Blognut Goes Bistro - Then Craves a Schnack

Crave
570 Henry Street
Brooklyn, NY

For Blognut's first foray into Brooklyn Restaurant Week, we sprint down Henry St. and burst into Crave, only 5 minutes late for our reservation. Hidden away on a heavily brownstoned, residential block in Carroll Gardens, this bistro is tiny and understated - Blognut counted only 10 tables.

We start with a glass of wine and some complimentary rosemary crackers before placing our dinner order. Blognut has the mesclun salad, the spice rubbed pork tenderloin with anjou pear puree and broccoli rabe, and, for dessert, the mango creme brulee with kiwi sorbet and the chocolate-chili cake with caramel ice cream. While the pork went very nicely with the pear puree (and sparked a Blognut-idea for a pear-flavored Nut -- get on that Doughnut Plant!), the meal was awfully small and mostly underwhelming. Even after cleaning our plates, Blognut was still hungry.

Crave might be trying to present their diners with a chic, upscale atmosphere, but the restaurant somehow winds up sacrificing the warmth and friendliness that usually make neighborhood bistros so appealing. While a very fair price at $20.06 a meal (the going rate during Restaurant Week), Blognut would probably not pay full price for the tiny entrees we had.

Later that night after a few Gin and Tonics at Brooklyn Social, Blognut, still unsatiated, wanders over to Schnack with our pal Imbidimts, the self-proclaimed "Joe Piscopo of rock-criticism."

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Schnack
122 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY
The "Gateway to Red Hook"

Located on Union St. between Columbia and Hicks in the "Columbia Waterfront" area (what?), Schnack's grease-stained menu is particularly well-suited to desperate late-night schnacking. Blognut orders a giant basket of fries, a Schnack combo (a single Schnackie, or loose-meat slider, with fries and a pint of Schwag beer), another single Schnackie, and a vanilla beer milkshake (two straws).

Schnackies are delicious. Loose ground beef and 1.5 oz of Schnack sauce, with custom-applied french fries, make for a wonderful nightcap. The vanilla beer shake, which the waitress told us tastes like a malted White Russian, is not so much good as it's not-as-bad-as-it-should-be. It actually goes quite well with the main course.

Throughout Restaurant Week, Schnack will be offering a special RC Cola gelato provided by il Laboratorio del Gelato. While Schnack does not offer any donuts, their dessert menu also includes the inticing Harry's Famous Chocolate and Banana Bread Pudding - we'll definitely be returning to try it out.

For more Schnack news, check out their blog, run by co-owner Harry "Hey Chef" Hawk.




















Vanilla beer shake with 2 straws.

Food Scores:

Crave - 7.1
Schnack - 8.9