Food was okay here. I liked and admired what they were doing with the food, but it was a bit over the top in flavor. To really get a taste of what the restaurant is about, I think the best way to go about it is the tasting menu since it's quite generous portions that allow you to taste most of what's on the menu for a fraction of that price. read more

Alls i have to say is that the chicken slid off the bone. Do you hear me? It SLID off the BONE. Everything was oh so tasty. My date and i happened to get there after midnight and it was raining. We sat in the garden area underdeath a see-thru awning/tent thingy majiger (i dont know the names of these things). Either way, it was sexy. Everything tasted great. And you must go. Thanks. read more

I went back for a friend, and I'm glad I did. My friend loved it, and I had no complaints. In fact, this review is going to be slightly more positive. We had great drinks and good food. Drinks: I wanted to try something new, so based on the server's recommendation, I ordered the Apple drink. I do not remember the name, but it was refreshing. Pretty much an alcoholic apple cider. *shrug* Food: (1) Tuna tartare. Very refreshing and fresh. Tasty. (2) Broccoli rabe with truffle toast and fried egg. Very heavy but delicious. Indulgent. (3) Short rib sliders. MMM. That bread was buttery and soft, and it went perfectly with the sweet short ribs. Sweet potato fries were amazing too. (4) Seared Foie. Had to get it again. I love it with the fried egg. Another rich and indulgent dish, but they sear the foie so well. (5) Softshell crab. Not pieces, but the entire small softshell crab with a delectable avocado mixture. I love softshell crab, and I love avocado. Perfect dish for me. (6) Bacon doughnuts with coffee ice cream. I have yet to want to try another dessert dish because this dish is always such a great choice. Crispy bacon bits. Fluffy, fresh doughnuts. Mmm. Can't go wrong. All in all, I love the shared plates concept because I love to try new dishes, so let me retract my previous statement. I WILL return to Traif as long as anyone wants to go because I have yet to try ALL of their dishes, so until I do... I'm down to go back. read more

Last night out in NY with one of my best of friends hanging out... She told me about this place and we walk over... yes she's cool to live close by in this amazing neighborhood... we walk in and were seating considering we did not have reservations! Lucky Us! The ambiance would be my only complaint... way too dark... it was so dark (black ceilings) that I could barely see my food and see the presentation! Anyway, we ordered several dishes and I think their dishes change often, ... but here are some of the dishes (I may be off with some of the ingredients since its been a few months now). Sauteed broccoli rabe, portabello mushrooms, truffle toast, fried egg, aged asiago, this was okay, I felt it was a bit heavy and sloppy to eat. Foie gras served with crostini and some sweet spread (sorry can't remember what it actually was) but this was bar far my favorite.. it was like eating silky peanut butter! Scallop (or ? sorry I have photo though) w/seaweed (very fresh and melted in mouth), white fish (hamachi neck I think), w/spring zucchini (another favorite). Pan seared scallop and risotto ( scallop was a little over cooked and risotto was heavy). Drinks, I had some type of mojito that was off the chain.. it was spicy and I loved it! My friend had a chocolate type cocktail that was also quite refreshing! I think over all I would like to come here again to try other dishes such as their pork dishes as it is their specialty but yes, my friend doesn't eat pork so we refrained from the other goodies. For the most part, I enjoyed my experience although some of the dishes were a bit of a miss, but again, I think if I had tried some of their other dishes, I may have been more pleased. I'll still give it 3.5-4 stars. read more

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It amazed me how EXACT a ripoff Traif is from my favorite restaurant, Animal, in Los Angeles. Don't get me wrong, the food at Traif was good.....just not as good......and seriously wow a blatant copy. Even the way the menu is formatted is the same. Near exact flavor combinations as well. In order of best items I had to not best items. - bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates - ridiculous - sweetbreads - maybe my favorite thing to eat so i liked these much more than everyone else. these were excellent though. - broccolli rabe portabella truffle toast + egg - one of the favorites of the group. - braised short rib sliders - better than i thought they were going to be. still no pork belly sliders from Animal though. - pork belly - i'd get it again. not too much to say. good pork belly. - duck confit lettuce wraps - not bad, nothing special - foie gras dish + maple syrup and an egg - extremely similar to one of my all time favorite dishes at Animal. this combo did not work for me here. - bacon donuts - meh. - some type of clams casino type thing - didn't like the clove or whatever similar seasoning was included - hamachi carpaccio - i did not like the combo of flavors and the fish was fishy. It makes sense to copy such a successful concept and bring it to NY however I guess I am just a little offended that Traif is such an exact copy concept wise.......except with cheaper prices. Most expensive dish is like $18. I feel like the quality of ingredients is maybe not there and thats part of what was missing.......and also why they can keep cost down. I forgot about a few items we had but total meal out the door was like $250. Same meal at Animal would be $400.....but way better. read more

