[Pigging by Wilfrid: September 22, 2014]
There's a little strip of Brooklyn which has transformed itself into a night-life, bar/restaurant hub over the last year--and maybe you didn't notice it. It's the block of Troutman which heads kind of north by northwest from Wyckoff, in the direction of away-from the L Train.
Once home to machine shops or other light industry, there are now three bars (two of them enormous), a fries shack, a pizza vendor, and the twinkling lights of what was once an auto-repair business. That would be Montana's Trailhouse.
Monana's overtly continues the midwest-comes-to-the Big Apple theme one finds at other local hotspots--bars like Alaska and Pinebox Rock Shop, for example. I actually met someone who called himself "Montana" at the catty-corner across the street, Bodega. The refit is charming, though. Wood panelling through and through, and all across the ceiling. Several misshapen rooms. A grand, high bar. If saloons don't look like this in the State of Montana, they should.
Before hitting Montana's, by all means stop in at Bodega for a craft beer (the tap selection changes almost daily--this week, ales and lagers from San Francisco's Speakeasy), or a carafe of well-priced wine with a bockwurst sandwich or one of their hearty salads. Alternatively, sit on rickety chair outside The Diggs, a parked-up food truck offering wild riffs on poutine, or inexpensive sliders.
I got the "Coney," a mess of chili and fries, which plenty of fresh chopped onions (it could have been spicier).
If you hit the Rookery, and its beer garden and bar menu, or Union Pizza Works, you should maybe leave Montana's for another night. You can always get a nitecap after dinner, in the vast wilderness of Lot 45. (And all this, note, is just around the corner from the strip anchored by Northeast Kingdom).
Montana's may be entirely ersatz, but its earnestness carries it. The staff are sweet, a DJ spins (yes!) great R&B 45s--at pleasant volume, the food is right out a contemporary Brooklyn playbook. There are house cocktails: the Curse Thrower was a beefy take on a Manhattan, with rye, mezcal, amaro, and orange bitters. There's a very potable $9 Tempranillo by the glass. And there's the nineteenth century vinegar and ginger-based soft drink, the Switchel.
Sorry, no I didn't try it, but you can get it with a shot of rye, or mixed into what looks like a kind of whisky sour.
The kitchen likes to dabble with offal, and there's a handsome pig's head terrine on the menu right now--in effect a thick slice of head cheese. Lots of tender head flesh, and those interesting little bits of cartilage, set in a savory, well-seasoned jelly. A pile of toast on the side.
A cow's head gets the treatment for the "Tongue & Cheek Reuben," a superbly sloppy sandwich featuring house-made kraut and sharp Swiss cheese over a thick layer of rich, tender meat--the tongue was easiest to identify by texture (yes, it's too dark for photos in this place). It came with a green salad with a refreshing, minty dressing. At $15, it's a compelling bar snack (you could add duck fat fries for $6). And the bar has supremely comfortable, padded, swivelling seats.
The fried chicken was least diverting dish I tried on my visits. Two big thigh pieces with a kale slaw, and grilled vidalia rings.
By design, I presume, the crust captured precisely the flavor notes associated with KFC, but it was much more brittle and crunchy. The bird inside was nicely cooked. Fried chicken is having a big summer in the city, and I can't say this is the fried chicken you should try above all others. But if you're at Montana's, and want fried chicken, you won't be disappointed.
I'll be going back for the braised brisket.
It was hard to get the check much above $50, with a couple of drinks, which these days is a relief. Where does this all leave us? Is Montana's a must-do, take-a-detour place? No, it's not. The strip it's on is certainly worth a look--especially if you've had enough of Williamsburg--and if you're in the neighborhood, Montana's is a comforting place for a feed. (All the locals know this already: it can fill up).
Here's the website.
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