Could Ditmas
Park be the next dining destination?
Don’t laugh.
If it happened to Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, it could happen
anywhere. Signs of a culinary awakening can be spotted on Cortelyou
Road with the July 13 opening of The Farm on Adderley.
The owners are Allison McDowell and Gary Jonas (pictured), Ditmas
Park residents who grew tired of traveling to other neighborhoods
for a decent meal.
After a six-month renovation of a former day-care center, the
first-time restaurateurs fashioned a long, 40-seat space with
a gorgeous outdoor dining area that’s all elegance and zero kitsch.
Chef Tom Kearney’s menu is where you’ll find the true essence
of The Farm. Kearney (formerly of Manhattan’s Jean-Georges and
Blue Hill and Williamsburg’s Sweet Water) emphasizes seasonal
ingredients culled from small farms and local purveyors. His
dishes combine simple, satisfying combinations: chilled asparagus
soup teams up with a poached, farm-fresh egg and slivers of artisanal
Parmesan.
And the Farm has something I don’t see enough of: an adult-worthy
dessert menu. There’s milk chocolate mousse with salted cream;
a sponge cake soaked with lemon-thyme syrup and strewn with blueberries;
and a trifle made with layers of lemon cake and strawberry-rhubarb
compote.
Don’t try finding Adderley on a map of Brooklyn. The Farm on
Adderley refers to a South African expression Jonas’s father
used whenever Jonas asked for the impossible: "If that ever
happens, I’ll buy you a farm on Adderley." (Adderley is
the equivalent of decidedly un-pastoral Flatbush Avenue.)
So much for dad!
The Farm on Adderley (1108 Cortelyou Road between Stratford
and Westminster roads in Ditmas Park) accepts Discover, MasterCard
and Visa. Entrees: $11-$16. The restaurant serves dinner daily.
For reservations, call (718) 287-3101.
– Tina Barry
The Brooklyn Papers / Aaron Greenhood
