High marks for our dinner tonight at Buttermilk Channel, a popular and attractive Carroll Gardens restaurant with delicious food and excellent service.

For appetizers my sister and Hepcat shared oysters while my stepmother and I shared the fresh and delicious Autumn Salad with arugula, pomegranite seeds and walnuts.

For entrees, my step mom and bro-in-law enjoyed the  Rhode Island scallops (really big scallops); I had the delicious duck meatloaf, which came with yummy creamy parsnips, duck jus and an amazing onion ring (which I shared with everyone).

Hepcat was pleased but not thrilled with the short rib stew, which is the Saturday night special and my sister had steak, which she was very quiet about and that usually means she's enjoying her dish and not sharing.

Reading the Times' review it sounds like we should have ordered the Pecan Pie Sundae for dessert. Instead we shared the bread pudding which I thought was amazing (the Times' panned it).  About the sundae, Frank Bruni raves:

It’s audaciously true to its name, a treat that might
have been invented by a toddler who smashed up his slice of pie and
stuffed it into a tall glass with butter pecan ice cream.

If that sounds haphazard and heedless, rest assured that the ice cream
is local, from Brooklyn’s own Blue Marble. Buttermilk Channel has its
pride, after all.