Dine In Brooklyn - Hibino

Where We Went: Hibino for Dine in Brooklyn with my best friend Jill and her husband

What We Ate: The Dine In Brooklyn price fix menu was really great here. Between the four of us we ordered a variety of appetizers including Seaweed Salad, Tuna Tataki, and Agadeshi Tofu, all which were great. The Seaweed Salad was a mixture of six different kinds of seaweed, most of which I'd never had before. The Agadeshi Tofu was phenomenal. The tofu was perfectly cooked and the broth it was served in was so tasty. We all ordered the same entree option which was Kyoto Style Futomaki with six pieces assorted sushi. Having the assorted sushi picked for me meant I had to try pieces I'd never had before such as mackerel, squid, and red snapper which I have fallen in love with.

What We Saw: Like most sushi joints, this place didn't have much by way of decor, but we did get seated at a lovely table right by the window.

What We Thought: The fish was very fresh and delicious, though definitely more expensive than other sushi joints in the neighborhood. The Agadeshi Tofu is enough to make me return, though. Unfortunately this place does not take reservations so there was a long wait and no where to wait so we simply went next door to Henry Public for a pre-dinner drink.

Dine In Brooklyn - Lunetta

Where We Went: Lunetta on Smith Street in Boerum Hill

What We Ate: We ended up not ordering off the Dine In Brooklyn price fix menu as nothing really appealed to us except the fried calamari entree, which we ordered a la carte and enjoyed though I would have preferred the sauce on the side to dip in rather than on the bottom of the plate. We ordered the chicory tricolore salad which I found much too bitter, and usually tricolore salad is one of my favorites. For our entrees M ordered the grass fed steak which he found to be just average though it was cooked very well. I ordered the orechiette with broccoli rabe and Lunetta made sausage which I thought was delightful. This is one of my favorite dishes and have a difficult time not ordering it when it's available on the menu. I found their version to be one of the best I'd ever had. Overall it was good but not impressive, though I don't think we ordered right. Next time I want to order off the bruschetta menu and more off the antipasti menu.

What We Saw: Lunetta takes advantage of their small space by having seating at the bar which extends to overlook the open kitchen. Our banquette seating in the front of the dining room was perfect. I thought the red banquettes with the mirrored walls and sconce lighting gave a nice intimate vibe.

What We Thought: Like I said, I think Lunetta is better than we experienced probably because of our inexperience with their menu. Their array of bruschettas and antipastis make it seem like a good place for a small group of friends. The cocktail menu had some interesting concoctions which are begging to be tried. We will return, hopefully with more people in tow, and try other dishes from the menu.

Dine In Brooklyn - Bevacco

Dine In Brooklyn kicked off yesterday. 

Where We Went: Bevacco in Brooklyn Heights for their participating price fix dinner menu. 

What We Ate: M ordered the Arugula Salad, Short Rib, and Tortino al Cioccolato (chocolate cate) while I ordered the Mista Salad, Lasagna, and Il Bombolone (cream filled Italian doughnut) and a Smoked Salmon Carpaccio from the a la carte menu to share. The food was good but nothing special in my opinion. The salads were big, which is always nice, I love my greens. The Smoked Salmon Carpaccio had too much sauce and could have used some bruschetta toasts. The lasagna was very meaty and not very cheesy (some like lasagna like this, I prefer more cheese), but the noddles were perfect. The short rib was tasty, not tender enough in my opinion but flavored nicely, while the polenta that it was served on was creamy and delicious. The raspberry chocolate cake was probably the best thing we ate while the doughnut was tasty but had too much filling for me. 

What We Saw: The space is decorated with mirrors and Thomas Edison lights. Bistro tables with banquette seating line the perimeter of the dining room and there is a large bar on one side of the restaurant. We didn't dine until 9:30 so the place was not very busy for a Monday night, and for the last half hour we were the only people left in the dining room.

What We Thought: Reviews for the fairly new restaurant have been good. Unfortunately, as a self proclaimed Italian food snob, I do not feel the same way. The Dine In Brooklyn price fix was a great deal, though I won't be returning to Bevacco anytime soon. The quest for the best Italian restaurant in walking distance is still on! (Cafe Rosa is currently in the lead.)

How do you feel about "restaurant weeks"? Do you have a favorite Italian restaurant or meal?