Dining Out: Gersi

I always have the best Italian food in New York City, and our dinner at Gersi in Carroll Gardens was no exception. The place was recommended to me by a friend who I used to share meals with at Supper in the East Village, so I knew her suggestion would be solid. 

Gersi takes reservations (bless) so I was able to secure a table for five at 7:30pm, our exact desired time. When we arrived, the hostess asked if we'd like to sit in their outdoor garden. I would have loved to, but my fellow dining companions (all over age 65) preferred to sit inside, so indoors we went. 

I had peeked at the Gersi menu online while doing my Brooklyn research, but I was pleasantly surprised to also receive a freshly printed menu with over 20 additional, seasonal specials. 

While we perused the menu, our waiter delivered a plate of bread (focaccia and crusty Italian) with a side of garlic white bean dip. You do not want to kiss anyone after having even one bite of this dip. Warning: you will breathe fire. 

The gentlemen at our table selected a bottle of red wine (I didn't catch anything about it before the wine menu was whisked away) but it was a delicious and a perfect compliment to all the hearty food we would go on to consume. 

To begin, we shared two appetizers. My father and our family friend dove right into a bowl of calamari. This preparation was not fried, which they both agreed was a really nice change. 

The calamari was swimming in a broth, keeping each piece very moist. My dad remarked, "When you find half a clove of garlic after dipping your spoon in the broth, you know it's good." 

My mom and I shared the grilled asparagus, which superseded my expectations. Each piece tasted peppery and had a great char. Honestly, I could have eaten an entire second plate of spears.

We shared a piece with our friend and she piped up, "These are surprisingly tender for such large and long pieces." 

At the head of the table, our friend ordered a bowl of the zucchini soup (which is available hot or cold). It came with a beautiful swirl of olive oil, cutting through the puréed vegetables. 

Once he'd emptied the bowl, he commented, "I know the waiter said there was no dairy in this soup, but just can't understand how they created such a creamy texture without some kind of milk or cream. My one regret is that olive oil, which looked like garnish, was actually present throughout and really became the dominant taste." 

With the plates from the first course cleared, it was time for entrees. Two people at the table ordered the salmon. They were thrilled with the selection, raving, "This is the best prepared salmon I have ever had. The outside was nice and crispy, while the inside was still tender. Each piece had great grill marks, too." 

Across the table, a friend was devouring the branzino. She explained, "I don't usually like branzino, but I decided to go for it after our waiter recommended it. It was grilled expertly, with a crisp on the skin and a tenderness inside." She did offered one suggestion, "I wish it had a little more seasoning. I squeezed my lemon onto it and it really needed that extra zest." 

My dad went with the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe, which was the best dish on the table (in my opinion). He let me taste a corner that had not been contaminated by sausage and I kept sneaking extra bites. 

He described, "The pasta was al dente, which I really liked. The broccoli rabe was sautéed, but not overly so. The Italian sausage had a great kick to it." 

Coming into the evening, I was positive I was going to get the spaghetti al limone, but when we were handed the seasonal menu, I saw they had spaghetti cacio e pepe, which is my favorite. 

I hold every single version to the standard of Mario Batali's preparation, which I have had at Eataly and Babbo, and I have to say, the Gersi take on the dish just didn't measure up. While I appreciated the snow storm of parmesan cheese on top, I missed the way the best renditions coat every single noodle in cheese and pepper. 

Now, you would think at this point we would tap out, but we had seen some pretty impressive-looking desserts head to some neighboring tables, so we had to see the menu. 

We chose two sweet items - the tiramisu and the molten chocolate cake. The tiramisu arrived first and was more of a chunk than a slice. It was an enormous portion! (I had seen a pregnant woman eating it at the table next to us, so I knew it must be good). 

I would have loved a bit more coffee flavor in the lady fingers, but what can you do? 

The molten chocolate cake was actually more in the shape of a cookie. It was very thin, but thankfully, completely filled with hot fudge. Each bite was wonderfully decadent, including the house made whipped cream, which may have been the fluffiest I've ever tasted. 

As many of you know, I don't love fruit, so I let my dad have all the berry compote on the side. 

One of the best elements of our meal at Gersi was the service. It was clear to our waiter that we were there to chat and catch up, so he really stayed out of our hair. We were at our table for two and a half hours and he never tried to hurry us out. 

One thing to be aware of, Gersi is cash only, so definitely hit the ATM before your visit. 

If you can snag a table in the outdoor garden, definitely do. I was able to see it on my trip to the ladies room and it's tucked away in the most serene, quiet and beautiful way.