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Brooklyn Fare
Rating Details »
Categories: Grocery, American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown200 Schermerhorn Street
(between Hoyt St & Bond St)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 243-0050
- Nearest Transit:
-
Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts (A, C, G)
Hoyt St (2, 3)
Jay St (A, C, F)
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- None
17 reviews for Brooklyn Fare
They really need to separate the Chef's table and the supermarket!
The Chef's table is an awesome experience - ridiculous amount of food and wine (BYO!) was consumed. Including 5 amuses and an extra dish off the menu we had about 15 courses. (Almost all seafood because the chef loves it so not recommended for those who dont like seafood!) The courses were generously portioned (Some places serve entrees smaller than these), the chef is friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy. You can watch them prepare everything in front of you, ask him any questions about the ingredients and technique as well. If I were to be nitpicky I would say I've had better versions of some of the individual items but when you have 15 courses there are bound to be some better than others. The food is very inventive, well-sourced ingredients, and fresh. We went for a bachelorette party and the chef and his staff were super friendly and accomodating to us. I heard the price is going up and they are expanding but for us ($70 pre-tip is such a bargain for the quantity and quality) I'll update soon with more food descriptions!
O' Brooklyn Fare. I...of changed eyes..wish thee many years of good business. Alas, I fear your farmer's market-styled vegetable patch and spit-shined chrome shelves of boxed foodstuffs will eventually be undone.
By the time this neighborhood decides what, and more importantly WHO, it wants to be, this grocery will be worn out and perhaps even flat broke. It's Dean & Deluca style doesn't speak to the overwhelming number of dinkus delinquents preparing for their day at the Brooklyn Muni Building.
The cleanliness and affordability will keep me coming back for now...despite the very descriptive catcalls from the construction crew while I cross the street. Honestly, in this economy, it's nice to be wanted.
Brooklyn Fare isn't perfection, but it's pretty darn good. They have a really nice selection of cheeses, meats, seafood and poultry in their deli cases. In addition, their prepared food is quite yummy. Feel free to ask for a taste test - they're usually generous with samples of anything behind the counter. It's nice to have butcher and seafood guys that actually know what's going on.
The prices for the regular stuff - milk, eggs, yogurt, fruit, sugar, etc - most of it is pretty affordable. Maybe a touch more expensive than your Key Foods, but if you want to make ONE stop on your way home? Totally worth it. (And, currently, the strawberries are cheaper at BF than Key!)
The beer selection is pretty awesome as well! Loving all the singles! Also, offering the baked goods from Choice Market? Total winning in my book. I live near-ish Choice, and love the place, so it's nice to be able to grab a muffin or cookie while getting my groceries.
I agree with the reviewer that said sometimes they're missing things that seem like basics... Couldn't find Nutella there the other day, or lower priced goat (aka basic) goat cheese (where they have the other basic cheeses). BUT, for a sort of food freak like myself, it's really quite nice to have a store like Brooklyn Fare on the A/C train home.
I intend to pen a worthy review for this unique, stellar experience. As for now, any Yelper or foodie or diner who is looking for something to really talk about, then this is it!
Check out donna da Vine on Atlantic for wine before the meal.
They started out well but -- possibly pressured financially by a lack of customers -- have cut back on their stock and raised their prices. At the newly increased price of $8 a pound for ordinary tuna fish salad, no place in Manhattan, not even Citarella, not to mention anywhere in Brooklyn, charges as much. Then go to the green beans for $10/pound. An earlier reviewer praised the beer selection and the availability of singles, but now there is a rude sign saying no singles. They used to have house-made sausage, which was verrrrrry delicious. No more.
In short, a store going out of business --- very slowly but unmistakably.
We were lucky to grab seats here because of someone's cancellation. The wait list goes on until March! Cesar and his sous chefs were amazing with the cooking and the service, everything!! The food was unbelievable. Each dish looked like artwork and tasted like a dream. The ingredients were extremely fresh and the highest quality. We had a wonderful experience overall. I highly recommend everyone to experience a meal here and to do their shopping here too. I don't know when I can get another reservation but I will try. Good luck to us all!!!
