Metta Brings South American Cooking To Brooklyn
Francis Mallmann alum Norberto Piattoni is behind this open-fire restaurant
Brooklyn's getting a touch of South America tomorrow with the opening of Metta in Fort Greene. Argentine chef Norberto Piattoni, who worked under Francis Mallmann at Uruguay's Restaurante Garzón and at the now sadly shuttered Bar Tartine in San Francisco, has stacked his kitchen with a parrilla, or Argentine grill; a vertical fire basket; and a wood-fire oven. While those grills and ovens are typically used to cook meat, Piattoni is reconsidering their uses and planning to serve a vegetable-forward menu.
Look out for dishes like charred beets with sour cream and rye berries, and smashed potatoes with roe and scallions. Meat will also work its way into a few options like roast lamb with chile and pork steak with charred cabbage and crabapple sauce. And Piattoni won't let all of the ash from the fires go to waste; he'll use it for dishes like a slow-roasted sweet potato with whipped cream for dessert.
Henry Rich of Rucola and June wine bar is Piattoni's partner, so expect warm, neighborhood-restaurant service from the front-of-the-house team.
Fire is front and center in the kitchen and on the menu.
Photos: Katie Burton
Pull up a seat at the beautifully designed bar.
The menu features dishes like charred beets paired with wheat berries.
Or, try the crispy lamb with sour cabbage and squash puree.
Keep an eye out for the housemade sourdough bread.
For the mains, you'll find dishes like grilled short ribs paired with greens.
For dessert, sweet potatoes are cooked in fire and ash.
The stunning beef heart carpaccio is the perfect way to start a meal.