Applewood

11/24/09

Always a great meal....always.

by Lady Bug4 at Citysearch

I love their cocktail list! They infuse their own liquors and design some really unique cocktails. They seem to change seasonally. Cool. I have to come in at least 4 times a year...probably more. The food is always very thoughtful and fresh market driven. I always get a great meal and leave full. The food tastes so fresh and healthy. Service is professional and yet casual. If my meal and drinks were a little more affordable, I would eat there much more often.

• Pros: Best local cocktail list...unique, interesting, tasty.
• Cons: A tad expensive.

11/06/09

Terrible Customer Service

by sk09 at Citysearch

I tried to make a reservation for a group of 12 people for brunch here for my husband's birthday. When I called, the manager said they don't usually take reservations for brunch, and they couldn't take us at 11am, but they could take us at 10am (when they first open). I called everyone in my group, rearranged all our plans, and called back the next day, only to be told that the manager had "talked to the owner," and they could not accommodate us after all.

I'm a food editor and a former waitress, and I know large parties can be harder for restaurants to handle. But I always tip extremely well because I know this. And I'm appalled at the idea of a restaurant simply refusing to accept someone's business because they don't want to deal with a large party. This is just bad business, and sends a message that they don't care about their clientele. I've been to this restaurant before, and they definitely have the space to seat 12 people.

The food here is quite good, but there are other places with equally good food that understand how to treat their customers.

• Pros: food is good
• Cons: terrible attitude toward their customers

02/08/09

Keep Walking...

by justrobnj at Citysearch

My fiancee and I had Sunday brunch here recently. We were attracted by the menu and the crowds outside. Little did we know that this was due to the problems with seating. We arrived at 12:10 pm and told it would be half an hour. At 12:45, we were told we would be seated shortly. We were finally seated at 1:10. An honest answer up front would have gone a long way.

The restaurant itself was pretty and well decorated. However, once seated, it took nearly ten minutes for anyone to come to get our drink order. Fortunately, we already knew what we wanted to eat and placed our order then. It took fifteen minutes for our drinks to arrive, and at least forty-five minutes for our meals (omelet w/ fruit, omelet w/ veal hash, bacon & sausage). This was rather ironic, since there were at least five people working the kitchen, which was one cook for every two tables.

The meal itself was mixed. The applewood bacon and maple fennel sausage were good, as was the orange bellini. It's tough to mess up scrambled eggs. The biscuit was decent, but nothing to write home about. The grits were good, but >very< buttery. The veal hash would have been decent, had it not been burned in the pan. There were several burn pieces and the dish was overwhelmed a burnt taste. Poor showing.

Service continued to be incredibly slow. Our water was filled once over an hour after we were seated, despite the fact that I drank my water in the first fifteen minutes. No one asked whether we wanted another round of drinks until we were ready to leave.

Adding insult to injury was the tab, which came to $50 for two. Far too much for so little. As for our server, there was a reason you only got a $6 tip.

• Pros: Sausage & Bacon
• Cons: Poor service and slow kitchen

12/16/08

Go Elsewhere

by BrooklynLocal at Citysearch

While I have never written a review online before, and when in a restaurant I will eat almost anything instead of sending it back, my experiences at Applewood recently have changed my behavior on both counts. Applewood was at one time a neighborhood favorite of mine, perfect for special dates and family visits. My last three visits have been progressively bad. The first was a less then stellar brunch with coffee that never came, undercooked eggs and requested substitutions (salad instead of potatoes, nothing crazy)that never materialized. Next, a romantic dinner where I was forced to send back my entree because it was not cooked, literally raw. While the waiter tried to convince me that seared pork is all the rage, I explained that I prefer it cooked. I think this was a huge misstep on their parts and nothing was comped. In fact, they didn't remake my dish, they simply threw the meat back on the grill, which as we all know doesn't work well for pork (the result is dry, chewing and gross). But, as a diehard fan of the restaurant, or a gluten for punishment, I went back, this time with my husband and father. Despite being on time for our reservation it took them 15 minutes to seat us at 9 on a Wednesday. The subsequent meal was fine, taste-wise, but the service was so slow and terrible, every stage (including taking our orders and getting us water) took forever. By the end of the night, we were one of only three occupied tables, we had to stand up and follow the waiter in order to get our check. We walked out at midnight. That's right, THREE hours after we walked in, not three leisurely, decadent hours, but three grueling torturous, often starving hours. I will never go back. I urge you to go elsewhere. 12th Street Bar and grill has a lovely and much less expensive brunch (but don't bother to go there for dinner, unless you go for the upscale burgers), and for dinner Covivium Osteria will give you a far more unique dining experience.

