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.
