Madiba

Simply put, this might be one of the coziest and most satisfying restaurants I've ever been to. Unsure of where to dine on a recent Monday afternoon, we stumbled upon Madiba quite haphazardly. We decided to walk to Dekalb Ave in search of some brunch - Autour du Monde was closed, and most of the other restaurants were crowded. We went into Madiba because it was considerably less crowded and the tables and umbrellas outside were cute and inviting.

Unfortunately all the umbrellas were taken, so we had to settle for inside. Luckily, however, we got to enjoy two musical artists warming up for that night's performance. They were absolutely fantastic and very nice. Also, the inside of the restaurant is adorable, with its wooden tables and old glassware, as well as the awesome coke bottle chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant is named after Nelson Mandela; Madiba is the honorary title South Africans gave him. Therefore, the entire restaurant is decorated in his honor.



As for the food, the restaurant has quite a collection of comfort food and spicy delights such as curry. A few of us jumped at the offer of Sangria, while Laurel went with coffee. Laurel and I both went for the Meal in a Pie - chicken on bottom, mashed potatoes and gravy in the middle, and a flaky crust on top ($10). It definitely lived up to its name. I was unbelievably full afterward. Davis went for the Fatcake with the savory mince. Yes, it looked as unhealthy as it sounds (pictured above). He seemed to really dig it, although I didn't get to try a piece.

Definitely give Madiba a taste if you're in the neighborhood - or take a special trip out to Fort Greene just for this little South African gem. - Jennifer



I have to agree that Madiba is super cute and from my experience, pretty tasty. I ordered the same thing as Jennifer, which we don't normally do, but it looked too good. And it was good, the mushroom gravy was especially delicious. I practically licked my plate and was pleasantly full.. but not too full to pass up dessert. I ordered Koeksisters to share, twisted little buttery pastries with a sugary lemon-ginger sauce. They were rich and light at the same time, and deliciously sweet. My coffee came with adorable little jar containers of milk and raw sugar, and was nice and smooth. My stomach was happy when we left, as was the rest of me.



The prices are reasonable for brunch (standard), and can get a little pricier for dinner, but I would be willing to venture that the price fits the quality. The wait staff is friendly and the atmosphere is airy and festive. They have lots of events and music, so I'm sure we'll be coming back to check that out as well as more of the menu. You should too. -Laurel

Address: 195 Dekalb Ave. between Carlton and Adelphi (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Website: http://www.madibarestaurant.com

Payment: Cash, Cards

Delivery: Yes

Open Late: Yes

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: Yes

Bocca Lupo

I've been to Bocca Lupo several times over the years, as my aunt and uncle live a stone's throw away. We went here a few times during visits, and I rediscovered how much I liked it upon moving to NY. Jennifer and I have gone a couple of times together, so I'll stick to those experiences.

The first visit was a Sunday afternoon, and we needed a quick-ish meal between visiting my family and going to the movie. They were uncrowded and the wait staff was super friendly.The menu consists of several bruschettas that change seasonally, cheese plates, meat plates, paninis, sides (mostly veggies), and one daily pizza, pasta and risotto. We ordered some bruschetta-- butternut squash with hazelnut, tomato, mozzarella and basil, poached pear, and a sausage one. They were all delicious, but note that they are difficult to split (i.e., cut in two). The standouts were the butternut squash (nutty, lightly sweet, so good) and the sausage (salty porky goodness), but they were all worth trying.


We also ordered the banana and nutella panini for dessert to go. We were in a rush, so we ate it as we walked to the theater. Picture this: each of us stuffing pieces of said panini into our mouths while walking briskly down the sidewalk, powdered sugar EVERYWHERE, us both incomprehensibly mumbling about how freakin good it was. Yeah, we got some looks. But if we had been run over by a bus, we would have died happy in that moment.

On the next visit, the bruschetta menu was totally different, and we were disappointed. I ordered a sausage and broccoli rabe panini and we split a side of zucchini with almonds. The panini was definitely good, a stand-by for my uncle, but a little overly salty. The zucchini was a nice side, enough for two.

