Isa

Sometimes, a plan just doesn't work out. Our recent trip to Brooklyn was kind of a disaster. In addition to messed up dinner reservations (who knew that Fatty Cue had two locations? and that one of them was closed?), we also had the excitement of a surprise attack of strep throat half way through the trip. All of a sudden, Bbq Jr had a raging fever and was exhausted. (Pro tip for recognizing a fever in a little boy? When the armor section at the Met is uninteresting to him).

Right, so after some naps, and a fair amount of tylenol and advil for fever control, we traipsed out for dinner. I'd heard that Isa was good, and it was empty at 6 o'clock (early for New Yorkers, perfect for the fever family).

The menu at Isa is quite simple. Bread. Ham. Cheese. Yeah, that ham? It's La Quercia shaved prosciutto. No biggie. With a "Rhubix Cuke" (a rhubarb-cucumber-gin cocktail) it made for a promising start. I hadn't planned on blogging this meal, so there aren't many pictures. But by the end of the meal, it was clear that I should have been photographing dinner. Each dish was beautiful.



They've also got a fairly unusual wine list. This is the first place I'd ever tried an orange wine. Orange wine is when you start out making a white wine, but let the grapes sit on the skins to soak out the color. I found the flavor interesting, if a bit green tasting. Glad I tried it, but quickly switched to red.

Steak tartare on a sunchoke paste was easily the best tartare I've ever had. But this was the most beautiful dish of the night:


A whole roasted squid served with ink and sauce. I wish I had loved this dish, because it is so beautiful. But much like a whole roasted turkey, a whole grilled squid is a pretty silly thing to serve. Parts were beautifully cooked, and parts were overcooked. It was good, but not as good as it looks.

We ended the meal with a beautiful pork and blood sausage dish that was delicious. Followed by rhubarb with earl grey ice cream, this memorable meal was one of the best parts of our trip.

UPDATE: Isa just fired their kitchen staff. What a crying shame. This fantastic little restaurant won't be the same.

Isa
348 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, New York
(347) 689-3594
Mon-Sat 6 pm - 11:30 pm
Sun 6 pm - 10 pm


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By Bbq Dude