Isa

11/13/2013

Fresh ingredients!  Ever changing menu!  We had the roasted cauliflower (it was delicious).  My cousin order the market fish dish~ it was amazing!!  Husband order the roasted chicken, and he couldn't believe how juicy and flavorful it was.

Prices are slightly higher than average, so we only come here once in a blue moon. If you are craving farm to table food, give ISA a try!

The decor is very quaint!

6/22/2014

I think this is a fantastic place to have dinner in Williamsburg. Warm easy vibe, delicious food, friendly staff. One of those neighborhood places that is also a destination for people from other parts of the city.

7/18/2013

Hmm... an interesting lunch was had here.
A group of four of us came in. The place was nearly empty, and the host was on triple duty - he turned out to also be the bartender and our server. This wasn't a problem, until it took nearly ten minutes for our drinks, half of which were simple glasses of a mediocre rose. The two cocktails were good, the Ice Man and the F-14, but nothing to write home about.
The food looked appealing on the menu, but the execution wasn't that great overall.
My friend ordered a nice sounding green salad... and after they messed up and brought her the wrong salad, the salad she ordered was actually just A PLATE OF LETTUCE! huh?? At least the dressing was good...
A $6 plate of heirloom tomatoes was pathetically small.
The Kale Caesar had no trace of anchovies. The Breakfast Pizza was good, but so heavy I could barely eat more than one piece. The pizza with arugula and tomatoes was actually quite tasty!
I left feeling as though I had been severely ripped off, but that was partially placated when I had the leftover pizza for dinner along with several glasses of wine.

4/5/2013

Love the decor and ambiance, and our server was friendly (and beautiful) and efficient.
Food was delicious.
The only reason I did not give it five stars is I felt it was a little overpriced for the size of the portions.  
We will be back.

3/16/2012

Warning! This review sounds bourgie as eff. Sorry!

This place doesn't miss a beat. From the moment you walk in till you're headed out the door, the service is spectacular. The host/(I believe) sommelier gave us an option of where we wanted to sit and I mentioned that one of the options was where we sat last time we were there . That did NOT go unnoticed. He knew it was our second time patronizing Isa and pulled out all the stops, including giving us 2 glasses of Chardonnay con gratis. I believe it was their way of saying 'thanks for the repeat business' and my response is: ANYTIME. On to the food. It's not for the faint of palette. A lot of organ meats and lesser praised fish grace the daily changed menu, so if that's not your bag, then Isa might not be your jam. We ordered:

Apps: steak tare tare served with a dollop of crème fraiche and roasted flax seeds, duck consomme with confit and foie gras wrapped in an onion petal, seared duck liver with onions topped with crème fraiche.
Entrees: Mackerel with cauliflower shavings, sage sprouts (I think), fruit balsamic reduction & pork loin with new potatoes, pepper dust and shallots.

Drinks: free wine, a foamy mescal number and a celery soda/vodka/cracked pepper concoction.

The food and drinks were absolutely delightful. It was adventurous without being campy or losing any of the rich flavors.  Standouts: the duck consomme and the mackerel. Both these dishes were beautifully plated with such thought and care and were an absolutely a joy to eat (albeit it, the consomme was shared and a little clumsy to get into at first, but we made it work, it was well worth it).

Two things that I could criticize:
1. The pork loin, although cooked to perfection, was a little less flavorful than it could be. The texture was really fantastic, but it was on the bland side.
2. The staff speak to you in such soft voices that it's hard to hear what they're saying. The first time that I dined here, I thought that maybe our waitress was just soft spoken, but I now think that the soft voice is something that Isa trains their staff to do. While I understand that they don't want to interrupt the experience of the neighboring tables, when the staff explains the menu, there needs to be some understanding that the customer to which you're speaking needs to be able to hear what you're saying. I found this to be rather frustrating.

Other than those two things, I can't think of a single other negative comment. I'll be here often. This place has that wow factor that you're looking for.  Be prepared to see this on many a list of NYC's best restaurants.

Other items of note: The gorgeous gorgeous Moroccan-esque décor and the pop-arty bathroom. The bathroom is a really cool concept executed very well.

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  Open Kitchen.

  Open Kitchen.

12/12/2012

Bravo! We went to Isa with a large group, this is not really a large group restaurant. And we were a little overwhelming for the space. But they handled the group very well. I would suggest this place for intimate dinning. The smell of the wood burning stove is very relaxing.

The Pisa (Pizza) is amazing sort of free form wood fired pisa. The pasta is also excellent.

10/24/2012

I came in here for dinner with no reservations, in both meanings of the word. Since I'd never been here before, I had no bias towards what it may have been in the past.

My experience was this:
Staff:
Bartender = Nice. Friend who was waiting for me (logistics mix-up) said he was super nice.
Host = Friendly & charming.
Server = Attentive but not distractingly so.

Food:
Bread = The bread was, bread. The butter, with its seasoning, though, was the real hit. Didn't know they charged extra for it, that it didn't just come with the meal.
Fried balls of risotto with spicy aioli = I want to eat these every day.
Cavatelli with wild mushrooms, thyme, & parmesan = Please let me lick the bowl.
Broccoli rabe = Meh. How in the hell are you supposed to eat these? They're all knotted together & on a small plate so when you try to cut, they go flying all over the table. Would not get again. Barely ate a one.
Marinated beet & watercress salad = Friend ordered this. For $12, shouldn't it taste better?
Crème brûlée = The crème part was delicious. The brûlée part was, while burnt, I get it, is the point, this was BURNT. Like, blackened-charred, not toasty caramelized. My friend took the sugar part off.

Drink:
No soda. No soda at all. So when I went to order a Coke (I had the beginnings of a headache), I settled for club soda (which wasn't very carbonated). No free refills, FYI, even though the glass was pretty much all ice.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The company certainly helped & not having any expectations. I'm also a believer that, service-wise, you generally get out what you put in - if you're friendly to the staff, they'll be friendly to you. So that was lovely. I certainly had good food, but I think I'll check out some other neighborhood spots before going back.

3/6/2013

I'd wanted to visit Isa for a while and last night I had the opportunity with some friends.

Nice looking place but the food was really bad.  Kale salad tasted burned and was drowning in a very garlicky dressing.  I couldn't eat it.  Even the croutons were bad.

Ordered the Ravioli and it was undercooked and again drowning in a over garlicked pesto sauce.  And none of it was cheap so you would expect it to be done right.

I understand why it was so easy for our party of 6 to get a last minute reservation now.

2/16/2014

Valentines Day.  My bf and I decided to have dinner at Isa.  We had heard good things and it looked great and happening as we passed it this summer.  We popped in at lunch time to make our reservation and the young lady dutifully jotted it down, took names and numbers and the promise of a two top.  At 8pm we arrived at Isa.  The booking was lost, we were given the end of a community table, under a loud speaker that was playing the most intrusive music, the waiters seemed to be very eager to process EVERYONE very quickly.  Especially if one doesn't drink alcohol.  We were asked by 4 separate people if we were sure we didn't want alcohol.  Anyway, after ordering... the first course of soup was ok but very small.  The second course of skirt steak was ghastly.  It was like chewing through a shoe.  A rubber shoe.  I sent it back and the duck special was whisked to our table.  It was ok, not very well seasoned, the polenta was soupy and badly prepared and $30.  The tiny dish of $7 brussels sprouts were tepid and badly flash fried leaving most of them untouched by the pan... temperature issues as Isa became a theme.  Our coffee was also cold so I left it.  The staff were the kind of people who try to shame you for making a complaint.  Condescending young people who are used to people putting up and shutting up.  "Do you think you'll like the duck better."  He asked after I sent back the inedible steak...he asked as if I had some sort of learning disability.  No, I'm just past 45 years old.  I can hear and understand just fine.  We attempted to leisurely enjoy our dinner but the waiter was eager to snatch our unfinished dishes, "Still working on that?" they pestered us.  YES!!  Leave us alone I wanted to scream but I didn't.  This was obviously the worst choice for a valentines dinner with ones lover.   A total waste of time and money.

7/22/2012

WARNING!!!

Isa is no longer under Ignacio Mattos, and the original management.

I had eaten there many, many times before and knew something was different last night - gone were the exquisite dishes, and instead replaced with basic fare like brick chicken and hanger steak.

Also the staff is not HALF as friendly as the old staff.

It is truly a shame, we lost the BEST restaurant in Brooklyn, and it has been replaced with an average one.

8/25/2011

There's something about the decor of this place that's incredibly arresting: the large, open windows, the open kitchen, the wooden furniture on ceramic tiles juxtaposed against bare brick and concrete walls - it was quite beautiful. I felt like I could've been in a dining hall in a Scandinavian barn, or something. I don't think I've ever been indoors in NYC and actually felt like I was in a spacious area, until Isa.

So we got a bread basket, which was highly commendable. The server described to us the three different breads we got: a whole wheat nut bread, an artisan loaf, and pita. It came with what appeared to be homemade butter sprinkled with cracked pepper, salt and fennel seeds. Gotta love the attention to detail.

I also tried three of their appetizers/small plates: the calamari, the duck breast, and the pig tail.

calamari: If you're expecting breaded and fried squid rings, you've come to the wrong place. What got served to us was a whole squid, tendrils and all. I have no qualms with being served whole animals, what with being Asian and stuff, and the squid was amazing. It was cooked just enough to be tasty but retained its fresh, of-the-sea-ness. It also came with a sauce of squid ink and onions cooked in a way so that its texture resembled the squid tendrils.

pig tail: A wondrous combination of crispy skin, melt-in-your-mouth fat, subtle spices, and eat-with-your-hands experience. It did seem to have a very slight piggy, or gamey, taste though.

duck breast: An artistically plated combination, but perhaps a little insubstantial. It tasted good, but I was expecting more... perhaps more duck?

Overall, it was a really enjoyable dining experience heightened by the aesthetic of the restaurant and the friendly servers. But yes, $37 for 3 appetizers... only if you're feeling spendy!

8/11/2012

I think this reboot has mostly worked.  The menu is simplified down to more rustic, Italian fare, but still not "stupid" in any sense of the word.  Now that they have a beer and wine license, they have the chance to put forth an inventive seasonal cocktail list that is mostly filled with winners (their take on the Negroni being one, the "Garden Party" being another) as well as a wine selection that boasts unusual but strong selections (orange wine from Slovenia, anyone?).  

I liked the original restaurant, too - they were going for something more upscale and challenging with that, but it never quite came together, and maybe "the neighborhood" (translation these days: people with young kids who moved here from Manhattan for "more space") wasn't quite ready for it.  So on my recent trip, at 830 on a Friday night, there were families with kids, and meatballs and cavatelli and heirloom tomato salad to be had, and a lovely rockfish special.  None of them were game-changing dishes, but they weren't radically priced and they were solid versions of what they were.  And the service and drinks were great.  

Compared to the other Taavo joins (Freeman's, Peels) this isn't any more "dumbed down" than those places are, and it is (for now) easier to get into.  Chalk  me up as a fan, for the most part.

9/7/2011

My girl and I went for dinner on a chilly rainy Tuesday night, we were seated right away in front of the open kitchen. We always like to be as close as possible to where the action is. Interesting dining room, reminding of a ski lodge with a rustic touch, smelling the wood fired oven.
At this moment, the restaurant is BYOB. We brought a nice bottle of Champagne which was a great companion for all the dishes we tried. We started with raw scallops and bison tartar with chips and a raw egg, both very good. Sardines with their skeleton ( you must eat the head ) were also well executed. Calamari served with squid ink, outstanding dish. Cod with shaved cauliflower also nice. They bake their own bread which is always a nice touch for a restaurant. Over all, a good experience.

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  chocolate dessert

  chocolate dessert
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  cheese and honey

  cheese and honey
• See all photos from Ciprian T. for Isa

9/6/2011

Brought a friend here for his birthday and overall was quite happy with what we had.   (which was basically everything on the menu except the desserts).  Not to mention that it is BYOB right now!!

The dining room is Amazing...the open kitchen is stellar.  I am sure they spent a fortune on the renovation of this place and if I were the chef...i'd be totally in love with it!!  I think i'd want to MOVE in!!  

The bread basket was pretty commendable as well as the schmear of aioli  or maybe it was butter? sprinkled with fennel seeds or maybe cumin seeds.  but that aside the bread seemed to be house made, the sourdough was perfect and the nut loaf equally so.

Overall we liked it a lot.  but a few complaints...  the pork steak...  it was WAY too small for the price, second the sauce with the cod was just off...didn't go with the dish, and finally horseradish appeared WAY too many times in each of the dishes...ok enough of that...  otherwise all the other dishes were quite stellar.  But keep in mind this food is a little more manhattan than B'burg, so you may be surprised to see small portions and larger prices.  the chef is formerly of Il Bucco.  But his training shines in his new place.

I wont go into each dish...just the highlights here...the cod was perfectly cooked...tho as i said...i didn't like the sauce that was around it, the roasted shrimp (a special that night) were out of this world fresh and perfectly roasted in their wood burning oven and again, perfectly seasoned.  The sardines were quite a sight and we actually ordered 2 of these and the presentation is what is so fun...plus you get to eat the crispy fried skeleton!!  I was noshing on the head like crazy.  the melon was nice and fresh wrapped in sweet potato leaves...a little strange but still nice on a warm evening!

i have to say that i was happy with our meal.  that said, value perception may be off here.  right now it is BYOB so you dont feel it as much...if you order a app, entree and share dessert you'll probably walk away hungry, so that maybe where iso needs to work on things.  value perception is HUGE especially in this neighborhood...so when they get the liquor license the check's are going to start increasing and the damage is going to be severe with a lot of folks leaving with empty stomachs...hopfully they will respond to this and adjust accordingly.  otherwise keep up the good work...

oh just an aside they have one of those dyson super sonic hand dryers!  so fun!!  2nd one i've seen in the hood...the other is at the coffee shop modca around the corner.

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  A gift from Ignacio!! Thaaaank you!! My favorite!!!

  A gift from Ignacio!! Thaaaank you!! My favorite!!!

