Yes, the restaurant is in Williamsburg
but I promise you it’s a quick trip. I
consulted my trusty Google maps which said to take the JMZ train to Marcy Ave – first
stop in Brooklyn. While only 2-3 blocks from the
station, the location is a bit tricky to navigate so make sure
to have a map handy (or access to one on your snazzy phone).
Entrance to Traif |
Traif, which specializes in pork and shellfish dishes
(definitely not Kosher here!), changes their menu based upon what’s fresh and
in season. They recommend ordering
dishes to share (2-3 dishes per person) so it’s a great opportunity to try
different things.
I’ll admit – it wasn’t until recently that I got into sharing my food (I used to be like Joey on Friends with a no sharing policy – yes I’m greedy.). And thank goodness I learned to share cause I got to try more dishes that way!
I’ll admit – it wasn’t until recently that I got into sharing my food (I used to be like Joey on Friends with a no sharing policy – yes I’m greedy.). And thank goodness I learned to share cause I got to try more dishes that way!
Their menu changes daily to reflect whats fresh! |
The menu also offers several original
cocktails and a large wine selection to choose from. Take a look!
My Autumn Cabin - I love drinks with ginger in it! |
After selecting 5 dishes, dinner buddy S and I were
presented with an amuse bouche: Moroccan Lentil Soup. The soup was a puree, so very heavy and
creamy. There was a strong tomato-ey
taste and the spices were definitely there.
While good, this was a bit strong for me to open my meal with.
Amuse Bouche: Morocca Lentil Soup |
Our dishes then started coming out one one or two at a time. Here’s a rundown
of the dishes we got and my thoughts.
I’ll try to keep it brief:
Salt and Pepper Spicy White Shrimp - my fav! |
Salt and
Pepper Spicy White Shrimp. This was
amazing – probably my favorite dish of the night. There was a bit of an Asian undertone, but
still very unique. The shrimp were big
and crispy, and served in a creamy slightly spicy sauce with pineapple and
sweet potatoes.
Vegetation for the night |
Salad.
Served with persimmons,
comice pears, radish, bacon, blue cheese, hazelnuts, greens, truffle vin. Lots of ingredients and I enjoyed the light
and fresh dish between all the other rich dishes. Everyone needs a veg and this was perfect!
Mmmm...Short Rib Sliders |
BBQ Braised Short Rib Sliders.
These were so soft and the meat from the short ribs was tender. Slightly sweet but I liked the BBQ
flavor. Mayo sauce - “smoked paprika
aioli” the menu says. Not quite sure
what that is but I thought it went great with the sliders. Came with sweet potato fries that were
perfectly crispy!
Any pasta with crab and truffle sauce is good in my book! |
Bellflower
Pasta with Blue Crab, Black Truffle Sauce, Braised Leeks. This
dish was sooo good. Creamy, rich,
truffle-y. Mmmm….
Amazing fall-off-the-bone tender duck |
Confit of Moulard Duck Leg. I
don’t eat duck, but this was good. The
skin was crispy (you could hear the crunch as you cut it!) with a great
glaze. The meat was fall off the bone
tender – no knife needed! Served with
lentils that were tasty as well.
As you can see
from my pics, I was lucky and got to try a good variety. Each dish had its own distinct taste and
memorable flavor, which still causes my mouth to water as I write this post
up. One more (good) thing to note - I expected tapas sized
portions (aka tiny) but each dish came out with a decent portion for sharing plates! This, of course, means I over-ordered for the
two of us but hey – don’t let that discourage you. Order EVERYTHING if you go and let me know
which is your favorite!
Piggy says Yes!
Thanks for
reading – Piggy KK
We love Traif! The seared foie dish is one of my favorite executions of foie gras. We also really like the spicy tuna and ribs. You should go for a repeat trip just to get those! :) Like you said, the portions are actually quite generous and the food is inherently heavy so 2 dishes a person is more than enough.
ReplyDeleteFoie gras, spicy tuna, ribs!!! Sounds like a repeat trip is a must for me - thanks for the recs!
ReplyDelete