Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Hope and Anchor
347 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook
“Just about any of the dimly-lit diner’s hearty comfort dishes are gorge-worthy, but I go for the meatloaf. Two strips of flavorful and surprisingly light-tasting loaf come topped with what I think is carrot puree although it could just as easily be some kind of squash puree, doesn’t really matter. The meat sits atop a hearty mound of buttery mashed potatoes, all of which is slathered in a liquidy brown gravy.” [Clean Plate Club]

After the jump: The L Magazine raves about a Japanese gastro-pub in Williamsburg, the Porkchop Express eats lotsa kielbasa, and Marty Markowitz announces the dates of Brooklyn Restaurant Week…

Zenkichi
77 N 6th Street, Williamsburg; 718-388-8985
“Our first plate, Monkfish with Foie Gras in Ponzu ($7), was rolled tightly and sliced into disks. This was an eye-opener, as the delicate flavors of fish and foie melded in the exuberant ponzu. Up next was Eel and Cream Cheese Tempura ($8) — what I would imagine great Japanese food to be: sweet and crunchy with the sparkle of the sea. Our third dish, humble Aged Ashi Tofu ($9), was the best tofu I’ve ever eaten. Homemade daily, it had the luscious texture of crème brulee, nutty undertones of sesame, lightly fried, served in a sprightly dashi stock.” [The L Magazine]

Polam International Meat Market
952 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint; 718-349-7386
“After fretting and sampling, we went with a trio of kielbasa: weselna, kabanosy, and what I think was krajana. The weselna (double-smoked) was plump and peppery, if a bit on the firm side. The slim kabanosy was “fresh” style: nice and garlicky, although we prefer this link air-dried (the flavors are far more pungent and concentrated). The star of this trio? Hands down their terrific krajana. (Again, I should add that I think it was krajana. Or maybe wiejska. Just look for the plump, stout oval links hanging on the back wall.) This is the pride of Polam, touted by one butcher as their best, and it didn’t disappoint: just juicy enough, spiked with pepper, slightly sweet and smoky… and one of the tastier sausages we’ve tried in Greenpoint.” [Porkchop Express]

Dine In Brooklyn
According to Marty Markowitz’s latest press release, the fourth annual Dine In Brooklyn restaurant week, “featuring nearly 200 diverse and world-class restaurants,” is scheduled for March 19-30. We can’t find a list of the participating restaurants, but if you’ve got the scoop, please drop us a tip in the comments.