BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP APRIL 13 - APRIL 19, 2018 31
DINING OUT
Taste of Fifth
BY HELEN KLEIN
HKLEIN@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
It’s one of those times you barely
notice the over-the-top decor of
the elaborate and ornate Grand
Prospect Hall.
Why would you, given the temptation
surrounding you at every turn,
during the annual Taste of Fifth, a
pig-out on a grand scale orchestrated
by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue
Business Improvement District that
not only showcases the strip’s many
and varied culinary options but also
serves as a fundraiser for a myriad of
local groups from PTAs to CHiPs food
pantry to the Old Stone House?
The April 10 event had dozens of
food and beverage purveyors on hand,
and one was more appealing than the
next.
That said, the eyes were clearly bigger
than the stomach for this writer, at
least — for everything I sampled, there
was so much more I would love to have
tried, if I could have.
I started with pre-sert — a few dense
and addictive cookies from Buttermilk
Bakeshop which lured me as I entered
the ballroom, and particularly enjoyed
the salted chocolate chip.
Then, it was on to guacamole from
Chela/Varrio 408 — a creamy and cilantro
spiked green dream — before
the sweet and savory delights of Negril
BK’s jerk chicken, smoky and spicy,
wafted me to Jamaica, momentarily
at least.
Benchmark, which specializes in
modern American cuisine, served up
gorgeously sautéed shrimp on a bed of
cheddar-inflected polenta garnished
with a rich and luscious tomato sauce,
and Prospect Bar & Grill followed up
with more shrimp, this time perched
provocatively atop a slice of avocado
toast alongside a golden-tinged mound
of four-cheese mac and cheese, one of
the eatery’s specialties, and for good
reason.
The V-Spot specializes in vegan
cuisine; for this iteration of A Taste of
Fifth they offered up two varieties of
empanada. I enjoyed the Philly style,
stuffed with mushrooms, onions,
peppers, vegan cheese and seitan and
doused with a spicy mayonnaise before
moving on to more sinful options,
including the mandorla (almond)
gelato from Terre BK/albero dei Gelati,
which was incredibly dense and
creamy.
While I was getting full, I couldn’t
resist Los Nopales’ flavorful grilled
corn on the cob, Mexican-style, slathered
with lime and cilantro-spiked
mayo and sprinkled with cotija cheese.
It’s the way corn is served on street
corners around Mexico, and brought
me back with a sense of delight to my
own recent visit there.
Tambour’s root vegetable tagine
easily evoked the sultry spices of Morocco.
The restaurant, a recent entry
along the strip that creates French
fusion cuisine, also served up two
quiche variants, the fillings encased
in crispy puff pastry.
What did I enjoy most? That was
pretty much determined by whatever
I was chowing down on at any given
moment, and I certainly wish I could
have sampled more — from Calexico,
Maya Taqueria, Palo Santo, Bogota Latin
Bistro and Empanada Loca, among
others whose spreads tempted even as
reality set in.
The good news, of course, is that
there’s always next year.
BROOKLYN
ARTS
CENTER for the PERFORMING
AT BROOKLYN COLLEGE
Sat, Apr 28 at 3pm & 8pm
Tickets: $35
KUMBLE THEATER AT LIU-BROOKLYN
(Flatbush Ave between DeKalb and Willoughby)
QRor to DeKalb Avenue One University Plaza, Brooklyn,
BrooklynCenter.org or 718-951-4500
2018
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Helen
Klein
Buttermilk Bakery offered up
a selection of sweet treats.
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