This restaurant really has balls!

By Alex Rush

You’ve really got to have guts to try the balls at this restaurant!

A plate of lamb testicles is one of the best dishes served at Caucasus Garden, a Turkish eatery that opened about three years ago on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay. They’re dubbed the more palatable name “lamb fries” ($8.90) on the menu, but make no mistake — these meatballs are nothing like the kind you get at an Italian restaurant. These bite-sized nuggets have a custard-like texture and come swimming in a pool of white wine sauce that balances out their funky flavor.

But lamb fries aren’t the only seemingly nasty bits on Caucasus Garden’s menu. Dining at this Southern Brooklyn spot is an exercise in offal, with a bill of fare featuring boiled beef tongue with horseradish ($5.90) and a stew of lamb liver, heart, kidney and testicles called “chiz-biz” ($14.90).

Even better is the fried calf liver appetizer, which owner Zackay Khanatayev should mass-produce in snack bags. He’d make a bundle — who wouldn’t want to nosh on crunchy, cumin-spiced morsels?

As for offal cuts — Caucasus Garden doesn’t waste those, either, offering the often throw-away scraps straight-up. Case in point, its liver kebab ($4). This rich, skewered protein comes unadorned, getting its only extra flavor from the charcoal grill. But the liver is delicious, and it actually tastes much meatier than we expected. This ain’t chopped liver.

But you don’t have to be a gutsy eater to enjoy Caucasus Garden, as the restaurant has plenty of familiar meat cuts, like chicken kebab ($4) and a terrific soup called kharcho ($4.90). It’s made with braised lamb shank, rice, dill, garlic and a beef-and-tomato-based broth. That’s all, we promise.

Caucasus Garden [2715 Avenue U between 27th and 28th streets in Sheepshead Bay, (718) 769-7003]. Credit cards accepted. Open seven days.


Photo of our daring reporter by Arthur De Gaeta

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Peru is as close as Sunset Park

By Helen Klein

You want fries with that?

That may be the last thing you’d expect when venturing out to a Peruvian restaurant, but the biggest, most delicious surprise of Pio Rio Riki is the way continents seem to collide on your plate.

At the Sunset Park spot, traditional Peruvian dishes are often combined with noodles (and by noodles, we mean spaghetti) and, yes, even French fries.

It’s fitting, though, for a country renowned both for its beef and spuds. And there’s no better representation of that than the lomo saltado ($11.95) — soy sauce-marinated beef — with a side of French fries.

For Andean comfort food at its finest, order the tallarin saltado ($12), where chunks of beef or chicken are combined with sautéed onions and tomatoes, with a side of spaghetti spiked with soy sauce. It’s simple and satisfying.

The rotisserie chicken ($7.35, half chicken) is a standout, with skin that’s crispy, dark and intensely flavored. On a bed of white rice and soupy red beans, it’s also supremely satisfying. What makes the meal is the marinade, which imbues the meat with irresistible tanginess, a savory blend of garlic, cumin and vinegar and, yes, more soy sauce.

No discussion of Peruvian food would be complete without making mention of the dipping sauces that accompany most dishes. Ají verde — which is redolent with cilantro and hot pepper — and a garlicky white sauce are both extremely tasty, and can be spooned over just about anything from rice to the grilled meats, including anticuchos ($6.50) — that’s grilled beef heart — a classic street food served on skewers.

Traditional Latin American dishes are also on the menu, and the maduros fritos ($3) — fried sweet plaintains — are soothing and crispy, providing a pleasant counterpoint to the savory meats.

Leisurely service means that there’s plenty of time to savor everything that’s brought to the table, washed down by glasses of Peruvian beer or sangria — yes, sangria.

Pio Pio Riko [5911 Fourth Ave. between 59th and 60th streets in Sunset Park, (718) 492-4505]. Credit cards accepted. Open seven days.

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Grab a fork — it's Dine in Brooklyn!

By Meredith Deliso

For Brooklyn foodies, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

More than 200 restaurants will participate in Dine in Brooklyn, a 10-day feast of discounted prices at restaurants all across the borough starting on Monday — so start making those reservations now. 

