What happens when two bus boys from Long
Island’s Temple Gates of Zion join forces and open a restaurant
in Brooklyn? The answer is Soma, a modern eatery in the heart
of Williamsburg, perfectly suited to the neighborhood’s artists,
or anyone long on style and short on cash.
Employing an unsavory crew of carpenters, plumbers and window-installers,
owners Daniel Ray and Adam Rose revamped a once-decrepit pizza
parlor into a chic space with "Danish-Asian" decor.
Opened last March, this sparsely decorated room, made warm with
red oak wall tiles and soft lighting, seats just 18 comfortably.
It’s intimate of course; paintings done by local artists hang
on the walls, candlelight on the tables softens any hard edges
and soft music relaxes the mood. Soma’s a great place for quiet
conversation or a simple meal after a gallery opening. The food
is inexpensive, but you won’t feel like you’re slumming. Bring
a date.
With little besides a pizza oven and a dough mixer in the kitchen,
Chef Rose proves that man can live by bread alone. After a stint
as cook, training under chef Michael Fennelly of Mecca restaurant
in San Francisco, Rose has taken his considerable talent and
devised a menu that uses bread to great advantage. A basket of
the restaurant’s house-baked bread, crisp and flaky, garlicky
and lightly topped with pesto, disappeared from our table in
seconds. Focaccia, another great house-made bread, serves as
a tender base for pizzas and the hearty Soma burger. (A special
burger is offered every evening.)
Can a menu that includes soba noodles, corn salsa, barbecued
pork and lox succeed?
More often then not it does. The tomato bisque, served with a
cheddar crouton, tasted of sun-warmed tomatoes and cream.
As manager and restaurant cheerleader Ray explained, "We
wanted to make something that reminded us of tomato soup and
grilled cheese sandwiches."
The restaurant’s name is derived from Aldous Huxley’s "Brave
New World" in which "soma" is society’s pseudo
Prozac. Speaking of panaceas, I’m happy to report that the vegetarian
chili with corn salsa will not remind you of anything you’ve
eaten before in natural food restaurants. Soma’s spicy version
tasted of lime and cilantro, and the corn salsa added a nice
crunch.
The chili-spiced pierogies, crisp and greaseless, served a la
Jackson Pollock with splashes of lemon-flavored sour cream, were
tasty but reminded me of dorm party fare.
No country is forgotten, no ethnic group ignored in the chef’s
global search for pizza toppings. There’s a smoked salmon pizza
with every ingredient (except coffee cake) you’ve ever eaten
on Sunday – pass The New York Times, please; a chipotle chili
pie made with a spicy adobo sauce, salsa and liberally splashed
lemon sour cream; and there’s a Mississippi BBQ pizza with pulled
pork and house-made barbecue sauce, and, well, you get the picture.
It’s not sophisticated fare, but there’s a time for foie gras
and a time for pizza, and at Soma the pizzas are the prize.
If you have a little extra money to burn, splurge on a special
entree. We tried lobster ravioli topped with shrimp in a wine
and cream-laced tomato sauce. Rich, yes, and intensely flavored,
and if that doesn’t satisfy you on a cold night – then nothing
will.
It was a chilly evening so we passed on the salads. The ubiquitous
grilled chicken Caesar salad and a salad of mixed greens are
on the lineup along with more adventurous offerings like a roasted
portabello salad with endive, roasted peppers and sun-dried tomato
vinaigrette and an Asian-inspired shrimp salad tossed with fried
soba noodles and mixed greens in a miso vinaigrette.
The wine list is small and affordable with a few obscure bottles.
Beers include popular microbrews and a couple of Brooklyn Brewery
ales that make an unbeatable combination when teamed with the
globe-spanning pizzas.
Desserts are an on-again, off-again affair that was off-again
the evening I was there. I’ll report back at a later date when
dessert is actually on the menu.
And, I will come back again. There’s enough warmth in this tiny
restaurant to fill Lundy’s 10 times over. Eating there made me
feel happy, and in our "brave new world," can’t we
all use a little Soma?
Soma (192 Grand St. between Bedford
and Driggs avenues in Williamsburg) is open for dinner Tuesday
Sunday. Brunch may be served later in the season. Entrees:
$5 $9. Special entrees: $11-16. Cash only. For more information
call (718) 302-9100.
