Walter Foods

253 Grand st.
Brooklyn, NY
718.387.8783

Williamsburg has only a few good restaurants, so when new ones open up, I am quick to check them out. I had walked by Walter Foods a few times before I went in to eat, and was intrigued when I spotted Lobster all over the menu.
Walter Foods, a collaboration by Balthazar bartender Danny Minch and Barrio Chino owner Dylan Dodd, opened it's doors a few months back with Chef Justin Ernsberger (Clinton Street Baking Company and Aqua Grill) behind the Seafood forward menu. I could tell the hipster's would be psyched to have a raw bar in the hood.
However, Walter Foods is a mirage, a poor mans Balthazar, with a deceptive and flashy menu.
They did a fabulous job on the space's design, I'll give them that, with large paned glass windows a la French Brasserie, padded boothes, a classic wooden bar with matching stools, beautiful shellacked cream colored walls, and rustic wooden finishes. I liked the attention to detail, and although the servers wore bow ties, a little silly, I found it added to the charm of the place.
After settling in I noticed their Classic Cocktail list, woo hoo!, with offerings for Gin, Whiskey, Tequila and Rum drinkers. I tried a Fig Side Car, with aged rum, fig syrup and Lemonade. I don't know what I was thinking. This drink was so imbalanced and full of sugar that it made my heart race.
Onto the food. Not in the mood for the full raw bar, I figured I couldn't go wrong with an Oyster Shooter. It came out in a rocks glass filled to the top with luke warm, watery and weak bloody mary mix. The Oyster was nowhere to be found. Once the error was identified and the shooter returned to my table, the oyster was skewered on a tooth pick and hanging off the side of the glass. Disgusting.
Next were the Onion Rings, greasy and over battered, hiding the flavour of the onions.
I had to try the touted Lobster, so I took it easy with the Poached Lobster Salad. Oh dear, this baby cost $21 and came out in a teeny tiny bowl with mostly lettuce and a few sorry looking shreds of lobster over the top. "I'm hungry and we're in a recession!" I was so insulted I sent it back.
My date had the Lobster Club Sandwich, with bacon, avocado and tomato. $24 and all bread.
We just kept striking out.
Keith McNally would slap these young guns up side the head if he saw what was going down in there. It's unfortunate that the demographic will be satisfied with eating greasy sandwiches and measly portions of surf and turf, but eventually they'll get tired of paying McNally prices for diner quality food.

I give Walter Foods no's
Blazeability: it's Williamsburg, you're safe.

Txikito

240 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY
212.242.4730


You won't just run into Txikito, but if you look too hard, it'll hide right under your nose. Located on 9th avenue and 24th st., a block from the projects (no worries about blazing up here), this super tiny 28 seat humble Basque conquest is located in the no-man's-land of Chelsea. It took me about ten minutes scrolling through Google on my phone before I realized that I was standing right in front of it.
Txikito, which means "little" in Basque, opened in November of 2008 by uber driven couple Alexandra Raij (formerly of Tio Pole and El Quinto Pino) and Eder Montero. Based on the couple's reputation and the intrigue of Basque food, I was hyped to try it out.
The decor; simple and cheap, with rustic barn wood covering the walls and ceiling, invokes the feeling of a mess hall in a ship, with round metal lighting fixtures dotting the walls. The bar, located at the front is also txikito, and modest, serving a hand full of wines and two beers on tap.
So far, I like the steez, laid back and no fuss, but once I saw the prices for the portions, I realized this place is anything but modest.
Kroketas, two crispy creamy croquettes the size of my thumb; $5
Txiki Txanpi, basically a grilled cheese, shrimp and mushroom sandwich, albeit mad good, but the size of a cocktail napkin; $8
Txangurro, a grab meat gratin that filled a small casuela only a few centimeters; $15
Txipiron "Encebollado", squid ribbons, about the same portion as the gratin; $15
The food was interesting and I was surprised by a few of the flavor combinations, but over all, I felt like I was being robbed, the food was just too simple and served in portions way too small to be charging these prices. I left hungry and bewildered.

I give Txikito out of
Blazeability: