I opened the menu at Mike’s Kosher Steakhouse
and wanted to cry.
There was the matzo ball soup that I love; there was stuffed
cabbage that brought to mind my mother’s light rolls with their
delicate sweet and sour sauce; and something I haven’t tasted
since my cousin Neal’s wedding in 1975: stuffed derma.
Oh, God. Stuffed derma.
When it’s good, it’s like Jewish crack.
But this is a steakhouse, right? Well, yes and no. The word "steakhouse"
is misleading. It’s obvious from what I’ve described that Mike’s
menu deviates from the usual porterhouse and sides found in similarly
named eateries.
Mike Domgjoni, the restaurant’s chef and owner, is familiar to
Brooklyn Heights residents. He’s the former owner of the Pastrami
Box, a kosher restaurant that was a favorite lunch spot for courthouse
regulars who worked in Downtown Brooklyn before he closed it
in May 2006. His new place offers steak and other plates, like
that derma, chopped liver and overstuffed corned beef sandwiches
that his kosher and non-kosher customers crave.
Even desserts are typical Jewish holiday table fare: seven-layer
and checkerboard cakes and brownies. The only thing missing was
a baked apple.
When the restaurant opened in September, it was billed as "kosher
style," with typical Eastern European dishes. At that time,
a rabbi did not oversee the kitchen, so customers who kept kosher
couldn’t dine there. Since early October, Rabbi Israel Mayer
Steinberg has been making unannounced monthly visits to see that
the kitchen is adhering to strict kosher guidelines and that
there are no milk or dairy products on the premises. In late
September, Mike’s received its Kashrut certification.
The furnishings at Mike’s differ from the usual clubby, wood-paneled
dining rooms typical of steakhouse decor. There’s a softly lit
wood bar on one side of the room, where two televisions air sports.
Separate from the bar is a dining area with dark wood tables,
brick walls and large windows that afford a view of busy Clark
Street. The tables are set informally with bamboo placemats,
and pencil drawings of celebrities hang on the walls. (One, of
a cross-eyed Barbra Streisand, distracted me through much of
my meal.) Instead of innocuous Muzak, customers are treated to
a cross-cultural, age-spanning serenade: "Going to the Chapel"
followed by "Gasolina," and so on.
We ordered several appetizers, and when they arrived, our table
looked like a buffet in a Catskill’s resort: potato pancakes
with applesauce, stuffed cabbage and yes, stuffed derma. (It’s
a sausage of sorts, also known as "kishka" or guts.
Beef casings are filled with matzo meal, "schmaltz"
chicken fat, onions and seasonings, and steamed then roasted.)
Is the assortment of dishes Jewish nirvana? Almost. The potato
pancake was tasty and crisp but lacked strands of the vegetable
that make for a pleasing texture.
The stuffed cabbage was more Italian than Eastern European; it
was pleasant in its own right with lots of garlic and rich, chunky
tomato sauce, but I missed the tang of my mother’s version.
And the derma. The derma was good. Not
as triumphant as the one I recall from Neal’s wedding, but that
memory is clouded in nostalgia anyway. Domgjoni’s is a hefty
round of meaty goodness, doused with a deeply flavored brown
sauce.
The sandwiches are nothing more than fresh meat piled high between
rye bread, which is as it should be in this sort of restaurant.
Order the brisket and the waitress will inquire, "lean or
juicy," the latter meaning fattier. Go for juicy, which
is barely fatty at all. Pour on the well-seasoned beef gravy,
but leave enough to dip one of the crisp onion rings.
Carnivores won’t be disappointed with the oyster steak. It’s
a shoulder cut similar to a filet mignon with a soft texture
and tenderness, but has a richer flavor. The meat arrived with
a thick, crusty, grilled exterior, rare and juicy inside.
When it comes to side dishes, Domgjoni’s style is on the spare
side. Of course, in a kosher eatery, you’re not going to get
the usual creamed spinach. Here, the fresh, chopped vegetable
is simply sauteed. It’s fine on its own, but some garlic and
a little olive oil wouldn’t hurt. Fries are thick, freshly cut
and only so-so.
You’d think that with Brooklyn being home to such a diverse mix
of people, finding a kosher restaurant that offers Old World
favorites would be an easy feat. Not any more. Assimilation,
diets and a cosmopolitan clientele have made Jewish restaurants
like Mike’s a thing of the past. Nobody ever said kosher-style
cooking was light, or that it was particularly healthy, either.
It is good for the soul though. So eat "bubelah." Just
eat.
Mike’s Kosher Steakhouse (72 Clark St.
between Henry and Hicks streets in Brooklyn Heights) accepts
American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $9.95-$32.95.
Oyster steak for two to four persons: $64.96-$129.95. The restaurant
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. For reservations, call
(718) 855-1555.
