e a t e r y R O W

MAISON PREMIERE

298 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211

(347) 335-0446

A recent trip to Williamsburg found myself and a friend wandering into Maison Premiere for what was supposed to be a round of cocktails and which wound up being an entire evening filled with them, skipping dinner. Bedford Avenue is lined wall to wall with bistros, bars, restaurants and boutiques. Maison Premiere sits like an almost abandoned outpost on the block. Of course, it's not abandoned. Not by a long shot.

The rest of the evening was filled with beer from their small but decent beer list and old fashioneds. We learned that while Maison Premiere looks very cool and is very fun, the best thing to do is to skip their cocktail menu and go with the oldies but the goodies. None of the drinks that we tried were amazing and all of them were expensive. So definitely go, but maybe bring your own recipes with you. As for the oysters, I'll have to come back for that menu.

Our night wound up costing, with tax and tip, somewhere around $150.

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99 MILES TO PHILLY

94 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10003

(212) 253-2700

If Philadelphia is known the world over for one food, it's the cheesesteak. Beef, bread, peppers, onions, and Cheez Whiz. Cheez Whiz, some say, isn't even cheese. But it doesn't claim to be. It's "cheez" and it's what a proper Philly cheesesteak has, usually glopped on with a big wooden spoon from a dutch oven filled with the stuff. If you decide to go hoity toity and get cheddar or swiss, knock yourself out, but it's not the same thing.

The other day, I was walking past 99 Miles to Philly on 13th and Third (there's also a location on 45th and Second) on my way from point A to point B and, given how much time I spend in Philadelphia, decided that lunch should be here. Hell, I've been working out, right? A little sandwich can't hurt. Right?

99 Miles to Philly has a relatively small menu. Basically, you order cheesesteak sandwiches. Unlike the guys in Philadelphia though, who've been known to yell at people for trying to customize their wares, 99 Miles makes it the focal point of their experience. Beef, chicken, or veggie patties for the meat, a variety of cheeses, and a whole bunch of options. I chose the Beef Cheesesteak Sandwich with peppers, onions, and, for authenticity, whiz. Now, "beef" in a typical cheesesteak sandwich, is Steak-ums, an ultra-pureed ultra-low-quality meat paste that gets flash frozen and sliced into paper thin sheets for sandwiches such as this. Normally, if someone tried to feed you Steak-ums meat, you'd punch them in the face. But somehow, in a cheesesteak sandwich, you're willing to pay for it. And you'll do so repeatedly. Anyway, my fake cheese, fake meat sandwich wasn't bad. It just wasn't really terribly good either. I'm not really complaining because it was cheap, but I've had better. 

I also tried 99 Miles' Chili Cheese Waffle Fries. The waffle fries were good and dunked in whiz and chili, even better. The same can't be said of the Jalapeno Poppers, which were so mild that they tasted like nothing. And worse, they not only came with whiz for dipping... they were filled with whiz!!! What? Not cream cheese? Philadelphia Cream Cheese? No. not good.

The sandwich was under $10 and the sides were under $5 each. So if you go it won't be a pricey meal. I wouldn't drive 99 miles for a better cheesesteak, but...

BENCHMARK

339A 2nd Street

Brooklyn, NY 11215

(718) 965-7040

After a show in Gowanus, Seth and I decided to grab a quick bite someplace in Park Slope and, given that it was a relatively nice night, albeit a bit on the drizzly side, we opted for Benchmark. Benchmark sits down a long alleyway, much like Freeman's in Nolita does. It has scads of outside seats, and even a large section of quasi outdoor seats under a tent. We sat there. 

The beer list at Benchmark was a good sized one, filled mostly with microbrews that I'd never heard of. So, whilst sipping a brew and lamenting the autographs we didn't get, Seth and I placed our orders. The menu is a decidedly American one with strip steaks, lobster rolls, pot pies, pork cheek, and meatloaf. Seth skipped an appetizer (jerk) but I went for the Pulled Duck Confit, a duck salad with a poached egg and vinaigrette. This should have been amazing, but the vinaigrette was too much. I was fighting through its tanginess to taste my salad. But it could have been amazing. 

I also chose the duck entree, Seared Duck Breast with a sweet mashed potato, mustard greens, under a fig and port reduction. The meat itself was phenomenal and the port reduction was perfect. The problem was that it was so sweet. The sweet potato pushed it over the edge, and by the end of the meal I was making an appointment with my doctor for diabetes medication. Once again, this was a dish that was so close to perfect, but one element of the end product just was too too too much. Seth's meal was the Benchmark Burger: dry aged ground beef with lettuce, tomato, onion, and fries. I took a taste and it was very good. Our waiter made a big deal about how they're one of the only restaurants that dry age their hamburger meat, but the truth is, you can't tell the difference. It was just a really good burger.

An appetizer, two entrees and four beers came to about $80 before tax and tip. 

I don't know if I see myself making the trip from my apartment to Park Slope just for Benchmark ever again, but if I was already in the area and someone suggested it, I'd certainly go back. And I think that if I lived in Park Slope I could definitely imagine returning regularly to relax in the open air with beer and comfort food.