Roll-n-Roaster in Sheepshead Bay

For all the of all allegiance that New Yorkers have for for their longstanding food institutions Roll-n-Roaster doesn't get the attention of Gray's Papaya or even Peter Luger. This might have something to do with the fact that Roll-n-Roaster is located in Sheepshead Bay, a beachside community located on the southeastern most tip of Brooklyn, and a serious hike from most parts of the city. But regardless of national acclaim, Roll-n-Roaster has been going strong since 1970.

Aside from the great namesake Roaster Beef sandwiches served at Roll-n-Roaster much of the appeal comes from the fantastically untouched 1970s decor. One a recent Saturday afternoon the orange and yellow booths were filled with families celebrating birthdays, fishermen having lunch and more bona fide bikers than I've ever seen in Brooklyn. An enormous bunch of brown, orange, yellow, and white balloons that coordinated perfectly with the color scheme of the restaurant.

The menu boasts a variety of non-roast beef options including chicken wings, fried shrimp, and baked sweet potatoes but I went with the standard—a roast beef sandwich with cheese and onions and cheese fries.

I was pleasantly surprised that the roast beef could be ordered rare, medium, or well-done, an option not frequently available at counter service places. Once I retrieved my tray I found a great little pink toothpick sticking out of my sandwich denoting its temperature. And true to the marker the beef was pretty rare, thinly sliced and perfectly tender. The sweet grilled onions and generous dollop of tangy Cheez Whiz really made the sandwich along with a house made sesame seeded kaiser bun.

Cheese fries aren't something that I normally order outside of Philadelphia but Roll-n-Roaster's version was dead on. The Whiz was straight from the can (not necessarily a bad thing) and the fries were cut into a shape that I can only compare to bread and butter pickles. Salty, crispy, cheesy, and messy—some of the best I've had in recent memory.

On my way to Roll-n-Roaster I passed several intriguing waterfront Russian and Turkish restaurants not to mention Randazzo's Clam Bar and Clemente's Maryland Crab House. Sheepshead Bay is shaping up to be my summer eating destination.

Roll-n-Roaster

2901 Emmons Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11235

Valentine's Day Dim Sum at World Tong

Not eating out on Valentine's Day has been a rule of mine for a very long time but this year was a happy exception. The plan was to make our way to Net Cost Market in search of reasonably priced caviar and stock up for a romantic meal at home but on our way I realized that we were just a few blocks away from a dim sum restaurant that I had been meaning to check out. We decided to make a detour and pop into World Tong.


We were seated immediately at the only empty table in the place. It took just a few seconds for it to register that not only was it Valentine's Day and President's Weekend but also the Chinese New Year and an ideal day for dim sum.


Tea was poured and chopsticks were set and the carts started coming. Metal steamers with dumplings filled with shrimp, pork, chives, and everything in between.


Plates of pork belly with shatteringly crisp skin and a sweet-sticky-sour dipping sauce.


Tempura fried peppers stuffed with shrimp paste that were deceptively spicy and insanely delicious.


Rice noodles wrapped around fried dough sauced with soy and scallion. Little pieces of spareribs with fermented black beans. Even tiny bird shaped pastries filled with sweet bean paste and painted with little red beaks and black eyes.

The meal was a whirlwind and there were at least ten dishes that we didn't get to sample for the sheer fact that there were only two of us and we couldn't possibly eat another plate. Plates of tripe with turnips and chile eggplant are two that I will definitely be going back for.

World Tong
6202 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11204

Torta De Salchicha at Puebla Mini Mart

Best and craziest Tortas I've ever had, in the back of a bodega in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Hot dogs, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, onions, bacon, grilled ham, a fried egg and mexican cheese, pressed & grilled sort of like a mega-sized cuban. I only ate half. This place does about 4000 different kinds of Tortas which all look amazing, super fresh & well built sandwiches.

Read my whole spiel on Serious Eats.




Puebla Mini Market
3908 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11232

Sunset Park 4am Tacos

Used to be middle eastern but now Mexican bodega with a full kitchen behind the counter. Super weird hours they open 7pm until 5 or 6 in the morning. Great for late night tacos after you stumble out of sketchy half empty Dominican bar where the waitress is giving a lap dance in the corner while a 60 year old guy sings karaoke (sorry no photos of that one).


