Last year, we reported that four Bushwick restaurants made it on the Michelin’s Bib Gourmand Guide: Dear Bushwick, Northeast Kingdom, Roberta’s, and Bunker. A new list of 133 restaurants in every NYC borough was released just yesterday, with a few in our hood. Roberta’s made the cut again (duh) as well as Ridgewood’s Bunker. Faro, the recently-opened Italian spot on Jefferson, and Falansai, an ode to Vietnamese street food, join the list for the first time.
In case you didn’t know, the Michelin guide is a highly-respected restaurant guide that awards a select few restaurants around the world Michelin stars.
“Originally published in 1900 by the French tire company as a guide to motorists, the Michelin guide has come to symbolize the best-of-the-very-goddamn-best. Michelin guide stars have been known to make or break a fancy restaurant, and each year in France, their release triggers rampant speculation and media frenzy.”
As an offshoot of the Michelin’s “Best Of” list, the Bib Gourmand Guide contenders must offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less before tax and gratuity, therefore encouraging a list of affordable restaurants.
436 Jefferson St., Bushwick
We totally called this one. Faro, the farm-to-table, culinary dreamland of a restaurant makes all their own pastas by hand and locally sources their ingredients – all meats, seafood and dairy are organic and provided by local farmers that chef Kevin Adey knows. And without compromising quality, almost everything on Faro’s menu is under $20.
102 Harrison Place, Bushwick
With a sick back yard space and koi pond, Falansai attracts the masses for it’s locale and hybrid Vietnamese-French-Chinese food. Opened in 2013, Falansai is run by Henry Trie and is inspired by his childhood flavors growing up in the Chaozhou region in China. You can come expecting traditional pho and summer rolls, but don’t miss out on their unique dishes like Claypot Catfish.
46-63 Metropolitan Ave., Ridgewood
Whether you think this Vietnamese restaurant is located in Ridgewood or Maspeth, there is no denying that Bunker (also stylized as bún-ker and Bunk’r) deserves a spot on the list. Queens-born brothers Jimmy and Jacky Tu run the kitchen at this casual spot with a cult following. In June, they opened a satellite location at Berg’n in Crown Heights (not to mention their own ice cream flavor at Morgenstern’s in Nolita).
261 Moore St., Bushwick
Okay, so this one was a given. But it’s still impressive that after 7 years in business, Roberta‘s still ranks as one of the top restaurants in Brooklyn and continues to draw two-hour long waits. With a new outpost at the UrbanSpace Vanderbilt in Grand Central, we’re happy to see Roberta’s continue to set the benchmark for ‘artisan’ pizza and a laidback-yet-chic atmosphere. Not mad about it.
Check out the full list of restaurants here