Probably the best part about Bocca Lupo is that it is a small neighborhoody place. The menu is dependable and has just enough options. Great place to take a date or a small group. -Laurel



As Laurel said, the first time we went to Bocca Lupo, we were amazed. From the moment we sat down and looked around at other people's plates, I was itching for some good food. The woman to the left of us was eating asparagus, and I instantly convinced Laurel we must have some. Glad I did. Lemony and cooked just right - not too squishy and not too hard - the asparagus was a great compliment to our many bruschettas.

Speaking of which, the bruschetta. All of them were supremely delicious. The butternut squash was my favorite - sweet and not at all stringy like a lot of squash can be, and the hazelnut was a great touch. The pear was the perfect amount of sweet and salty, the sausage was the perfect amount of unhealthy, and the tomato, mozzarella and basil was the perfect amount of...um, tomato, mozzarella, and basil. We ate one at a time, each going in a different order and ranting and raving about how good they were. Ambiance wise, The wait staff were helpful and patient, and the people dining there were nice as well.

Of course, the nutella panini was off the charts delicious, especially when walking fast down a street and laughing about the intense amounts of whipped cream, chocolate, and powdered sugar all over our faces, clothes, hands...everywhere.


The second time wasn't terribly disappointing, but I was very sad the menu had changed. The bruschetta we had before was sooooo good, and I couldn't eat a lot of the options they offered second go around because of one or two leafy ingredients. And the asparagus was also gone.

We quickly searched for a substitute for the asparagus, and decided to go for the zucchini with pine nuts. Unfortunately, the zucchini was cold. It was also slightly limp and had almost no flavor. Sad. As for the panini, I desperately wanted the sausage, but I couldn't have broccoli rabe. Now that I think about it, I guess I could have asked for it without the rabe, but I remember how I wanted to preserve the flavor. That was dumb. Either way, I chose the Triple P (ok, plus M) panini: proscuitto, porchetta, piave, and mascarpone. Pretty good. Wasn't blown away, but it definitely fulfilled my appettite.

And of course we got the nutella panini. Must admit, not as good in a civilized fashion...on a table, with a fork. I actually prefer to have my food all over my body. I think it tastes better. -Jennifer

Address: 391 Henry St (Brooklyn)

Website: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/Bocca-Lupo/

Payment: credit or cash

Delivery: no

Open Late: 2 AM on weekends

Large Group Friendly: better for small gatherings, does not take reservations

Bar/Happy Hour: full bar

Beast

Jennifer had been to Beast once before for drinks and dessert, and was impressed enough to try the full menu. She was nice enough to let me tag along for dinner one Sunday, and it was pleasantly uncrowded. The front is flanked by a large bar with small tables, a large back area has lots more seating, and when the weather is nice there are a few sidewalk tables as well.

The menu is tapas-style, but with heartier fare, largely American in style and includes seafood. The prices are on the upper end of moderate, with the starts/snacks running $3-18 and proper small plates running $7-14. You're going to need at least one and a half per person, get two or include a dessert if you're hungry like we were. The wine list has a nice variety, with quatrinos (1/3 bottles) and full bottles offered at reasonable prices.


Jennifer will talk about what she ordered, but I tried it and it was delicious. You should order it. I ordered the Sweet Onion and Ricotta Tart, which came with a pear salad (pictured above). The tart has a nice light texture and a pleasant taste, but wasn't overly memorable. The pears were nicely cooked and a good compliment. All-in-all a solid vegetarian dish, but nothing to write home about. We also shared a burger, which was a solid meaty dish, and one of the better bargains on the menu. We of course ordered dessert, which was a caramel-y rich bread pudding. Very sweet, but gooey and tasty.

Check out Beast if you're looking to splurge just a bit and have some drinks and share foods with friends. Like me, for instance. -Laurel

The first time I went to Beast was after a Target First Friday at the Brooklyn Museum. The lot of us were absolutely starving and looking for cheap drinks, and stumbled into Beast after an unsuccessful search down Vanderbilt for an empty bar. This place wasn't all that empty either, but reasonably less crowded, possibly because I assume most people are a little freaked by the outside. First of all, the place is called "Beast." Secondly, the front doors are large wooden doors you would see outside of a castle or fort. Not necessarily inviting. Surprisingly nice door man, though.