2/14/2014

I live in S. Williamsburg and while I'm definitely food obsessed, I'm neither young nor hipster.  So while we eat well in Williamsburg, there are not a lot of places in the hood that truly hit the sweet spot for my dh and me.  We frequent Tabare, and that's about it for restaurants that meet all of the criteria: really good food, not super expensive, nice ambiance, not too loud, AND comfortable seating.  Isa met all the criteria.  Well made drinks, good wine by the glass, excellent roast chicken, great specials, attentive waitstaff and that smoky smoky aroma .  Clearly they have consistency issues so I will report back after a 2nd or 3rd visit, but the first visit was promising.

6/15/2012

My friend took me here for my birthday, and I'm glad he did.  It's got lovely atmosphere - interesting versions of homey Vermont lodge, which is on par with their sister restaurant Freeman's in Manhattan.  I LOVE the heavy slabs of white marble on natural wood, and the open kitchen facing the open street.

We had the hanger steak, the steak tartare (we like meat), the fresh peas and grilled artichokes, the cheese plate, and the celeriac dessert.  Yes, I said that.  Nothing was amiss, although pureed mushrooms or legumes as plate adhesions aren't my favorite.  It's not bad and it's not a misfire, just not my personal favorite.  The celeriac dessert was unusual and surprised both my companion and I with it's lack of overt vegetable loaminess while still being a complex flavor.  Lovely.

The cocktails were fantastic as well, and the service very attentive and pleasant.  The maitre'de shook our hands and thanked us as well stood to leave, even.  As always when I dine high end in Williamsburg, I feel not quite as cool as the waitstaff, but it wasn't in that curt and unpleasant way.  I look forward to coming again!

7/16/2012 Updated review

Went back to Isa and despite really enjoying the last meal, this one was a little disappointing. Maybe our hopes were too high for a repeat great meal.

Ironically, we (boyfriend and I) loved our meals the first time and ended up reordering them again this time to find that not all things are the same/better the second time around.

A nice surprise was that my kale salad was grilled longer, making the kale perfectly wilted. Sadly though, the salad portion was 1/2 the size it was just a few weeks ago, but price remained the same!

My appetizer meatballs were consistent -- still tasty morsels.

The vegetable sides we got to share were very good.

Boyfriend reordered the pork chop and this time, we were joined by a friend at the meal and he too ordered the pork chop. When the chops arrived, we all were put in an awkward position. The chops were completely different sizes -- boyfriend's was at least double the size. Boyfriend cut off a chunk of his chop so the two had relatively similar portion sizes, but I was really surprised that the kitchen let this happen. It's a very rookie kitchen move...

Service was consistent, except the poor busboy that we had clearly was having a tough night and dropped not one, but two plates while clearing our table.

9/23/2011

So. The ambiance is simply gorgeous. Everything is hand carved and the simple rustic nature of this venue is a great respite from bustling city life. The night we were here was nice and hot so the entire wall of windows that looks out to Wythe was open letting in a nice end of the summer breeze.

We had dinner here on 9/13 and we dined on a delicious cuttle fish served upon black squid ink and a salmon roe creme fraise topped with dill - and as we all know dill is dillicious. We also tried the green apples with Greek yogurt pesto wrapped in sweet potato leaves which were awesome as was the homemade bread served with fennel salted butter. Our main was a poached cod served atop olive oil, topped with lemon basil along side fresh baby carrots, green and yellow baby squash and a smear of Greek yogurt and cayenne pepper. Cod has never been a fish of choice - more necessity given budgets from time to time however this dish made me rethink serving cod entirely.

Good news is for now it's BYOB, however it won't be for long as they're awaiting their liquor license. Just heard that as of this week 9/22 they have changed their menu to a $45 prefix that includes an app, main and dessert.

The crowd was an older, more established yupster crowd - lots of foodies and oenophiles. Staff here is very nice, very casual, prices are a bit on the Manhattan side and portions are well...lets just say after a 4 course shared dinner here we hit up Diner after...

Wish this place the best as their technique and philosophy is what this area needs, just hope they come out with a brunch menu and can't wait to see what their wine list will carry.

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  Cuttle Fish with creme fraiche salmon roe, squid ink and dill.

  Cuttle Fish with creme fraiche salmon roe, squid ink and dill.

4/5/2012

This is the WORST place.

The people were nice, but the food not even close to mediocre.

$30 for a HANGER steak, and it was maybe 3 oz of meat.

I get what they're doing, I understand it, its not lost on me, but I believe this food fad is over.

Having tiny portions with a dollop of this flavor and a dollop of that flavor is even mildly acceptable if done well..  

$14 Brussels sprouts that actually only have about 4 Brussels sprouts, deconstructed of course, because that's so hip.

After $100 we were still not full and decided not to throw any more money into the well.  We left and had some sardinian pasta and salad at DOC.

When will this restaurant fad die?

