Restaurant Review: Bussaco

We've visited Bussaco, the new Park Slope restaurant in the old fire station across the street from the Park Slope Food Co-op, twice so far: right after it opened, and then again a few weeks later, just to be sure that it was as spectacular as we remembered it. (And to try again to reverse engineer their spectacular maple creme caramel!)

Our favorite entree so far has been the fried poussin with collard greens and waffles. It is the most perfect interpretation of fried chicken we've ever tasted. The greens and waffles were merely okay, but none of that mattered next to the intensely flavored tender meat encased in the perfect crunch of fried batter. It's no easy task to make fried chicken that is moist instead of oily, but Chef Matthew Schaefer is clearly a master of the art.

The maple creme caramel with poached pears and quince and maple walnuts is what brought us back to eat at Bussaco the second time. The poached quince tasted like honey, but clean and refreshing. The texture of the maple creme caramel was the real wonderment. It was denser and richer than any creme caramel or flan we've eaten in the past; it's like eating the extremely delicious bastard child of a perfect pot de creme and a soft caramel candy.

Our hint to you is that when you go, as you certainly should, remember to ask if you can see the bar menu as well as the dinner menu. It has a few different dishes that make for tasty appetizers at the table as well.

Bussaco // 833 Union Street, Brooklyn, between 6th and 7th Avenues // (718) 857-8828.