Five Leaves, Greenpoint

Photography by Karen Mordechai

Work has been pretty hectic around here, so we've decided to treat ourselves to more midweek lunches. We'll be posting our faves with a review and some photos once or twice a week, so let us know what you think. This week we tried Five Leaves, one of our neighborhood spots. Five Leaves sits on Bedford and Lorimer, caddy corner to McCarren Park in Greenpoint. The corner location allows for lots of sidewalk seats and lots of natural light. Vintage light fixtures hang out of a wood plank ceiling, and the bar feels Art Deco and Parisian. The bartender poured Campari and soda, and we poured over our menus.

We had a tough time choosing between, well, everything. After much deliberation we decide to split a radicchio and watercress salad with roasted acorn squash, feta and onion and a warm roast chicken sandwich—on toasted baguette with roasted tomato, chipotle mayonnaise, shaved parmesan and anchovies. And wait; let’s not forget one of the most important parts here—truffled french fries. French fries in all their glory, carefully rolled in truffle oil, so infused you’d think the potatoes were grown in it. The salt of the feta was the perfect complement to the honeyed squash—sweetened. Pungent raw onions gave a crisp kick, and the tangy greens dressed in vinaigrette married the whole bowl together. Our roast chicken was indulgent in its toppings and strong in flavor. Chipotle mayo oozed out the side, and anchovies broke the simplicity.

Our waitress, in her shrunken Fair Isle cardigan was sweet as can be, and the experience was so pleasant we’ll definitely be back. Clearly a neighborhood staple, they even had a takeout coffee window for those too busy to linger—no one should have to miss out.

Five Leaves:
18 Bedford Ave
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(646) 510-6467

All Photos by Karen Mordechai