Named for a dessert of the Old South, Tipsy Parson is a Chelsea restaurant serving up Southern "belly-filling goodness." The bar reminds me of book case in an old southern mansion with booze and little trinkets sitting on the shelves. Kristen and I grabbed a table in the bar area right next to the hostess stand. It was a bit weird to be so close to the hostess. but it actually worked out as if she was our second server. The cocktails at Tipsy Parson looked good, but I stuck to the local draught beer selection while Kristen got wine.

Food

Mushroom Spoonbread {14}
herb ricotta, wild mushrooms, caramelized salsify,
pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oil

Shrimp & Grits {16}
broiled spiced shrimp, Rockland Plantation stone-ground grits,
fried green tomato, spicy tomato vinaigrette

Short Rib {26}
cheerwine-braised all-natural short rib,
parsnip puree, parsnip chips

The appetizers were alright, but our entree short rib was awesome. Big enough for us to split, the short rib was not only a generous portion, but packed with flavor. The parsnip puree combined with the sweet braised meat was an delightful combination. We were too full for dessert! Probably won't go back, but was a cool spot to check out. I actually hear they do a great brunch--maybe thats worth checking out!

Five Leaves

Call me a snob, but I don't usually travel to Brooklyn for food. Manhattan has plenty of great food options, why would I? Then again, Brooklyn restaurants have created a lot of buzz; so maybe it is worth the trip? Five Leaves is one BK restaurant that has garnered a lot of attention but is it all hype? Five Leaves is a small cafe/bar across the street from McCarren Park in Green Point where Nassau, Bedford, and Lorimer meet. This hipster spot is no reservations, so you will most likely have to wait over an hour. Walk over to Manhattan Inn for a cocktail while you wait and check back.

The Manhattan Inn--restaurant and piano bar serves up great drinks from new inventive cocktails to the classics. I got their Hot Toddy which was awesome, especially considering the crisp November air. The combination of spices and whiskey could have kept me their all night; but we had to check if our name moved up the list at Five Leaves. Luckily, our table was close to ready, so we only really waited an hour --not the hour and a half we were told. The restaurant was extremely cramped. It was awkward waiting for our table while people tried to get by. We finally sat down into the sunken chairs and got real excited for our meal.

Service was good--not great. Our food got to our tables before our drinks; but it didn't make or break the meal. Our server was actually quite friendly and pretty knowledgeable. But we didn't come for the service so on to the food! The food was all good. We started with oysters and devils on horseback (dates wrapped in bacon). For our main course, Christy got the burger which looked good, but I didn't try. She seemed to enjoy it. Jackie got the artic char which she absolutely loved. The skin-on artic char came with sunchokes, creamy leeks, manilla clams, and trout roe. Shakes got the seared scallops with black lentils, grain mustard, and maple braised bacon and one of the appetizer specials. I got the bar steak: marinated hanger steak with carrots, cipollini onions, and fries. The steak was good, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't make at home. I was going to get the Short Rib, but I had a short rib the night before so I wanted to switch it up.

For dessert, we got the milk chocolate pot de creme and the Rosewater Pavlova. The chocolate pot de creme was good while the Rosewater Pavlova might have been the weirdest dessert I've ever tasted. It was OK in flavor, but just weird.

In conclusion, Five Leaves is a solid neighborhood restaurant. If I were Jackie and Christy I would probably frequent this place quite often, but as far as being a destination restaurant--Five Leaves falls short. Sure the food was delicious, but there are plenty of closer food options. Part of me liked the cozy charm of Five Leaves, but being knocked in the head while eating isn't an ideal situation. Overall, good friends and food proved to be an awesome night. Thank you for a great meal Jackie and Christy!

Definitely worth stopping by and making your own decision.