I stood near the bar at Casper Jones Cafe
Lounge in Park Slope for several minutes watching a waiter watch
me. After a minute of staring into each other’s eyes, I asked
if he would seat us. (The room was half full, so I didn’t foresee
a problem.)
"Counter service only," he answered.
What I walked into was an elegant lounge that functions as a
coffee bar but is actually a cafe in flux. In fact, even the
source of the lounge’s name is up for debate.
Ask one owner where it came from and they’ll tell you something
about a friendly ghost. Ask another, and you’ll be told of a
fabled man who had no worries.
But enough about that, the lounge opened in January as a casual
place to hang out with friends over snack and coffee.
Most evenings a DJ spins world music or a trio plays live jazz.
In mid July the eatery’s liquor license was granted, and with
the booze, patrons began requesting food that resembled real
dinners. Muguette Siem A Sjoe, with partner Joe Amellio, added
specials to the salad and panini menu, and upgraded the furnishings
with the intention of making the room "feel like an extended
part of your apartment."
The decor caused my confusion. The room – with its nubby beige
chaises, scattering of tables, curved wood panels and ’50s-style
lighting – didn’t register as a counter service coffee bar.
The menu is still heavy on salads and sandwiches, but that is
about to change. The cafe’s chef, Said Azzam, who works in a
tiny space at the end of the bar laughingly referred to as a
kitchen, was an executive chef at Juniper and Spartina in Tribeca
and a sous chef at Henry’s End in Brooklyn Heights. Azzam has
more to offer diners than snacks.
Once seated, we were able to peruse the blackboard that serves
as the specials’ menu. The evening’s appetizer – an avocado soup
with watermelon and balsamic vinegar – sounded too peculiar to
pass up. The soup may be one of the prettiest first courses served
this summer. A small, pink mound of the watermelon sat in the
center of the pale green avocado base surrounded by a dribble
of earth-colored vinegar. Served cold, it had the velvety quality
of heavy cream.
Azzam’s dish is a tightrope walk. One watermelon cube too many;
one "oops" of the vinegar bottle, would spell disaster.
But he succeeds.
The sweetness of the watermelon adds a clean sparkle to the rich,
nutty soup, and the balsamic vinegar, fuller in taste and deeper
in color than other vinegars, intensified the flavor of both
fruits.
Intense flavors reign again in a shrimp and salmon sandwich.
Azzam poaches the fish in a stock flavored with fennel seeds,
thyme and tarragon until just tender, then binds the ingredients
with a lush garlic aioli. A thick, crisp slice of bacon adds
a salty contrast, and the eggy brioche roll holds the ingredients
without falling to pieces. The dish is like a prince in a parka
– a sophisticated meal masquerading as a sandwich.
Even the salads he serves with sandwiches are carefully constructed.
Instead of the listless mounds of overdressed mesclun that appear
beside so many sandwiches, Azzam mixes peppery watercress with
a handful of alfalfa sprouts then tosses the greens with a well-balanced
lemon vinaigrette.
On the side of his portobello panini (as good a panini as you’ll
find in the Slope but pedestrian compared to the other sandwich),
he served a mix of herbs and greens in a mustardy dressing that
added tart contrast to the sandwich.
Azzam’s one entree for the evening was a humorous spin on a blue
plate special. His veal and beef pate is somewhere between a
moist, dense meatloaf and a pate. He layers two thick slices
of the portobello mushroom-studded meat with Yukon gold potatoes
lightly mashed with pungent pesto. A ring of tangy, slightly
sweet tomato compote made from red peppers and ripe, summer tomatoes
circles the plate. You’d have to look hard to find a better meatloaf
and mashed potatoes on anyone’s menu.
The only desserts currently offered are a plain brownie, or the
brownie warmed and served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
I passed. Azzam promises to add more interesting pastries soon.
Casper Jones Cafe Lounge experienced an identity crisis but it’s
finding itself. Right now it’s an attractive place where you
can get a good – yet limited – meal, or order a drink and read
your book. By September, it promises to be an excellent cafe
with a waitstaff who greet you at the door then graciously lead
you to your table.
Casper Jones Cafe Lounge (440 Bergen
St. between Fifth and Flatbush avenues in Park Slope) accepts
cash only. Entrees: $5-$12. For information, call (718) 399-8741.
