The Bon Vivant of Brooklyn

This new, nearly hidden gem of an eatery keeps getting better every time I visit it.  Conveniently located one block North of the Graham Avenue L stop, the Oak Cafe provides a casual atmosphere and superb food.  The interior and exterior are quite humble, and not terribly spacious, but this modest cafe serves up some top notch food at a reasonable price.  They very recently began serving dinner from 5:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. nightly, and as I had a delicious lunch there previously, I decided to give it a shot.

I started with a bruschetta appetizer; fresh tomato and basil, the tomato diced, ripe and full of Summer, and mixed with some seasonings and sliced strands of basil adorning two thin, buttery crisps of toast sliced on the bias.  Each bite was flavorful and full of mixed textures - a true delight.  Dinner was pan-seared chicken breast with peaches and blackberries atop a slice of polenta.  I very much wish I had brought my camera, because the presentation was an absolute treat:  luscious, shiny blackberries scattered amongst rich, slow-baked peaches and a crisp, juicy collection of meaty slices stacked neatly onto a bright yellow rectangular slab.  Once again, the seasonings were impeccable, and the crunchy-moist texture of the chicken dovetailed into the snappy juiciness of the blackberries and the sublimation of the soft roasted peaches.  When combined with a stiff chunk of the savory polenta, it achieved perfection.

All that remained was dessert!  And I was eagerly anticipating marinated figs with fresh ricotta and balsamic vinegar - I was sure that this was what was on the menu, but instead I was delivered strawberries and toasted pine nuts with the above.  Really I was just there for the ricotta... I had sampled it previously at a lunch with a superb eggplant sandwich, and I must say that the fresh ricotta is one of the things you must try when you come here.  As a dessert, it was excellent, sweet and smooth and perfectly complemented by the nutty crunch of the pignoli.  The strawberries were a little bit bland and underripe, and there was really too much balsamic vinegar in the dish - it would have been better served with tastier fruit and just a bit of drizzled balsamic over the top instead of pooled in the bottom.  The entire meal altogether ran me about $30 including an iced cappuccino.

Sadly, Oak Cafe does not yet have a license to serve alcohol, but they will gladly let you bring and drink your own beverages.  Their patio is very pleasing, and has a lot of outdoor outlets for people to plug their electronic devices into; I haven't confirmed it, but I also believe they have wireless access available, as befits an excellent cafe.

[Where: 361 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211]

One part The Science of Sleep and two parts One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, this latest effort from suspense/thriller autuer Chan-Wook Park (who is best known for his "vengeance" trilogy: Oldboy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance) is a pleasant horizon-expanding departure - it is, in fact, a love story, and a particularly tender one at that.

Who doesn't bring some baggage with them when they get into a relationship?  Isn't everybody damaged in some way?  In this case, the lovers just also happen to be schizophrenic.  This makes for some highly imaginative sequences and very funny special effects, as the not-sane people share their inner worlds with the viewer.  There are clearly times where you find yourself wondering: "Wait a minute - is this really happening?" as Park cleverly weaves objective and subjective reality together through his unreliably narrating characters.  Even later in the movie, when things go particularly haywire, even though you know that events that happened before weren't real, you still end up wondering if they're real this time.  It's a very effective suspension of disbelief and transportation into the minds of insane people.

The New York Asian Film Festival actually arranged for a third encore screening of this film due to popular demand; I'm hoping it gets a lot more exposure and greater distribution, because it really is a gem of a film.  If you're into offbeat romance, you're going to love this flick.

Aachi and Ssipak is what you get when you take a room full of Korean animators, dose them on crack and bad acid, and force them to watch Ralph Bakshi's Wizards on a loop a la A Clockwork Orange for 24 hours straight.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like your humor raunchy and straight from the toilet.  If you don't, I suggest you forget you ever even heard the title of this movie.

But if you're an occasional fan of South Park (as I am myself), you may get a big kick out of the over-the-top hyperkinetic poop-fest that is this movie.  It's the only animated offering at this year's New York Asian Film Festival, and it aims to offend the sensibilities of everyone who watches it.  It's got sex, shit, cyborgs, mutants, drugs, gangsters, chase scenes, gun fights, and a whole lot of crazy action.  The plot centrally revolves around controlling the supply of government provided "juicybars" which are automatically dispensed as a reward for crapping in a public toilet (because human excrement is the energy source of the future, don't you know).  Of course these juicybars are actually addictive, hallucinogenic, and mutagenic!  An uncountable horde of smurf-like mutants is created and organized into a revolutionary movement (called The Diaper Gang) by a Hitler-like leader, and constantly locks horns with the control-oriented government.

Aachi and Ssipak are just two lowly hoods trying to make bank by holding up people in toilets for their juicybars; but they get caught up with a sex-bomb named Beauty in a whirlwind comedy of errors that will ultimately decide the future of their dystopic world.

Most scenes in the movie are completely blatant rip-offs of other movies; anyone with a smattering of pop culture knowledge will recognize the nearly frame-by-frame recreation of the railcar chase scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or the opening sequence of Akira which is mirrored almost completely at the beginning of this film.  You might also catch lines from RoboCop or notice the standoff scene from True Romance.  It's really just one lampoon after another, and if you really care about such things you can almost see an underlying moral subtext... nah, who cares??  It's just a whole shitload of fun.  It really won't do much good for me to go into any more detail about this film; it's likely to become a cult classic amongst the Adult Swim "stoner" crowd.

If you understand Korean, you may get a kick out of the movie's official website.

