If you know me, you'll also know that I don't really like Restaurant Week. Although I was excited to taste some of the 'best' restaurants' food at an affordable price, I quickly learned that Restaurant Week menus at touted, and otherwise expensive restaurants don't live up to the clout the press builds up around them (not always but often enough). It seems that this event, which was initially created to celebrate food and the social culture surrounding it, is also an excuse to serve up the bad pieces and leftovers of the week. So now, whenever Restaurant Week rolls around, I steer clear.
Chestnut doesn't wait around for Restaurant Week to celebrate food and the loyalty of their customers. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, it offers a prix-fixe menu. And there's no catch. You can choose from any appetizer, any entrée, and any dessert* for a whopping 30 dollars! It is worth every pretty penny if you'll ask me. All the produce, meat, and fish are locally sourced (farm-to-table actually) and everything is prepared with love. How do I know? Well, my neighbor creates the delectable desserts there, and when I have dinner on the back patio, I walk straight through the kitchen! You know a restaurant can only offer great food if they let you walk through the kitchen!
My favorites on the menu include the beet (yellow and red) salad with marcona almonds, the grilled calamari stuffed with quinoa, and the pansoti pasta (giant spinach, ricotta ravioli - my favorite!) with wild greens and mascarpone foam. The menu changes seasonally but these items are around year-round.
*there is sometimes a 5 dollar supplement for 1 to 2 items on the menu.
Chestnut
271 Smith Street (between Sackett and Degraw)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
