All's Well That Ends Well... Brunch at DuMont

My Williamsburg friend and I were discussing brunch options this morning. "How is Gribouille's menu?" I wondered. "They have a good prix fixe - it's three courses," said my friend.

"I don't know if I'm in the mood for three courses this morning," I said. "Then why don't we check out the new PT?" suggested my friend. "Someone told me it was fabulous."

We walked over to South 3rd and Bedford, and PT, a new Italian restaurant, was not open for brunch. "What about Bonita across the street?" asked my friend. "I thought that place was OK," I said, "but they skimped on my huevos rancheros." We continued walking and wondering what to do.

We decided to walk to Diner, that eminence grise of Williamsburg restaurants. There was a crowd waiting outside, and as we approached the door, we saw masses of people standing inside as well. I sighed, but perked up when my friend informed me that Diner's owners had opened Marlow and Sons, a little restaurant/gourmet market next door. Although the restaurant did not serve brunch, I was excited to find out that the market, which was somewhat reminiscent of the popular Bedford Cheese Shop, offered fresh-baked goods ("We bake everything except the croissants," said the counterperson). There were all kinds of goodies: apple scones, bacon gruyere scones, raisin-studded iced bear claws. I wondered if we might grow hungry during our search for brunch, so I ordered a deliciously crumbly apple scone and a huge tomato mozzarella basil sandwich. My friend laughed. "When are you going to eat that?"

We kept walking. "Dressler is hot," said my friend. "I wonder if they have brunch?" A lovely woman named Christina told us that Sunday brunch will be served starting October 1. She handed us an enticing new fall dinner menu - it included braised short ribs with parsnip puree, pea & Fontina raviolini, and pan-roasted quail with baked white polenta - and those were just the appetizers!

Now we were really hungry. "Do you think we might get into Colin Devlin's original spot, Dumont?" I asked. "There's probably a line," replied my friend dolefully. Still, we resolved to walk all the way over to Union Avenue. When we finally reached DuMont, we were welcomed by a smiling server and an empty table!

There were so many appetizing choices... eggs Florentine or Benedict on brioche toast, croque-monsieur, smoked trout salad with a poached egg. I ordered the special smoked salmon omelette and my friend chose the huevos rancheros with eggs over easy.

We were surprised by a complimentary plate of warm, sugar-sprinkled doughnut holes. (What a wonderful way to begin a brunch!) The entrees arrived without delay - according to my friend, many Williamsburg restaurants suffer from lackadaisical service - but not DuMont. The smoked salmon omelette was wonderfully fluffy with a filling of thick salmon slices and tangy puffs of dill-flecked goat cheese. Also served were a refreshing mixed green salad and some really amazing home fries. Large chunks of well-salted fried potato were perfectly crispy on the outside, light as air on the inside. The potatoes were mixed with onions and red peppers, and all vegetables kept their shape instead of being smooshed into an overcooked, unrecognizable mass. My friend liked his huevos rancheros with black beans (the avocado in his salad was a nice touch), but he preferred my entree. I tried to be generous with it.

The finishing touch was a warm, dense chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Dumont: 432 Union Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 486-7717.

The Ultimate Chocolate Eclair

If there's a better chocolate éclair than the one at Jacques Torres, I haven't found it. Chocolate cream, fluffy as pudding, is generously piped into a moist, eggy éclair shell, one half of which is thinly coated with what amounts to an entire semisweet chocolate bar criss-crossed with white chocolate. Why did I only buy one?

Jacques Torres Chocolate: 66 Water St., Brooklyn, (718) 875-9772, and 350 Hudson St., (212) 414-2462.

Convivium Osteria

I have a friend with the good fortune to live half a block away from Convivium Osteria. (Now if only I knew someone who lived across from Al Di La.) Yesterday was her birthday, and along with our companions, we celebrated in Convivium's intimate backyard garden. (The main room is lovely as well, with walls decorated by copper pots and long strings of garlic cloves.)

As we munched on olives and bread, my friend remarked how she felt transported far outside of Brooklyn. (Unfortunately, this mood would soon be marred by jarring music from the adjacent backyard. But such is life in the big city!)

Our waiter recommended a bottle of 2000 So Syrah, and we all got to work on choosing some appetizers and entrees. Because of the spinach crisis, a beet and spinach salad would be replaced by one made with watercress, walnut and Cabrales. Several dishes caught my eye: meat-filled cappeletti in a free-range hen consomme, pappardelle and braised oxtail, free-range quail in with figs and port wine sauce.

For appetizers, we ordered the watercress salad, pan-fried Portuguese sardines, and seafood assortment. The salad delighted me with its generously sprinkled, pungent Cabrales. A light walnut vinaigrette dressed the peppery watercress leaves. The seafood assortment included crab-stuffed red peppers, a prawn, fritters of salt cod and onion, and boquerones. These white anchovies were a pleasant surprise; they are sometimes overbrined.

My dinner selection was the artichoke Bel Paese ravioli in a butter sauce. Although I was a wee bit disappointed that there were only five ravioli surrounding the buttery artichoke hearts, the filling was very creamy and rich. I also got to taste the moist red snapper with capers, tomatoes and sliced potatoes, the pinenut-crusted rack of lamb with nicely-browned cauliflower, and a whole sea bass.

