If at first you don’t succeed, location, location, location.” Isn’t that the way it goes? Confidant, a gamely bold restaurant, opened final spring in Trade Metropolis trumpeting its firstness: By no means earlier than had the artificially turfed dwelling of the Design Inside Attain outlet contained a fine-dining institution. That might have been a clue one thing was off.
Sundown Park is a vibrant neighborhood, however Trade Metropolis, the developer-led behemoth that grew like a Goliath in David’s entrance yard, is one thing totally different. It’s a pleasant spot for visiting the Li-Lac Candies manufacturing facility or serving to your self to a reduced sofa, however after darkish, the place can really feel abandoned and eerie. Can’t fault Confidant’s founders for making an attempt. Brendan Kelley and Daniel Grossman met at Roberta’s, which put Bushwick on the eating map, so they’d expertise cooking in (as soon as) far-flung corners of Brooklyn. Roberta’s grew to become a vacation spot; Confidant, regardless of its greatest efforts, by no means did. Its refined tackle consolation delicacies (potpies, steaks, home-baked bread) couldn’t exert the identical pull as pizza.
Kelley and Grossman closed the doorways and relocated to Brooklyn Heights, taking on the Atlantic Avenue area vacated by Colonie, an area brunch favourite that — together with equally departed spots like Buttermilk Channel — was a part of the wave of 2010s “New Brooklyn” locavorism. Brooklyn Heights holds the excellence of being a particularly residential neighborhood with a shocking paucity of nice neighborhood eating places. (Take it from me: I reside there.) Although the tide is beginning to flip, the perennially packed standing of some current arrivals (Ingas Bar on Hicks, Café Brume on Montague) suggests there’s nonetheless a hungry native crowd able to descend. So whereas Confidant may but grow to be vacation spot eating, it’s already filling up commonly. It’s at all times been a neighborhood restaurant. Now it has some neighbors.
“Neighborhood restaurant” could appear to be a ding: It isn’t. An ideal neighborhood restaurant is a Swiss Military knife, adaptable to varied functions and overlapping constituencies. Confidant can confidently be a date spot (the sunshine is seductively dim, and the soundtrack, one current evening, leaned heavy on Sade), however not simply. I’ve achieved weeknight drop-ins with my husband and reservations with relations visiting from out of city (the Higher West Aspect). I’ve watched {couples} canoodle on the again counter, a low-key chef’s desk the place Kelley and Grossman station themselves. I’ve additionally seen locals stomach as much as the longer, largely unreservable entrance bar.
The outside, trout mousse, the kitchen counter, and prawn pot pie. Hugo Yu.
The outside, trout mousse, the kitchen counter, and prawn pot pie. Hugo Yu.
The menu, likewise, accommodates with out condescending. If Kelley and Grossman often overcomplicate, they’ve nonetheless ensured that there’s sufficient for the choosy of any age. Dry-aged duck breast in a sticky, date-infused sauce is grownup modern, whereas the red-sauce rigatoni is weeknight pasta achieved proper, a children’-menu basic reimagined for grown-ups. It’s pricked with Calabrian chiles and given a smoky bass be aware of disappearing ’nduja. The hero dish remakes a cafeteria staple, potpie, for the gifted-and-talented set: self-possessed neighborhood tweens who would possibly discourse on the prevalence of prawns to rooster, the richness lent by fish bones to the parsnip-studded broth, the mushy warmth of Espelette warming the filling and gilding the pastry a sublime marigold.
A number of dishes lacked the cohesion of their compatriots — rabbit ragù just a little dry, cod just a little misplaced in its bowl of Sorana beans — however I discovered myself unable to summon any nice upset on that rating. A number of the cheffier extravagances from Trade Metropolis haven’t but made the journey north (no extra of a tuna prosciutto I discovered unpalatably leathery), but when the less complicated preparations labored higher for me, one thing else may go higher for you. I’ll have the near-perfect biscuit tortoni, almond semifreddo on amaretti, maraschino and all; you’ll be able to have the wedding-cake-like strawberry sponge with its layers of cream. At a neighborhood spot, you go till you realize what works for you and for the kitchen. You overlook the creaks and cracks, the piebald décor. Is {that a} framed print of dancing bears proper above the painted portrait of melting butter? That it’s. All of it goes within the combine.
Scratchpad
Confidant
To Drink, or Not
Lucy Saintcyr has assembled an fascinating and well-priced wine listing, however I used to be additionally glad to see an unusually big selection of NA choices by the glass.
Don’t Miss
Trout mousse squiggled on high of enormous sourdough triangles, like an appetizing store’s tackle a petit 4, dotted with a couple of orbs of roe.
A Put up-Meal Stroll
When you’d fairly journey for dessert, keep in mind that the world’s first Häagen-Dazs retailer, on Montague Avenue, is an eight-minute stroll away.
Thanks for subscribing and supporting our journalism.
When you favor to learn in print, you can even discover this text within the April 20, 2026, problem of
New York Journal.
Need extra tales like this one? Subscribe now
to help our journalism and get limitless entry to our protection.
When you favor to learn in print, you can even discover this text within the April 20, 2026, problem of
New York Journal.
Join The Critics
A weekly dispatch on the cultural discourse, for subscribers solely.
Vox Media, LLC Phrases and Privateness Discover
See All