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652 Union St., Brooklyn NY; 718.636.6311; www.palosanto.us/
It’s been a while since I’ve written a restaurant review, so I want to quickly tout this noteworthy dinner spot. Located in the beautiful neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, Palo Santo is literally steps from the Union St. stop on the R line. The first time I came upon this restaurant I actually thought it was an especially extravagant home. I say this because Palo Santo is the first floor of a brownstone on a completely residential street. Two small wrought iron garden tables sit innocently on the cobblestone front, and an inconspicuous sign hangs above windows to the dimly lit interior.
I’m trying to keep my posts more brief, so let me get straight to the heart of this entry, which is that the food is very, very, good. It’s South American inspired, and the menu changes daily. Ingredients are fresh, local and organic when possible, and chef Jacques Gautier is not afraid of spice and flavor.
I recommend going for the fish, which is always done right, and not as heavy as the meats tend to be (though for people that love big flavor, they’ll be more than pleased). Ask for a wine pairing recommendation and take advantage of the selection; I learned that the chef often visits Argentina and Chile to hand pick the wines that appear on his menu. The servers understand the matches well, and if you are like me, and like to pair seafood with red wine, their advice may keep you from making an unsavory choice.
Similarly, Chef Gautier understands who supplies his food in addition to his wine, and makes regular visits to his meat suppliers and to local farmers markets. One of my favorite memories of Palo Santo is a visit I made there with my mother, and as we were about to step into the restaurant Chef and one of his line cooks intercepted us while carrying a whole goat, which they were going to dress and serve for dinner that night.
I also love eating outside on their front patio (they have one in the back as well) and pretending that I’m enjoying a home cooked meal, outside of my apartment, watching the passerbys who may assume that is precisely the case!
So, here I am in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. I have to admit, my new home is not really my cup of tea. It’s rough, gritty, and not in any of the ways I would romanticize it to be. I hope my dissatisfaction has something to do with returning from beautiful Greece. I look forward to pulling the apartment together, I have a globe. Here’s a corner of example:
Brooklyn Corners
