The Farm On Adderley

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd put my name on a waiting list to eat in Ditmas Park (thanks for the correction, Brooklynites!), Brooklyn. But that day came this weekend, when some friends and I walked into a packed The Farm On Adderley. With its backyard patio, exposed brick and arty photographs, The Farm would be right at home in Cobble Hill, or for that matter, the West Village.

(For those of you who are wondering, there is no "Adderley Road" in Brooklyn; the restaurant is named after a place in South Africa.)

After a pleasant chat in the bar area, we were led to a large round table in the back. The specials included a roasted eggplant appetizer with grilled flatbread, a pan-seared tilapia and ribeye with heirloom potatoes and cipollini. Unfortunately, the kitchen had 86ed the double cut pork chop and grilled brook trout. (One small curiosity on the menu: if you order a burger, you can ask that it be topped with a fried egg.)

We were first served a plate of bread and lavender-infused olive oil. I thought they could have been a little more generous with the bread - there was one small slice per person. For an appetizer, I enjoyed a chive-sprinkled, creamy cauliflower soup with the intriguing addition of one fried oyster. I also shared the roasted eggplant dip, which was accompanied by diced root vegetables) and an amazing buttermilk-dressed Bibb salad with fresh green peas.

I had another case of "entree envy" when dinner arrived. My adjacent friend had ordered the sweet potato gnocchi, which was a rich, buttery, sage-scented bowl of chewy orange pasta! I did like my (a bit over-)seared tilapia with baby carrots, potatoes and celery root puree, but how I longed for the pasta. Others among us ordered the ribeye, which looked to be enough for three people.

The large table next to us had just ordered an enticing array of desserts, so we decided to follow suit. A buttermilk panna cotta in a cool Concord grape sauce was topped with crunchy pecans, a gingerbread cake was served warm with a dollop of tropical fruit mousse, and the chocolate-banana upside-down cake (easily my favorite) had the added bonus of coconut sorbet.

Ditmas Park - I envy you.

The Farm On Adderley: 1108 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, (718) 287-3101.