First time at Traif and of course not the last one... This place is amazing and the food is yummy! The pork sliders are the best... the spicy tuna with eggplants is delicious, not to forget the crispy shrimps... Will return soon to try more dishes The only thing that I didnt like was the music... very loud and lot of trance which is not appropriate for the place read more

My wife and I went there on Saturday 11/26. We arrived w/o a reservation around 6:30 and got a window table right away. I'd recommend getting a reservation. Even at that early hour we had the last table. Traif (meaning "forbidden" in Hebrew as I've been told) lives up to its name. Pork and shell fish appear in nearly all dishes. (Heck, they have bacon doughnuts for dessert.) It features small plates. We ordered 5 and found it to be a comfortable amount leaving room for dessert. Every dish was tasty with several being outstanding. In particular, the pork belly had a crispiness that melted quickly in your mouth and a perfect saltiness. The beets with local mozzarella, pomegranate, yogurt, and mint was refreshing. While the gemelli pasta, blue crab, fresh black truffles, and braised leeks dish had a buttery richness. The scallop and butterfish carpaccio were both well prepared and interesting combinations of flavors. The show stealer was the budino. All I can say is ridiculously good! Not incredibly sweet, nice cocoaey taste. Have it. Also of note was absinthe on the drink menu. I had a glass after dinner that really rounded a perfect evening well. As for the atmosphere, it's low key and high energy with a mostly 20-30 something hip crowd. However, we sat next to a table with a family of 6 including 2 children under 10 and they fit just fine. Awesome place. Can't wait for my next trip to Brooklyn to go there again. read more

Will definitely be back! I had been wanting to try this place out for a while and was actually glad when we couldn't get in to Peter Luger's (since when do they take reservations? hahaha). Thankfully the hostess was able to squeeze us in. It's tapas style which is exactly the way I like to eat. They mentioned that the menu changes frequently which keeps you on your toes! Loved everything that came out... the braised short rib sliders + fries, the tuna tartare on the eggplant tempura, the sauteed broccoli rabe + truffle toast + fried egg, the soft shell crab, and the scallops! Was too full to try the donuts so we'll be back for them! read more

What a pleasant surprise. The food was delightful, flavorful, precise. The service was warm and and the atmosphere was perfect, not too trendy, nor loud to really enjoy your meal and good company. But what impressed me most were the details not on the menu, the amuse bouche - chilled corn chowder with vanilla...wow, as well as the chilled watermelon sqaures with pomegranate molasses that came with the check. Bravo! read more

FOODGASM! Best Brunch I've ever had. Bacon sliders, Bacon Doughnuts, Lemon Plum Salad, Egg in a Basket... all to die for. Traif - your piggy goodness stole my heart. Highlight of my trip to Brooklyn! Tips, sit on the patio or the bar. Be prepared to wait, it's worth it. read more

I have nothing bad to say about this spot!! Decor ,Service and most importantly food were all fantastic. We were greeted immediately and seated within minutes of arrival. The waitress was a sweetheart not to mention hot lol. She recommended items on the menu as well as drinks. Once ordered the first dish was brought out less then 8 minutes.. The 1st dish was A watermelon gazpacho they brought out imbetween one of the dishes was amazing refreshing yet mildly spicy go figure ... either way it worked. Amazing (and complimentary BTW) Spicy Tuna tar tare & tempura & eggplant.... The eggplant was lightly breaded and fried it accompanied the tuna very well. wasn't my favorite dish of the night but nevertheless still good. The Strawberry cinnamon baby back Ribs were tender and flavorful.definitely will order again Not a fan of Italian sausage but The pasta w/ Italian sausage was excellent. The pasta was perfectly aldente and the sauce was extremely delicious. Now onto the chicken and biscuits .....one word Amazing! Ive never tasted biscuits that good.The gravy on the biscuits was um mm ummm good!! i wanted to order to go lol last but not least the dessert ....The bacon donuts w/ coffee ice cream was off the hook!! Who knew bacon and ice cream would taste so good together ... genius lol Traif was a great experience ...I'm already planing my 2nd visit this week lol read more

Came here on a Thursday night and as a first timer, I was instantly impressed. First thing's first, I was sat down right away and secondly, the menu looked fantastic with SOOOOOO many good choices to pick from! I ordered three different entrées and every single one was literally finger licking good: the bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates, baked muenster cheese, and the strawberry cinnamon glazed ribs. Lastly but certainly not least, you must try the bacon doughnuts to end your dinner! I'm glad I came here and I promise you will too. read more

