Since it was a friend’s birthday, we allowed him to pick our next place to review. And, OY, what a mistake that was.
Rather than pick a spot in midtown Manhattan (where we all worked), he insisted that we get our vaccinations and visas, and forced us to trek to the latest hipster “hot spot” — “Olmsted” — located on Vanderbilt Avenue, in the heart of Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
“It’s Michelin-rated,” he kept telling us. But while it hasn’t received a star, it has achieved “Bib Gourmand" status — which is an honor conferred upon restaurants offering "exceptionally good food at moderate prices.”
Were the prices “moderate?” All things considered, maybe. Did we find it “exceptionally good?” No.
And here’s a case in point: On the menu, the night of our visit, were “Island Creek Oysters,” which hail all the way from Duxbury, Massachusetts, and were served with a “Garden Mignonette” ($12).
While you’ll find the taste of oysters described in a lot of different ways, in my personal experience, the brininess will often transition to sweetness, or a clean “metallic finish.” But we found these four little things slightly gritty and unexciting. (One of our table-mates, who hails from Louisiana, called them, “nothing special.”)
Since they didn’t wow us, these $12 molluscs barely scored a “C.”
Follow Lucas on Instagram:@lucasaferrara