There will be three-course dinner menus for $25, three-course lunches for $20.11, and even some two-for-the-price-of-one deals.

“Foodies, start your engines,” said Borough President Markowitz. “Whether you fancy the French fare in Brooklyn’s Bastille Day hot spot, Carroll Gardens, or you want to savor a little sushi, ‘bib up’ for barbeque, ‘mangia’ some mostacholi, sample ethnic food from everywhere on the planet, find the newest, freshest seasonal, locally-sourced artisanal menus, or you are simply looking for comfort food, American-style — in Brooklyn your table is waiting!”

You can find tables at restaurants in nearly every neighborhood, including such Dine in Brooklyn veterans as the Greenhouse Café and Tanoreen in Bay Ridge and the River Café in Brooklyn Heights. Some of the borough’s newest restaurants are also joining the party, including Park Slope’s Soigne, Strong Place in Carroll Gardens and Loreley Williamsburg.

“It’s always good to have new people come to the restaurant,” said Loreley Williamsburg manager Doug Jacobson. “Dine in Brooklyn’s always a good time.”

Dine is Brooklyn is from March 21 to March 31 at participating restaurants. For info, visit www.visitbrooklyn.org.

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Spring has sprung!

Our annual guide to all the music, nightlife, books and events that will make spring a season to remember is out you — in fact, you can find it here. And it all begins with the beautiful spectacle that is the cherry blossom season at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (pictured).

That's not all — you also won't want to miss our spring restaurant preview, and find out what will be on the menu as some of your Brooklyn favorites.

Photo by Paul Martinka

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At Asia's crossroads

By Helen Klein

The complex flavors and textures of Malaysian cuisine are relatively unknown, even in Brooklyn’s expansive culinary universe.

This is food that is as familiar as it is surprising, evoking memories of Chinese, Thai and Indian specialities even as it strikes out on its own intensely flavorful path.

Fortunately for Brooklynites, a wide array of Malaysian culinary delights can be savored at Sunset Park’s Nyonya, one of only a handful of restaurants in the borough that specialize in the cuisine of this Asian crossroads.

Redolent of curry and coconut, main dishes and appetizers alike evoke a sense of offbeat exoticism — tropical paradise meets urban hotpot, served up in a bright, wood-paneled restaurant with the ambiance of an island outpost.

Overall, dishes at Nyonya, like the flavors they unfurl on the tongue, tease and tantalize, yet ultimately satisfy.

Noodle dishes abound. Mee siam ($6.95), stir-fried rice vermicelli studded with shrimp and chunks of tofu and dusted with chopped peanuts, is sweet and spicy at once, with the smoky flavor of food fresh from the grill providing a third grace note.

If you prefer your noodles bathed in broth, try one of the eatery’s baker’s dozen of soups that range from the familiar to the exotic — including clay pot pearl noodles soup ($6.50) highlighting shrimp, pork and egg if you’re seeking a level of familiarity; ginger duck noodles ($5.95) if you are mildly adventurous; and fish head soup with rice noodles ($6.95) if you are an uninhibited diner.

Among the most-appealing dishes on the menu is roti canai ($2.95), or Indian pancake, a freshly baked flatbread served with a curried dipping sauce that’s the perfect culinary warm-up on a cold winter’s night.

Also yummy was Nyonya kari ayam ($10.95), chicken stewed in a curried base enriched with the subtle tartness of lemongrass, and chicken satay ($6.25), small cubes of meat with a crisp, caramelized exterior threaded onto wooden skewers and served with chunks of cucumber and purple onion.

Some of the dishes were as much a feast for the eyes as for the palate. Sarang burong ($11.95), a melange of meats and vegetables cascaded out of a fried taro bowl, and looked absolutely gorgeous with its kaleidoscopic colors. Nonetheless, there are certainly some dishes at Nyonya that are not for the timid. On the menu, an appetizer of crispy pork intestines ($6.95) comes with a warning for customers to “ask server for advice before you order!!!”

