Arden — Restaurant in New York

The perfect evening. My boyfriend and I were looking to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, we’ve enjoyed their brunch so we decided to stop in on a cold night for dinner. We sat at the bar. We ordered the salmon tartare to start - it was phenomenal - so many flavors and the green sauce has some wasabi in it, the black on top are toasted sesame I think which added a lot of flavor and crunch - I could have eaten one whole serving myself for dinner and be content. I asked them to space out the food which they did very nicely. Next we tried the shrimp - buttery and with the green salsa delicious and cooked to perfection. Next we balled out and couldn’t decide between the lamb shank and the prime sirloin - so we ordered both. I would go back for both of them, they were well balanced and delicious. That lamb shank fell apart in my mouth, with the savory sauce and the smooth mashed potatoes under it. I will be thinking about that meal for a long time.

To end the night the manager/owner (not sure his name) but he let us try a few of his favorite liqueurs. He then made us a free little s’mores on his homemade marshmellow (all after we paid so he wasn’t trying to work for a tip) then last we were getting up to leave and he poured me another glass of wine and my partner another of the ipa he was drinking and asked us to stay. We stayed for a while chatting about our favorite neighborhood spots In nyc it’s sometimes hard to get that homey, friendly, neighborhood feel. But here the staff were kind, incredibly attentive, and this was a night we will reflect on for a long time.

Thank you Arden! We...

Simply perfection. We were 6 people on a Saturday night and the place was busy. We had cocktails to start, each unique and delicious (the Blue Note was so striking and really good).

The wine list is as good as it gets, lots of variety and new/unique things to try. Seems like it's also highly curated as it relates to the food, so hard to go wrong with wine. We had a sparkling Merlot/Albarino first (crazy and off the beaten path, you really have to try it to understand it) and then a Muller-Thurgau (this was great, the owner suggested this white wine and told us it has a little bit of skin contact which gives it some really good body).

We split all the food 6 ways, both apps and entrees. Everything was really good, but a few highlights:

Apps: Hamachi Crudo with strawberries - so good!! Watermelon Salad with pickled rind - it was a hot day, so this was a delicious way to cool off

Entrees: Crispy Skate - deceptively simple and delicious, it has a light crust on it and the crisp veggies make everything pop Bone-in Pork Chop with molasses and mustard sauce - must be brined because it was so tender, we were literally fighting over the bone to get the last little bit of meat Jerk Salmon (this was a special the night we were there) - so unique and was a favorite of everyone at the table

For dessert we tried both of the desserts on the menu and they were great (the lemon tart was my favorite).

I honestly haven't had a dinner this good in a long time. If you're in Brooklyn, this is a must visit. If you live nearby, I'm envious.

Long story short:...

Really excited to have found this new place on Franklin Ave. They redid the old Gladys restaurant but with a more open concept. The space feels much more attractive, more open, with lots of character. I liked the fact that their kitchen was open late. We arrived around 10pm, did not leave until close to midnight The staff really makes this place. Their easy-goingness, their recommendations on food and drinks are all top notch.

We started out with 2 amazing cocktails: the Blue Note (well composed w pisco and chamomile syrup) and the Surfin Bird made a tequila, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon and blue spirulina.

For food, started out with the Romaine Heart César and Seared gulf shrimp. Both were just perfect as starters, not too filling For mains, the star of the show for us was the Heritage Breed Pork Chop. So well executed. It features a Montréal spice Mongolian sauce, not sure how that translates but trust me it was delicious. Their expresso and BBQ rubbed steak came in second place but was still holding court on its own. I could not finish it entirely and it made for a fabulous lunch the following day.

Overall really impressed by this place. Excited to try new dishes and drinks. Will likely be my go to spot after. First Saturday...