five leaves

five leaves

we checked out five leaves last night and thoroughly enjoyed the brasserie type hipster cafe. we got there a little before 8 and had about a half hour wait ahead of us.  no biggie, we just went up to the bar and ordered a few warsaw mule's. the artisinal cocktails definitely have a place here. ours was similar to a moscow mule but just a little lighter and more refreshing. we were off to a good start-

petite white marble tables line the perimeter of the restaurant  and make it feel nice and cozy. we sat just a few inches from our neighbors but the old school soulful tunes spinning on the record player thumped in the background and served as perfect white noise.  after taking in the vibe for a bit, we ordered a few glasses of rose and started with mussels, truffle fries and a house made ricotta. holy truffle goodness! i thought i'd be able to exercise a little self restraint and just have a few but i failed miserably.  the fries were perfectly crispy and even more tasty when dunked in the saffron-coconut mussel broth. we loved the ricotta too. it had a lemony zest and was infused with figs and fresh thyme. 

we could have stopped after the starters but shortly after we cleared our plates our mains arrived. i had done the diver scallop special and jack had the five leaves signature burger. the combination of ingredients was genius. they topped the grass fed beef with a fried pineapple ring, house pickled beets, harissa mayo and an organic sunny up egg. 

over the course of our dinner the tatted up crowd ebbed and flowed and the tunes kept smiles on faces and heads bobbing. everything that made its way out of the kitchen smelled incredible and after having dinner here you know why there's a constant crowd hanging on the corner of bedford and lorimer waiting for a table. they don't take reservations so be sure to get there early!