1250 Broadway, 27th Floor New York, NY 10001

OLMSTED'S FRIED ASPARAGUS

There we were, in the heart of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, celebrating a friend’s birthday at a trendy, hipster joint called “Olmsted.”

Yes, we traveled about an hour, all the way to the County of Kings, but only because our friend had been waiting months to secure a coveted table and (naively believing all the hype) that’s where he vehemently insisted we go. (So, we obliged.)

The indoor space is relatively tight and compact, only fits about 50 seats, yet the the noise level was surprisingly high. And, ultimately, we didn’t think the place deserved all the fawning, or the accolades.

I’d like to meet the genius who thought it was ok to take four pieces of asparagus, batter and fry them, and then charge customers $10 for the privilege of devouring them. While these pricy veggies were fresh and crisp, the coating was exceedingly greasy (see slide 4), and lacked any savoriness.

Without a doubt, the owner-chef certainly has an impressive pedigree — having been associated with such highly acclaimed establishments as Alinea, Atera, Blue Hill, Per Se and Stone Barns. But because we thought his version of “Fried Asparagus” was unworthy of the $10 ask, we rated it (a rather generous) “C-.”

(I wouldn’t wait months for this dish, if you know what I mean .....)

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