Who doesn't actually prefer real food cooked well?

2/26/2012

Well, I have to say I've been wanting to come here for a while, and finally got it it.

Atmosphere is amazing, food is good, and service spotless. I have to say that it was definitely an experience to dine at Isa. It's really good for dates, it gets somewhat packed.

Everything was definitely good, but the reason why I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is kind of a preference to me. The menu, was good, with intricate and interesting plates, but I was let down to find out that there was not a steak option on the menu. I have read previously online the menu, and was attracted to the fact that they have such an amazing range of food.

It seems that they change the menu if not daily, weekly. It's weird, because you definitely want to try new things, but never know what you're going to get.

The waiter did an amazing job of explaining the menu.

Definitely will recommend this, of you're feeling adventurous and want to WOW a date.

Cheers!

5/20/2012

Whoever was bartending last night - awful!  You plopped a menu in front of us and couldn't even say one word to us?  That is how you greet someone who chose to come to your restaurant?  Not even a simple 'hi'?

We walked right out.  Place looked a bit rag tag anyway - went to Dokebi and had an awesome meal instead.

6/9/2013

A low 3 stars. The food: bland. The service: nice but didn't bring us several things we ordered in several different instances. Nice spot for a drink maybe but do yourself a mitzvah and don't plan on a having a good meal here.

3/22/2012

Another case of insanely high expectations (btw congrats to Isa for their Beard nomination...hype train not slowing down any time soon!)  Things I really liked: the atmosphere is awesome, the crazy DIY bathroom carpentry, the service was impeccable start to finish, the plating was beautiful, and I like that they're not afraid to take risks with their menu offerings.

So what didn't do it for me? More than anything else, in spite of every dish showcasing precise technique and skill, I just wasn't that blown away by the flavors. They seemed uninteresting. Perhaps subtle would be less harsh. I don't need a slap in the face but everything seemed so muted and therefore forgettable.

It's rare that a dessert is my favorite or most memorable course but that was the case here. It was some kind of insane sunchoke mousse-thing with black trumpet mushrooms. Certainly not for everyone (the next table over openly admitted that they hated it to the nice waitress), but for sure unlike any dessert I've come across. It shouldn't have been good but it was legitimately awesome.

I have zero doubt that this team will come up with some great stuff in the future. They are talented and do not fear jumping off culinary cliffs. Perhaps the menu on our night wasn't an all-time classic. But at the price point it's hard to picture going back a bunch of times to find out.

3/20/2012

I had a really high expectation on Isa since the restaurant was featured in a lot of NY based magazines. In summary. Isa met my expectation but it did not blow me off.

Food: 4.5
Food and drink were really creative. Isa changes the menu every day. I came here for the grilled mackerel dish but it was not available on the day I visited. 3 of us ordered house baked bread, Brussels sprout salad, Calamari, Scallop, espresso and dirt (dessert) and 2 cocktails. Every dish, we were very impressed by the simple and unconventional recipe yet great flavor. But the portion was really small for the price. For example, there was only 3 half scallops (0.5 inch thick) on the $29 dish.

Decor: 4
I really liked the open kitchen and our corner seat, looking over a window to the street. Isa was decorated with light woods and stack of fire woods. Somehow I felt like the place had a touch of nomad in the dessert theme. Haha. The bathroom was clean but was built with cheap materials. For example, the faucet was bad enough not to mix cold/hot water properly and water pressure was really low. I've seen better.

Service: 5
The waiter was very attentive and friendly (and cute). People seemed really chill.

I will definitely go back.

3/10/2013

Dined at Isa in February. I wasn't deterred by the mixed reviews but there is truth in both the positive and negative reviews.  I would NOT recommend this to a friend but I would go back just for the ambiance, a couple of cocktails, and that kale salad. But that's it. It's overpriced for the quality of food, which overall is sub par.

Service: The hosts and bartenders were very pleasant and attentive, as I was the first in my party to show up. However, our server was very unpleasant. She had a awful look on her face the entire time we were there and it was clear that she did not want to be at work. She was doing her job just fine but any requests for more drinks or an additional plate was received with an inconvenienced look. She made us feel very uncomfortable.

Food: We got the kale caesar, mussels, chitarra pasta, and skirt steak. I highly recommend the kale. It was smoky, creamy, and very delicious.  The entrees were kinda awful.  The chitarra seafood dish was ordered because of the really awesome method the pasta is shaped. You push the pasta dough through strings like guitar strings, which is precisely why it's call chitarra. When the dish came out, it was just pasta from a box.  The dish was bland and not what was advertised.  There was a grand total of four clams in a slightly briny broth.  The steak wasn't any better. It came precut against the grain since its a pretty tough cut of meat. Unfortunately, that didn't help. While attempting to cut the slices into bite sizes, I had to put so much force on my knife to cut through the connective tissue that my knife was squeaking against the plate. The meat was so gristled you had to swallow large pieces because the connective tissue was so hard to breakdown with your teeth. The polenta wedge was an unsuccessful afterthought. It tasted like nasty shrimp toast.

