Alchemy Restaurant and Tavern
Contact Info:
Address: 56 5th Ave (Bergen St)
City: Brooklyn, NY
Zip: 11217
map: View the Map
Phone: (718) 636-4385
Website: http://www.alchemybrooklyn.com/
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Gastro-Pub
Cititour Review:
There's no sign yet that the Park Slope food scene is slowing down. In fact, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Alchemy, a gastro-pub, is the latest arrival.
You can tell a lot of hard work went into the making of Alchemy from its exposed brick, comfy wooden bar and booths, to its three sturdy sharing tables in the rear. Dangling light bulbs add a warm glow to the room which, on the night we visited, was buzzing.
There are just two beers on tap ($6) at the moment, Gaffel Kolsch, a hopsy German beer, and a heavier wheat beer called Dentergems. Both arrived in tall glasses and icy cold. Mixed drinks are pricier at $9 and include a pomegranate margarita and passionfruit mojito.
Appetizers range from $6 to $10. We tried the fried cuttlefish (calamari) with a chorizo mayonaise. It was perfectly cooked, and heavily salted. Braised pork cheeks on a bed of sage polenta with a mustard jus were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, although the portion was a bit small. Entrees include; roasted beet ravioli ($15), lamb stew ($18) and fish and chips ($16). We opted for the wild striped bass ($22), pan fried with its skin nice and crisp, accompanied by a tasty celery root gratin and huckleberry sauce. Slices of organic hanger steak, in a red wine bearnaise, sauce arrived perfectly rare (as requested) atop a bed of leafy watercress and mashed potatoes.
Be sure to save room for dessert. The homemade apple crisp is a keeper. It arrives in its own lttle tart pan straight from the oven. Plump apple slices topped with a thick layer of cinnamony crumbs, and a scoop of ginger ice cream melting into it. Yum!
Alchemy still has a few wrinkles to iron out. But, overall it's good chemistry!
Review By: Thomas Rafael; March 3, 2007