he was so impressed with an American swim he bought us all shots anyway. My kind of place.

The excitement over the swimming hit a new level after Sunday's relay. A few friends read my G-chat and Facebook statuses about wanting to marry the sadly, already taken Jason Lezak (the hero of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay) and the messages started pouring in. My former teammates are all pumped about the swimming this year, Michael Phelps and the onslaught of attention the sport is getting, more than in any previous Olympic years. MommyCanuck even said she was more excited this year for the American team than her own countrymen.

I couldn't keep up with the individual IMs so I figured out how to start a group chat. We had a few moments to get fired up, reconnect, catch up on babies and diapers and now we're all trying to get some work done before the swimming begins. Meanwhile, back to blogging as I try to keep my eyes off the synchronized diving...

I was psyched when Fashionista chose The Grocery for our monthly dinner club.

There. I said it. It was supposed to be a secret. We were to speak of dinner club to nobody, though technically, I'm not. I'm typing. But we're almost through with the second round and we will soon be opening up the club to guests and/or new eaters. I figured I might as well give you all a heads up.

Back in March, I started this group that meets for meals on the first Tuesday of every month. Its first name was Supper Tuesdays, but upon further discussion, some goading from my dad and LoveLight's clever idea, we changed it to Fat Tuesdays Dinner Club. FTDC all the way!

We created our own little constitution and between the four founding members, we rotate who picks the restaurant each month. The only condition is you present the group with three choices in case we've been to your No. 1 pick, and it has to be a different type of food and in a different neighborhood from the previous dinner.

Fashionista's second and third picks were Sfoglia and Bar Tabac. I wouldn't have minded trying either but The Grocery was the one that stood out. To me, it's sort of an institution that every New Yorker should experience, similar to The Tavern in Charlottesville, Va., though slightly more upscale.

Walking through the restaurant to get to the outdoor garden in the back, I felt like I was in a home in colonial Williamsburg. It was small and elegant, but drab at the same time. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe somewhere more casual and laid back like The Spotted Pig. I was surprised and intrigued by its simplicity.

I admit I judge a restaurant by its garden. When I stepped in and saw The Grocery's I fell in love. There was a mini bar to the left where I sat with Fashionista and sipped on a glass of wine while we waited for the boys. It was a first so we lived up the moment. Normally the boys are always sitting handsome waiting for us to show up unfashionably late.

They arrived and we took our seats. Fashionista was showered with praise and props for her pick. It was only our third meeting (one more to go to complete the round) and we were already calling her pick the runaway winner.

The server brought us out the amuse bouche and we proceeded to order our meal. The amuse bouche is always a nice, unexpected touch. You never know when you're going to get one. It's no longer saved for the Jean Georges and the Les Bernardins, but it's not so common that it's offered everywhere. I think it should be called the surprise bouche.

For starters we chose the fried artichokes with radicchio, parmesan, roasted garlic & lemon aioli and toasted breadcrumbs...


the roasted beets with goat cheese ravioli, fried shallots and toasted pine nuts...


and the risotto with carrots, peas and mushrooms and a garnish of green bean tempura.


We chose the best dishes on the menu. We each kept rotating the plates around in lazy Susan fashion. I can't put a finger on which was my favorite -- they all stood out. The fried artichokes were monsters and the aioli was the sweet icing on the veggie. There was a lot going on in the beet dish. It was intense. I scraped off all the extra beets so I could enjoy the ravioli underneath, going back for the beets after the ravioli was kaput. The ravioli was a little on the chewy side, reminded me of a pierogi, but the cheese was out of control. For me, the chunkier the risotto, the better. As you can see, it was packed with veggies. I don't generally like risotto, it's too bland and soupy for me, but I liked theirs.

I was impressed with the fluidity and ease with which they served us. It's not easy to nail a three-course meal for four people but they did. Our server was very attentive and everything came out at the appropriate time and at the exact, desired temperature.

Here was our wine. TheDude is the wine selector of the crew. We always get the wine list and throw it his way. We have yet to be disappointed with his picks.

We ordered the duck breast with kasha and roasted green market vegetables in a caramelized red wine sauce...

the fish...


the pork tenderloin...


and don't forget the side of spaetzle.


I loved everything I tried, the fish being my least favorite, but it was still excellent. I'm just a meat kind of girl. The duck and pork were both equally juicy, and I loved the diversity of the sides. No two flavors tasted similar. I was most impressed with the spaetzle, a successful surprise being that we weren't in a Bavarian-themed restaurant..

TheDude: Fashionista, you won this round hands down and we haven't even had LoveLight's dinner yet.
LoveLight: Yeah, dude. Congrats. I think this just about takes the cake.
Moi: Agreed. This is going to set the bar pretty high!

Who knew we were having a competition, but I liked it. Competition breeds the will to excel and if all of us were trying to outdo the other in food we were sure to eat at some pretty remarkable places from here on out. Game on!

For dessert we went with the rhubarb crisp...


and warm apple cobbler with ice cream. The highlight of the two was the crisp for sure. The cobbler was a little too dry for me. It was more warm apples with a hard, dry scone/biscuit on top than a cobbler.


Eating at The Grocery was like going to see The Police in concert. You know it's been around for a while and was once supposed to be great. You hope it still has that special flair and that its hay day has not come and gone. After our wonderful meal, I was reassured that The Grocery still has it, and if anybody asks me for a Brooklyn recommendation, I will not hesitate to direct them to 288 Smith.

288 Smith St., nr. Sackett St.
718-596-3335