Drinks: This place is wine/cocktail place.  Do not bring beer lovers here because you will settle to pay $7 for a skunky bottle of Stella. The cocktails were fine, nothing offensively sweet or strong.

7/13/2012

I definitely enjoyed my experience at Isa, though other members of my party were not as pleased. Came for a late dinner and enjoyed a few drinks, which definitely racked up the bill, but was (somewhat) worth it. The Garden Party was very fresh, albeit not that different from many cocktails around town, and I particularly enjoyed my "evervescent" wine with "unicorn" in it. (Speaking of wine, the list was lovely, but there appeared to be some serious mark-up happening. Anyway.)

My friend and I "ate light" and each ordered our own kale Caesars, and split the cavatelli and a side of corn. The cavatelli was magnificent--worth coming back for alone, with heirloom tomatoes and just enough basil and cheese. I have no idea what kind of cheese, but it was delicious. Kale caesars had a nice char and smokey flavor, and the corn was great. Our third ordered the steak and was pretty unhappy with it--not cooked as much as she liked and "too fatty", though I didn't taste it so I'm not sure.

I wish I had made it with the old menu--as I spent four months living in Copenhagen, I'm into new nordic. But the new menu of "grilled classics" is sure to please. Don't miss the bathroom, also.

12/18/2011

I heard all the hype about Isa in Williamsburg, like 5 stars in Time Out, but was then surprised when I saw that the Yelp rating was only 3.5.  Hmmm, what gives?

When I went last night  for my first time there,  it became clear why there's the disparity.

The place itself has a truly awesome vibe... warm, cozy, but not precious. Wood for a fireplace, and the notable smell of hearth.  There are two main rooms, one of which has more of an old West Village bar/restaurant feel, and one that felt more nouveau, with a giant chef's counter and kitchen right by where folks are eating.

The staff must have been airlifted from Portland, Oregon.  Very cool and stylish in a slightly grunge way, but very friendly, knowledgeable and casual.  

I started off asking the waiter  which dish was his favorite, but they change the menu  every day, so, um, that's kind of a dumb question, but he was nice about it.  They do great job of making menus with xerox copies showing quirky images of whatever floats their boat that day.  Could have come off as affected, but works well.  It adds to the sense of not taking themselves too seriously.  

We did the Prix Fixe menu for three courses, which at $50, is not bad.  The portions were decent, not tiny, but not generously large like Little Owl.   There were two choices for each course, so my date and I got one of each and tried everything.  This is where the results were more mixed.  

For each of the first two courses, one dish was notably good and tasty, but then the other dish was competent but not exceptional.  For example, for the entree, we had a duck dish and a cod dish.  The duck dish was very savory and salty, with just the right amount of fat (though Little Owl was probably better), but the cod dish was notably unstriking - very well-made but not distinguished.  And for the desserts, both dishes were interesting ideas, but were kind of bland.  

When you change a menu every day, I think it's probably expected that you'll get some unevenness, but I kind of wish for the blander dishes that they had aimed higher and failed instead of played it safe.  But probably for most diners, playing it safe was the smart way to go for them.

The wine list was really fun.  It was short but very diverse and fun, with a lot of things you don't see on every list, like a small section for Orange wines.  I got a red from Lazio region which was great.  We got a Poulsard from Jura which was a nice medium bodied wine that stood out to both of us too..

Weirdly, I've been to three restaurants of this ilk recently - warm, casual but fancy places - Little Owl, Mas Farmhouse, and Isa.  In some way, each was cut from the same cloth - do traditional farmstyle-ish food very well, and present it in a warm, cozy vibe.

Of the three, Isa had the most character in terms of vibe.  But of the three, it was also the most uneven in terms of the food (with the caveat that they also are the only ones to rotate their menu so frequently).

So neither the reviews with 5 stars nor 3 stars are wrong.  Isa is definitely worth a try.  Don't expect consistently great food, just a consistently fun restaurant experience.

VoracoMeter=7 (of 10)

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7/2/2013

Very nice environment and staff, mediocre food. The kale Caesar salad that was so dry and bland it was basically inedible. If you are looking for these too trendy ingredients, there are certainly better places in Williamsburg. Or at least much cheaper.

5/28/2012

We crammed in with some friends on a saturday night, and were lucky to get a table after a little wait. We first hit the bar, and I was amused and impressed with the quirky house drinks. I had something with mango, lime and tabasco and enjoyed it quite a bit.

As for the dinner, it was hit and miss. The daily menu was confusingly laid out, and took the waiter's explanation to understand how to order. Some of us wanted the prix fixe menu, but were told everyone had to order prix fixe, or we all had to go ala carte.

