What A Week

Restaurant Week, that is.

Being the good newcomers to Brooklyn that we are, we indulged, some would say overindulged, in Brooklyn's Restaurant Week, titled "Dine-In Brooklyn."

Offering three-course meals for $20.06, who could resist? Monday, we headed to Rose Water on Union and 6th. It's a tiny place, so tiny we were almost standing in the kitchen as we waited for our table. It was the first of many places we would go to that week, so we weren't sure what to expect. The wait was a little annoying but we got there early since they said they weren't holding the table for us if we showed up late. Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry asks: "Isn't the most important part of the reservation - the holding of that reservation?" But looking back, the wait wasn't that long at all. Rose Water serves Contemporary American, focusing on organic ingredients that are in season. This week was such a blur, I don't remember my wife's meal, but I remember what I had: Salad to start, chicken for the entree, and an orange dreamsicle dessert. Everything tasted fresh and was of high quality. The service was adequate but not outstanding. I had to remind the waiter to bring out the dessert wine for my wife who ordered the wine pairing to go with the three-course meal. All in all, though, we were impressed.

Tuesday night, we ventured to Applewood, and believe me, expectations were high. After all, New York Magazine rated it among the top 50 restaurants in all of New York City. Like Rose Water, Applewood prides itself on purchasing ingredients from local farms and using seasonal items. But here's where Rose Water and Applewood differed: whereas Rose Water served items from their regular menu at the discounted price, Applewood offered a special menu listing created just for Dine-In Brooklyn. Translation: they cheaped out and instead of putting its best foot forward and offering first-time guests an unbelievable experience at a discount price, we left disappointed over a mediocre meal. I started off with a salad, duck for the entree, and finished off with what amounted to no more than a couple pineapple slices served with a scoop of ice cream. Not impressive at all but I have to believe that on any other night, had we experienced items on their regular menu, the experience would be outstanding. Instead, Applewood de-valued its brand by serving up a so-so meal. They should not have participated in Dine-In Brooklyn if they weren't going to make an all out effort.

Last up was Sette Enoteca on 7th Ave. The ambience was nice and the food solid, though expectations were not nearly as high as they had been with Applewood, so they could only go up for Sette. I had the salad, pasta dish, and I can't remember what I had for dessert - obviously it was pretty memorable. The service was subpar but not horrible. Again, like Applewood, Sette's Dine-In menu was different from its regular menu, so I have to believe we did not get the best it had to offer, but the Italian fare was satisfying.

We've still got Tempo left, but the tally so far goes as follows (out of five stars):
1. Rose Water - Four Stars ****

2. Sette Enoteca - Three Stars ***

3. Applewood - Three Stars ***(a low three)