When we were first married, my husband
and I rented an apartment that was described by a real estate
broker as having "charming detail." In the living room
and bedroom were ornately carved marble fireplaces, and the claw-foot
bathroom tub could have held a Roman orgy. Floor-to-ceiling shuttered
windows opened onto Fort Greene Park.
Our realtor failed to mention the less charming details: gangs
of cockroaches that appeared only when our parents visited and
quirky neighbors like the one who flooded our apartment every
time she took a bath and the huge man who left every morning
looking like a linebacker crammed into a business suit, but crashed
up the stairs in stiletto heels late each evening wafting clouds
of L’air du Temps.
In the early 1990s, when we lived in Fort Greene, there were
few dining choices. A short walk from our apartment near DeKalb
Avenue was Miss Ann’s, a storefront restaurant where you could
watch the sweet-natured Miss Ann frying chicken, pulling hot
skillets of corn bread from the oven and mixing big bowls of
cake batter.
Cino’s, still a part of the area’s dining scene, served good,
basic Italian food. If you needed a hamburger, a couple of diners
near Pratt would do. There were a few take-out Chinese places
that specialized in fried chicken wings, and that was about it.
Tired of our soggy apartment, we moved a few years ago and never
looked back. Recently, I started receiving phone calls from the
culinary rumor-mill. First a call came in raving about a French
place on DeKalb Avenue, one of the area’s largest streets, which
was on a definite down-slide when we lived there. Then came word
of a wonderful South African place, then another little bistro
with the world’s best roasted chicken, and on and on.
But DeKalb Avenue as the newest restaurant row? I’d believe it
when I saw it.
And see it I did, one stylish restaurant after another. A former
liquor store that had once kept its entire inventory behind bulletproof
glass is now a swanky restaurant-lounge. The DeKalb Avenue I
remembered, with its crack vials and greasy Chinese take-out
now has blocks lined with great-looking restaurants.
Chez Oskar, a French bistro that opened three years ago was one
of the first restaurants to begin the area’s culinary turnaround.
It has all the bistro accoutrements – the bar, ornate gold mirrors,
and weathered emerald walls. A soundtrack of women murmuring
French songs plays quietly in the background. The restaurant’s
casual elan makes some of the bistros I have visited lately seem
like overblown posers.
Chef Octavio Simancas’ menu stays within the classic French bistro
framework. He offers all the standards – escargot, foie gras
and the ever-present roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes.
It is not a menu rife with innovation, yet his cooking produces
dishes that are fresh and flavorful.
If the chef in a French bistro can’t prepare a credible green
salad then it’s time to retire the beret. The citrus salad, made
with the freshest arugula leaves, segments of tart grapefruit
and small, creamy mounds of goat cheese, arrived at our table
dressed in a walnut vinaigrette. The thin slivers of tart green
apple tasted sweet against the grapefruit, and the dressing,
with its nutty richness, was just acidic enough to give the greens
a little zing. Goat cheese lent its creamy texture to the crisp
ingredients making for a complex and delicious mouthful.
Mussels are offered two ways – in a broth of white wine, shallots
and garlic, or in a creme fraiche and mustard sauce. We ordered
the mussels in the creme fraiche and mustard sauce, and they
arrived perfectly tender with the mustard lending a sharp tang
to the briny shellfish. Both preparations are accompanied by
crisp, salty, french fries that tasted of clean oil and fresh
potatoes. Dipping those fries into that broth. Heaven.
Entrees continue the march through familiar French territory.
A powerfully aromatic grilled sirloin steak appeared at our table
rare and smoky from the grill with a savory rim of seared fat.
The slightly bitter edge of the steak’s shallot and white wine
sauce complemented the richness of the meat. Fries are served
with the steak. Be grateful.
Each night Simancas offers a special risotto. We tried a seafood
risotto that included shrimp and calamari. "It’s good,"
we each said, and it was. The risotto had a little chewiness
and the shellfish were tender. But, something was lacking. Maybe
the broth used for the rice was a little pallid, or maybe the
beige-on-beige presentation of the dish looked blah. Whatever
the reason, it wasn’t a dish that inspired much enthusiasm.
The same cannot be said of the simple desserts. There are only
five choices on the dessert list. A traditional creme brulee,
a tarte tatin (an upside-down apple tart), tiramisu, a warm flourless
chocolate cake and a pear poached in red wine.
I’m getting tired of flourless chocolate cakes. They’re on too
many menus, and they’re either heavy and fudgy or cakey and dry.
Not Chez Oskar’s. This hybrid is somewhere between a warm, dark
chocolate pudding and an airy souffle. It’s served slightly warm
with a scoop of house-made vanilla ice cream. One bite of this
cake and my zest for the ubiquitous dessert was renewed.
Chez Oskar is the perfect bistro to try after a concert at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music. You’ll be in a good mood and will
have plenty to talk about with your fellow culture maven. That’s
fine. The restaurant is quiet enough for a long heart-to-heart.
Waitresses will speak to you with soothing French accents, and
they don’t seem to care how long you sit. And, if my old neighbor
should teeter by on his heels – give him a little wave. You’ll
know who he is when you see him.
Chez Oskar (211 DeKalb Ave. at Adelphi
Street) accepts Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express.
Dinner entrees: $8-$20. Chez Oskar is also open for lunch and
brunch. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am-4:30
pm. For reservations, call (718) 852-6250.