Dessert was excellent, especially the flourless chocolate cake. Not too dense or sweet, it was smooth in texture and melted in my mouth. A dollop of whipped cream and raspberries was a perfect garnish. I also liked the panna cotta smothered with blueberries and a plum tart sporting plenty of big tangy slices of plum and a buttery crust.

A few double espressos later, we noticed the anxious glances of our waiter - the line out Convivium's door had grown exponentially, so we vacated our seats for the next happy diners. (I recommend arriving around 6 or 6:30 p.m., if possible. Although Convivium is not quite as hard to get into as Al Di La, it's getting there!) I hope my friend had as good a time celebrating her birthday as I did.

Convivium Osteria: 68 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 857-1833.

Summer's Last Berries at Almondine

It seems that summer has made a brief reappearance. Almondine, the French bakery owned by Jacques Torres and Herve Poussot, is celebrating by making use of the season's ripe strawberries in a refreshing ice cream shake topped with real whipped cream. The fresh berries are also featured atop a layer of pastry cream in Almondine's fruit tarts ($3.50). If raspberries are more your style, try the sugar-sprinkled raspberry version.

Almondine, 85 Water St., Brooklyn, (718) 797-5026.

Rasam: A Cure For What Ails You

The summer-to-fall transition sometimes challenges my immunity. Last night, I was feeling the beginnings of a cold, and I craved something spicy. However, I wondered if a bowl of soup might be more effective.

I found the best medicine at Chennai Garden, which serves rasam, an incredibly spicy South Indian soup. The light tamarind broth boasts a huge whole red chili in addition to bay leaves, diced tomatoes and black mustard seeds. When I ordered it, the waiter tried to dissuade me. I shocked him by drinking up the whole bowl and barely touching my glass of water. My eyes were watering and my throat was burning, but I forgot I even had a cold.

When the waiter brought the check, I told him my reason for ordering the rasam. "It will make you feel better," he said encouragingly. Indeed, I woke up today and the cold was gone!

Chennai Garden: 129 East 27th St., (212) 689-1999.

Restaurant SEO

This morning, I flipped to the Tokyo On The Hudson article in New York Magazine, and I immediately set about checking out some of the recommendations.

Unfortunately, I was to find that the article would lead me astray. Walking up and down 9th Ave., I was sure that I'd somehow missed the new Kyotofu dessert bar, but the treat emporium was nowhere to be found. Finally I realized that the half-painted, permit-plastered space at 705 Ninth Ave. was the site of the very unfinished Kyotofu.

My second stop was Conran's, where I intended to check out the Japanese style exhibition and perhaps buy some tableware. When I breathlessly asked where the items were, I was told that the exhibition didn't start until Thursday.

Now I was crestfallen, and hungry to boot. Thankfully, I happened upon Restaurant SEO, a small, authentic Japanese restaurant which features a peaceful rock garden. I sat down and devoured a tuna roll, which had a perfect tuna/rice ratio (tuna rolls at inferior establishments often skimp on the rosy pink fish). Then I enjoyed a bowl of surprisingly delicate tempura udon made with thin, slippery inaniwa udon noodles. (Previously, I had only been acquainted with the thicker variety.) The tempura included lightly fried Japanese eggplant and shrimp. A bowl of ume plum rice with shredded shiso was also served, but I would have been satisfied with a tiny plate of pickles. At meal's end, the waiter brought me a mug of roasted green tea. As I sipped it, I was thankful that at least one of my three missions was successful!

Restaurant SEO: 249 East 49th St., (212) 355-7722.

A Very Exciting Package

I've just received an awfully intriguing package courtesy of Yellow Cottage Bakery, a small Wisconsin operation which specializes in chocolate-iced brownies. The package contains one dozen brownies in four varieties: chocolate, chocolate chunk, chocolate walnut and chocolate pecan. The treats are made with 100% natural ingredients like pure vanilla and Wisconsin butter.

Since I just spent the weekend at Mitsuwa's Hokkaido Food Festival, my appetite is somewhat compromised, but I should be able to fit in a brownie or two this evening. I'll report my brownie tasting results soon.

Updated to add: I hereby pronounce these brownies fudgy and wonderful!

Hokkaido Gourmet Food Fair at Mitsuwa

If you'd like to learn firsthand (and firstmouth) about the cuisine of Japan's northernmost island, head over to Mitsuwa Marketplace this weekend. (My friends tell me that the best sea urchin comes from Hokkaido.)

Mitsuwa, 595 River Road, Edgewater, NJ (201) 941-9113. The festival will be held Friday-Sunday.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Noodle-soup-master Dave Chang has branched out into new starches with the opening of Momofuku Ssäm Bar. At this new, significantly larger space, he offers a simple menu of stuffed flour tortillas, rice bowls and steamed buns. As at Momofuku Noodle Bar, the ingredients are of high quality (Berkshire pork, organic chicken, Greenmarket corn), but the selections are more limited. Tortillas and rice come in three varieties: chicken, pork or shiitake. The stuffed tortillas are a healthy alternative to a burrito laden with sour cream and cheddar - they are crunchy with green soybeans and slaw, and if they're not spicy enough for you, drizzle on some of the Sriracha sauce.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar: 207 Second Ave., (212) 254-3500.