the shrewdness of apes

since we're in the middle of Brooklyn Restaurant Week (priced at $19.55 in homage to the World Champion Dodgers of the same year), now seems like an appropriate time for some food-related items.

in a sign that gentrification is coming to our not-quite-Park-Slope, not-quite-Sunset-Park purgatory, we got our first non-Latino, non-pizza, non-crap-Chinese restaurant in the form of Bar BQ, located on 6th Avenue at 20th Street - too new even for any Google results. as the name implies, they serve up a more-or-less traditional selection of meats (only 4 for now, with the menu promising more choices soon) as well as 4 standard sides: mac 'n' cheese, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans. the meat all came without sauce, but the table was already equipped with several brands of hot sauce and two homemade sauces: a thin, vinegar-based spicy sauce and the chef's special house sauce, which was thicker, more tomato-ey, and sweeter. the wife got the brisket, while i opted for the pulled pork. each came with two sides for about $10-$12 and while she seemed to like hers a bit more than i liked mine, both were of a decent quality. certainly not the best BBQ i've ever had, but they got some of the little touches right, like the plastic lunch trays and the white bread. the homemade sauces were good, the sides didn't embarrass themselves and the prices were reasonable. the only major glitch was our waitress who, while very nice, was a bit inattentive and, well, let's just say that our bill came with a $10 error in our favor, which we had to wait 15 minutes to point out to her. her reaction indicated that the error was not terribly surprising or upsetting to her, which led the wife to say more than once "at least she's pretty". even the bartender didn't ask to pour us another beer when he came to borrow some condiments, though he had to reach over the empty glass to grab what he needed. still, we were happy to say that we had someplace within a 5-minute walk of the apartment that we wouldn't mind returning to. besides the Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins.

then, taking of advantage of the restaurant week pricing (which i promptly ruined by ordering multiple tangerine margaritas), we also made our first foray to Alma, the much ballyhooed Redhook Mexican joint. we were lucky enough to get a seat on the enclosed, heated patio that still afforded a great view of downtown Manhattan, and they even thought to include mirrors for those who have to sit with their back to the cityscape. while munching on the complimentary chips with two salsas, we perused the the 3-course prix fixe menu which was nice and varied. i started with the chicken flautas which came with a delicious avocado-based accompanyment that was way more subtle than most guacamoles, and much better for its simplicity. the wife got the ceviche - also done well though it contained only shrimp with none of the red snapper or scallops the menu had promised. for the main courses we selected the tuna steak (medium-rare) and the chicken enchiladas respectively. the tuna was well cooked and came flanked by a spicy, gingery sauce that almost had me asking for a spoon. her enchiladas were enough for two meals and contained a cheese that i can only describe as the most sublime cheddar cheese ever (though it was most certainly something else). dessert was no let down either. count me among those who really enjoy Steve's key lime pie. the ancho chocolate cake was less a cake than a torte and could have used a bit more spiciness for our taste, but was still enjoyable. since the regular menu looked good and of a reasonable price structure, we'll probably try to head back when we can enjoy the patio in all of its fresh-aired glory.

the coming week promises a few more gustatory ups and downs: on the plus side, we'll head to Thomas Beisl where i may be persuaded to try the braised beef cheeks. in the negative column, the wife will be attending Monday's party to celebrate the soon-to-open Bar Americain - better known as Bobby Flay's newest entry into in the New York dining scene - without me. apparently her VP of sales takes precedence over her husband when it comes to lavish work-related functions with impossible-to-crack guest lists.