The ambience was cute, and very hip. The lighting was nicely dim, but it was WARM out and the open air kitchen was blasting out heat. Since the whole restaurant is open (walls up, fresh air, no AC) the whole meal was a little sweaty.

We had some house made bread at the table and it was KILLER. The crust and dense fluffy insides of the sourdough were a surprise and delight. We also had some of the ham which was melt in your mouth. A really great start to the meal.

I ordered the tartare appetizer and it was absolutely fucking amazing. It could have been a portion 10 times the size, and I would have eaten it all. Seasoned as though it was a sausage (reminded me of peperoni) with a side of crispy dry seeds/pepper/crunchy bits and a little useless foam.

As for the main course, the cod was kind of gross. We had six people at the table and four ordered the cod. No one seemed to like it. The fish itself was cooked nicely, but ended up being very very soft and almost slightly underdone. The problem was what it came with. Limp thinly sliced celeriac root and some sort of blob of non descript butter sauce. There wasn't enough variety in flavors or textures, and the whole dish was served up in a little bowl making it feel more like a side then a main dish.

One of my friends had the hanger steak and it was plated and tasted great (so he claimed.)

I've had friends say this is the best restaurant in brooklyn. I get where they are coming from, because when it's good, it's really really good. Problem is, when it's bad, it's really bad. And a restaurant this good shouldn't have anything bad on the menu. My friend had the cold scallop and strawberry app and it was not good. I say they stick to meat, and stay away from seafood all together.

5/4/2013

Fantastic drinks, food and crowd! The kale, meatballs and flat bread are all terrific appetizers.  The fish of the day was perfectly cooked and delicious!  The atmosphere is alive but personal.

3/29/2012

Creative food - very tasty. Great beef 'tartare' and wonderful duck liver & swordfish dishes. And leave room for dessert!

Excellent service with great food & wine recs.

Friendly bartender who mixes a great drink.

Fun to sit in the kitchen room and watch the chefs work.

I hate long reviews - the restaurant is wonderful; just go.

4/16/2012

NO. No no no no no.  First of all, it was so HOT in there.  Like dripping sweat hot.  Ordered a few appetizers because I knew I wouldn't be able to sit through a whole meal in there.  I'm ok with small portions.  If all I get is one bite of bliss then I am happy.  They did not make me happy.  Tiny portions of I don't know.  Nothing was bad.  But nothing was good.  

I left confused, sweaty, and out of money.

5/3/2013

Gorgeous wood interior - check
Open kitchen - check
Friendly bartender (with skills) - check

Ok - I've updated my review : got pulled in with some friends a few weeks ago and was uttertly suprised.  New menu, new attitude's ... the wood fired pizzas and kale salad were great and for once ... yes it's true ... they really seemed passionate about what they're serving.  Wow - is this ISA?  I'm liking what's happening here.

Still keeping my review about the bar : Love coming here for drinks ( be forwarded though - the bar is lightly stocked - I don't know why but their distributor must be throttling them ... but there's nothing outrageously standout in their premium shelf )  What they do have is ok.  ** The bartender works magic to make thing's happen ... major kudos.

( seems like they're making a play for it - I'm a fan for once! )

5/2/2012

Isa is truly an experimental dining experience. I would not recommend bringing a picky eater to this place. However, if you are looking for a unique meal unlike anything you have had before, then this is the place for you!

I have been to Isa for brunch and dinner, and would argue that the brunch was better...although more conventional. For brunch, I had a spaghetti squash soup, seaweed biscuit (buttery, flaky amazingness...did not taste like seaweed), and a homemade cinnamon roll (Cinnabon on crack...in the best way EVER!). My boyfriend had this delicious egg dish with farro and some sort of braised greens. It was amazing...he had to basically tell me to stop forking bites of his meal or I would have eaten the entire thing.

For dinner, the highlights were the bread (which is baked on premises and is fresh and wonderful) and the dessert. The dessert was highly unconventional - one dish included sunchokes, espresso ice cream, and truffle "dust".

The food reminds me of The Modern in that it is exquisitely prepared in both the presentation and flavor combination. While I am more excited to return for brunch, I would definitely give dinner another shot. Great addition to the neighborhood!

Oh, and you can buy loaves of bread to take home!

8/20/2012

re: Brunch - I haven't been back since the revamp until this weekend.  I loved the old dinner menu and was a big fan of the restaurant but the old brunch menu was admittedly terrible.  The quirkiness worked at dinner, but whatever they were doing at brunch just tasted bad.

New brunch menu was fantastic, simpler, fresh ingredients and good flavors.  Really good cocktails and great use of the wood fired oven.  Service was friendly, prompt and helpful.

I am interested to try the new dinner menu, although I will miss the experimental and creative menu from the earlier iteration.

