umamichatter: Rose Water Restaurant (NYC)

Larry works in publishing, and has lived in Park Slope in Brooklyn for the last few years. Had I known him back when I lived in the Slop (as I call it), I may have not moved out.

Ok no, I still would have. You see, the Slop, at least 7th Ave, is now barfbag yuppie central- lots of stroller rage, desolate by 10pm (except for the bars overcrowded with people who play professional frisbee), lots of brunch spots. You know what I’m talking about. Fucking brunch! Don’t even get me started.

But I will say that the Slop probably has one of the better, more quality restaurant communities in the city. Blue Ribbon, Al Di La, Flatbush Farm, blah blah.

Last week, Larry went to Rose Water on Union Street. Here’s his evaluation. Sorry, no pictures. Yes, Larry’s real name is “Lawrence”- Larry lives below 5th Ave, which makes him Marginal Slop Fringe, and much cooler in my eyes. Love ya, Lar.

Lawrence: i ate at rose water in park slope for restaurant week

me: oh wow i haven’t heard of that

how was it

what kind of food?

11:40 PM Lawrence: new american

the appetizers and the entree were okay.

but i was really wowed by the dessert

11:41 PM me: oh tell me more

what did you order

11:42 PM Lawrence: i just started with a salad.

me: go on

11:43 PM Lawrence: just a sec. i should look up the menu for a refresher.

me: ha

ok

i like your style

11:45 PM Lawrence: ok. i started with the market baby greens and herbs.

11:46 PM boring, right? but i just came from the gym and was feeling like starting off light.

me: ha

it’s ok

i feel you

11:47 PM then whaddya get

Lawrence: then i got the “roast chicken under a brick”

me: wow lar, sounds kinda boring

how was it?

11:48 PM under a brick???

Lawrence: ha!

me: what does that even MEAN?

Lawrence: i think that it gets roasted with a brick on top of it.

11:49 PM me: oh, ok, that sounds kinda neat

what did it taste like though

Lawrence: it was pretty good.

11:50 PM me: was it marinated?

sauce?

Lawrence: it was spiced up. i was like a fancier version of the rotisserie chicken you get at the supermarket.

11:51 PM me: hm yeah

Lawrence: there were turnips and onions involved.

me: typical restaurant chicken

nicely cooked?

i feel like restaurants never get vegetables right

at least roasted ones

Lawrence: it was. the meat was pretty tender and flavorful.

me: good good

11:52 PM ok now dessert

Lawrence: for dessert, i had the caramelized brioche.

11:53 PM it was really tasty.

me: i hope that came with ice cream?

Lawrence: yes, caramel ice cream.

me: ooooh

nice

flaky?

11:54 PM Lawrence: it was nice and flaky on the inside and but was all sugary and gooey on the outside.

me: droool

another thing that places don’t do right

pastries

Lawrence: i normally don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but i really enjoyed it

me: nice you found a good one

11:55 PM Lawrence: i also tried my friends cornmeal apricot cookie sandwiches for dessert

11:56 PM me: dude that sounds AWESOME

how was that?

Lawrence: i think i enjoyed that just as much

11:57 PM fresh apricots squeezed between two homemade cookies

me: OMG

with ice cream?

Lawrence: served with almond milk for dipping.

me: JESUS LORD

11:58 PM that sounds so great

apricots are totally my favorite

Lawrence: you would really love it then

me: apricots, apricot jam, dried apricots

poached apricots, apricot yogurt

11:59 PM but apricots stuffed in a cookie with dipping sauce?

dude i am so there.

ok now

interior? service?

12:00 AM Lawrence: the decor was nice. they’re going for the cottagey look, i think.

12:01 AM me: ah

Lawrence: it’s not a very big space, but i felt very comfortable.

me: the fucking cottagey look!

applewood, gramercy tavern…

Lawrence: i know — so typical park slope

me: for the love of god!

ha

Lawrence: we had very good service as well.

me: total after tip?

12:02 AM Lawrence: well, since it was restaurant week the prix fixe was $23

plus $8 for my share of the wine

12:03 AM plus tip comes to $38

me: for a bite of the apricot cookie

so worth it

Thanks for a great report Larry! Make sure to check out Larry’s website, The Larry Page, where he obsessively orders and reorders his top 100 films and albums of all time. The lists are dizzyingly comprehensive- but the boy has good taste (Prince is a Gold Inductee in The Larry Page Hall of Fame!)

Rose Water Restaurant
787 Union Street
Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
T: 718.783.3800

umamichatter: Waverly Inn (NYC)

*umamichatter is a new column where I chat online with people about their food adventures. Chats may be edited down to make shorter, but will never be added upon or manipulated in a way that makes a more positive or negative review. Please expect stream-of-consciousness bitching, complaining and other random mumblings.

My dear friend Matt wrangled himself into Waverly Inn the other night. WI is a super exclusive celebrity hang out in the West Village, opened last year to a lot of buzz by Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair. This place is no joke: a secret reservation line, Madonna and Kate Moss sightings in one night, camera-toting paparazzi outside, and $85 mac & cheese.

Here’s what Matt thought about the place. This was a work dinner, and the bill for three people was $700, after tip.

12:30 AM matt: yeah, not that coolme: to be expectedmatt: they were playing tom waits when i got in, and i was like, wow, gonna be cool

and then i turned around and there was this girl that looked exactly like kristen davis

12:32 AM and i was like, this is awesome bc charlotte is here

but then i looked again and it wasnt her

and then there were no more famous people

me: ha

charlotte!

12:33 AM matt: it was also pretty empty

the paparazzi outside said mcdreamy was supposed to be there

but i dont even know who he is

me: from grey’s anatomy

12:35 AM matt: yeah, i wouldnt know him if i saw him

it was also pretty emptyi will say, i had a much more enjoyable meal at smoke joint last night

12:39 AM

me: yup

12:41 AM matt: yeah

i would never do that myself it is the experience i guess

12:43 AM me: what did you eat

matt: tuna tartare which all the reviews said was what to get

not that good and braised short ribs

me: nice

how was that

matt: which was fine

but not special

me: right

12:44 AM matt: ive had better

not to be all particular, but the wine guy poured wine all over my menu

me: HAHAHAHA

matt: like fine if a waiter does

me: that’s AWESOME

matt: but this is the wine guy

12:45 AM mainly its bc you look like a retard to everyone else

bc they dont know you didnt do it

me: ha

12:46 AM what did everyone else get

matt: same

but a chicken pot pie
me: omg

how much was that

matt: i think the braised short ribs was the most expensive entree we got

which was 27

me: that’s not so bad

matt: ALSO, the mac and cheese is now 85

12:47 AM me: how did the bill end up being 700

if that’s the most expensive

did you get a bottle of veuve?

matt: no

two bottles of wine

me: ah how was the service?

aside from wine guy

12:47 AM

matt: ha

ok, little disorganized i felt

we had like three waiters

so we asked for the wine list

12:49 AM and then three people came around about every minute to ask if we made a decision
me: oh geez

hm

12:51 AM yikes

The bathroom is pretty uninspired for a place that charges $85 for mac & cheese.
Waverly Inn
16 Bank Street at Waverly Pl.
New York, NY
No Telephone!