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Brooklynn's Bistro
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
2 reviews for Brooklynn's Bistro
2 reviews in English
-
Review from DineoutGal A.
Winnipeg, MB
4/30/2011 2 photos
This place opened up in early April 2011. The Executive Chef, Darryl Crumb participated in Top Chef Canada. He's a Manitoba boy who trained elsewhere and right now, he's still a contestant on the show. Whether he was on the show or not, I still would have tried this place. But I definitely didn't increase my expectations of this place because that only sets you up for disappointment. After a few visits, my view on this place is mixed.
The space is very bright and airy with high column posts painted in black with the rest of the space in white. The noise level can get a bit loud, especially when the place fills up.There are large blown up black and white photos of a little girl named Brooklynn, which I assume to be daughter of the owner. The photos add and endearing touch to the place.
This place bills itself as an "Italian Bistro with an emphasis on fine dining, a contemporary look and true authentic Italian food." This place is neither super casual nor fine dining - somewhere in the middle. Antipasti ($7-$10), primi ($14-$17), secondi ($19-$28) and pizzas ($10-$14). The menu is short on pastas, as there are only 4 offered (including a risotto dish), which is a little disappointing for an Italian bistro. Also, I was a little confused by the spring menu because it offered some very hearty/wintery dishes like braised beef in ravioli and a gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce. The menu aims to be seasonal with an emphasis on local fresh offerings so the heaviness of some of the dishes were odd. The dining room is a split level that can probably seat close to 50 people. There's also a pizza area on the right hand side when you walk in. You can watch the chefs toss the dough around and bake your pizza.
Dinner starts off with complimentary, freshly warmed foccacia bread with a side of olive oil and reduced balsamic vinegar to dip the bread in. The bread was fluffy and delicious. Since it was my first visit, I wanted to try a pasta dish so I chose the ravioli ($17). I was hungry so I opted for this heavier "spring" dish...LOL. You get 5 supersized ravioli pieces that were shaped in huge triangles that filled the entire plate and included a side of mixed green salad that helped to cut the heaviness of the dish. I was excited to hear that the pasta is made fresh daily in-house. Unfortunately, the ravioli reminded me of perogy pieces instead. The pasta was way too thick and dense but at least it was cooked al dente. The braised beef filling was kind of dry and wasn't very flavourful. The red wine demi-glace on the ravioli was a little too rich that it tasted more like reduced balsamic vinegar instead. I would not order this again, unless they revamped the pasta recipe.
On another visit, I really enjoyed my pizza here. The crust was just right, as it wasn't too thick or thin with just the right consistency without being too doughy or crisp. The "boa pizza" ($14) is a great light dinner if you're not too hungry. I really enjoyed the smokiness of the provolone and the well seasoned fire-roasted chicken. The pesto wasn't too garlicky but definitely added a great flavour to the pizza. My cousin had the fillet of beef ($28) which comes a peppercorn cream sauce, dill smashed potatoes and asparagus. I always thought peppercorn sauces were more French than Italian? Anyhow, I tried a bit of her dish and I can't say it was very good. The steak was a decent sized portion and was cooked to preference but the sauce tasted more like a demi-glace (another French sauce) than a peppercorn cream sauce. So that was a huge deviation from the menu. I've never seen a peppercorn sauce with no peppercorns in it!
There's also the Boa Lounge next door, I think the last time I was in there it was the Bull & Bear. You can order from a more condensed menu in the lounge. There's also 2 pool tables and some TVs there. But otherwise, I've always found that lounge to be way too big to accommodate the smaller crowds that this area draws (even under previous ownership). The space also feels a little sparsely decorated. I was there with a few coworkers after work and was hoping for a more lively crowd. I did enjoy my LA Lychee martini ($6.50) - it was well balanced with just enough sweetness. But I would suggest that they put a lychee in the glass instead of a mango in there next time. Service was friendly in the lounge.
I'd definitely come back for the pizza at Brooklynn's, but the other dishes were quite disappointing. I think they need some more time to work out more of the recipes and really consider more seasonally inspired dishes. And I really want to try more non-mainstream authentic Italian dishes like more in the realm of Mario Batali than just the typical Italian fare that many places serve. I think that would make Brooklynn's more unique in this market. -
Review from John I.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2011
Tough to say this place is any better than all the rest of the restaurants that once located in this venue. Although they tightened up the layout and it is somewhat more visually appealing, the restaurant can't understand what its true operating mission/vision really is. Although Italian inspired items are part of their overall offering, I was really disappointed with the food. Items lacked flavor and were really incorrectly prepared from the chicken parmigiana to a ravioli to even a basic pizza. A special mention of poor quality is their peppercorn steak. The steak (a Safeway cut) was chewy and lacked the performance characteristics of high class meat. The sauce was NOT peppercorn and the chef should know better. They must revamp their recipe.
On a more positive note, I did appreciate the restaurant's ventilation system, which is critical for wood oven pizza cooking. Drink menu is nothing spectacular, but water was fresh. Plates, forks and knives were clean and modern.
I can't recommend this establishment. The food was purely unspectacular. In addition, their bar/lounge across the hall was basically an empty room and lacked any real sense of "community".
Good luck.
