The Grocery (Brooklyn)

I just ate at this American restaurant. It was so good that, despite its relative expense, I wanted to share the experience. To me, it's truly Roadfood.

The Grocery is on Smith Street, a trendy area in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. It's operated by chef owners, and by my count seats either 29 or 30 people at most -- and, believe me, when there are 29 or 30 people there, the quarters are very tight.

I'll get to the end of the story first: the bill, including tax and tip, was $185 for two people. This included a $43 bottle of wine. In New York, for the kind of meal it was, this was a true bargain. We frequently eat at neighborhood restaurants where the price is comparable, minus the wine.

My wife had a lobster appetizer and monkfish main course. I had a foie gras appetizer and duck risotto main course. We shared a chocolate fig cake and apple cobbler for dessert. Between courses, they served my wife a small serving of radish and olive oil soup; they served me a potato and parsnip soup.

Every item I mentioned above was incredibly flesh and delicious. The menu is rather limited: no chicken and no beef. And I'm not a fish or seafood eater. Yet, I loved everything I had.

The uniqueness of the food is what primarily drives my recommendation. But, here are a few other facts that, to me, make this Roadfood:

* Upon discovering that they were out of the wine we ordered, one of the chefs sent a staffer to his apartment, because he knew he had an extra bottle in his kitchen.

* The place is so small, they tell people waiting for their table to simply go to the bar two doors down. The waitresses are constantly running outside to retrieve people from the bar. By the way, the bar -- called Quench -- was very cool.

* The service was highly professional and very friendly and down to earth.

* I stood outside after the meal, while my wife went to the restroom. Our waitress noticed me standing outside, and came out to make sure we had a ride home.

Many of you likely live in a city that has Zagat guides. The Grocery was tied for the top food rating in New York last year. It slipped a bit in the rankings this year, but that's probably because they're learning to deal with sudden success. But, it's still one of the more enjoyable meals I've had in New York -- and one of the more enjoyable meals I've had anywhere.

The address is 288 Smith Street, between Union and Sackett streets.