Review: The General Greene

"Make yourself comfortable," said the gentleman behind the counter. But as we jumped into the metal tractor seats that line the bar at The General Greene, which opened earlier this summer, comfortable wasn't exactly the first word that sprang to mind. These were very cool stools that struck that perfect note between country charm and urban grit, but man, that little bump in the middle hit all the wrong places, forcing a splayed position that's not unlike like riding a steel saddle (a posture that the restaurant's namesake, Revolutionary War hero General Nathaniel Greene, probably knew well).

The General Greene has hit upon this hipster-farmhouse formula with a menu from consulting chef Ryan Skeen, formerly of Resto; the place is run by former Gramercy Tavern and Gilt pastry chef Nick Morgenstern. The room is done in the modishly austere Dwell magazine style so familiar to the new denizens of the neighborhood, but painful bar seating aside, it's not a pretentious posture—the down-home hospitality is genuine. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly, laughing often with our waiter who flirted just the right amount.

The farm-inspired menu—which changes regularly—was a strange document. Divided into bar snacks and shared plates, with separate sections for hot and cold preparations, it was difficult to gauge the portion sizes or know how to best create a satisfying meal. Timing can also be a problem, with no sense of pacing or separation between "courses."

Those bar snacks included a splendid chicken liver pate, served in a jam jar with warm, just-charred toast points, of which there were not nearly enough to scoop up the savory spread. Salads didn't fare as well, surprising given the restaurant's emphasis on seasonal eating. A butter lettuce salad suffered from the awkwardness of too-large leaves and an abundance of curried almonds, while arugula greens (an accompaniment to otherwise delectable chicken legs—more on those later) were overpowered by an excess of astringent fennel.

Vegetable successes included the beets, babies of deep magenta dressed in a tangy yogurt sauce and boasting a jewel color so extraordinary, I'm seeking out the Benjamin Moore sample to match. An heirloom tomato salad, drizzled with olive oil and studded with slivers of red onion, was the epitome of summer.

Bacon is big at The General Greene. Bacon-wrapped dates dotted every table in the place, and a side dish of candied bacon was equally popular, though we found the thick-sliced pork belly to be sickly sweet, almost like a weird, slow-food version of a Chinese boneless spare rib.

But back to those chicken legs: Cooked in a confit and then griddled, they came with an addictive crispy skin that surrounded juicy, falling-off-the-bone meat. The steak could have used a thinner slicing and more green herbs in the garlicky chimichurri that smothered it, but was a tasty cut nonetheless. And based solely on chef Skeen's famous burger from his previous gig at Resto, and the fact that it was delivered to pretty much every eater in the restaurant, the hamburger is a must-try.

Strangely, for a restaurant owned by a pastry chef, there's no formal dessert menu, and only four or so sweet options. A peach crisp with an almond topping was pleasant but unassuming, while fresh cookies are a proven hit, an ideal country touch in the big city.

General Greene has the potential to become a real neighborhood favorite, but a confounding menu format-is it a closet tapas joint?-and problems with pacing detract from dishes that, when done well, really shine. Stick to the snacks and meats and you'll be willing to straddle that tractor seat one more time.

The net results: what people are saying online
 
[Yelp]: "The portions were about 25% too small too share and about 50% overpriced. Who's idea was it to make American comfort food into tapas anyway?" 

[New York Magazine]: "At its heart and on its plates, the General Greene is true to its type, and a terrific, if somewhat unlikely newcomer to the Brooklyn dining scene." 

[Brooklyn Based]: "It's been packed every night we visited or walked by, so it should break the curse—which took Sol, then June—of this corner."

[The Real Fort Greene]: "It was only 9:00 and they were out of the only 2 seafood dishes on the menu. The service was sub-par and the food, while decent, wasn't anything to write home about."

The General Greene
229 DeKalb Ave. at Clermont Ave., Fort Greene
718-222-1510
Appetizers: $6–$12
Entreés: $5–$13

Photo by Sam Horine

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