Postcard from the Slope

TIME OUT LOVES ELEMENTI

14 Comments

Time Out New York served Elementi, the post-Snooky’s eatery on Seventh Avenue, with one heck of a review. And it’s all about the FOOD. The sentence that sticks out: "Elementi is the best thing to happen to Park Slope since al di la." TONY gave Elementi 5 stars out of 6.

"When Snooky’s, a Park Slope hang, served its final pint earlier this
year, locals rallied in protest. Seems that Slopers content to vie for
tables across the street at Sotto Voce (or at any of the lesser Italian
spots lining the nearby Fifth Avenue) were loath to relinquish one of
the area’s remaining blue-collar joints to this capacious Pan-Italian
eatery.

Indeed, everything about Elementi—from the yuppified
chocolate-brown decor to the insightful servers—feels at odds with the
humbler side of Brooklyn. Civic unrest notwithstanding, Elementi is the
best thing to happen to Park Slope since al di là. Chef Camilo Bassani
dispatched a garlicky bruschetta to nibble on while we considered the
wine list—a mostly Italian lineup with plenty of modest selections and
a few worthy indulgences, like a divine $79 Barolo. An appetizer of
fish carpaccio—ghostly, translucent sheets of tuna, swordfish and
salmon—melted on the tongue, while long ribbons of fried zucchini
tangled with a tender shrimp-and-squid fritto misto. We delighted in a
heady rabbit ragù threaded with al dente strands of fresh
fettuccine, and savored buttery veal, perfumed with sage and served
over crisp cubes of potato. An unexceptional ricotta cheesecake brought
us back to earth, if only long enough to consider the hefty bill (a far
cry from Snooky’s sorely missed $19.95 steak dinner). Angry Slopers,
avert your eyes: Gentrification never tasted so good.

140 Seventh Ave between Carroll St and Garfield Pl, Park Slope,
Brooklyn (718-788-8388). Subway: F to Seventh Ave. Mon 5:30–11pm;
Tue–Fri 11:30am–4pm, 5:30–11pm; Sat, Sun 10:30am–4pm, 5:30–11pm.
Average main course: $17."

14 thoughts on “TIME OUT LOVES ELEMENTI”

  1. Funny how the owner of Elementi is also named Roy, huh? Get over it, all Elementi and their buddies are doing is making themselves seem like whiny little girls. Wah, everyone in Park Slope didn’t kiss our feet when we opened! Even though we went out of our way to alienate part of the community, boohoo.
    I may be a woman but I can still tell you to man up and quit yer bitchin’.

  3. I do not believe the intention is to decrease their business, Roy. I don’t get where you’ve determined that is the intention. Everyone has observed different things – some people say it’s busy. some people say it’s not. some people say the food is good. some people say it’s not. some people say it’s too expensive. etc.
    We’ll just have to see what happens with Elementi.

  4. To MERRI and how exactly do you know “THE WAY” this restuarant came into being? by reading unchecked message boards perhaphs. FYI Snooky’s was 12 months behind in rent and 1 year in back taxes. I think the owners who are long time residents actually did a GOOD thing,with their intentions. Otherwise yoou would be moaning and groaning like the rest of the PS ‘s that complain how 7th ave is nothing but a ghost town.. Again I say all this attention has done nothing but increase their business , has anyone got that yet?

  5. It’s the same people posting about this? I really don’t think so. Maybe some repeaters as is natural.
    It has nothing to do with sour grapes – it has to do with *the way* a place comes into the neighborhood. many ‘beloved’ places close and people accept the new ones, for better or worse. but when you take on one of the last remaining – whether you frequented it or not, you sort of appreciated that it was THERE – ‘old school’ places, a little respect for the old-timers that frequented it is in order. Instead, it seems the opposite happened.
    Then, it seemed people like Gersh K. just wanted to have a story to snub HIS nose at the Brooklynian board – while ignoring the whole snub, by the new owners, to what the paper also tries to promote, the value of ‘old’ Park Slope.
    It’s puzzling.

  6. sour grages,sour grapes sour grapes. place is PACKED
    every weekend . keep reading these threads, and its always the same people over and over and over again. please give it a rest. actually helping the restuarant with all the attention. get it!

  7. Have you noticed that Elementi is empty most nights?
    While Time Out/NY might praise it, Park Slope residents are voting with their feet. Sound the deathwatch. We’ve
    reached the saturation point with restaurants…the marginal joints will close. Do we really need another expensive pasta joint? I think not. Any comparison to Al di La is scandalous.

  9. I ate at elementi and it would be ok if the portions were small and the food was exceptional. It was a far cry from it. Not very memorable. I give them props for trying. I’ve had much much better.

  10. I had one dinner at Elementi before I scratched it off the list. The food was certainly not bad but for those prices I need to be wowed. It was a while ago so I won’t be able to describe exactly what we ate and what it tasted like. My taste buds have a short memory for unremarkable food. I do remember the bill for 2 aps, 1 entree we split and 3 wines.. over $80 each.

  11. The “pro-Elementi column” was also — I’m sorry to say because I think some of the things Bklyn Paper is doing are cool; others I have some problems with — factually inaccurate. Specifically about the particulars around the Brooklynian posters, etc. Sometimes finding an ‘angle’ means being unfair to people and that is what happened in that article unfortunately.
    I don’t know if Gersh K. wrote a correction or if anyone else wrote in letters – although not sure if those same people read the paper.
    You can like Elementi’s and also not take issue with those who happen to think the new owners and the demise of Snooky’s is a ‘bad’ thing, both in ways detrimental to Park Slope. (The nabe BP is ‘promoting.’)

  14. I’ve eaten at Elementi and it’s great if you like miniscule portions for high prices. I expect the TONY reviewers don’t pay for their own meals

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