Supporting the Local, Palo Santo

After the frantic crowds of Black Friday had cleared out, we ventured out into our neighborhood to enjoy the holiday weekend. Our part of Brooklyn is perfect for SmallBusinessSaturday, as it is home to a wide range of small shops filling every need imaginable. We wandered about, doing a little bit of shopping, but as usual, our real effort to support the local business community was focused on the local restaurant scene. To that end, we decided to visit a restaurant that we have noted in our walks. Palo Santo focuses on locally grown ingredients, and a wine list of both South American and New York varietals.

Nearly hidden in the basement of a brownstone on a residential street, the beautiful, understated signage catches the eye and draws you in, without disrupting the local character of the  neighborhood. Inside, you are greeted with a small dining area, butting up against the open kitchen. Beyond the kitchen counter, the space opens back up to a large dining room with a large glass wall overlooking a spacious garden. The chef focuses on local ingredients where possible, including salsa and hot sauce ingredients from a rooftop garden.

The menu is short, but full of options that were new to us. Our waiter was very helpful, more than willing to explain the different dishes. Tina started her meal with a refreshing shaved Chayote Salad: Chayote is a Latin American fruit with a crisp texture similar to apple, but with a milder flavor. I started off with their hearty Anticuchos: a kebab of duck liver and heart, with a spicy mustard sauce. For dinner, Tina decided on the earthy Mushroom Dumplings, and I chose fresh fish with banana and veggie slaw.

Despite these range of flavors, we decided that sharing a bottle was our best bet for the evening. The wine list was broad, so we decided to stay with the local theme, and ordered a bottle of Channing Daughters “Sylvanus” from Long Island. A blend of Muscat and Pinot Grigio, we hoped for a sweet and crisp wine, balanced so that it would play well with both the heavy, earthy dishes and the lighter, fresher fare. The wine was startlingly crisp, and was a perfect pairing. With the flavor-dense dishes, like my Anticuchos, the rich sweet notes from the Muscat playfully danced around in our mouths. With the fresh flavors of the fish and the salad, the tart flavors of the Pinot cut through to cleanse the palate with each bite.

With a dessert course added into the mix, we lingered until nearly closing time. Our server did a great job of timing the pours, to let us stretch the bottle out over the course of the meal. Sitting close to the heat of the kitchen on the cool fall evening, we felt relaxed and at home. It was a great way to enjoy our holiday weekend, and it felt great to know our evening was supporting local business.