Canny New York natives are well aware of the area of Fifth Avenue in the Upper East Side that runs alongside Central Park known as "Museum Mile," as they take advantage of the evenings of the week when many of those institutions offer free or pay-what-you-like admission.  About two-thirds of the way up Central Park is a museum of German and Austrian art known as the Neue Galerie - housed in a gloriously restored century old mansion, this museum is quite small, comparatively expensive and does not offer any discounted or free admission; but it more than makes up for that by being home to two hidden dining spots that cannot be missed.  While I didn't have a chance to sample the downstairs cafe at the museum, I did get to try out the first floor cafe (and did so at the behest of a knowledgeable friend).

Master chef Kurt Gutenbrunner is responsible for the Michelin rated Wallse in the West Village, and BlaueGans (Blue Swan) in TriBeCa, and also for the Neue's Cafe Sabarsky (named for a co-founder of the museum).  The museum cleverly repurposes the functional rooms of the mansion - the library is now the bookstore, a small salon is now the design shop, and the cafe is situated in what must have been a den of sorts, as it overlooks the park and is paneled in rich, dark woods; it is an ideal spot to whittle away an afternoon.  Though it can get crowded and noisy during the rush hours, occasional live piano music greatly softens the atmosphere.  Free newspapers and periodicals are also hanging on racks for the enjoyment of patrons, and no server will rush you to leave once you've situated yourself.  The cafe is meant to be a tribute to the great cafes of Vienna, and though I have never been to that part of Europe, I now find myself eager to experience it one day if Cafe Sabarsky is any kind of example.

I started off with a capuccino milkshake that emerged quickly from the coffee bar situated across the room; I must say that I have never before, and not since, had such a delectable coffee drink.  It was not overpowered by sweetness, nor by the richness of the espresso flavor, but was a delicate execution that balanced both in perfect proportion.  As I was also peckish, I ordered the "ham with horseradish" sandwich, which arrived open-faced:  thick slices of ham adorning a dark, dark hunk of bread garnished with their own hand shredded horseradish and pickles and mustard on the side.

But truly, the best reason to come here is for the desserts.  I was compelled to order the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, a dessert that is only made on the weekend... chocolate cake with cream and cherries, the seminal "black forest" cake, as it were.  I was not disappointed in the slightest.  Though the cherry taste was not as overwhelming as I've had it from American style desserts, it was still present in a subdued and I think much more pleasant form as the natural taste of the fruit blended softly with the smooth cream and collided with the dark chocolate flavor of the cake and the chocolate shavings atop it.

As a cafe lover, I can't recommend this spot highly enough.  As a dessert lover, I have yet to find comparable fare in the city.  Cafe Sabarsky is an excellent choice for an afternoon respite, brunch with the family, or a dinner date that won't set your wallet aflame (but might do for your companion).

It's a sweltering night in Brooklyn; there's no way you're going to slave over a hot stove or grill tonight, but your primitive midbrain is itching for some carnivorous pleasure.  In Williamsburg, you have only one delicious option, and that is to drag your sorry lizard-brain over to Fette Sau on Metropolitan Avenue for some succulent satisfaction.  The first thing you notice as you approach the comforting hot pink glow of the neon sign is the luscious smell of barbecue.  "YES!" says the primeval cortex.  "THE ODOR OF TASTY TASTY FLESH MEATS!"  Towards the entrance you go, passing the outdoor picnic tables, edging closer and closer to your goal.  You walk inside and see large chalkboards indicating available roasted and smoked meats - by the pound.  Pastrami, flank steak, pulled pork, pork cheek, belly bacon, leg of lamb, and whatever else is on special that day.  Holy cow!!

You join the queue next to the sign saying "FOODLINE ->" and prepare yourself.  Plates?  No, sorry, but we have butcher's paper to line your aluminum jailhouse tray.  Here, have a pound of glistening pulled pork perfection for $15.00.  Beer?  Hell yes, just saunter over to the bar; here's your smallnecked gallon jug of beer, and here are your mason jars to drink it from (or hey, just drink from the jug).  Or, you know, choose from the fine selection of a couple dozen different bourbons to perfectly match your meaty feast, or swig down a couple of Manhattan Special espresso or sarsaparilla sodas.  Grab a couple of those giant squeeze bottles of sauce on your way back to the beerhall style tables, where wet naps, paper towels, and small jars of water for dipping fingers in await (yes, that's what they're for, pay no attention to the guy drinking out of one over there).  Just scoot down and cram your ass in there, we're all friends here.  Meaty, slippery friends.

As this is a new establishment, they've got a few areas where they could improve a bit.  Don't get me wrong now; I enjoyed it thoroughly, I will be going back again soon, and they are off to a fantastic start.  For one thing, the sauces are key.  Their "spicy" sauce was an overdose of chili powder - not exactly what I'm looking for in a barbecue sauce.  You can cut it with their "sweet" sauce, but that mainly tastes like ketchup; again, not the ideal barbecue sauce.  They've got a bit of experimentation left to do there.  Also, the pork cheek was way too tough and chewy - they either needed to somehow shave it or slice it thin, or otherwise marinate and tenderize the hell out of it.  I'm also a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to ribs... I want them falling off the bone with some nice spiciness to the rub.  These short ribs were a little fatty and need some more slow roasting.  Also noticeably missing from their side dishes were cornbread and mac and cheese.  These are necessities people!!  The potato salad was okay, but needed a bit of mustard or some other added zestiness.  Lastly, if you're really dying for a pulled pork sandwich, you'll only be able to stick a few bits into their dinner rolls... so if you're a purist like me, you might just want to bring a couple kaiser rolls or ciabatto of your own to make a true man-sandwich with.

Fette Sau is highly recommended (and it's not "fat pig" in German as reported by many sites, it's "greasy pig"), but you need to get there before 8:00p.m. or the crowd will be way, way too daunting.  You'll be standing room only, desperately trying to figure out a way to eat while simultaneously gripping your jug and tray - maybe they'll need to start handing out neck braces with tray holding clasps and complimentary bibs??