The Brooklyn Papers / Jori Klein

Come on over: Families can take advantage of the child-size picnic table in the rear garden of the new Flatbush restaurant, Picket Fence.

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With its American classics served by a friendly staff in a farmhouse chic setting, dining at Picket Fence restaurant is akin to walking into an idyllic scene from the film "Pleasantville."

The eatery opened in May in the former location of Rug-B, a Caribbean restaurant, on Cortelyou Road in Flatbush.

A white picket fence encircles the perimeter of the cheerful space with wide-plank, wood floors, yellow walls and green-and-white gingham curtains. Decorative white window frames are hung on the walls as well as art by chef Graham Meyerson’s father, Ron. The wood tables and chairs are well spaced with lots of elbowroom, yet diners can also opt for al fresco dining in the rear garden. There, modern metal chairs and tables shaded by umbrellas have equally generous aisles.

In the garden, diners will observe first-hand the freshness of Meyerson’s tomatoes and herbs - grown on-site. Meyerson said he buys his produce from the Cortelyou Farmers Market, where he can also be seen giving cooking demonstrations. (The market is open on Saturdays, in the PS 139 schoolyard, across the street from the restaurant.)

In the evenings, votive candles and twinkling lights in the trees transform Picket Fence’s white, pebble-strewn garden.

Meyerson’s menu caters to the entire family, with a list of self-described "comfortable food" entrees ranging from turkey meatloaf to leg of lamb to a grilled salmon BLT to a complete children’s menu with free dessert.

So don’t be afraid to bring your (well-behaved) children to Picket Fence. In addition to a children’s menu, it offers those must-have amenities - highchairs, a kid-size picnic table, Magna Doodles, Etch-a-Sketches and a large changing table in the powder room - without seeming to forsake its childless patrons. On a recent Sunday evening, Meyerson’s wife, Chelsi, who manages the restaurant, was spotted feeding her own smiling 11-month-old baby Olivia, while a diverse crowd of young and old couples and gossiping girlfriends filled the surrounding tables.

Picket Fence is a less formal dining experience than Graham and Chelsi’s other restaurant; they cater the upscale Riverdale Yacht Club restaurant in the Bronx. Yet the Meyerson family have become so enchanted with this Brooklyn neighborhood full of Victorians that they recently moved here. (Meyerson’s brother, Ross, is not only a partner in the restaurant, he’s president of the Beverly Square East Neighborhood Association.)

Meals at Picket Fence begin with fresh-popped, buttery popcorn. Although I consider myself a fresh bread junkie, I was surprised to find that my companion and I did not miss it and happily devoured the fluffy popcorn so quickly that our fingertips were soon slipping along the bottom of the bowl. This retro-cool starter was refreshingly unpretentious (although credit must be given to the Ground Round chain for being the first to swap popcorn for bread).

"It’s more interesting than bread," explained Meyerson. "And the kids love it."

Meyerson unleashes his sophisticated side on the artfully constructed appetizers. The warm roasted corn pancake topped with a magnificent pile of cured salmon and a dollop of lemon cream had the ultimate combination of textures. The slightly sweet, crunchy whole kernels of corn in the pancake, the slightly salty, meaty flesh of the melt-in-your-mouth salmon and the luscious cream dotted with chives are the stuff that dreams are made of. Order two, because you won’t want your dining companion to steal a single bite of yours.

The stacked tomato bread salad is a leaning tower of ruby red tomato slices and toasted circles of sourdough bread, sprinkled with shavings of ricotta salata and loads of fresh, aromatic basil. The vibrantly hued tomatoes and basil made for a pretty picture, but the mouth-puckering combination of vinaigrette and pickled onions could have been splashed with more restraint and the scrumptious cheese shavings could have been more liberally strewn about.

Among the main courses, the mountain of grilled skirt steak (seasoned in garlic and herbs) served with roasted shallot puree, green beans, a tower of onion rings and gorgonzola sauce was a hearty classic that should always be on the menu. The creamy sauce was the perfect foil to the tangy shallots, while the crunchy green beans and the thick, deep-fried goodness of the onion rings’ shells added fun texture.

While I could have easily gobbled a larger serving of the crispy-skinned, grilled sea bass perched on a bed of corn, marinated cherry tomatoes and green beans, it had a bit too much mouth-puckering lemon in its broth. The lemon threatened to upstage the plate despite its being filled with such a beautiful medley of fresh, robust vegetables.

Meyerson says that while his menu is "classical," he offers more adventurous fare on his list of daily specials. His short summer menu is perfectly paired with his small, reasonably priced American wine list (which offers one fabulous red and one excellent white by the glass).

Finally, Picket Fence has an irresistible list of housemade desserts! The many temptations include the Hudson Valley apple crisp with vanilla ice cream; the caramelized banana, walnuts and butterscotch sundae; the chocolate bread pudding (for the chocolate lover, with chocolate syrup and whipped cream); and the dense, warm chocolate cake (for the choc-o-holic). Meyerson said he only serves ice cream from the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s.

The Meyerson family’s Picket Fence certainly offers many reasons for one to be proud of American cuisine and the Flatbush neighborhood as well as the opportunity to enjoy it all in a comfortable, country-style setting. Don’t wait to visit with your new neighbors.

Picket Fence is located at 1310 Cortelyou Road between Argyle Road and Rugby Road in Flatbush. Cash only. Entrees: $7.50-$18. Children’s entrees: $5-$7.50 (includes dessert). Open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays. For more information, call (718) 282-6661.

©2004 Community Newspaper Group