We waited around for a while for a table, and it was far too crowded for the bar, so three of us were standing by one of the exit doors that leads to a small amount of street seating, directly by the kitchen, which is open into the bar. The smells and sights of the food were making all of us absolutely famished. We finally got a table, to find out they had just stopped serving dinner. The staff was absolutely fantastic, however, and after sharing my obvious disappointment at the lack of food, brought a dessert menu.

Davis and Amanda chose a raspberry cheesecake, while I automatically ordered the Bread Pudding with a Pecan Praline in it. The person I was sharing it with was completely unsure about my choice. However, after the first bite, he was hooked. Everyone at the table then dug their spoon in, and the entire table was filled with "hmmmmm," a.k.a. pure happiness. The pudding melted in our mouths and the sticky pecan praline was a nice addition to the smoothness of the pudding. Definitely a must have.


As any good restaurant should do, Beast's menu changes every so often. So when Laurel and I ventured back to try a few things I had picked out from the menu last time we went, they were no longer on there. However, they were replaced by a multitude of other scrumptious sounding foods. And of course, I had to make her try that Bread Pudding, which I was glad was still on the dessert menu.

While Laurel stuck with her tart, I chose the roast with potatoes, corn and green beans. I made a joke that I would get 3 green beans, and then I did. However, it was absolutely delicious. Small, but delicious. The meat was tender and the perfect compliment to the mashed potatoes and corn in the middle. And the 3 green beans were nicely cooked as well.

Still hungry, of course, Laurel and I ordered the burgers. They were pretty standard and I devoured them quickly, still hungry. And then we moved on to the heavenly dessert. Not quite as heavenly as I remember, but still virtually perfect. I was in a food coma at that point and forgot to take a picture, so just close your eyes and picture bread pudding that has been stabbed in the heart with a pecan praline lightning bolt and covered in sugar.

A good place to go with a large group of ravenous, slightly well to do, companions who like to drink and watch movies Sci-Fi/Action movies on USA Network. Because that's what they show in there. - Jennifer

Address: 638 Bergen St at Vanderbilt (Brooklyn)

Website: http://www.brooklynbeast.com/

Payment: cash or credit

Delivery: no

Open Late: bar open until 3 AM on weekends

Large Group Friendly: yes

Bar/Happy Hour: full bar

Pukk

Despite my intense love for meat, I also love tofu quite a bit. I also love Thai food, although I can't eat most of it because of my pathetic tummy. Pukk is the perfect place to go for that combination.

Suggested by our friend Crystal, Pukk is a vegetarian Thai place with a unique blend of flavors, spices and choices. They offer everything from to the regular Thai food - curry, fried rice, dumplings - but with they also offer an array of other options and twists on old favorites: spinach toast, mushroom puff, massaman curry with sweet potatoes, onions and peanuts. All the "meat" is made of soy - soy chicken and soy duck.

On my first trip to Pukk, I decided to sample as much as possible. I chose before I left work: coconut mushroom soup ($3), spicy spring rolls ($4), and market fried rice with tofu ($4). The soup was good - sweet and a bit tangy, the perfect compliment to the spice and saltiness of the spring rolls. The market fried rice was standard - with onion, chinese broccoli and black pepper, as well as eggs and a cherry tomato. The tofu was delicious, not too spongy but also not tough; it was cooked just right. The second time I went back with Crystal and got the market fried rice with tofu again. Although I like to try new things, I also get nervous at Thai food places...so it's better to stick with what I know won't make me sick.

A little small, but not usually too crowded, Pukk is a good place to go if you want to try a different spin on Thai food, and also enjoy modern decor and multicolored lights. The servers are very nice as well, and they're super quick. Might be why it's not usually too crowded. You get your food fast and then you're out of there. -Jennifer

We went to Pukk with some friends one night for dinner, and it was overall a crowd pleaser. The space is very long and modern with small tables and banquet seating lining one wall. The service was friendly and fairly attentive, but several people came by the table at different points which made it slightly confusing.