10/27/2011

My friend had insisted we check this place out when I visited and being a purveyor of fine dining, I trusted him. He had previously taken me to, of all places, Brooklyn Fare, before they reached 3-star Michelin status, so I was hoping this would follow suit.

Unfortunately it did not.

We dined a couple days after their liquor license was finally granted and although we were depressed that we weren't able to cut corners on the bill with byob, we were delighted when we tried the libations available, one being a bourbon concoction comprised of apple cider vinegar and a lemon-like herb. It was refreshing and delicious, and unlike the dourly dark whiskey cocktails that too often fall on menus.

The $50 prix-fixe included:

-Duck liver mousse for the table - encrusted in nuts, which was interesting but didn't add much, but the mousse itself was terrific and was a great spread for the rustic bread that was also served.

-Duck consomme soup - Also very good, but served in little glass shot glasses that could've benefited by some sort of finger hook that would allow patrons fingers to not be burned by the scolding cup.

-Sardines - we received two for the table (of 4). The sardines were fine but what seemed to be the heralding element of the dish was the fried sardine skeleton that accompanied the meat and was edible. It was quite a frightful sight and it didn't have much of a taste besides perhaps some fishy saltiness. It did provide a nice crunch to counter the softness of the fish, but this duo of taste sensations seemed to pop-up all too often during the rest of the meal.

-We then had a choice of appetizer: scallops or tartare. Most of us got the beef tartare that was probably the best dish of the meal. It was resting atop a sunchoke puree and there was a bit of salt, it seemed, there as well to again break up the monotony of a soft texture with a crispy one. Not necessarily needed at this point. There were also small cilantro plants on the plate that were beautiful to look at, not so much to consume. My girlfriend got the scallops and, after tasting them, can confirm they were also a knockout.

-There was then a choice of cod, goat or (as a special) duck. I got the duck and it was great. Juicy, moist, with a crispy skin top. It wasn't the best duck I've ever had (*cougghcough*elevenmadisonpark'sduckfortwo*­coughcough*) but it was DAMN good. And probably the best entree available, having tasted the cod (not very exciting) and the goat (very fatty).

-The dessert was probably the most disappointing part of the menu. There was a concord grabe sorbet with some sort of green sauce (this part of the meal was a little hazy to recall) that was probably one of the most beautiful dishes I've ever seen. Taste wise? Meh. There was some other nut based dessert dish that was awful.

With wine and cocktails it came to about $100/person. Would've loved for it to have still been byob to lower that, but what can you do. I know that the restaurant is still in a soft open, so hopefully it will allow itself to align its ducks in a row before it opens for real.

12/17/2011

Why some of my favorite restaurants are in Brooklyn???

First it was Brooklyn Fare, and now Isa...

Isa bakes their own bread and from the moment you have the bread in you mouth, you knew...right there and then, this is going to be an AWESOME meal!

The sardine appetizer, bathed in this most incredibly delicious olive oil, the sardine salty and sweet , and the bones crunchy like chips, I licked the plate clean.

The calamari in ink was sublime....

Followed by the beef tartare, by far the best dish I had all year, this just blew me away to heaven...  the taste, the texture, the newness, the surprise...this dish will bring me back to Isa over and over and over again.

The appetizer are the real winners, everything else on the menu was terrific!!!!

Just don't save room for dessert, after all the deliciousness, it was an OK ending...I was happier home scooping up my Pralines and cream from Haagen-Dazs...

1/6/2013

I recently had dinner at Isa.  It was very good -- beautiful, creative pizza, lovely pasta, and a great octopus dish (I see the restaurant is listed as having Mediterranean fare, generally, but it seemed Italian-focused).  The cocktails were also festive and delightful.  My favorite aspect of this restaurant, though, is the decor.  The restaurant is quite exquisite and is perfect for a romantic meal in Williamsburg.

1/28/2012

Just loved this place we came upon it by chance, wandering about when out movie was sold out. It  looked so welcoming  and cozy so we headed in. They were nice enough to squeeze us in even though we didn't have a reservation.

The service was great, the waiter helped us round out our meal with hsi suggestions. The servings are a bit small , so don't hesitate to order a extra appetizer. We sat right by the kitchen and what fun to watch and hear them work.

We had the bread which they bake there in the oven, rye and sourdough and looks like handmade herb butter. Also got  the steak tartar,  which was heavenly. Te food presentation is amazing, we renamed the steak tartar the Damien Hirst appetizer because it is cute dots of food on the plate.  The salad came with. Blood oranges, quomcauts,  etc.  wow.  

Our entrees were duck with beets and the skate. The skate had three different sauces, each better the the last.

Overall a great experience and we plan to go back.

10/23/2012

Since they've changed chefs, it's not worth visiting. The food it standard, overpriced and stripped down. Bummer. Does anyone know where the previous chef went?