Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Rebar
147 Front St, DUMBO
“ReBar, perhaps subconsciously, has sought to compensate for its unfortunate location—the second floor of what amounts to DUMBO’s hipster mall—by providing a marvelous selection of imported and domestic microbrews on tap, along with a connoisseur’s selection of bottles (beer and liquor both). They also offer a reasonably priced tapas-inflected menu, which, though predictable, nonetheless does the trick for tipsy patrons seeking to balance out their stein of Radeberger or pint of Smuttynose Old Brown Dog.” [The L Magazine]

Monte’s Venetian Room
451 Carroll St., nr. Nevins St., Gowanus, 718-624-8984
“The menu is spiked with many of your favorite Italian-American classics, but we were there to drink, and they have a beautiful little bar with a few comfortable stools. The liquor cabinet is meager at best, and definitely don’t go there for the crowds, but they do have Campari, and so we were able to have an excellent Negroni all in the surprisingly comfortable room. No happy hour specials, but $10 for two mixed drinks sounds about right, especially when sipping in such relative luxury a block away from the Gowanus Canal.” [Gothamist]

After the jump: The Times goes bargain-hunting at Restaurant Sorrel in Prospect Heights, and one of our favorite food bloggers shares a recipe that’ll impress the guests at your next Brooklyn backyard barbecue…

Restaurant Sorrel
605 Carlton Avenue (St. Mark’s Avenue), Prospect Heights, (718) 622-1190.
“For the main event, cod was perfectly sautéed and served with artful swooshes of black olive purée. Lamb leg, deeply flavored with bay leaf and garlic, got even more personality from a sauce of reduced cabernet. The bargain was in our favor until the leathery pork chop drowned in bitter paprika sauce. Things improved at dessert, with a blinchiki—a Russian-style crepe topped with fruit and filled with farmer’s cheese and the thick cream called smetana.” [NY Times]

“I attended a lovely Brooklyn garden barbecue this Sunday afternoon, hopefully the first of many. My contribution: a refreshing fennel salad with grapefruit… It’s a sturdy summer side that preps in 10 minutes, won’t wilt too much in the heat, can be dressed before you leave the house, and travels well in a covered mixing bowl. This is a classic example of good ingredients with little adornment. The grassy green of the pistachios picks up the pale dacquiri ice green of the fennel. With the peachy pink grapefruit segments, it’s pretty in pastel.” [Eat Drink One Woman]