Peter's Eats: The General Greene in Brooklyn: Making other restaurants green with envy

The General Greene had been on our list of restaurants to go to for quite some time. We had heard about it from our aunt and uncle who raved about it, and we’ve wanted to go ever since. The restaurant itself screams hipster from its location in Fort Greene to its customers who were full of facial hair and flannel. It had a very homey and relaxed feel to it.

(Photo courtesy of Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats)

Now to the food, chef Julie Farias knows what she’s doing. She uses small plates and cheap prices for a family style-sharing menu, which is full of fatty morsels of American cuisine. In that way, it’s very comparable to the Brooklyn Star, but certainly not as heavy as that meal which had me full for two days.

(Photo courtesy of Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats)

The first few dishes we got were the chorizo salad ($12), mac and cheese ($8) and potato gratin. The salad was very filling for a salad, the chorizo was as good as chorizo gets, and it paired very well with the arugula and roasted peppers. The mac and cheese was, in my opinion under-salted, however, it was very cheesy and fattening which I always love. The potatoes gratin were fantastic, lightly kissed with nutmeg, it was creamy, cheesy and just plain awesome.

(Photo courtesy of Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats)

The entrees we ordered were the grilled steak with smoked garlic ($13), candied bacon ($5), salt and pepper ribs ($13), kale with garlic and the roasted chicken ($15). All were very exceptional except for the ribs, which came with a spiced yogurt sauce, which was interesting to say the least, but did not pair well with the ribs. The steak was a great deal, the smoky garlic added a nice kick to the perfect medium rare steak. The chicken was one of the highlights of the night; seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg it was something different, in a good way though. The juicy and tender meat sealed within the perfectly crisp and golden brown skin was mouth-watering. The thick cut bacon, doused in a maple sugar was good, not great, a little too sweet and it’s becoming a gimmick in the restaurant world.

(Photo courtesy of Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats)

The desserts really elevated the meal to a very good one. The salted caramel sundae ($7) was ridiculously refreshing and tasty. The pretzels added a much-needed crunch to the homemade ice cream, which was perfect. The gianduja pudding was so creamy and velvety, it was best chocolate pudding I’ve ever had. The chocolate chip cookies ($5) were everything you want in a great cookie: chewy, crunchy, gooey, chocolaty, warm and salty. These are some of the best out there, a must have.

(Photo courtesy of Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats)

The General Greene was definitely a winner in my book. The desserts really blew me away; they were fantastic; creamy, gooey and delicious. The rest of the food was good, not great with the exception of the chicken, which I thought was very well done. The General Greene absolutely will be a staple in Fort Greene if they keep on churning out food like tonight.