This is my go-to store now that they've got their act together after a bumpy first few months (they switched food vendors, moved stuff around constantly, ran out of beer, took FOREVER to ring you up). The fish counter is terrific -- you can ask for fresh stock ($1.99), shucked oysters, sample fresh chorizo, get sushi-grade fish for a super reasonable price. I skip the prepared foods cos I'd rather take their seafood or meat cuts home and make a quick, delicious resto-quality meal.
I call it "My Pantry" because while Trader Joe's is awesome for cheap staples like canned foods, milk and bread, BK Fare is terrific for when you need a handful of items or want to make something special and fresh.
Beer selection's great; I have seen micros and ales here I haven't seen sold in most NY stores. They now carry Satur Farms produce, a huge plus in my book. Prices can be a bit high on certain items (deli foods being the worst), but if you watch their sale flyers you can score. They also now have a points card so when you hit 200 you get $10 off. When I happened to hit mine, it was for a sixer of Magic Hat. Go figure!
i have a group of girls that i get together with about once a week for a girls night.
no, we don't pillow fight in our underpants.
we watch videos and drink beer and eat snacks. and said beer and snacks come from brooklyn fare.
good selection of healthy treats and not so healthy ones.
lots of beers.
works for me, but i don't do my regular grocery shopping there. just party groceries!
One of the best meals I've ever had in NYC. And at $70 per person, with a BYOB policy, it is BY FAR the best value for this quality of food anywhere. The menu changes nightly, so there is no point in listing what was served. César's fish courses are incredible! My only criticism, would be that he served too many dishes. I felt compelled to eat every bit of each course, and left feeling stuffed. But, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. GO NOW!
Eh.
Perhaps my expectations were inflated by the constant coverage of Brooklyn Fare's opening on http://Brownstoner.com and the Brooklyn Heights Blog, but I though it'd be much bigger and much, well, more impressive.
Brooklyn Fare is fine. Just fine.
They have a decent selection of fruits and veggies for decent prices ($1.49/cantaloupe, $2.50/pineapple, etc.). They have a pretty good deli counter with meats that are only a dollar or so more expensive than they should be ($9.99/pound for turkey, for instance). They have some ready-made food (chicken meatballs, veggie lasagna, etc.) and deli salads (chicken curry salad, tuna salad, various pasta salads) that looked okay.
I guess my beef with Brooklyn Fare is the selection. I expected rows upon rows of delicious goodness and instead found three or four short ones. Looking for potato chips? Better hope one of the six or seven kinds they carry fit the bill. Looking for basil? Better hope the one packaged brant they carry isn't wilting, as it was during my visit.
If you're in the neighborhood, certainly give Brooklyn Fare a shot. By don't bother trekking a mile down Atlantic Ave like I did. Not worth it.
I have eaten just about everything in the prepared food case at this point and love it. The mini-meatloaf (mostly veal) are delicious. The chicken meatballs and chicken burgers are both delicious and juicy. I've had the chicken burgers in a prepared sandwich (about $6) and on their own with a fork.
The vegetables and sides have some great options. I love the broccoli rabe, the giant canellini bean salad (these things are huge!). The sauteed zucchini is also fantastic. The folks behind the counter are super friendly and always willing to give samples (okay, not of the burgers or meatloaf).
The cheese section is great. The produce is really well presented. The rest of the store has some great sections (grain, beer) but it's often hard to find what you're looking for.
It's hard to say where the store will be in a year. I hope it sticks it out as a gourmet grocery with delicious prices. The giant circular signs in the windows (dish soap $0.99) in the window belie that identity. I really hope they can make it. It's a fantastic place to shop and right on the A/C stop.