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I love it. The food is great as is the decor and service and it has a beautiful patio The drinks are good and the wine list is great and reasonable! My favorites tuna tartare hamachi carpaccio roasted carrot salad pork belly sliders duck confit ok, well pretty much everything. the only one i wasn't super pumped about was the corncakes with shrimp, but that was just in comparison with everything else. Its great to go with about 4 people so you can try lots of stuff. great for sharing and the portions are pretty decent for a tapas style place. I have been back several times and it is consistently good. I plan to go back again and bring more people. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in New York state. I give it a 5 start because everything was perfect from the food, to the cocktails, to the service. The dishes were very unique and all perfectly cooked and spiced. The cocktails were equally unique, made with good alcohol and extremely well balanced. All of the waiters were smiling, in a good mood, and happy to talk. I had some good conversation with the lady who was serving us, and she was very helpful throughout our dinner. Two of the people in our group had been there twice before, and the waiters/waitresses remembered and welcomed them very kindly, and offered us a free dessert at the end. The prices are not high at all for what you get, and it is wonderful that the dishes are small and meant to be shared. If you go with a group, its a good idea to order 2 of each dish so that everyone can try it. I'll be going here very often from now on! read more

3.5 stars round up to 4. Great food, a little hurried with the service. Prices are fairly reasonable. Everything was incredible except for the bacon broth, which reminded us of hot dog water or something like that. The bacon donuts were the highlight. If you don't have reservations, I'd probably go early. Lots of street parking in the neighborhood. read more

I loved the dining experience at Traif, and I will be back! I went out on a limb for a friend's birthday dinner here and we definitely weren't sorry. The chef began with a cold asparagus soup that was on the house to wet our appetites while looking at their extensive menu of small plates options. The portions are small, which makes the bill ring up fast since it is recommended to have at least 7-9 dishes per visit. All worth it in the end. Here's what we devoured during our last visit: Bacon wrapped blue cheese dates--these were flavorful and delicious Dayboat scallops--my favorite of all we tried--scallops were moist, tender and exploding with flavor Braised short rib sliders--excellent and fun little bites of BBQ Sweet potato fries w/ paprika aioli--hands down the best fries I have ever tired Broccoli Rabe with truffle toast and mushrooms--surprisingly not bitter at all, deep truffly goodness, and a great veggie option Key Lime pie--yum, said the people who shared around me Pineapple finisher--delicious, sweet, fresh The food's presentation was lovely, the tastes were high quality, unique and delicious. Can't wait to return! read more

On Christmas went to see a movie and got lunch at zabar but i was missing something. Chinese Christmas at Traif. This is why Traif is my favorite restaurant. Duck wonton soup: Wontons, braised leg, crispy skin, sesame , cranberry Crispy Hampshire pork dumplings, ginger, scallion, sesame, passion fruit soy Chinese red barbecue glazed baby back pork ribs 'hot pot' of baby octopus, mussels, cockles bok choy black beans sauce crispy , confit chicken wings, five spice glaze "fried rice" rock shrimp bacon , pineapple, barley black rice noodles, braised short ribs broccoli rabe, sweet soy sweet-sour Berkshire pork belly lychees , bell peppers black pepper- caramel scallops, long beans, tomatoes, mint cashew sweetbread, snow peas shao hsing garlic sauce. spicy garlic-chile chinese eggplant everything was amazing wish Christmas was every week. or a Sunday Chinese dinner at Traif will be amazing. If not will be there next year. read more

Very cool bar scene with incredible flavor combinations. This is really one of the places you have to taste and see to get an idea of it. There are very few times I've come to a place and been wowed by every meal. The courses are tapas-like in that they are small portions and really meant to be shared with people. The wait staff is incredibly friendly and the bar tender knew his alcohols. My meal experience went as such. We ordered our food and were treated to complementary watermelon and tomato gazpacho. First course were the strawberry cinnamon braised pork ribs and the BBQ sliders with sweet potato fries. Next the bartender treated us to sample shots of an old alcohol that reminded me of absinthe and prepared a custom drink, Nicoloshka. Then seafood soup with crackers. Then the maple bacon donuts for dessert. And the complimentary fruit dish of fresh pineapple, herbs, and pomegranate reduction. Oh yeah, it was on... it was on like Donkey Kong. read more

