Franny's

Issue: Can I eat right around the corner with food from local sources for a reasonable price?

Friday was the day to celebrate Valentines Day in my house. A silly and rather pointless holiday, but I must admit that I love the sweets that come with it. On my way home from Brooklyn Fare I grabbed a red velvet cupcake at Betty. However I will save that for another post, as now I am only staring at it and waiting until after dinner to savor it.

Dinner meant Franny's for a date night treat. Ryan had never been there and I had been bugging him for a while to take me there. It is so close to us and was so warm and inviting on a cold night. Franny's does not take reservations, but luckily there were two stools available at the window ledge where we could wait, get a drink and look out on Flatbush Avenue. I had a glass of Coopérative de l’Enfer Enfer d’Arvier. I'll admit- I have no idea what that is. But it was delicious, light and clean and not too sweet. We had time for Ryan to finish a cocktail before we were sat in the worst seats in the house. Franny's has a long line of two-tops at the right hand side of the delightful room and we were seated at the last table closest to the bar and the door. Because it was such a tight room it meant that my chair was not placed across from my companion, but right next to him so as not to be bumped into by the traffic. This seating arrangement meant that I looked down the loooong row of tables and could see what everyone was eating and drinking. This made it especially uncomfortable for the table right next to us as I tried to ignore their conversations and delicious looking desserts. Oh well, the food more then made up for it.

Rule: Brooklyn is home to many, many restaurants claiming to use local ingredients and organic everything else.

Franny's menu details where the beef is from, where the ricotta is made, where the coffee is grown and I like that. This level of detail is reflected across the street at Brooklyn Larder, pretty much my favorite place (more on that to come as well). Reading about where my food is coming from serves to make me more hungry. Job well done Franny's.

Application: How it all went down.

After hearing recently that a friend with a big appetite ate 2 pizzas and 2 pastas almost all by herself I lobbied for two appetizers for Ryan and I. Wise decision, me. We split the cauliflower zeppole and the crostini with pancetta and beans. They were terrific. The cauliflower was carefully spiced crisped to perfection. It was a decadent vegetable. Incredible.

For my main course I ordered the white pizza with buffalo mozz, Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta, garlic, oregano and hot peppers. The crust was slightly charred on one side but solidly cooked the entire way through. The peppers provided a decent kick but nothing too distracting. Over all- wonderful. After the terribly tomato blight of the summer, I have been hesitant to eat tomatoes that I know would not be approaching their full potential. Yet, the tomato pizzas did look delicious from my view at the head of my table. I could probably have finished the entire pie myself had Ryan not assisted me. With a few bites of Ryan's baked paccheri with pork ragu in addition to my pizza I reached a perfect state of fullness. I could walk out on my own two feet and not feel like I should have to roll down the street, even mosey on down to Flatbush Farm for an after dinner drink. Satisfaction is perhaps the right word for it. Deliciously satisfied.

Conclusion: With a bill slightly over $100 (thanks, Ryan!) that included at least two drinks each as well as two appetizers it was not too pricey. However, I couldn't help thinking $17 is a bit much for a pizza that could quite easily serve only one person. Yet, I never feel that bad when I know the kitchen grease is being converted into biodiesel fuel. Overall, yes, I can eat right around the corner at a restaurant sourced by local farms and not spend every cent in my purse. A delightful dining experience.