Tried the new spot Beasts & Bottles this week. Its in the former Mezcal/Red Gravy spot on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Just opened. Went for a quick dinner.
Much warmer feels than when it was RG. Interesting wine list though it was hard to find anything that I would call a real value. But there were some nice selections.
There are leather covered banquettes running down the middle and sides. Bar is in the same spot as RG but in the back you can see the new rotisserie. Menu is focused on large format meals. Three different breeds of chickens highlighted.
Started with the bread. The new trend of having to order bread as a separate course seems to be spreading. Really good bread with that whipped lardo and fresh butter made it a worthwhile choice though.
My initial impression of the place is very positive. Food was well seasoned. Fish course was a tad overcooked but tasty.
Nice atmosphere. Good buzz and sound level without seeming over powering. Will be back. Will write a more in depth review after another visit or two. I recommend checking it out if you are in the 'hood.
One thing that had me scratching my head was the ferns growing on the ceiling. Can’t be good to have bits of that stuff falling off from time to time. Green walls now going to green ceilings?
So we’ve been probably half a dozen or so times since my original review and I have to say that the place is just getting better. Their service is polished. The menu has gotten more focused as they have removed some of the less popular options.
Brunch is outstanding and I’m normally a hater of brunch menus. They’ve got some very non-brunch type items.
Don’t know if they bake the bread on site but it comes to your table steaming hot.
Since we live only 2 blocks away, we’ve been there for dinner several times, alone & with friends. The charred Romaine salad is now one of our favorite apps, but the chicken liver or the eggplant spreads aren’t bad either. We haven’t yet had the truffled chicken, but both the hoisin & the Provencial versions are excellent, as are the duck and the burger options (the fries could be crisper though). As a matter of fact, the pasta’s good too. A very nice neighborhood addition.
Two blocks? That’s practically like living above it. LOL. We’re a bit further away.
I had a couple of the chicken dishes but will never try the truffled one. I’m one of those philistines that thinks truffles taste like old dirty wet moldy cardboard. I flee from a dining room whenever I smell fries tossed in that foul truffle oil. Bleech.
The roasted fish for two is great. Highly recommend getting that.
