Faro | Brooklyn, NY

This is going to be quick; it’s just something that needs to be said. Call it a public service announcement if you’d like. Faro is arguably some of the best pasta coming out of New York, for sure Brooklyn. I’ve had the pleasure of dining here a few times since they got their first Michelin Star last year and have been blown away. So let me tell you about this little hidden gem in Bushwick... 

‘Earth, Wheat and Fire’ is the restaurant’s motto and it couldn't be anymore fitting. The space is industrial but warm with super high ceilings. A big open floor plan includes fire wood stacked to the ceiling on one side, a nice bar on the other and a kitchen in the middle that hosts a chef's counter for dining and special tasting menus (we’ll get to that shortly). The cuisine of this restaurant revolves around this gorgeous wood-burning oven that is showcased and attested to cook all seasonal meats, produce and yes, even pasta. Cooking mediums like this fascinate me and there’s many different things you can do with that type of immediate temperature. Grain takes center stage often here as heirlooms are milled right in house. Even the plates give you that rustic hearth feel handmade with different textures, none the same and some seeing there fair share of ware. It’s these little details that really tie it all in. 

Kevin Adey is the chef and owner behind the pass and he's there often, finishing plates or even getting his hands in some pasta on the line. The pastas can literally not be overlooked. Usually 8 or 9 varieties, made in house daily, occupy 50% of the menu and I assure you NO ONE is complaining. Not even the gluten free geeks suffer from missing out on all the fun; they have different GF options to go with any of their sauces. Everyone gets taken care of. I have been there a few times and their menu has always been very seasonal which is important with this rustic style of cooking. Some dishes venture a little outside the box but everything is balanced. Chef likes to use very few ingredients but in a variety of ways to let the flavors surprise you and melt in your mouth. 

Honestly, I haven't had any of his entrees; I’ve only consumed mass amounts of pasta and a few appetizers. There are a few kinds of pasta to look out for which are typically available. One is the Scarpinocc: a ‘shoe’ shaped, filled pasta reigning from Nothern Italy. Another is the Gnocchi Ala Romana: a semolina cheese dumpling, pan seared to a perfect crust, sitting over a bed of veal and kale ragu. Holy shit this dish hit home on so many levels. Comfort food and nostalgia layered with cheesy loving overload; a rich dish but WOW, who cares.

So, every Friday night at 8 o'clock, 6 lucky guests dine at the Chef’s counter for the 8-course pasta tasting (costing a very fair $85). It’s a tasting of really great ingredients, showcased at their best, all narrated by the owner himself, Chef Kevin. Now this is something: on this night chef is working the pass, personally serving plates and telling you stories of how they came about or histories of new pasta dishes I'm only now learning about. This type of connection really makes a difference to me; it kind of brings it all together, like the secret ingredient. Experiencing firsthand what the chef is picturing and where he's trying to take you with your food changes the meal. The menu we had read as follows: 

Radish basil and pistachio, Cabbage dill and apple, Frascatelli black pepper pecorino pancetta and yolk, Fazzoletti pumpkin chèvre browned butter and sage, Caramele lobster parsnip and black trumpets, Ricotta Gnocchi short rib and burrata, Gnocchi Ala Romana pastured lamb loin celery root and bordelaise. All finished with a Pumpkin Cake Parfait with a cinnamon cream and candied walnuts. 

I must say, I don't think there’s a better deal in town. The first two courses felt more like an amuse bouche, only a few bites, very light and fresh. They make for really good palate cleansers but not anything serious that gives you a heads up about what’s to come. Even if we scrapped those AND took away the dessert, just getting 5 pastas for $85, that’s still a steal. These dishes were no joke, just look at ‘em. And imagine this, they taste even better than they look. 

*If at this point you can no longer take it and you need to make yourself a reservation, here’s the link: www.farobk.com/#reservations ). * 

It was nice to have the Ala Romana again but here in a different meaning. Here it was used more as a starch, like the "potato", only more of baked polenta. It wasn't supposed to be this soft cloud sitting on a mound of sauce. I like the versatility with the ingredient, Julius would be proud. Some of these dishes you look at and think, "I didn't even know this could be a pasta”. That education is what happens dining at the counter with Chef Kevin. The Fazzoletti, thin baked pasta sheets, were cooked perfectly! Flakey, crispy texture on the outside and cooked just so in the middl from the roasted pumpkin puree and the chèvre cheese. Hot brown butter with sage gets thrown on top right before its served, straight out of that wood-burning oven. That texture is only something you can get with that high-heat wood-burning oven, cooking inches away from scolding coals. 

The other favorite of the night was a toss up between the Caramele and the Frascatelli but I think I have to go Frascatelli. It was just so new to me, irregular pea-shaped lumps of water and semolina. It almost reminds me of a small spatzle by the texture, just water and flour, your basic dumpling ingredients. They have a very chewy bite to them and soak up the sauce really well. That yolk just oozing over the pancetta with spicy black pepper cutting all that salt, it’s a hearty peasant dish that really felt like breakfast at home. And I really would eat this for breakfast. Why not? It has all the essentials already. 

This dinner, in its entirety, was really fantastic. Accompanied with a bottle of Tempranillo from Spain for about $50, we couldn't have had a better time. Thanks again to Chef Kevin and the Faro team and another big congratulations on maintaining your star. I will be back very soon.

Faro, 436 Jefferson Street Brooklyn, NY 11237

www.farobk.com