Next time, maybe…

Nyonya [5323 Eighth Ave. at 54th Street in Sunset Park, (718) 633-0808]. Cash only. Open seven days.

Photo: The coconut jumbo prawn at Nyonya. Photo by Noah Devereaux

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For the love of bratwurst

By Meredith Deliso

It’s a bona fide sausage fest.

This week, the Loreley Williamsburg biergarten hosts its first sausage festival, launched pretty much just for the love of bratwurst.

Dinner specials between Jan. 26 and 30 feature 12 different types of sausages — nine from the famed purveyor Schaller & Weber and three from Meat Hook at Brooklyn Kitchen — in all manners of bratwurst, weisswurst and wieners.

Sausage platters will be available in a variety of sizes, ranging from three ($16) to the giant platter of 12 ($38), which is great for groups.

Nothing goes better with the beef than beer, and if you order seven or more sausages, you’ll receive a complimentary round of Koelsch, one of the restaurant’s 12 imported beers on tap. In addition to sausage, each platter comes with mashed potatoes and Loreley’s homemade sauerkraut.

For a side of music with your meat, head to the restaurant on Jan. 29, when Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts provides some foot-stomping tunes. The only thing missing will be the dirndls.

Sausage festival at Loreley Williamsburg [64 Frost St. at Meeker Avenue in Williamsburg, (718) 599-0025], Jan. 26-30. Plates $16-$38. With Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts on Jan. 29 starting at 9 pm. For info, visit www.loreleynyc.com.

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The year of the Ox

By Helen Klein

Fans of Ditmas Park’s Pomme de Terre may have rejoiced when a veteran of that kitchen took over the Newkirk Avenue spot earlier this fall. But don’t expect the same experience at new Ox Cart Tavern.

For one, chef David Pitula’s spot, though still rocking an upscale vibe along a strip dominated by bodegas and Chinese take-out joints, is not as pricey as its French predecessor.

“Ox Cart Tavern is a gastropub with a much more casual vibe,” said Pitula.

And, of course, there’s the matter of food, with the tavern offering up American comfort food, with a twist.

“We serve classics and some things that are not too far off the beaten path,” said Pitula. Think duck confit pot pie, or chili-dusted onion rings spiked with lime.

You don’t get more American than hamburgers, and Pitula’s are thick and sumptuous, with lots of variations, including a vegetarian burger and one made with Ahi tuna that was so popular it was recently promoted from a special to a regular menu item.

On a recent visit, the plain Ox Burger ($11) was certainly good, but the star on the plate was the pile of very crispy French fries, salted just right.

The pan-roasted half-chicken ($16) was also lovely, with a crisp skin and flavorful, not gamey, meat, served on a thick bed of vegetables that added color and texture to the presentation.

Besides such hearty choices, there are also options for those watching their weight in the raw daylight that is the post-holiday season. That includes a grilled chicken breast on ciabatta ($10) and smoked salmon tea sandwiches ($7.50). Both are served with creamy dressings that can easily be eliminated for calorie counter, without losing too much flavor. So feel free to dig in.

Ox Cart Tavern [1301 Newkirk Ave. at Argyle Road in Flatbush, (718) 284-0005]. Open for dining, Monday-Friday, 6 pm-midnight, Saturday-Sunday, noon to midnight for dinner, bar open until 4 am Thursday-Saturday. For info, visit www.oxcarttavern.com.

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Certifiably good! Check out Chipp on Ocean Avenue

By Alex Rush

Talk about tradition.

The pizzaiolo at the recently opened Chipp Neapolitan Pizza on Ocean Avenue is so committed to authenticity, he makes his pies according to the guidelines set by Neapolitan pizza masters.

“Neapolitan pizza is the best in the world,” said Lenny Veltman (pictured at left). “That style is very trendy right now.”

Veltman learned to make traditional Neapolitan pies with Verace Pizza Napoletana, an Italian organization with strict rules for admittance into its culinary la costra nostra that also certifies pizzerias as authentically Neapolitan-style. There are only two such certified pizzerias in the city, and Veltman looks to have Chipp added to that list.