Sunset Park is south, far far away from the hipster mess of Williamsburg and vicinity. If you like food, it's pretty amazing, with Sichuan, Malaysian, Ecuadorian, Mexican... sandwich shops, noodle stands, groceries and street vendors for 10 blocks in every direction. Sort of overwhelming. Nafa's 3901 deli grocery is by no means the best tacos in the neighborhood, just fresh simple and delicious. They were out of tongue so we just went for some beef tacos.


Good tamales too, although the torta was kind of boring and tasted like a mcdonald's chicken sandwich. Apparently the locals stick with the tacos which my friends told me to do but I just can't help myself. Place was packed at 4 am so you know it's the real deal. And a drunk guy just standing in the corner yelling at the TV.

3901 Deli Grocery
7th Ave & 39th St. Brooklyn

enjoy
•Tamale Underground
•El Jorocha
•Savoy Flower Shop Tacos

Bark

I am certainly not the resident hot dog expert here on Drawing for Food, but since Hawk has yet to make his way up to Bark in Brooklyn I figured it was worth a post. Bark has been my go to hot dog joint since it opened last summer for a number of reasons. Their hot dogs are made upstate by Hartmann's, a beef and pork blend that is juicy, snappy, and a happily a little bit longer than their side toasted buns. The draft beer comes from Six Point, locally brewed and a steal at $4 a pint and $15 for a growler.

Great hot dogs and reasonably priced beer are all great reasons to make your way to Bark but my absolute favorite part of this place has to be the toppings. House made everything-pickles, oak aged kraut, chili, beans, and the best cheese sauce ever. Unlike other places in the city these toppings aren't meant to disguise subpar dogs, they're just there to enhance them.

With dogs this good you'd think that the sides would be an afterthought but the fries and onion rings are incredible. The fries are fat food thin but crisp, peppery and taste like real potatoes in the best possible way. The only thing I can say about the onion rings is that I didn't like onion rings before I tried the ones at Bark.

I guess the highest compliment that I can pay to Bark is that no matter the size of my party, I have never ordered less than six hot dogs. They're just too good.

Bark Hot Dogs

474 Bergen St.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

Metro Cafe

Brooklyn's Chinatown along 8th ave in Sunset Park is sort of amazing. It's way bigger than I expected and goes on for at least 20 blocks before turning polish. The streets are packed with people and lined with all sorts of bars and restaurants, take out windows and skewer carts. Produce stands still open and packed with customers at 9:30pm, whole octopus and buckets of crab being sold out of the back of trucks, basement gambling parlors... incredible.

It can be overwhelming to pick where to eat somewhere like this but luckily I had my trusty guides Jake & Caroline to accompany me to their favorite Sichuan restaurant. Started off with some cold beers and a plate of tripe & tongue in chile sauce and sichuan peppercorns. Holy shit, it's delicious. We also had the double cooked pork, dry chicken with green pepper, chinese vegetable, taiwanese fried chicken. Everything spicy but not insane, and all really good.

Metro Café
4924 Eighth Avenue
Brooklyn

Alert: Southern California Style Tacos Found in Brooklyn!

Since I've moved from back from San Diego to New York I have been trying to find a place that serves the kind of Mexican food that I have become accustomed to on the West Coast.  After a little over a year  of searching I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a day.    

I live in a neighborhood that is brimming with Mexican restaurants.  Tortas, cemitas, and huaraches are everywhere but somehow they just aren't the same.  I really wanted the perfect, simple tacos that I had gotten so used to living ten minutes from the Tijuana border.  These tacos are nothing more than fantastically grilled meat on tiny (4-5-inch) tortillas, chopped cilantro and onions accompanied by some really great salsas.  

I'm overjoyed to say that today I found the tacos of my dreams.  

Tacos Ricos at 51st Street and 5th Avenue in Sunset Park serves the best tacos that I've eaten outside of Southern California. I had a feeling that it was going to be good and I ordered six tacos - al pastor, bisctec, pollo, enchilada, arabes and orientales.

All of the tacos were amazing. The al pastor, pollo and bistec are pretty standard, enchilada is just another term for spicy meat but the arabes and orientales are not that common. They are the Mexican version of shawarma, spit-roasted and spectacular, just the right ratio of meat to fat with the best smokey-sweet-spicy chile sauce. Everything was served with big wedges of lime, sliced radishes and the best Mexican Cokes.

