#47: Cauliflower… wait, and Brussel Sprouts

Recently on a Friday night, I had a bit of a realization. I think I have officially become a Brooklyn girl. Seems pretty obvious (I’ve been living in the borough for over a year now, and frequented it plenty before then), but I tend to identify with the area I know the most about…and still believed my former residence in the Lower East Side secured me some trusty knowledge of where the good spots are. I realized this is not quite true anymore when a friend and I decided to have ourselves a ladies night on the town, and ended up in a series of lame ass bars. As we wandered the east village and the lower east side, to different spots that used to be my mainstays, we found ourselves wondering… Where all the cool people are hanging out in Manhattan these days?

Well, I still don’t quite know the answer (any thoughts?), but I came across a fair amount of them at the Fat Radish. This place has an elusive combo: a Brooklyn feel, but in the city. It’s Chinatown location puts it slightly off the beaten path, there’s lots of flannel, and the people are all pretty, skinny and eating their faces off. In a menu of duck fat fries, bacon cheese burgers and celery root pot pie with gruyere cheese (all of which I sampled on my 2 visits there), you wouldn’t think the cauliflower would be a standout, let alone the redundant side of brussel sprouts…but if I went back for a third meal, I would get exactly the that. The cauliflower was whole and roasted, with almonds, raisons, and olives. Somehow they managed to infiltrate the inside of the vegetable with a creamy cauliflower puree. The overall effect was unexpectedly rich and delicious. As for the brussel sprouts, you never heard anything so generic: bacon wrapped and maple glazed. But these guys get the ultimate compliment: they were like crack. (bet the fact that I just hyperlinked crack intrigues you). With only 3 allotted to me I tried to eat them as slow as I could as to avoid the inevitable finishing of them. The delicious food pairs well the open space and white brick walls, managing to feel both clean and comfortable.