Many moons ago, I lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but back then it wasn’t that Brooklyn with high risers, implants and great new restaurants. It was gritty, a little dangerous, and very New York. I loved it there, but eventually I moved to Ridgewood, Queens until I landed in the Bronx, my forever love. So much has changed in Williamsburg! It is bustling with people that have moved here from all over the US, maybe even from around the world. Starbucks, Chipotle and all kinds of popular chain stores have opened up camp here. But the one thing that makes me happy, is that the restaurants that have sprouted here, are mostly really awesome. Even though I keep most of my food adventures to Manhattan, Williamsburg can not be ignored when it comes to restaurants. Here are three of my favorites that I highly recommend!
JR & Son
JR & Son is located on Lorimer Street on the corner of Metropolitan Avenue. It’s quaint, it’s classic, it has a little Old World Charm, very warm. Old Newspaper pictures of everything Brooklyn, and some New York, adorn the walls, I love the decor. I wasn’t sure if I needed pasta with “red sauce”, or get drunk at the bar! It has that vibe that will take you back. But once it come to the menu, there’s nothing old about it. Chef Patricia Vega, who once competed on Bravo’s Top Chef, and recently was the Chef de Cuisine at the highly acclaimed Thai Diner, is now the Executive Chef of JR & Son. I expected great things, and great things I got.
Whenever I see Baked Clams on the menu, it’s an automatic yes for me. The Baked Clams here use a creamy orzo risotto inspired stuffing, as opposed to the traditional breadcrumbs. What a delicious little twist. Burrata Ravioli? Yes please. Served with fresh prosciutto and fresh basil, it is served in a light brown butter sauce. Heavenly. The Skirt Steak was also a hit, only instead of the traditional Clhimichurri, it was accompanied by a parsley butter. All these new age twists and turns were exceptional, and right up my alley.
Birds Of A Feather
I discovered this place by accident! On a girls night out, we realized too late that our restaurant of choice was closed, so a quick Google search sent us to Birds Of A Feather on Grand Street. What a great detour! Sichuan style food is served here, and you absolutely can’t go wrong with Chinese food in my opinion. This restaurant is helmed by the team of Café China, which happens to be one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants in Manhattan. Again, I expected great things, and great things I got.
Everything here is served on small plates, and I love it, I get to try lots of good stuff. Dumplings here are premier, Fried Rice is elite, heck, everything was absolutely delicious. Some of the plates we had were Shrimp Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, Crab Soup Buns, Pork Dumpling in Chili Oil, and Kung Pao Chicken. But trust me, the table was full of even more goodies. We loved it.
Peter Luger’s Steakhouse
Can you even say Williamsburg without thinking of Peter Luger’s? If you’re my kind of people, no, you can’t. This spot had been open for over 100 years, and their steaks are out of this world. They are dry aged on site, after having been carefully selected to make the Peter Luger cut. What’s on the menu? Steak. Some salad, some shrimp, some other stuff, but really, who cares. We all come for the steak. And as for me, definitely with the bacon, which is cut super thick with the most delicious sauce on the side. The steak is superior. Order “Steak for 2”, “Steak for 3” etc. Don’t order it well done, you WILL get a side eye. I love this place.
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