A bitter cold night greeted us as my date and I stepped out of the subway and made our way to Take Root, a tiny Brooklyn restaurant somewhere between Caroll Gardens and Red Hook. We eagerly entered the warm, homey interior and quickly found our seats.
Chef Elise Kornack and her life and business partner, Anna Hieronimus, make up the entire Take Root team. Anna welcomed us, making sure we had everything we needed, while Chef Elise plated food in the tiny open kitchen in the back. We felt more like we were at a friend’s house for dinner; that is, until the food arrived.
We were about 10 minutes late for our 8 pm seating, which meant the three other tables in the dimly-lit dining room already had pillowy slices of bread in front of them and heavenly caramelized brown butter. It also meant we would get a sneak preview of each of the seven courses on the pre-fixe menu that Anna delivered.
Each dish got a well-deserved eyebrow raise and an appreciative nod from my date and me. The colorful drizzles, perfectly placed micro greens and poised crackers wowed us, almost as much as the bold flavors and textures on each artistically plated offering. Dishes like a Jerusalem artichoke, chestnut, eucalyptus and mushroom ravioli had us from the first creamy bite of “hello.” And the beef heart with black garlic, lentil and brassica proved that a creative cut, in all its earthiness, can still enchant — even if we didn’t know what brassica was!
We were serenaded by the likes of Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and more subdued Sapphic favorites like Beach House and Cat Power. Swayed by the music, dim lights, wine pairings and dessert, we wondered if we could just stay there all night instead of braving the cold again. Luckily, cabs were in good supply and as we headed home, we savored the gift of love and attention that only a good meal, so beautifully attended to, can bring.
Check out other great blog posts by my friends at Put a Egg On It zine: http://www.putaeggonit.com/word/
Enjoy xo 