I CAN. NOT. say enough about both the food and the service at this restaurant. I did the $40 chef's tasting menu last Saturday for a bachelorette party of 11 girls. I worked with both Kristen and Heather who were very communicative, amenable and accommodating. SERVICE: A girl at my party is allergic to Nuts, Sesame, Poppy, Curry, Coconut, Quinoa, Eggplant, Mushroom, and Shellfish. Not an easy guest!! The team at Traif was completely game and catered the menu to her needs without reservation. They even emailed her the list of dishes ahead of time. They also went above and beyond by identifying her when we sat down, introducing themselves, alerting her to which dishes she couldn't eat, and bringing her her own pasta extra entree, free of charge. This on top of serving 10 other girls. The whole thing was totally seamless. I COULD NOT have asked for a better experience. FOOD: Every single thing was beyond delicious. Our menu was as follows: -red lentil soup -macintosh apples, greens, cranberries, bacon, blue cheese, dijon vin. -strawberry-cinnamon glazed berkshire baby back ribs -baked muenster cheese, smoked chorizo, golden apples, crostini -bbq, braised short rib sliders, sweet potato fries, smoked paprika aioli -seared scallops and tuna tartare -sweetbreads schnitzel, cinnamon spaetzle, parsnips, haricot, paprika, sherry -quail 'n' biscuits: buttermilk-crust, sausage gravy, bacon-corn biscuits, honey -braised hampshire pork cheeks, long-cooked broccoli, creamy parmesan polenta -bacon donuts -pane cotta Just rereading that is making me hungry. One of the best meal's I've ever had. I can't recommend it more highly. read more

Is now my favorite restaurant! Attention was great and the food was phenomenal. Did the chefs tasting and tried a little bit of everything, which I definitely recommend read more

Remembering the meal we had at Traif is like remembering a tough but rewarding race: the surging levels of adrenaline and serotonin, the heat, the excitement, and the exhaustion afterwards. I lost count of the small plates we ordered in rapid succession, from the superfresh salad to the tiny and delectable sliders ... and of course, the famed bacon donuts. It's all such a blur ... but something I'd willingly do again, now that I've forgotten the pain (of how full I was at the end!). read more

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After spending a long weekend in NYC, the award for best dish was a tie between the miso black cod from Nobu and the butterfish from here at Traif. Pretty high marks after going to lots of great NY restaurants. After mistakenly going into XIXA, Traif's sister restaurant, we found Traif and were promptly seated. Traif was jam packed on a Friday night and had a great energy. Small open kitchen where you can see all the magic happen. How one chef and his assistants can cook for so many people still baffles me. You must get the butterfish. Like it's name, it was buttery soft with a bit of avocado and a really flavorful oil. Should have ordered a few of these but it was worth it to try some more of the menu. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and a large portion. Hard to cut since it was a slab, but otherwise excellent. One scallop I ate contained a giant piece of sand or something else that was hard, which ruined the experience for me, but otherwise I didn't find the dish cooked well or that flavorful anyways. The sliders were pretty standard. Very sweet with soft short rib. The cockels were the most interesting dish we had. Though my date loved them, I wasn't a fan of the broth. You don't see cockels on most menus, so if you like them I'd say go for it. Traif provided a pretty excellent meal for a good price. Lots of interesting and unique items for anyone's taste. read more

You have ventured into Brooklyn. You made it past the frogger style streets and you have somehow landed at Traif. Well today is your lucky day. Be prepared to be taken on a 9 course tasting meal that goes from light to heavy. This is the way to go for a first timer and until you know what you like, that's when you go A la Carte. The ambiance is hip and carefree. The music is low but still intelligible to the ears and gives it that nice eating mood that only comes with chill indie music. For the food, by far the highlight of the courses were the seafood dishes. The sea scallops were seared to perfection and had a nice little hint of spice. The blowfish was also very interesting. It was my first time eating blowfish and I was hoping I wasn't going to die, like in The Simpsons. Fortunately they were using the sac, but rather just the tail. So I was safe. Phew. That was close. The bacon doughnuts at the end...wow. That was awesome. Gotta get that for sure. Happiness in your mouth! read more

OMG you MUST try the tasting menu while here. It's the best way to eat your way around the menu and sample the best this restaurant has to offer. And not bad for $45. The wine bottle selection is also delicious and reasonably priced. Some great dishes I had include: Glazed ribs with strawberries Pork belly, lentils and greens Melted muenster cheese with pork belly accompanied with toast Seared scallops Tuna tartare Sweet breads Bagels and lox (everything focaccia with smoked salmon) Bacon doughnuts Mom's key lime pie. Didn't think Brooklyn can do KLP but this one was one of the best I've ever had (and I've had the original from FL too) Everything about this meal is enjoyable. If you can make the trip out here I highly recommend trying it out. read more

