Just salooning it at Henry Public in Cobble Hill…

It was a bright spot in a gray and dreary weekend.

Cheers!

I very rarely eat meat these days, but if I happen to come across organic meat, I’ll make an exception. (Here’s the thing about New York, though — it’s really hard to find organic meat, either in restaurants or the grocery store.)

Indeed, an exception was made last night at the new location of Bare Burger in Cobble Hill Brooklyn. Get a load of this Roadhouse bison burger with pepper jack cheese, avocado, country bacon, grilled onions, and roasted red peppers!

We also tried the California beef burger with cheddar, avocado, red onions, and salsa verde.

And how cool is this — the beer taps are sticks!

Just when I’d thought I’d seen and tried it all, along comes Dumont in Brooklyn offering an item I’d never heard of before—let alone sampled: It’s the Cat’s Cradle cocktail made with Bols Barrel-Aged Genever.

Here. I’ll show you:

Ooh la la, right? Only, forgive my ignorance, this whole genever situation was completely new to me. And so I got to work interrogating the bartender.

He patiently explained that it was a Dutch liquor similar to a gin or a juniper-flavored vodka. But what does it taste like? I badgered the poor guy.

“It tastes like a cross between unfiltered apple cider and whiskey.”

Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place? Sold!

And so he mixed me up the above genever cocktail with dry vermouth, Demerara (raw brown sugar) syrup, Pastis, and grapefruit and orange bitters. The result was smooth like a gin cocktail but with the malty and smoky notes of a good whiskey and a slight licorice taste from the Pastis. I think genever and I will be spending some quality time together in the future if catch my drift.

If you haven’t yet been to DuMont, then grab the person in your life who you adore the most AND who is a carnivore and hightail it to Williamsburg ASAP so I can stop pitying you. It’s this super adorable, ridiculously cozy bar and restaurant that’s currently decked out for the holidays, but not in a cheesy way:

And the burger really is as good as everyone says.

Behold:

What was I doing again? I was distracted by all the meaty, cheesy, juicy goodness…Oh right! Go to DuMont! Try genever! Don’t cross-examine the bartender!

Don’t you just love how you can have new experiences even at places that have been around for a while?

I might have had a little too much fun last night at Rosamunde Sausage Grill in Williamsburg if you know what I mean. But it couldn’t be helped! They have everything you need there for a fun night to remember (or remember-ish).

The space is inviting but chill.

There’s a long bar…

…and, should you come with a crew, lots of communal tables, too. (She’s waiting for her crew.)

Now, let’s get to the good part, shall well? There’s craft beer — and lots of it. Twenty-four beers on tap, to be exact. (And a bottle list too if you’re so inclined.) Here, a small sampling:

See that “Speakeasy Butchertown Black Ale”? Yeah, we got to know each other reeeeal well. Hello there, Black Ale friend.

Of course, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that there’s food, too, namely sausage. In fact, it’s some of the best I’ve ever had…and I know sausage…no, perv, seriously, I do. One of my favorite haunts when I lived in Chicago was the famous Hot Doug’s Sausage Emporium so I’m used to the good stuff. And the sausage at Rosamunde’s did not disappoint.

I had the sweet Italian chicken sausage with hot peppers and sauerkraut. And the boy had chicken and pork truffle sausage with grilled onions and sweet peppers. Oh and the fries we shared? They were killer. 

Admittedly, I had quite a time trying to decide which sausage to order — take a look at this list and you’ll feel my pain. Of course, the only thing to do at this point is, of course, to go back. Tonight maybe? Who’s in?

The average Brooklyner probably won’t be all that excited at the mention of a new pizza restaurant — and why should she? There’s a joint hawking dough, cheese, and red sauce is some form or another on practically every corner in this pizza-saturated borough. But the opening of Elizabeth Falkner’s and Nancy Puglisi’s Krescendo in Boerum Hill should make even the most jaded Brooklyn eater REALLY excited because I’m willing to bet my food coop membership AND yoga mat that you probably haven’t eaten anything like this before.

The Krescendo menu offers a short, carefully curated list of two kinds of pizza: traditional Neapolitan-style (like Marinara and Margherita) and more original “classic Italian” style. I opted for the latter given that I am so very original myself.

Behold!

What you are looking at above, friends, is the “Californication” — a pie piled high with goat cheese, pesto, prosciutto, spicy peppers, and arugula (and if I’ve mixed up some of the ingredients, I apologize, it’s just that sometimes when I’m this excited, correct details are the first to go).

Not to be outdone, here is Falkner’s award-winning “Finnochio Flower Power” with braised fennel, fennel fronds, fennel sausage, and provolone.

Pizza snobs, this is where you should take note: The crust on these pies is really quite stellar — light and fluffy but with enough heft to never ever get soggy. Great flavor, too!

And it’s what came before the pizza that made the whole Krescendo experience totally solid. First up: your choice of well-selected cocktails, wine, and beer…here’s the Derringer (bourbon, lemon, ginger, extra points for the vintage glass) for your viewing pleasure:

And I can’t forget the appetizer/salad part of the menu that had me tied in knots in indecision. I finally settled on this well-balanced salad of bitter greens with sweet pear, hazelnuts, and Gorgonzola.

Of course, I was bummed I didn’t have room for the meatballs or any of the pasta options. But on the upside, at least I have an excuse for going back. See how fun it is to be an eternal optimist?

(True disclosure time! I was a little giddy during the meal due to the fact that Elizabeth Falkner in the flesh was supervising the kitchen only a few steps away. And I’m a totally celebrity chef worshiper in a way that kinda borders on the pathetic. In my defense, I could have totally snapped a photo of her but I DIDN’T. So I’m totally not a crazy stalker and you should definitely believe everything I say about her restaurant.)

Here’s the thing about Krescendo that Brookylners will appreciate: Besides being thoughtful, it doesn’t try too hard. Boerum Hill is a pretty chill neighborhood with lots of fun little unpretentious boutiques and antique shops, particularly on that strip of Atlantic Avenue. And Krescendo blends right in. It’s more focused on a reasonably priced, well-executed dining experience than on being too cool (kool?) for school.  

How often does that happen in this place we call home?

Krescendo, 362 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY