March 24, 2008
Camera in the Kitchen: Maggie Brown
Maggie Brown, the Myrtle Avenue comfort-food spot on the border between Clinton Hill and Ft. Greene, has become a popular attraction for nearby Pratt students and locals who pack the summer garden to sip spiked frozen lemonade. While better known for their fried chicken and ribs, we braved Maggie Brown on a busy Sunday morning, hanging in there for a 45 minute wait which climaxed with our party of five crammed into a table meant for four. Coffee is strong and refilled frequently, albeit in chipped mugs that typify the hodgepodge ambiance evoked by Maggie Brown's heavily textured vintage wallpaper, chandeliers, taxidermy, flea market art, and fireplace.
Of the egg dishes, which come with searingly hot home fries and a choice of white or wheat toast, the "opa omelet" is most audacious, with thick bits of prosciutto, sheep's milk cheese, and basil accentuated by entire caramelized cloves of garlic. The "oma omelet," stuffed with goat cheese, salmon, and leeks, is tastier and not as greasy. A vegetarian Mexican lasagna layers corn tortillas with grilled vegetables and a spicy tomato-based sauce that is good for sopping up with extra pieces of toast on the table.
One leaves full and fairly satisfied, but small disappointments – overly dressed salads, running out of the reputed homemade biscuits & raspberry butter halfway through brunch hour, being crowded to the point of slight discomfort – make an off-peak visit seem like the smart move.
Maggie Brown is located at 455 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. 718.643.7001.
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Wow that picture makes me want to go there.. NOT.
An omelot with home fries and toast is "most audacious"?
lol, best thing i've read all day
omelet.
I'm pretty sure the "audacity" is referring to the "prosciutto, sheep's milk cheese, and basil accentuated by entire caramelized cloves of garlic," not the home fries and toast.
MMMMMmmmmmm. Heart Disease and high cholesterol. Yumm.
It's a good place for eating outside when the weather is nice. I've been there for dinner mid-week and the backyard was nearly empty.
One night of truly appalling service was enough to place Maggie Brown's onto my "never return" list. They have decent food but suffer from "neighborhood restaurant service" syndrome.
It looks like basic diner food.
Maggie Brown's brunch is pretty solid, but it is better (and less jam packed) for dinner in my opinion. They make killer short ribs, for example. Good cocktails, too.
Oh, and by the way, the standard community board-based boundaries of Clinton Hill go from Vanderbilt to Classon. Maggie Brown is 100% in Clinton Hill.
My wife and I go to Maggie Brown all the time for dinner - it's our neighborhood date restaurant. The cocktails are fantastic - the Ethel O'Connel cocktail is probably my favorite cocktail anywhere.
The braised short ribs are amazing, as is the mexican lasagna.
Service is hit or miss - we've had spectacular service as well as sub-par service. Don't expect a quick in-and-out meal.
All in all, Maggie Brown is one of the restaurants we recommend most and we take visitors here all the time.
friends of mine rave about maggie brown's, but honestly i've had better. this is a step up from diner food, but only in the sense that they use ingredients usually used in better dining establishments. the skill, care and service are exactly the same as a diner. just don't go in expecting much.