The search was on for the perfect place for a bunch of guys to get together to share a meal. A place that we've never been to before, had good reviews, served up unique eats, and of course had good service. Oh, and by the way, it needed to be able to seat a table of about 30 heads. 30 hungry men who had been spending the day playing in the dirt (ATV) all day in celebration of one of our fallen comrades crossing over to the other side - thus one of our very own was getting married and we wanted to show him a good time over a great meal being he is quite a foodie himself. As part of the planning process, we visited Traif on a weekday and found the place packed, not just considering it was way past 11pm on weeknight, but it was packed as if it was a Friday or Saturday night - a first good sign to us. Through all the hustle and bustle, we were promptly greeted by Heather, co-owner/host/manager and super woman extraordinaire herself. She sent the menu to us beforehand, was willing to work with us on headcount, menu, and promised us no one would leave hungry (something I was quite concerned about the whole time). Our party was a little late - as big groups usually are, and being that we are Asian, arriving on Asian time is to be expected, but as soon as we walked in (the remaining guests of this very manly soiree sharing tapas and cocktails) she happily greeted me with a smile and a hug and thus the food came out with what seemed like no lag time at all. (It's taken me longer to power up my PC then it did for the first dish to come out from time of sit down) The menu is constantly changing but we had little bite sized morsels of food so different most of the guests cautiously plunged their forks into every dish that came out making sure to ask what it was before trying it. - 'Hey, this is really good!' - Oh yeah - well you just gnawed on some savory pig tails buddy! - 'Oh ... seriously? Uhm!' - 'Yup!' - 'Wow - who'd a thunk?' Dish after dish the laughter and good eats continued and despite having to serve ~30 hungry men, the service was on top of it and Heather came by to check up on us more often than you'd expect the manager of a packed resty with a constant flow of people waiting outside to do so. Now that's service! On to the food: We started off with some fall off the bone mouth watering Strawberry Glazed Ribs. Amazing start to our 12 course meal - they were gone in literally 60 seconds flat and only a few short minutes later our second dish came out, promptly followed by the others. What else did we have? - Deep fried pork belly topped with pineapples, toasted almonds, and crumbled blue cheese and drizzled raspberry sauce (different and acquired for some, but more for me with no opposition) - Steak Tartare w/ puff pastry and bone marrow topped w/ a pesto sauce. (Even a few guys who always prefer their steak medium well managed to lick the corner of their mouths while smurking in silent approval) 'Okay, you're right, it's pretty good!' - Spicy shrimp sauteed with yams, potatoes, long beans and chives (Being Chinese American, specifically and more importantly, Taiwanese - there was someting familiar about this dish so I wasn't so surprised with it as with the other dishes but it was good - not as amazing as the first time I had an authentic Argentinean Parillada or as much fun as our guest of honor watching back2back episodes of Glee and squeeling in ... well Glee - but it was good) - Big eye tuna tatare over tempura eggplant kecap manis. What can I say about this one? This dish was one of my favorites and obviously of the other guests as well because after everyone took their first bite, it was like a 3PM Saturday afternoon kung-fu marathon as we basically all fought for whatever was left on the plate. BTW, kungfu with forks is definitely not as effective as kungu with chopsticks) - Seared foie gras over roasted fingerling potatoes, topped with a perfectly cooked sunny side egg and warm honey maple syrup drizzle. Now I have to say, although I'm against the cruelty involved with making foie gras, I have to admit I'm a big fan. This dish reminded me of breakfast but with FOIE GRAS!!!! A few meat and potatoe guys at the table tried it and enjoyed it despite all the pretentiousness and hoity toity personality tied to anything related to foie gras - score! (I also worried about whether 30 meat loving men would enjoy tiny morsels of shared modern fusion tapas, be full, and at the same time not scorn the fact that they would be eating things they might not have ever tried or ever wanted to try - but so far so good) Due to a lack of space left on this review - the pig tails, sweet breads OMG!!!), and braised pork sliders were amazing. Bacon doughnuts - have to go back for those. Great service and great food accompanied by a room full of friends old and new bonded by one man, dinner turned out to be quite the experience. A must try! read more

Traif is a solid date place, because it provides benefits to both sides. For the girl, she can dress up and sit in a hip, dark, and intimate space. For the guy, it's an excuse to eat bacon and other pork products under the guise of satisfying the periodic "date night" criteria. We ordered the following dishes: roasted bone marrow, crispy pork belly, strawberry cinammon glazed short ribs, and the bbq short-rib sliders. After that, we added the bacon doughnuts for dessert. In retrospect, I would've replaced the sliders with something else -- just too similar in taste to the short ribs. The bacon doughnuts were interesting but maybe a little too hyped up by all these Yelp reviews below. read more

Since my first visit in June 2010, Traif was always on my mind. I finally made my second visit this last Sunday. As I predicted Traif has become so huge by 6:30 it was packed (back in June it was less than half full on a Sunday evening...). Traif deserves all the rave and success. The three of us repeated the same order, but this time added 2 new dishes we did not try last time. Bacon cream broth ("oh wow, I'm so happy we're back"). Hamachi carpaccio. I have to say it was my least dish at Traif - it was hamachi ceviche sprinkled with sesame which seemed a little off. I wish it was jalapeno or cilantro instead. Sauteed broccoli rabe ("oh yes, I remember you"), Pork belly ("love it"), Sweetbreads ("oh my god, was this so good, really, why is it so good???"), Foie ("dip it in the runny egg!"), Osso bucco ("um, maybe not next time"), Bread pudding ("it's ok"), Key lime pie ("wow wow wow, the best key lime pie ever!"). All the dishes were on the salty side this time. But we all felt so good that we accomplished another pilgrimage! read more