• Pros: when they cook it and serve it to you in a timely fashion the food is good
• Cons: Terrible service, inconsistent food

10/25/08

brooklyns best

by ladybug49 at Citysearch

I don't know how many times I've been here, too many! I always have had a great time. Anyone who lives in Brooklyn and knows food knows about Applewood! Always consistent with service, and food. Can never go wrong if your looking for a perfect meal. Desserts are always a treat.

08/25/08

Very good food, but for that kind of money, I'll go into Manhattan to get the royal treatment

by hatfields at Citysearch

So here's the thing: I used to work for Danny Meyer. That being divulged, I can't help it, but I think that if you are going to spend this much on food, you should be treated to AN EXPERIENCE. I brought my bf here for his birthday, and we received pretty good service, great food and a lovely atmosphere but not the ever elusive "EXPERIENCE experience." The wine was good too, but my server didn't help much with the decision making process, and when all was said and done, my wallet was over $200 lighter and I found myself wishing we had gone to Union Square Cafe, where they really know how to go that extra mile to make you feel like royalty. SO. If you are a Park Sloper and don't feel like commuting for your fancy feasts, go ahead and make a res at Applewood. But if you are incredibly picky and a stickler for service, you still gotta go to Manhattan.

• Pros: decent food, passable service, pretty room
• Cons: it ain't no Gramercy Tavern

06/26/08

best Brooklyn spot I've found!

by Brooklyn81 at Citysearch

I'd never even heard of this place until last night, and it was one of the best dinners I've ever had. Our server was extremely charming and helpful. I had an apple cocktail with cinnamon that was perfect- I also splurged on the tasting menu, and I"m so glad I did. 4 fantastic courses for only $55, which I think is a good price. I cant wait to come back, and its perfect for a special occasion or a date.

• Pros: Cozy and homey decor, plus a few outdoor tables
• Cons: a little loud, but thats OK

03/16/08

If by FLAVOR, you mean SALT and FAT

by pleasantpheasant at Citysearch

Pricey and noisy despite it's intimate appearance, this restaurant missed too many notes to make it a must-try on anyone's list. Our pleasant dinner among 6 girlfriends left us unsatisfied despite the good company. Between us, we sampled almost all of the varieties of meat/poultry on the menu and many other dishes. The verdict: TOO MUCH SALT AND TOO MUCH CREAM. It is hard to go wrong with ingredients as high quality as Applewood's, but the pork belly was too rich (almost inedible), chard oversalted, squash overdone, etc., etc. A chocolate souffle with tarragon ice cream was with what tasted like chili powder in the chocolate was a total miss. A celery root soup that could have been either heartier in flavor or made springy by being lighter, was really just a bowl of creme. Only if you *never* cook for yourself, you just might think this food was interesting, innovative or well done.

Despite our nice waiter, the overall tenor of the place was incredibly snooty - they threaten to charge the hell out of your credit card for cancellation. Between us, we could have gone to the farmer's market and cooked a more inspired meal.

• Cons: SALTY, CREAMY, PRICEY, NOISY

01/07/08

Gift Certificates Beware!

by raguinn at Citysearch

A dear friend gave me a gift certificate for a birthday gift, after 4 or 5 failed attempts to get a reservation paired with a hectic personal schedule it was tough to get in. After finally settling on a date and arriving at the table I realized the certificate was expired by a month and a half. Hoping this would be no big deal for a local haunt with no more than 20 tables, surprisingly I was met with the cold shoulder. Use it or loose it, was said. The food was wonderful, the service was on point but the host/manager had an attitude better suited for a battleship. Couldn't even get a cocktail out of her for a $100 pre-paid gift certificate... The whole experience put a damper on what would have been a special evening.

11/07/07

Warm & Charming

by willwriteforfood at Citysearch

Went to dinner at Applewood for my wife's birthday.

I had a reservation which I took care of online. I sent it on a Monday morn & recieved a response that eve even though the restaurant is dark on Mondays. The wine list for reds by the glass is a bit lacking. Food was delicious. I started with the lobster broth. My wife the had the diver scallops. Both were cooked to perfection. For an entree I had Sea Bass in polenta - My wife an acorn squash dish. I agree it's a bit like being transplanted to a Vermont bed & breakfast. One certainly might forget they are in Park Slope.

One caveat - Careful where you sit - They have a fireplace (they stoke this a bit to much - on average every 10 minutes) - so much so it r u n s the fine line between warm & romantic and being burned as a Heretic at the stake. All that said we will be back.

• Pros: Ambience & wonderful food
• Cons: Wine list - should offer more & better choices by the glass