Saturday, October 20, 2007

Notable names: Noodle Pudding

Noodle Pudding
38 Henry St
Brooklyn Heights
(718) 625-3737

Yes, the name is a bit confounding. I read other posters saying they thought the restaurant was Thai because of the name until they got there. Certainly it's rare you hear Italians describing their fare as "noodles" or "pudding". A bit random. But I suppose a memorable name.

We read that you should "get there early", and then we were almost embarrassed as we got close at about 5:45 (does anyone under the age of 75 really go to dinner at 5:45??). Well apparently everyone who knows Noodle Pudding actually gets there at 5:30! The place was packed and there was already a line. It seemed they open at 5:30 and that's when the crowds swoop down. Luckily we were still early enough that we only waited about 5 min for a table.

Noodle Pudding felt like it was slightly in the middle of nowhere, but worth the walk. The ambiance was great, casual but atmospheric, with mottled walls and classy chandeliers and plenty of candlelight, sometimes shared seating with others, a loud vibrant feel, plenty of families, kids & toddlers. (Guess that's part of the answer of the why 5:30 question). Service was great, in fact the water guys were ridiculously attentive (at one point my water was filled, I took a sip, and within 5 min my sip was already re-filled).

Most importantly: the food. This was a winner, one of the best meals we've had in a while. Every dish we sampled was extremely tasty. All tasted fresh, and succulent; simple flavors and dishes, as is often the case in Italy, that come together for amazing meals. The bread and olive oil for dipping they bring is great. I dubbed the dipping oil "bruschetta in a bowl"-- it had finely chopped tomato, onion & basil in the olive oil dish, divine. The mussels with spicy tomato sauce appetizer was excellent. The sauce was almost a rich tomato soup with basil and just a hint of spice. The buffalo mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes with it were juicy and flavorful. The mushroom rissotto had by the hubby hit the spot for him perfectly, and my sage & butter gnocchi dish was simple and perfect. The tiramisu was one of the hubby's "top tiramisu choices", as it's one of his favorite dishes. The lady fingers were soft and moist, all came together very well. And the house wine was not bad for $14 (bottle). If this was in our neighborhood, would be a weekly treat! Worth all of the online praise.

Blogsoop link

Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn

1 comment:

Douglas Cress said...

strange indeed! I thought the restaurant would have specialized in 'noodle pudding' along the lines of 'smac or cereality