Tacos Ricos
505 51st St.
Brooklyn, NY 11220

Fette Sau

Auto - body shop turned BBQ joint and bar with outdoor picnic table seating. You can smell the smoke from a block away. We got 1/2 pound of everything on the menu - which changes almost daily. Their meats come from local-ish small farms, smoked on the premises. Pork Belly, Sausage, Short Ribs, Spare Ribs, Pulled Pork, Brisket. Big squeeze bottles of house-made sauces. Awesome pickles and sauerkraut.. best baked beans I've ever had, chock full of bacon and bay leaves.

House brewed beer by the gallon jug and the biggest selection of american whiskey you've ever seen. We tried to go saturday night and it was insanely packed, had to go back sunday afternoon, so be warned.

If the Jamaican Jerk Hut ever goes up for sale somebody make this happen in Philadelphia. Seriously.

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Beer Table

Whenever I go to New York I feel like I should eat somewhere legendary like Gotham or Babbo or La Bernadin.. maybe making up for the time I spent living here as a vegetarian (yup). But with a seemingly endless supply of affordable, comfortable places to eat in Brooklyn without wearing a suit, it's tough. Almost everywhere I ate this weekend made me think.. why isn't there something like this in Philly?

Beer Table was a perfect example.. a tiny brunch menu- waffles or baked eggs and a few cold small plates around 3-5 bucks a pop. Everything simple, fresh and good - super thick bacon, haricot vert salad, beer cheese, radishes with salt & butter for 2 dollars!... which sort of makes up for the awesome beer list which ranges from 5$ to 30$... wooden butcher block style tables with bench seating - the whole place only seats maybe 20 - 25 people.

The beer was right on too... I like beer, both cheap and not so cheap, but don't like to think about it too much. The recommended house draft & german Grut Bier (blonde/coriander/citrus/etc) were both great and perfect for a 90 degree day but not so exotic that you couldn't chug it like a high life. Beer Table also wins the prize of being the only place we found the whole weekend that wasn't packed to the gills all day and all night. They also do a tuesday night tasting menu for $25.

Beer Table
427 B 7th Ave
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Barrette Beer Dinner - Dec 18th

Who agrees to cook for 40+ people on their 29th birthday for a 3 course beer tasting? I do.

I was recently asked to plan and cook for Barrette's monthly Beer Dinner. Barrette is a local bar at Vanderbilt and Bergen in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Friend and owner Erica was impressed by my Thanksgiving crockery and asked me to plan the next one. The brewery of the night was Pennsylvania Brewing Company. We met up with their representative and tasted a few flights to pair the courses. The one request was that the menu be style toward German food.

I however, do not cook German food, not often, not really ever. Have I ever made a Spaetzle? No. So I tapped a very good friend and culinary school grad to help me out.

Our decision was to make it semi-authentic, but not break out the sauerkraut.

Appetizer.
German Beer Cheese Soup and Homemade Soft Pretzels. Paired with Penn Pilsner.
This came out really great - The soft pretzels were delicious and a perfect dunkable addition to the thick cheddar soup.

Main.
Pork Tenderloins wrapped in apple, fresh sage and bacon. Red Cabbage and Caraway, and German Potato Salad. Paired with Penn Dark Lager.

The tenderloin came out perfectly. Who doesnt want pork wrapped in more pork? The sweetness of the apple and the herbacious sage complimented. Over the pork we had simmered down apples, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon into a sweet and delicious sauce.

Dessert.
NY is a little cupcake crazy. So we decided to join the ranks with a (not at all German) but mistakenly so Texas Sized German Chocolate Cupcake.

The cake was amazing, tangy from the buttermilk and just enough sweetness. The frosting was overboard. oooey, gooey, and dripping over the sides. So rich and delicious. - Paired with Penn Bach - dark and malty.

The reviews were fantastic, everyone had a great time and left full. I turned 29.

