Olmsted
The well-known Prospect Heights restaurant offers seasonal and inventive vegetable-focused dishes that highlight produce from the restaurant's lush backyard garden as well as from nearby farmers and purveyors. On paper, Olmsted's preference for ultra-fresh produce may not seem to be particularly distinctive, but its unwavering commitment to freshness makes it stand out.
Radishes and lovage are grown in an urban minifarm behind the understated restaurant, while quails are laying eggs in a bird coop and crayfish are sloshed around in a claw-foot bathtub. Answer "yes" when the server asks if you would like to wait for a table on a cushioned bench in the backyard garden, perhaps with a cocktail and some crayfish crackers under string lights.
The best food, including a gorgeous bowl of charred-fennel chawanmushi, is served in the 50-seat den; only snacks are available outside. In order to balance the dreamy, delicate egg custard, Baxtrom adds a crunch of crispy artichokes and the umami punch of Burgundy truffle. Torn scallops—often overlooked and usually thrown away—are dry-rubbed, skewered, and grilled until tender, the summery pool of creamed corn and stewed blueberry that is served alongside the mollusks acting as a smoky foil to the savory and sweet balance of the dish.
These are fine-dining ambitions wrapped in neighborhood-spot environs, where the most expensive entrée doesn’t exceed $25, impromptu happy birthday sing-alongs occur between strangers, and you can openly curse over just how fucking good a dish is.
- Timings: Mon to Fri - 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Sat to Sun - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Google rating: 4.5/5.0
- Phone: (718) 552-2610
- Website: http://www.olmstedNYC.com
- Address: 659 Vanderbilt Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238