Like traditional Neapolitan pizza, Chipp’s margherita pizza sports fresh mozzarella, sauce made from uncooked San Marzano tomatoes (imported from Italy, of course) and fresh basil. The pies cook for about a minute-and-a-half in an oak-burning oven that reaches up to 1000 degrees.

“I’ve always loved pizza, but I didn’t know about this special kind until about a year ago,” said Veltman, who first found out about Verace Pizza Napoletana-certified pizzerias after eating at one in, of all places, Minnesota.

After his transcendent pizza-eating experience, Veltman, whose past life includes running a Russian restaurant in New Jersey and appearing on season five of “The Apprentice” (he was fired after week seven), was inspired to learn the Neapolitan pizza craft. So he enrolled in Verace Pizza Napoletana’s week-long pizzaiolo rigorous training course in California.

Upon completion, Veltman teamed up with friend and Sheepshead Bay resident Ruslan Goryachkovskiy to open Chipp.

The restaurant’s name is a riff on Cipollini onion, the little golden brown onions that Veltman and Goryachkovskiy use on three of their specialty pies.

You can choose from among 20 varieties of 14-inch diameter pizzas, all priced under $15. 

Many actually deviate from the typical Neapolitan pie with experimental toppings like eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

“They’re all so good, the pizza here is the best in the neighborhood,” said Irina G., a local resident who declined to give her full last name. “I really like the white pie.”

But our favorite is still the basic margherita. The crust could use some salt, but it is nicely charred while still being foldable. The cheese-to-sauce ratio is pretty even, which we love because both ingredients taste super fresh. And the best part is, the pie big enough to feed two people is only $9.50.

You could order a margherita topped with imported buffalo milk mozzarella for $5 more, but unless you’re a seasoned cheese connoisseur, the less expensive pie with regular cow’s milk mozzarella tastes just as good.

Chipp Neapolitan Pizza [2971 Ocean Ave. between Avenue Y and Avenue Z in Sheepshead Bay, (718) 934-4100)]. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11 am–10 pm., Friday-Saturday, 11 am-11 pm.

Photo by Steve Solomonson

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Eating good this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. For those of you who are dreading spending it in the kitchen, check out our guide to restaurants that are serving it up big on Turkey Day, so you don't have to.

If you do plan on cooking for the big day, try this recipe for a salted caramel apple pie from the ladies behind Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Gowanus. It looks delicious enough to eat off the screen!

Photo: Let Fort Greene's iCi do the cooking for you this Thanksgiving. Manager Lauren Berg displays some of the menu's highlights, including turkey, of course, butternut squash soup, and apple pie. Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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Ukrainian knows his French

Chef Roman Nikhman has brought
French food to Sheepshead Bay.
Photo by Stefano Giovannini 

By Alex Rush

Chef Roman Nikhman may be Ukrainian, but he’s bringing French food to Sheepshead Bay.

In a neighborhood whose dining scene mainly consists of pizzerias, Chinese take-out joints and bodegas, Le Bouchon, which opened last year at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Avenue X, is a true culinary coup.

“This restaurant is my true passion,” said Nikhman, who lives in the neighborhood. “The food is authentically French, mostly inspired by Marseille and Paris.” 

Nikhman, 31, moved to the U.S. at 10, but ended up in a series of increasingly unsatisfying corporate jobs. The good news? He quit four years ago to become a professional chef and restaurateur, a training process that included a one-year course in Paris. 

He opened Le Bouchon, which means wine cork, so that his hometown could get a taste of haute cuisine. He said his customers are mostly locals looking to splurge on a special occasion. Their experiences are sure to be memorable, as both the food and the décor are unlike those of any other eateries in the area.

”It’s the attention to detail that makes this restaurant unique,” Nikhman said.

Nikhman has an eye for distinct decorating. The exterior of Le Bouchon resembles an upscale tavern, but the interior is like a 19th-century French fortress. It is kitsch meets class, as the mural featuring French newspaper clippings is a lovely touch, but the small musical performance stage and phonograph seem a bit anachronistic.