The menu is large, with lots of appetizers, soups, rice dishes and noodle dishes, and very reasonably priced. It's all veggie, but they offer meat-like options (chicken, pork or beef) and tofu. I ordered some spring rolls to share, which were crispy and had a nice dipping sauce. As my main dish I had the "chicken" Pad Se Ew, my Thai standby. It was very good, the fake chicken was fairly chicken-y and was a nice texture (weird texture is usually my issue with veg meat), and the noodles were yum. All-in-all, solid Thai food at nice prices.

I would definitely would recommend if you're in the neighborhood and in the mood, and aren't ravenous for meat. Then again, if you're ravenous for meat, I wouldn't recommend you leave the house. Order some mail-order steaks and do the world a favor. -Laurel

Address: 71 1st Ave (between 4th St. and 5th St.)

Website: http://www.pukknyc.com/

Payment: Cash, Cards

Delivery: Yep

Open Late: 11:30pm Sun-Thurs; 12:30am Fri-Sat

Large Group Friendly: Somewhat

Bar/Happy Hour: Wine, Beer

Kush

It is surprising how long it took me to eat here, considering Kush is literally across the street from my apartment. I had heard that it was good, and the menu looked interesting, and yet.. well.. the point is, I have finally been a couple of times for brunch, and now you lucky people get to read about it.

Their brunch menu has lots of options, one of my favorite being that you can get a plate with pancakes or french toast and eggs/meat. And you know that is what I did, being as I'm always torn between salty or sweet brunch. The french toast was standard but tasty, and the eggs were fluffy. The chicken sausage was good, but a little over-cooked. I loved that they served it all with fresh fruit, and it all made for a satisfying meal. The next time I went back I ordered the banana pancakes with sausage. The pancakes are big and very tall and fluffy. Honestly, they are more like cake, and were too sweet and cakey.. not my favorite.

One thing to note about Kush is the service. The seemingly main lady there is super nice and fairly attentive when she's overseeing your table. She also recognized us not only in her restaurant the second time, but on the street one night. There are some issues, though. There has been something wrong with the bill both times we've gone-- the first time they left one whole meal off, the second time they charged us weird prices.

Either way, Kush is still someplace we'll most likely be back to. For one thing, it's across the street. Also, the food is pretty good, and it has a nice and relaxed neighborhood feel. We'll report back once we try dinner sometime. -Laurel

This place is apparently known for its jerk chicken. At least that's what the girl who works there said. A lot. She was super nice, but slightly less attentive than I like. As Laurel said, she did recognize us, and that was cool. I like to be known in my 'hood. 

The food is pretty standard, and tastes pretty standard. I was impressed the first time we went simply because of the fresh fruit. You can't find a healthy option like that in the city most of the time. It's usually just a bunch of greasy (yummy, but greasy) food thrown on a plate. I, too, got the french toast with eggs, and instead of chicken sausage, I got turkey bacon. It was gross - really tough and chewy. Not a fault of Kush, as I probably should have just gone for pork. So that's what I tried to do the second time around, but the other nice, slightly inattentive waitres got it wrong, and brought me turkey sausage. It too was tough and chewy. However, the eggs were good, and the french toast was crunchy and super sweet, which I was in the mood for. 

As for the problems with our bill - the first time was fine, we just told them to add on the meal they missed. However, the second time was kind of a strange nightmare. Laurel got something far cheaper than me, and we both got "unlimited" mimosas. However, after I accidentally spilled mine on Laurel (thank GOD we live across the street so she could go change. We haven't always been that lucky), she didn't replace mine. At all. She didn't even offer to until the end of my meal when we had to go. I was kind of miffed. The miffation (Is that a word? It should be.) continued when we got the check. Our meals were both $14.95, although she got something far cheaper than me, and she got a side, which they charged an extra $4 for, so hers totaled out to $18.95. I'm honestly just confused and think that the waitresses make up their prices as they go. But let me reiterate: they are very nice. 

Despite the bill confusion, I will be back. It is very near our apartment, first of all, and second of all, they apparently have GREAT jerk chicken. I just won't be getting any unlimited drinks. We weren't anyway so I guess there's no real difference. - Jennifer

Address: 17 Putnam Ave, at Grand Ave (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)

Website: http://www.kushcafe.com/

Payment: cash

Delivery: no

Open Late: 'til Midnight Monday-Saturday, 11pm on Sunday

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: Unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Marys for Weekend Brunch