For those wringing their hands over the
demise of Max Court in Carroll Gardens – take heart. In October,
two of the three Max Court owners (one left, the "new one"
is Andres Rodas) opened Fragole Ristorante in its place.
Changes have been made – the interior, according to Rodas, is
"lighter and leafier," and, in an attempt to give the
neighborhood more choices, chef and co-owner Baulino Veronica’s
menu has "15 pastas instead of the five offered at Max Court,
and a lot more wines by the glass and the bottle." (The
homemade fettucine with sweet sausage, tomato cream sauce and
peas is at left.) But the formula that brought so many customers
to Max Court – house-made breads, long-simmering tomato sauce
made daily and lots of salads and simple entrees at reasonable
prices – is still intact.
The revamping has brought new clientele to Fragole, which means
strawberry in Italian.
"Before we had singles and couples, not too many families,"
said Rodas. "Now we have people bringing in their kids.
It’s a different mix. We like that."
Fragole Ristorante (394 Court St. between Carroll Street and
First Place in Carroll Gardens) accepts cash only. Entrees: $9.95-$16.95.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. For
information call (718) 522-7133 or 7170.