I was so glad we ate here while staying in Brooklyn! The only negative I can give is that everything was really rich. Even the broccoli rabe was smothered with béchamel sauce, an egg, and brioche. Our favorites were the fried quail with biscuits and gravy and the bacon doughnuts. I still think about those... read more

Traif, we meet again... You woo me with your porky goodness. As my friends quoted that evening " oink oink porky oink oink". My friends and I couldnt decide where to have a late Friday night dinner. We decided to write down some suggestions and pull one out of a hat. What a delight when Traif was chosen! Ventured to BK and I was already thinking of what to have. The space was still pretty packed for a late night crowd. Good to know they open until 2am on weekends!! We waited for 15min and were accomodated in the back patio. On to the fooooood: we shared little plates of ribs, chicken wings, pork belly, broccoli rabe, bacon donuts, key lime pie yuuuuum. I would go on and on about the food, but you should just go there. NOW. And bask int he tasty delights of pork goodness. =) read more

FOOD CRAWL STOP #8: 10 food crawlers began the day at 10:30am, and 13 hours later, we wound up at Traif for our 8th stop. Already pretty full at this point, it was time to just be gluttonous - and let's face it, with a mantra like "Traif," isn't that the goal? I indulged in carpaccio, tartare, and chicken wings, but my pals went way more overboard with the pork-goodies, going so far as drinking out of bacon-rimmed glasses and desserting with bacon donuts. It was the perfect way to cap our journey. 14 hours, 8 stops, 7 miles walking, 25 miles by subway, 6 miles by cab and with all meals and transportation included under $100 later, we left not just full for the day, but probably full for the week. ...that is, until we hit Flushing's Chinatown the next day! To be continued... read more

Everything here is AMAZING - well, perhaps except the sweetbreads. The sweetbreads were executed perfectly, but I wasn't a huge fan of the asparagus and green garlic sauce. But sweetbreads aside, I had a hard time pausing to breathe in between bites of perfectly seared scallops swimming in creamed sweet corn and sage-truffle brown butter, and savouring explosions of flavour with each bite of the bacon-wrapped blue cheese-stuffed dates. One of my favourites was the "piperade": a generous serving of pork belly that was both crisp and fork-tender at the same time, but paired nicely with roasted peppers and an egg full of smooth, yolky goodness, fried wholeheartedly in bacon fat. The confit of duck leg also deserves special mention, as it was hands down one of the most tender, perfectly executed renditions I have ever eaten, and just paired magnificently with sweet chunks of Georgia peaches. The seared foie was also well prepared, but I think it was just too much fatty richness for us as we neared the tail end of our 10-dish feast. But if I were to construct a list of "don't miss" dishes, I would have to add the BBQ braised short rib sliders. How is it humanly possible to make short ribs THAT succulent and THAT tender? Not to say that the sweet potato fries were not amazing, but I could barely carry on a conversation, let alone stop to have a fry, after taking my first bite of that perfect concoction of braised short rib. Admittedly, 10 dishes (plus 2 desserts) pretty much put four hungry diners over the top, but I personally felt that the penance I will have to pay for this gluttonous feast will be well worth it. There were still so many other things on the menu that I just wanted to try, but I think I am equally tempted to just come back and nosh down on plate after plate of sliders, and top it off with a plate of bacon donuts, all for myself. read more

