I always find a joy in discovering unassuming restaurants in the city that not many people have been talking about but deliver outstanding food. I try to make as many trips to Brooklyn (also planning on making more trips to Queens) to discover these places that are outside the radar of Manhattanites. This time the restaurant that I visited happens to be inside a grocery in the Flatbush area; the whole setting looks like it could be a great find as long as the food is great. Well, Mekelburg’s definitely delivered and I already have two dishes that would likely be strong candidates for my annual best dishes of the year.

Mekelburg’s menu consists of simple small plates, sandwiches, baked potatoes and cheese and meat plates. The awesome balance of flavor and texture, however, totally belies this simplicity. Burrata with roasted acorn squash had the wonderful combination of salty burrata and sweet squash, and the texture of silky smooth burrata was something that I would remember for a long time. Wagyu roast beef sandwich was also quite nice, with fresh and tender roast beef that was very pleasant inside my mouth. It was, however, overshadowed by the sensational porchetta sandwich with broccoli rabe. I’m not even a huge fan of porchetta sandwich as I usually find it too stuffy, but the one at Mekelburg’s just had perfect texture of the meat with the ideal balance of flavor; you would never get tired bite after bite, and I just absolutely loved how a simple sandwich could make a wonderful meal. Salt baked potato was another dish that totally delivered. I tried the one with smoke black cod, crème fraiche and caviar and just couldn’t stop digging the dish, which had soft potato working magic with decadent combination of crème fraiche and caviar. My dining companion, who’s not even a fan of potato in general, couldn’t rave about this dish, either. It’s such a pleasure to see how much impact a simple baked potato can make.

The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and given the tiny size of the space, I suggest arriving early to secure your seat at one of the tiny tables. The dining space got quickly crowded by the time the food started coming out. Mekelburg’s has some interesting beer selections that you could also try to complement your meal. Get a pint of IPA and enjoy with the wonderful food coming out of the kitchen. This is a gem that any serious diner in NYC should know about; on the other hand, I prefer that it stays under the radar so I can always visit next time I’m in Brooklyn. Porchetta sandwich and salt baked potato were just too sensational!

KenScale: 9.0/10

• Creativity: 8.5/10
• Execution: 9.0/10
• Ingredients: 8.5/10
• Flavor: 9.0/10
• Texture: 9.0/10

Address: 293 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Telephone: (718) 399-2337

Website: http://www.mekelburgs.com/