I have to be honest in that we here at Manhattan Digest don’t go to Brooklyn too often, although there have been exceptions (Talde in Park Slope for instance). Another great exception, which we just discovered the other night, is Alice’s Arbor, which is located right off the A/C Franklin Avenue stops at 549 Classon Avenue. They are yet another highlight of how great farm-to-table can really be, as they excel in modern American cuisine done in a fun and friendly setting.
I always find that the little things impress me the most when it comes to going to a restaurant, and Alice’s Arbor provides these in the best kind of way. For instance, the spot is adorned by beautiful wood furnishings with a cool and sophisticated appeal to it. Also, and this may not be much, but as a 90’s kid I was emphatically ecstatic that all of the music they were playing was rock songs from that era including ones from The Wallflowers, Matchbox 20 and more. I love the 90’s, clearly.
Alice’s Arbor is brought to all of us by Dimitri Vlahakis (Motorino, La Gamelle, Esperanto) and Executive Chef/Partner Mike Franzetti, who worked with Jonathan Waxman at Washington Park and Mario Batali’s Lupa. Chef Franzetti sources his products from13 top local purveyors across New York state, including Sullivan County Chicken Farms and Continental Organics, ensuring fresh, local food year round. The “think local, shop local” concept is consistently on the rise here in Manhattan and the other boroughs, and I do hope this is a trend that continues on for quite some time.
Now, onto the food, which was nothing short of extraordinary. The dinner menu here is simple: two pages and highlights what they are really good at. Everything we had that night was amazing, however there were some definite standouts that I am still smiling about to this day.
I am a sucker for Crab Cakes, and there’s was simply amazing as I always find that each place I go to has a sauce that is different from the rest. The sauce that complimented the perfectly cooked and seasoned Crab Cake was a dijon mustard with a curry yogurt sauce. You essentially get the spiciness of the mustard but a cooling aspect with the yogurt sauce that works really well with the crab cake itself.
I am not a fan of Kale, it’s just not for me. However, they did a really good job at dressing up their Kale Salad that I might be convinced to try it again. It comes with Roasted almonds, apples, avocado, gooseberries, and pecorino cheese with fig vinaigrette, which helps elevate the flavor of the kale tenfold. Simply deelish.
There are only seven items in their entree menu, yet each are spot on with what they are trying to accomplish. They have meat and seafood items that look phenomenal, however I really beelined for their Mac & Cheese with cheddar & goat cheese that was warm, gooey and will make a great dish once the colder weather sets in. Such a perfect dinner option that fills you up in the best way possible. Overall, Alice’s Arbor exceeded our expectations in more ways than one, and we think it will for you as well.
For more information on Alice’s Arbor, please check out their official website.