NYC's new comfort food

Brown Butter Applesauce | Char. No 4

Though this Cobble Hill whiskey bar boasts an impressive fanaticism for bourbon, diners will find an equally impressive food menu to match. Under chef Matt Greco's watch, reimagined down-home Southern favorites have become the kitchen's hallmark. Case in point: the delectably rich brown butter applesauce served with brunch.

The lowdown: Greco, who recalls eating his mother's homemade applesauce as a kid, braises chopped apples with brown butter and apple cider before blending half of the mixture to emulsify it a bit. The result is a subtly sweet, warm and chunky concoction enriched with an almost nutty flavor. You can order it as part of the prix-fixe menu alongside a poached egg, smoked sugar ham, crispy onion, garlic taters and a buttermilk biscuit with housemade marmalade ($16), or on its own as a side dish ($4). Greco suggests the full brunch, though: "That way everyone gets a little bit of everything on their plate." It's just like sitting down to a family dinner.

Char No. 4
196 Smith St. between Baltic and Warren Sts.
Cobble Hill
718-643-2106