Issue: How to get inside my brain and create my perfect restaurant.
Rule: First you must mess with the time-space continuum and quite literally go into my head. Then you must create a restaurant in Boerum Hill. It must be on a quiet corner with exposed brick and a wonderful window seat. This restaurant must also be open in the morning for iced coffee and be placed directly in my path on my walk to work. It is also of extreme importance that the menu focus on seasonal vegetables and all of those buzz words that I fall for every damn time- local, artisinal, delicious.
Application: Rucola is on the corner of Dean Street and Bond in Boerum Hill. It opens up early in the morning to fulfill my coffee needs but also to stoke my jealousy of the beautiful Boerum Hill families that apparently don't need to work, but do get to enjoy the pleasure of a long breakfast watching the sun rise above the brownstones. Mornings are a great time to take in the simple beauty of restaurant with potted herbs out front and sunlight streaming through the windows. The cold brewed Stumptown coffee somehow manages to be much better than my home made cold brewed Stumptown coffee. Weird.
Dinner at Rucola is also a great experience. I have been remiss in waiting so long to write about a delicious dinner I had with 4 wonderful ladies over a month ago. We got the best table in the room with windows on two sides of us. The wine list had many affordable bottles and we settled on a delicious crisp white (my usual) for less than $30. We started with an amazing bread and cheese course. The fresh bread was certainly one of the highlights. A soft cheese and rhubarb chutney went well with the salty, soft bread. A side of asparagus (now regrettably gone from the local markets) was served with egg and a whole artichoke was a big hit for appetizers. The main course was house made strezapretti with green garlic pesto and zucchini. The pesto was delicious and not too sharp and the strands of zucchini were the perfect vegetable accompaniment. Another diner had a lamb ragu with an awesome, clean tomato taste. The menu changes frequently and seems influenced by the seasons and what looks good.
Conclusion: Overall, my new favorite place. The staff is friendly (even before 9 am!) and knowledgeable. There are some familiar faces including a former bartender from Prime Meats who made me a mean Champagne cocktail once upon a time, guests who eat out in Brooklyn often should recognize many people here.
The room itself is simple and pretty and the meals are also quite simple and pretty. A whole day at Rucola would mean coming for the coffee, staying for the cheese and bread, finishing with a cocktail and a smile on your face.
