Char No. 4
Char No. 4's lengthy drink menu includes a huge selection of bourbon, whiskey, rye, and Scotch, as well as wine and cocktails — but the first thing you notice when you visit this Smith Street newcomer is that it smells like bacon. "That smoky smell is likely wafting from the back of the bar, where house-smoked ham and other Southern staples are served at leather booths. And despite the bacon’s olfactory dominance, the food is meant as an afterthought," writes Jessica Grose for the New York Times.
Still, Char No. 4's food menu, which Restaurant Girl describes as "Southern comfort food with a sophisticated, urban spin" is getting some pretty solid reviews. Andrea Strong raves about the lamb pastrami, "which chef Matt Greco (a sweet Texan native who worked under Andrew Carmellini at A Voce) cures in-house and slices into feather light sheets and serves piled on warm, buttery rye caraway toast swiped with coriander aioli and garnished with pickled onions and mustard seeds ($12)." Strong has also declared Char "best brunch newcomer for 2008."
And Chowhound lambretta76 says that Char's version of the BLT, "house-smoked pork belly coated in bread crumbs and deep fried ($10) - served with pickled onions with sesame and pickled peppers" is "incredibly tasty." A Brooklyn Life's Erin Behan adds, "We finished things off with a dish of butter pecan ice cream that had been liberally doused in whiskey. I lapped up the last remaining whiskey-ice-cream-soup, unabashedly, with my spoon." Any thoughts on this place?
Reviews (7)
cwbuecheler wrote a review on October 31, 2008 12:03 PM
I haven't been here yet, but as a lover of whiskey-based cocktails (particularly bourbon and rye), it's way up on my list of places to hit. All the reviews I've seen have been very positive.
Eat It Brooklyn wrote a review on October 31, 2008 12:05 PM
I have a great photo of that amazing butter pecan ice cream doused in whiskey here: http://eatbrooklynfood.blogspot.com/2008/09/char-no4.html
Loved my dinner, can't wait to get back for brunch and bacon!
JIDYT wrote a review on October 31, 2008 12:43 PM
went here for brunch one day, and dinner the next. pretty wonderful.
highlight was definitely the Biscuits Benedict for brunch.
smoked ham, topped with 2 giant biscuits, 2 poached eggs and bacon gravy with HUGE chunks of bacon throughout. Pretty much incapacitated me for the remainder of the day, but still well worth it.
whiskeys are pretty cheap if you want to taste a few and see what you like.
BK realestate veteran wrote a review on October 31, 2008 3:51 PM
Superb food, knowledgable and friendly service, lovely room. Not cheap, but special. Great place to get hammered and try to appear sober.
A Guest wrote a review on October 31, 2008 4:15 PM
Great whiskey selection, but very overpriced. I believe my Elijah Craig 18 yr was 15 bucks for a measured 2 oz pour. 9 - 12 is the going rate in other bars around brooklyn and even Manhattan (White Star on the LES has a comparable whiskey selection for a good value)
stray bongo wrote a review on December 31, 2008 9:33 AM
Was so excited to finally try Char last night. The food, especially the apps, was very good. The lamb pastrami is definitely worth a try. Great whiskey selection and I love that they do a 1 oz tasting of all the brands. The main courses (both sausages) were good but not earth shattering. My only complaint was the service. It waqs very friendly, but they had one server for the entire dining room and every step was about 10 minutes longer than it should have been. Will definitely be back in hopes that they figure out the staffing levels. Regardless, always glad to have a new options with good food in the hood.
BH76 wrote a review on October 2, 2009 12:53 PM
Finally went here for dinner. The food was good but certainly not up to the accolades. Bacon app was good but cold! Shrimp and grits was okay but remarkably bland. Salad was soggy underneath. Gnocci seemed to have been baked or fried (dry and not particuallry warm either)? And they served no bread at all with the meal? When asked, they brought a piece of toasted bread, no butter. Very odd.
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