They now have soymilk, several veggie "meat" products and some frozen veg entrees. yay!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/26/2009
This is a nice grocery store that is certainly a welcome addition to the neighborhood. it's prices… Read more »
Well today was their opening day. A welcome addition to the Downtown BK area with all the new developments that have popped up in the past few months. It will be the go-to place as more condos open up. As I walked in, the place really reminded me of Garden of Eden on Montague -- a gourmet labyrinthine supermarket. The aroma as you walk in is amazing -- rotisserie chicken! I did a quick perusal and they have a decent cheese selection and a great butcher area. And of course, you could hear some classical music in the background.
But like Garden of Eden, I was kinda annoyed with the prices. I mean, it's more expensive than nearby Trader Joes. -- like $7 something bucks for a large bag of Terra Chips? Really???? So maybe not quite the place for the public defenders working nearby. har har har.
What I was really excited about though was the coffee bar. Nice seating that faces onto Schermerhorn -- and they serve Intelligentsia coffee! I had a double espresso, which was good. Apparently the Intelligentsia coffee though is only for their drip coffee, not their espressos and lattes. Oh well. I also had a nice fluffy croissant that looked just about perfect -- they had a good variety of other baked goods. So, for the crowd who live in Downtown BK on their way to work, definitely a good spot to pop by for a great cup of coffee and a croissant.
And I hear they have a good hot bar -- it wasn't lunchtime when I went but I'll stop by again later. When I stopped by, they were still scrambling to put stuff on shelves. But as of yet, the place has a lot of potential. From some press interviews, it looks like they're gonna offer classes, a restaurant, etc.
Sorry - I really wanted and still want to like this place but it just isn't very good. I've shopped there about ten times now, each time hoping they will be better - but I've now given up. I'm writing this review partly in the hope they will read it and do something about the place.
The reasons:
- Despite their large size, they never ... and I mean never ... seem to have all the things I want for something I'm preparing. Maybe I'm just out of sync with what everyone else wants - but I don't think so. I always have to go to the local deli or elsewhere to pick up the item(s) Brooklyn Fare is missing - the deli will always have the item and they must be about 1/10th of the size. The items I can remember: Basil, Pack of sliced meat (any type), Pesto, Firm Tofu, Carrots. Each time I go in with a different recipe and each time they are missing something. This is the main reason I've given up on them - there is just no point when I have to go somewhere else as well, no matter what I'm cooking.
- They are not good value ... and some items can be oddly expensive. The produce is just not very good. A lot of rooting around to find tomatoes that are OK. Bags of potatoes always have a number that are mouldy. In general, the quality is fine but not good.
- They have a vent that pumps steamy air out onto Hoyt Street - the major route for Boerum Hill to reach the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway stop. Despite promises to do something about it, several months later it remains. While this isn't strictly relevant to them as a grocery store, it destroys any feeling I have for them as a local business vs. the new Trader Joe's or others since they obviously couldn't care less.
Sorry - but after a couple of months trying I will no longer be going there.
Very much a gourmet grocery, without Whole Foods' eco-friendly vibe or Dean & Deluca's prices. An excellent cheese counter with several varieties and prices around 5 bucks a chunk. The meat and fish counters are rather small, but geared toward luxury items (mussels! scallops!) A good beer selection at prices to rival other area markets. Produce was not horribly over-priced. This place seems like a good local bet for furnishing your next fancy dinner party without breaking the bank.
They now have flank steak, for a decent 7.99 a pound. I'm lovin' it.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/23/2009
The reason why I'm a fan of this place so far (it just opened yesterday) is that it's the first nice… Read more »
It will be interesting to see how this venture plays out. They've read the market right--some people will pay more to avoid a car ride to Fairway, or a lackluster FreshDirect order, particularly when Trader Joe's can't cover the culinary waterfront. But I think they may have priced themselves out of the running in certain areas. Still, they're very amiable in management: I asked for the price on a pallette of seltzer and the gent was happy to haggle with me and match Fairway's -- they hadn't gotten around to setting their own yet. If they can keep this easygoing attitude, it's going to be easy to tolerate the Dean and Deluca premium$ here.
