The name
of this restaurant sounds more like a grocery store then a place to retreat
from the hot summers heat. This restaurant has a small yet simple sounding menu
but do not be fooled, their fare is among the best I have ever had. I say that
with the weight behind me of all previous such claims I have made. Naturally to
prove my point this time I will share all of the details of my afternoon there.
Walter
Food’s appeared for the first time on my to do list this year (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2016/04/for-year-6-20162017-to-do-list_19.html)
and I can already check it off. I am not sure I can say I have ever done so, so
fast before. It was quite satisfying, so was the meal.
On a
Friday afternoon where the sun was out shining bright, too bright for my
likening, Walter Food’s provided much refuge for me. At first I was just happy
to be indoors. Then I was pleased to see only one other table was occupied so
there was no wait. Sure the restaurant had just opened but still you never
know what may lie ahead. I was too hot, hungry, and thirsty to have to wait on
a line. Luckily I was able to pick the booth of my choice and settle in.
First
order up was my pomegranate lemonade, a drink from their menu. In order to
appreciate the deliciousness of this beverage you will had to have tried some
summer lemonade flavors at Chill’s or Applebee’s, or some place like it. Those
are often so full of acid and fake sweet flavors I get sick from them. I know I
should just stick to water but that becomes boring.
But at
Walter’s you are save. You can try new things without fear that you make a poor
choice. In fact there are no poor choices you can make!! Everything is sublime.
The pomegranate lemonade had just the right amount of sweet, no acid, but a
rather light taste. I almost expected it to have bubbles like seltzer but it
didn’t. It was truly an original drink.
Deciding
what to have for lunch was easy; I got the steak salad and the French dip
sandwich. I had such a strong craving for this sandwich as well as a desire to
be in Paris but the later will have to wait.
These
types of foods are always a crapshoot for me. I am a picker eater and I need my
steak to be cooked and cut just the way I like it. I never like ordering in a
new place because I don’t know how it is prepared. I hate having a craving,
ordering my meal, and leaving hungry and disappointed.
However
this was not remotely the case. The filet mignon on both dishes was cooked to
perfection, medium well. I was leery I was going to see some red on the meat but
there was none. It was cut into pieces of plenty, dabbed with some horseradish
sauce, served on a baguette with homemade au jus and petite frites on the side.
The salad had creamy bits of blue cheese and cherry tomatoes on a bed of spinach.
Both were satisfying on every level.
The
French dip however deserves further praise. If I had closed my eyes I would
have sworn I would have opened them to see the Louvre. It is literally the best
steak (sandwich) I have had since I was in Paris!! It nailed all of the
qualities that make French food beloved all over the world. It was made of
simple yet superior ingredients, assembled to be easy on the eyes and stomach.
I was so
pleased I knew I would not leave a crumb on my plate. I was true to my word;
there wasn’t a single frite nor crumb from my baguette on that plate.
Unfortunately I had to leave some lettuce from the salad on its plate but there
wasn’t a scrap of meat or cheese, just a couple of pieces of tomato.
This
experience was complete. Complete in every way. It is the kind of meal you go
back to have again and again neglecting the other, and probably amazing, menu
items.
Infamous
guide to restaurants everywhere, Zagat had this to say about Walter Food’s:
Embodying Brooklyn's "Socratic ideal of a
neighborhood place", these "pub-ish" spots supply “solid”,
spiffed-up American comfort fare and "killer" cocktails;
"reasonable" prices and "comfortable" interiors seal the
deal – they "care about the details and it shows."
After
this description, Zagat goes on to recommend a few restaurants that are of the
same caliber. One, Roberta’s, I have previously patronized (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2014/12/for-pizza-done-robertas-way.html).
From that
list I have now a new restaurant to add to my current to do list, Rubirosa
Ristorante. Zagat suggests it has the same charms and quality of Walter Food’s.
A thirty-second review of their menu convinced I should plan to be
there as soon as I can. I will leave you with a teaser- what do the following
have in common? A pizza hour, pizza mobile, an old family recipe, and a little
Italy location. The answer is they are all characteristics found at Rubirosa
Ristorante.
I bet
that got your attention.
It sure
got mine.
But so
did Walter Food’s.
For More
Information:
For More
French Food Experiences:
http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2015/08/for-french-onion-soup-dumplings-stanton.html
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