Olmsted might have just opened a few months ago but it’s already as accomplished as it can be, having delivered what is probably my favorite meal of the year (as of yet!). Yes, the chef has an all-star pedigree (Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Chicago’s Alinea), but the restaurant isn’t playing the fancy card as it definitely could. Olmsted is comfortably snuggling up to the Brooklyn restaurant scene with gentle prices and exquisite creations from its inviting Prospect Heights abode.
The interior is alive, literally, with a buzz, a chef’s counter for watching the action, and a living green wall extending all the way to the back…where the best is yet to come.
Step through the glass door to find yourself in what is probably the most enchanting backyard garden of any restaurants around. You’ll be brought here to wait for your table and you’ll want them to take their time as this is where the magic’s at, under the glow of strung-up bulbs overhead.
More than just a gorgeous waiting room, the garden is providing some of the ingredients you’ll be tasting tonight, from the coop filled with quails in one corner to the various planting beds overflowing with odorous herbs and spices. Take a seat on a comfy pillow and order one of the house cocktails with names like Tarragon, Lavender, and Sassafras. If you’re peckish you can even snack on oysters and fried green beans, or better yet come later in the evening to treat yourself to hot s’mores and a warm blanket…gardens have never been put to such good use!
Nasturtium: Old Tom Gin, Blanc Vermouth, Bay Leaf
Back inside for the main event, still high from your backyard moment, you’ll sit down to an incredible meal fit for the greenmarket fanatic in you. The seasonal creations were all sophisticated without being fussy and definitely make a case for a new ‘backyard to table’ movement.
Make sure you order the ‘carrot crepe’, already listed in the top dishes in the city by many. It’s a beautiful and wonderful dish of a soft orange crepe topped with sunflower seeds covering some butter-poached clams…divine! The tender pork collar topped with melted raclette cheese was also a highlight, and we followed it by a cheese fondue straight from a wheel of Harbison before ending it all with a light and delightful frozen yogurt. I shall return…
Tiny Tartare Tacos
Carrot Crepe, Little Neck Clams, Sunflower
Grilled Pork Collar, Reading Raclette, Broccoli, Mustard
Fish, Prosciutto, Eggplants, Tomatoes
Harbison Cheese Fondue for Two
Frozen Yogurt with Lavender Honey
Olmsted
659 Vanderbilt Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238
T: (718) 552-2610
Map
