This is the eighteenth in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we spotlight a Beer Book newcomer, Flatbush Farm and Barn, an oasis for fun-loving locavores.
Dandies at Barn after the Big Apple Tweed Ride. Via Flickr's Konstantin Sergeyev.
FLATBUSH FARM/BARN
76 St. Mark’s Ave., Prospect Heights
What it is: A seasonal, locavore’s dream spot that mixes and urban rustic chic with well-crafted dining options, local beer options and a farm-inspired backyard.
Why we love it: Besides a dedication to a seasonal menu, the bar/restaurant combo keeps its rustic charm by highlighting all its local purveyors: the current list includes organic meats from Fleischers Meats in Kingston, N.Y.; Nester Tello eggs from Red Hook; and produce from Satur Farm on Long Island. The sprawling backyard gives you plenty of room to stretch out, which is why New York Magazine called it “as bucolic as Brooklyn gets.”
Who to bring: Your green-thumbed brunch date to get cozy in the corner with; your big crowd to get rowdy in the backyard on the weekends. The space also hosts loads of events, from the end of the Big Apple Tweed Ride to a party for Green Lantern comic writer Geoff Johns during ComicCon.
What to order: Keep it local with a brew from Red Hook’s Sixpoint brewery, but don’t forget to try the Michael Pollan-approved meals and snacks, including a vegan tofu scramble brunch and a “Rick” Rueben sandwich.
Narrows fun fact: The building that houses the restaurant (Farm) and the bar (Barn) was once the home of Nkiru Books, the oldest African-American bookstore in New York City. The store moved to Washington Avenue and is now co-owned by Mos Def and Talib Kweli.
The Duck Steak at Flatbush Farm is expensive (~$25), but an absolute, 100% *must-try*. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
[...] 3. Apply in Manhattan. A good rule of thumb is to apply where you’d want to hang out. You’re probs thinking you’ll work at the place over by your apartment. Brooklyn’s cool and all, but sorry, there just isn’t a lot of money to be made here. Depending on where you work, you probably aren’t going to make more than $150 a shift on a good night. And that’s not awful. But there are a lot of places in Manhattan where $200 per shift is the minimum, and only a few places in Brooklyn known to be on that level: Diner, Buttermilk Channel and Flatbush Farm. [...]