Delicious and creative food.. the menu changes daily, but the main components of most of the dishes remain consistent throughout the changes (which are mainly just changes in preparation and accompanying flavors) Our waitress explained that the menu is arranged from lightest to richest and that all the dishes are meant to be shared. The two of us ordered four dishes all together. About two minutes after we ordered, the waitress told us "your food is on the way!" lol, talk about efficiency. Then we realized why, she meant our complimentary amuse bouche: little shots of watermelon gazpacho. Wasn't a fan because it tasted like lukewarm tomato gazpacho but it was on the house so not gonna let it affect my rating. Anyways, on to the main event. We expected the lighter dishes we ordered to come out first and heavier dishes to follow but it ended up just the opposite. Our richest selection was the sautéed veal sweetbreads w/ artichokes cherry tomatoes and picholine olives, and that was actually brought out first which was strange but it tasted divine so no complaints. They also brought out the next richest dish early in the game, and that was also very yummy: sautéed broccoli rabe topped w/ roasted portobella-truffle toast (basically a very thick and savory texas toast) and a fried egg. After we devoured both dishes, there was about a 10-15 minute wait and we were anxious to see if they were gonna bring out the sliders next or the burrata salad. Ended up being the burrata, which was beautifully arranged w/ speckled plums, mint, tomatoes, and what appeared to be micro greens. The flavors complimented each other well. At this point I was getting stuffed because my friend didn't know what sweetbreads were and when I told him he gave up immediately so I had to finish the plate myself. Finally we got the short rib sliders, which came with perfectly cooked sweet potato fries and a smoked paprika aioli which went well w/ both the fries and sliders. I pretty much give a thumbs up to everything we tried but a thumbs down to the order in which they came out because my stomach did not agree. Next we got a dessert menu. Neither of us eat pork so the ever popular bacon donuts were a no-go. Instead we selected the vanilla panna cotta w/ berries and the chocolate parfait topped w/ brandied cherries and black sesame ice cream. Both were very good. Our waitress brought out our check along w/ an after-dinner snack: One-bite cubes of watermelon w/ a slight drizzle of pomegranate molasses and lime zest. Looked plain and simple but tasted amazing and complex! Sweet refreshing end to a fantastic meal Only cons are really that they brought out the heaviest dishes first and that the main dining area was super noisy which kills the ambiance. Tables are way too close together and space to move about is pretty much none. I did ask if we could sit in the back garden area while making reservations but they said there's only 4-ppl tables back there. When I went to the bathroom I saw that they were right about there only being 4-seat tables however most if not all the tables had a party of two sitting at them.O RLY? Food was excellent though so I do see myself coming back here. read more

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When my college friend suggested going to brooklyn for dinner, I was thrilled. My two previous experiences in brooklyn were fabulous (brooklyn bowl and prospect park) and I had a feeling this would be no different. The restaurants location is a bit tricky to get to via cab and the street its on is a little sketchy but once you get into the restaurant you feel right at home. Every single plate we ordered was delicious. The seafood was amazing, we had the tuna, scallops and shrimp (that one was my FAVORITE). But it wasn't the way it was cooked that was so good, it was everything it was uniquely paired with. Whether is be the spicy shrimp with golden pineapple or the roasted brussel sprouts with puffed rice (which was chefs vegan choice for our vegan friend), it melted it my mouth. Our conversation only added to the deliciousness of the evening. Once we all found out we were on Okcupid we compared our profiles and discussed why we were "enemies". My college friend and I realized over roasted carrots, apples and raisins that we were never meant to be bc a promising first date makes me more nervous than an important interview, but I digress... My only real complaint is that even though this is a tapas place where sharing is encouraged I would suggest coming with no more than three or four people max (a great date place). I came in with five people and the restaurant is small so we were right on top of the other tables and the 10 plate suggestion for our party did not nearly fill my belly. read more

I'm really sad to write this review. When I looked at the menu, I was super excited and reminded of Animal in LA. It's a poor facsimile. Also, people that are in love with Traif? Do yourself a favor and book a flight to LA. Just so you know, Animal opened first, and Traif has basically jacked their menu (which I'd be annoyed at but okay with) - except then they've gone and executed it poorly. We ordered pretty much the entire menu since we had a large party and we were evaluating the location for a rehearsal dinner. First bad sign: we were asked to wait outside for the 6 minutes before the restaurant opened. In the freezing cold. Second bad sign: we were asked to wait at the bar (in an empty restaurant) while our friends showed up. Third bad sign: we were asked to pay the bar tab separately before getting seated. All that aside, once we sat down our waitress was fine. I can imagine that if you hadn't had these flavor combinations executed perfectly before that you would think it was original and good. But everything fell a bit flat for us - even the ones that hadn't been to Animal. It is a good restaurant, but its not great. read more

This is def a cute spot to take your date or for a night out. Similarly, Traif resembles Salt & Fat in LIC with the tapas concept. For a table of 2, it's normally recommended btwn 4-5 dishes, if you're extremely hungry then go for 5-6 according to our server. Keep in mind though the dishes don't come cheap. The pink prawns is their most expensive item with the salads & fruits as the least expensive item on the menu. Typically, you're spending about $70+ btwn two ppl (not incl. drinks). Which is not too shabby but overall, most of their tapas were simply overpriced. A majority of the dishes were small even for tapas. It only makes it worse that it's meant for sharing. Only the truffle toast with sauteed broccoli rabe was a good serving size out of the all the dishes. We also had the pork belly and duck confit that was really good. And, we ordered their bacon donuts and key lime pie. The donuts were a bit over hyped. It was just glazed donuts sprinkled with bacon bits. And, the coffee ice cream was too strong. It left a bitter taste that did not go well with the donuts. Not too crazy about it. The key lime on the other hand was much better. It was tarty balanced well with the pineapple sauce and a vanilla bean type of mousse. Their tapas did have a creative flair in addition to distinct flavors and ingredients. And, they offer a great wine selection in addition to cocktails and beers. We also got to try their gazpacho and a glazed pineapple muse. Our server was friendly. I had the moijito that was just perfect. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll return unless the menu or tapas improved significantly to justify their prices. It was an enjoyable and decent experience but not well spent for solely on tapas. Especially not after catching sight of their toaster oven on the counter! read more