Tom's Diner

(SIDE NOTE: JUST REALIZED I WAS BEATEN TO THE PUNCH BY A CERTAIN LADY)

Duhdadodaddaa

I love Brooklyn. I really do. The longer I live here, the more I sing its praises. Now, I have one more reason. Tom's Diner. This diner was the basis for the ever popular Suzanne Vega song "Tom's Diner." It is an amazing food destination where good old fashioned diner food is given that added touch.

Who doesn't want chipotle sauce on their table or three types of butter including raison cinnamon, peach walnut, and strawberry? Or how about free coffee, cookies, strawberries and oranges while you wait in line? Free, in NYC?

Yes, its all true and fantastic.

I had the huevos rancheros which was perfect spicy with a homemade salsa and over easy eggs. My partners in brunch had some amazing pancakes made with ricotta and lemon. The overall decor was a mix of homemade signs and really great stained glass. I sat at the best booth as I had Ms. Vega's lyrics right next to me.

If you are ever in Brooklyn, take the Q or 2/3 to 7th Ave and Flatbush. Walk a few blocks to 782 Washington Ave to find Tom's.

Tom's Restaurant

It's hard to find a mom and pop anything anymore. Thank God in this day an age of Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Ihops, lives and thrives places like Tom's Restaurant in Brooklyn. They give you warm cups of coffee and complimentary home baked cookies and muffins while you wait for a table. They are famous for there Key Lime Rickey's and Egg Creams. They gave us the most delicious walnut butter, strawberry butter, and cinnamon butter for our silver dollar pancakes. The counter is to die for, the people are the nicest, the food is the fastest and freshest. Especially since Nancy and I take our eggs over easy, but we both like the whites to be a little browned on the outside. And Tom's made a perfect Medium over easy egg.

Brooklyn my dear I have a serious crush on you.

Tom's Restaurant
782 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238
at Sterling Pl.
718-636-9738

Difara's Pizzeria

So to add on to the recent pizza posts. I hearby claim to have found the best pizza in my life. Thanks to master of the Brooklyn pie, Domenico Difara. Difara's is a tiny shop on Avenue J + E 15th St. in Brooklyn. Difara is a legend first off and won't let anyone touch his pies but him. His son may get to slice ingredients, but thats all. Domenico has pure asbesto's hands, no gloves, he just pulls the hot pizza pan or pie right out of the ovens. If he is sick or tired, they close, no one runs this shop but him. Honest to God, this pizza can ruin you. Nothing will compare for a while. All the ingredients are imported, three cheese per, and Dom snips the fresh basil over each pie. It is utterly amazing and mezmerizing to watch this man work. Totally worth any drive, wait, you may have to endure.

GET THERE.

Difara Pizzeria
1424 Avenue J
(corner of East 15th St.)
Brooklyn NY 11230
Tel: 7182581367

Bonita

in Philadelphia if you wake up with a hangover at 3 in the afternoon and want heuvos rancheros, there's no where to go. not that we dont have fantastic mexican food here - just none that serve brunch to losers that want eggs at 4pm. So thank god for Bonita.

the story goes that the owners of the uber hip Diner in Williamsburg tried some of the food their mexican cooks had whipped up for staff meal - and asked them if they wanted to open their own place.

from the outside, Bonita looks like it could be any other taqueria, I was expecting an obnoxious minimalist decor with giant stainless steel ikea tables and maybe some art jerk's fake mexican jesus painting on one wall. but the hand painted window lettering promising "tacos y tortas" made my day.

the inside is diner style with a long counter and comfortable even when packed wall to wall with europeans and williamsburg hipsters. it's great to see new businesses celebrate the visual and culinary history of their neighborhood ...I can't imagine the same thing happening in Philadelphia when American Apparel and Whole Foods start popping up on Washington Ave.

the chips & guacamole took a while to get to us but I swear to god it was made to order- I dont think my own guacamole tastes this fresh. nice and simple too, not like your grandmothers guacamole with too much garlic, brown avacodos and giant chunks of tomato that break your chips.

the huevos rancheros were awesome - fried eggs, green salsa and that soft mexican cheese on top of tortillas, with big sides of mexican beans and chorizo. if you switched the ramones soundtrack with daddy yankee, replaced the ironic mustache hipsters with real mustache mexicans in metal shirts you could be in South Philly, except with better guacamole and breakfast until 5pm.

Bonita NYC
338 bedford ave
williamsburg, brooklyn