Five Leaves

Admittedly, my recent vacation in NYC was largely focused on photography. For 6 days all I did was lug around a ridiculously heavy medium-format camera while trying not to get run over by Manhattan-ites or dizzy while manually focusing on the buildings that loomed over me. I was on a mission like never before…shoot it till it’s dead…I suppose I’m referring to myself when saying “it’s dead”. But in between countless film reloads (seriously, I was shooting 120 which means only 12 6×6 centimeter frames per roll), I found time to have a couple of amazing meals in Brooklyn. Despite my intense love of pizza and that hour long break inside Ray’s Famous Pizza in the West Village (where I consumed far too many massive slices of delicious pepperoni) my favorite meal was at Five Leaves.

Located at what seems to be the corner of hip and uberhip (Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods), Five Leaves is not just a place to spot (read: mock) handfuls of men stuck in prepubescent bodies smothered in vintage flannel sporting ironic facial hair or tiny women in even smaller sundresses and fabulous footwear…the food is actually good and the decor was so amazing it kind of made me want to procreate with the designers. From the persimmon-colored benches, bathrooms marked with portholes, steel light fixtures and timber planks covering the ceiling, I was easily convinced for the first time since watching The Life Aquatic that maritime decor can be outrageously cool.

We grabbed a table by the Coffee-To-Go window for brunch…but really it was post-brunch so we received the “Inbetween” menu which was perfect for post-drinking, then hungover, 3pm dining. Typically, I don’t crave mussels when recovering from a night (that turned into dawn) of drinking but when I saw the word saffron in the description I was sold. So sold, that I didn’t even bother to read the remainder of the dish description. And the same mindless ordering occurred when I spotted the words truffle and fries. I instantly knew that I would be licking the seasoning from the truffle fries off my fingers in the middle of restaurant with absolutely no shame. In hindsight, I’m glad that I didn’t pay much attention to the descriptions because I think it would have ruined the extreme child-like joy I felt when my meal arrived. It was a magical moment.

I vividly recall a particular summer during my youth when I spent many days running along the shores of east coast beaches collecting “treasures” (otherwise known as beach liter) in a worn, galvanized, white-washed, shallow bucket. I’m not sure if it’s that fond memory or my ravenous hunger but I nearly jumped out of my seat with delight when my mussels arrived in a bucket that was nearly identical to my once beloved treasure bucket. Nonetheless, it was a sight to be seen. A more than generous serving of mussels soaking in a saffron coconut milk, topped with scallions and red chili peppers and then flanked with hearty cubes of grilled sourdough bread…perfection! And unlike some other places that serve truffle fries, there was absolutely no skimping on the truffle oil. Note: I can go into some serious rage when I order something with truffle oil and can hardly smell the truffles.

Luckily, I had the entire side of the table to myself because I needed every inch of room for my mussels, fries, bloody mary with fresh horseradish and the most amazing Americano I’ve ever had. I realize that I have the tendency to get excited over food and proclaim it the best of the best but really I consume mass amounts of espresso (in every city that I’ve visit) and including my caffeine-fueled trip through Italy, never have I tasted a better Americano. It was heavenly. So much so, that I would recommend any non-coffee lover to try it without even a spec of sugar…it could convert anyone into a feign.

My cohort choose what I consider to be a more adventurous dish, the Five Leaves burger. Based on description, I can’t imagine a ton of people being quick to try this burger; it seems that many people like to keep it relatively simple when dining on the All-American treat. If you are one of those people, the Five Leaves burger is definitely the place to explore new avenues in burger consumption. Tucked inside a simple bun was grass-fed beef, a fried pineapple ring, house-made pickled beets, harrisa mayo and an organic sunny-side up egg. Normally, I can’t even fathom eating a burger without cheese and you do have the option to add it to this dish, but it is truly unnecessary. In the ample bites that I stole from my friends plate, I found all the ingredients to be layered with sincere thought to the final product. Every item played its part and left me wanting for nothing more. Oh my god, I didn’t know I could love beets and burgers so much but ever since we served spicy beet and apple topped veggie burgers at our wedding cocktail hour, I’m convinced they are the new tomato.

I feel as if my little written experience of this American bistro meets Australian food sensibilities is incomplete because I didn’t have the opportunity to dine there in later hours or during their actual brunch. But if their “Inbetween” menu hints at their gastronomic creativity then I’m sure all their other offerings are equally as exciting. Go before it’s gone!

-lo