I'm only deducting a star because the service started out Rocky.... ...But! To the nitty gritty -- the FOOOOOOODDD! We had the baby back ribs, short rib sliders, salt and pepper shrimp, and buttermilk quail. Now everything was amaze-balls, but the only thing was the shrimp wasn't a necessity and the quail (I know it's a teeny bird) needs to be bigger (aka replaced). For dessert we had the bacon doughnuts, which are a MUST HAVE, as they are very succulent and immaculately tasty! The ambiance is very quaint and intimate. Kind of noisy over the weekends but the food mutes all of that. So I definitely recommend. Until next time, Cheers Folks! read more

WOW! One of the best meals I've ever had. The food here is simply amazing. Very creative and executed perfectly. We had the strawberry-cinnamon baby backs, pork belly, tuna tartare and washed it all down with the life changing bacon donuts. I left feeling guity... While service was just okay, the food was just so incredible that I simply didn't care about anything thing else happening around me. I was tempted to ask our server to just bring us an entire repeat of what we just had, but I guess I'll wait and go back soon. read more

Found this spot after leaving the library on my Yelp app. I love apps..just be free! The back garden is the only reason to come here. I guess I could say the food, too, but the garden is really cute and romantic. Unless you're with a girl and your an emo homo. The food was good until I got to the last tapas dish, chicken wings. The dish was hit and miss on taste. Some of the pieces were really good and then others I wouldn't give to a child in fear he would come down with some disease and die on my watch. It was really strange too..like some parts of the chicken were good then you would flip it over and want to punch the waiter in the face. It was more miss than hit and I wasted about 30-40mins on getting it to my table. Service was pretty good as well until the last dish, chicken. Around our 3rd dish the front of the restaurant started to fill up. Quite quickly I will admit. Well, the kitchen just didn't know how to keep up. All of our plates were coming out on time and then all the sudden they just stopped for almost 45mins all together. Though the tables around us were still getting served 1-2 plates the entire time, strange. Did someone forget to put in our last dish? Overall, cute spot..come when it is slower, possibly? read more

a taste and you will be hooked. EVERY dish is amazing. seriously. pick any dish randomly and it will exceed every expectation you had. THAT GOOD. do make reservations since you will have to wait a long time if you dont. they also accomodate to large groups (w/ a tasting menu) which is really nice. YOU MUST TRY. read more

Traif is one of those hip but not stuffy palate challenging restaurants. The kind of place that serves it's water from a Mason jar. It's in Williamsburg simultaneously in a great dining neighborhood (I mean Peter Luger, what up?) and gross part of it. Also love their play upon treif, pig heart sign, won't you be mine? My friends were forced to wait an hour for me and the dining service to open, so immediately they hated me and for picking this place. Especially since they were starving and this place is more about sharing food and small moderately costing dishes. But I'm alive and typing a four star review so obviously it went well and don't even need this statement. Let's get the quibble out of the way so it doesn't damper the rest: Our waitress? Frigid among other adjectives. She broke a glass, blamed it on my friend and then was curt during service. You can suck it, lady. But we tipped well because the bus boys? Super. Nice. They gave some tasters of gazpacho which I already knew was going to taste like a cold sauce and the pineapple after which was also unnecessary. I went for the safest choices for a picky child with uncultured tastes like myself, the crab and the bone marrow. The crab was quite good although did not and never will change my hatred for avocados and anything green that didn't come out of a fruit roll up package. The bone marrow tasted good, but I prefer it cooked because even on a warm slice of bread it's a little off putting. It was filler much like the paninis with mushrooms, kind of pedestrian considering the wit of their other dishes. The strawberry glazed ribs, I felt like a suburbanite trying to understand Olafur Eliasson: I recognize it's good and well conceptualized, but I don't get it and don't really want to. The BBQ rib sliders were much less taste challenging and easier to handle. I'm not that hip. I still listen to The Corrs. BUT. Bacon. Donuts. Bacon. Ice cream. Now as a girl who was called "bacon girl" during the majority of my schooling, I was hesitant thinking they were going to be giant bacon chunks and sort of a sweet-salty outre type of decadent dish not for me. Instead they're little doughnut holes sprinkled with bacon served with dulce de leche ice cream with bacon crumbs under it. Light and not too rich, soft and warm. I would just come here and buy this dish several times over and I almost never even order dessert. Overall, not bad. I think I'm mostly giving 4 stars for great bus boys and the donuts. read more