The right wall of the main dining room is comprised of several shelves lined with fine wines (“bouchon” does mean cork in French), while the chairs in the banquet room look like something out of medieval times.

But no matter what we think of the décor, the dishes are undeniably elegant. Nikhman said he fell in love with French cuisine because of its sauces, so it’s no wonder that there’s a creamy plum reduction atop a salad of sautéed shrimp and fried goat cheese, or a Parmesan cream sauce on the house-made lobster ravioli.

Alcohol graces some of the most creative sauces, such as a mushroom and Bordeaux sauce for steak and a cognac sauce on Nikhman’s chicken breast.

The cognac — and not just any brandy, but Cognac Grande Champagne — also shows up in the excellent tiramisu. 

Entrees are all over $20, but, hey, this is classy French cooking. But bottles of wine start at $25, which is quite reasonable.

Bon appetite!

Le Bouchon [2812 Ocean Ave. at Avenue X in Sheepshead Bay, (718) 769-2222].

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Ich Bin Ein Bay Ridger - Oktoberfest begins and ends near the Narrows

Christina Quinlan (left) and Melissa Hernandez
have got the goods - Spaten Oktoberfest beer and
a Bratwursteller - at Schnitzel Haus.
Photo by Stefano Giovannini

By  Michelle Minetti

Get out your best dirndl and iron your lederhosen — it’s Oktoberfest! 

Fall festivities tied around good food and drink (think meat and beer) in honor of the September German tradition are going on all month long in Bay Ridge, whose bars and restaurants are specially offering some of the most wunderbar German cuisine and beer that will have any mann or frau saying danke shÖn. But don’t delay — Oktoberfest doesn’t extend into November.

The Schnitzel Haus

Bay Ridge’s sole German restaurant is reveling in this time of month, breaking out its authentic German cuisine, along with some delicious new options tied around Oktoberfest. 

Fill up on more traditional Oktoberfest dishes such as Wiesn-style Bierbraten — beef roast in beer gravy — or Spaten-beer marinated pork roast. Both plates are $18. 

To help you wash down all that meat, Spaten, Paulaner and Hofbrau are on draft for $5. Also try your hand at Das Boot, a three-liter boot-shaped mug filled with Germany’s most popular beverage.

The food and drink alone won’t make you feel like you’re in a little Deutschland.

“It’s a cozy and comfortable place, especially with all the German signs and décor,” said bartender Todd Brzozowski.

The Schnitzel Haus [7319 Fifth Ave. at 74th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 836-5600]. For info, visit www.schnitzelhausny.com.

Hunter’s Steak House

Sauerbraten, schnitzel and wurst — oh my! 

In addition to its steakhouse cuisine, Hunter’s Steak House is offering a price-fixed Oktoberfest menu this month.

“Originally, we were Lorelei’s, a German establishment, so we like to celebrate that part of who we were and we get such a great response,” said waitress Joann Farley. “Everyone really enjoys the menu.”

For an appetizer, there’s a traditional German salad platter of white cabbage, cucumber and beef. You can pick pork schnitzel, sauerbraten or a wurst platter for your main entry. Top it all off with a piece of apple strudel — all for $24.95.

A number of Oktoberfest beers will be available, of course, including Spaten.

Hunter’s Steak House [9404 Fourth Ave. at 94th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 238-8899]. For info, visit www.hunterssteakhouse.net.

Bean Post Pub

If you really just care about the beer, then be sure to drop in to the Bean Post Pub, which is offering a large variety of Oktoberfest beers this season. 

Samuel Adams Oktoberfest and Victory Festbier are on draft for $6. There’s also Hofbrau, Reissdorf Kolsh and Halloween Pumpkin Beer available from $5-$6 bottled.

With all these great choices, how can one decide (besides trying all of them)? 

“I recommend the Reissdorf Kolsh,” said bartender Chris Dirusso. “It has a fine lager taste.”

The bar serves classic pub food in case you do get hungry, and brings in a DJ on the weekends for the dance floor. Just don’t expect any polkas.

Bean Post Pub [7525 Fifth Ave. at 76th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 745-9413]. For info, visit www.beanpostpub.com.

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