Spring 2009 Hill Top Reviews
At some point during the Hamptons real estate run-up a term was coined to differentiate the highly desirable coastal property from South Hampton to Montauk from the less fashionable areas north: "South of the Highway." The same may be said about Fort Greene/Clinton Hill/Wallabout, if the highway in question is the BQE rather than Route 27. To the north, between Park Avenue and the Navy Yard, you'll no doubt find some fine residences including the converted chocolate factory on Park and Washington, and a few interesting retail establishments (the collectibles emporium Re-Pop for instance, the relatively new Vespa showroom, and The Spa, Body by Brooklyn), but in terms of dining - this writer's raison d‚etre - it's slim pickings.
The notable exceptions, however, are well worth visiting, and they both happen to be in Wallabout, on Washington Avenue between Park and Flushing, delightful bookends on an otherwise drab block of mysterious industry.
* IL PORTO: Pizza and more!
Extraordinarily good thin-crust pizzas ranging from the traditional to the more cutting edge, including a "dessert" pizza called the Wallabout. And they deliver in the area.
Besides top-notch pizza and pasta dishes, the menu also embraces that New York City standby known as brunch, which few diners I think would normally associate with a brick-over pizza restaurant.
* MOJITO: Until I can visit Cuba...
An online reviewer who professes to be from Cuba and "know the real deal" praised Mojito for its authenticity, and I'm not going to argue, since everything I've tasted there is terrific, from the toasted bread with its 3 dipping sauces to the tostones rellenos, to standbys like arroz con pollo and the Cuban sandwich. More exciting are offerings like pollo varadero: a char-grillled garlic-lemon chicken breast which comes with rice & beans and crispy potato strips.
* CASTRO'S MEXICAN: Holy Mole!
No matter how deep you get, quitting won't be easy. Take, for example, the mole poblano. A staple of the Puebla cuisine in which Castro's specializes, it includes three or four chicken pieces submerged in an Aztec-chocolaty mole sauce made even more intoxicating when you mash everything together with the accompanying rice and black beans. This might very well be the best and most filling $10 dinner you're likely to find in these here parts.