Do you remember when I was a vegetarian? I don't.

Start to finish, Fette Sau is a perfect concept for a restaurant. I think I am in love.

Fette Sau means, I am told, fatted pig, as in "Come on over. We'll roast the fatted pig and drink some bourbon." It's a restaurant opened in a former auto-body shop and it's brilliant. Food's decade and simple...I tried (and can recommend) pork shoulder, ribs, pastrami, pork belly and (yes -- it's true) pig tails.



With drawings of butchers' cuts on the walls...the most extensive whiskey and bourbon selection I've ever seen...and custom-made brews poured from taps made of mallets and butcher's knives...BRILLIANT! The aesthetic is genius. And while pulling off a sort of a haute-industrial DIY look the vibe is laid back, very accomodating and casual. No small part of that casual atmosphere is the fact that it is an exclusively counter service joint. You amble up to the counter and pick out some smoked meats served by weight with sides of burnt-end beans, german-style potatoe salad or sauerkraut. Bravo.

I'll be back.

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Havemyer St.
718-963-3404

Hawaiian Pancakes

The New York Times recently reprinted an recipe for David Eyre's Pancake -- a recipe from 1966 which, over the last 40 years, my mother has served her 7 children and husband with frequency and to great applause. In turn, I have served it for many friends. I was happy to see it reprinted...and Amanda Hesser is right to praise it...but if anybody tries the chicken savory adaptation please tell me if it's an improvement upon the original. I just can't imagine that it is. I admit that my nostalgia and affection for the original recipe may have cemented my mind fully shut on this topic.

With thanks to The Food Section blog- I'll repost some photos and comments:

David Eyre’s Pancake
Adapted from Craig Claiborne

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
confectioner’s sugar (to taste)
fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, flour, and tablespoon of sugar. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet or ovenproof dish. Pour the batter into the pan or dish and bake for 20 minutes or until the pancake puffs up and turns golden brown (as seen in the photo above). Sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. Watch it quickly deflate (as seen in the photo below) and serve immediately.

Serves two to four (depending on your will power).

RISE AND FALL The David Eyre's Pancake, in its puffed out state straight from the oven (above) and doused with lemon and sugar before devouring (below).

A few other posts about this pancake:
Orangette with a dutch baby pancake
Serious Eats
And some picky person on chowhound wants salt. Figures.