Prospect Brooklyn

This unassuming restaurant on Fulton Street is dishing out some of the best and most beautifully plated food I have stumbled upon in NYC, hands down. Prospect does not treat your food like a science experiment, altering the molecular structure and ingredients, or try and serve complicated dishes that take longer to explain than eat. Owner/Executive Chef Kyle McClellad creates and orchestrates fantastically plated delicacies that stay true to each ingredient represented. The plates may be a work of art but there is a homely comfort in his style and technique that makes you want to ding in and savor every bite. You don’t feel that the food is pretentious or overworked but highly appreciated for it’s natural qualities. Now a restaurant can’t survive on plating alone, the food has to taste as harmonious as it looks. And let me tell you, I did not take one bite at Prospect that I would not want to eat time and time again. This chef is a quality fiend; his dedication and relationship with local farms is evident in every dish.

I sat at the chefs counter and had a chance to observe Chef McClellad in his natural habitat. It is fascinating how a truly talented chef can transform ingredients in front of your eyes, culinary magicians at work. Chef was working with a fresh soft shell crab and within in 10 minutes it was sitting in front of me revolutionized into a lovely medley of ingredients made only from ingredients delivered just hours ago. When these people say farm-to-table they mean it. The root vegetables in the Chef’s Market Vegetable Plate are what I dream about and are truly gems of the earth. How Chef McClellad arranges these natural beauties onto a plate is why this was my favorite dish of the night, the most well curated vegetarian option I have come across. Vinson Petrillo is the chef de cuisine and works harmoniously with McClellad. The pair have been working together for years and their chemistry in the kitchen is what orchestrates the dynamic energy of Prospect.

Below the kitchen is a magical world where pastry chef Annika Loureiro concocts her whimsical desserts, my favorite was dehydrated grapes scattered alongside a pine-nut tart among other delectable curiosities. Do not skip dessert at Prospect. It is the perfect cherry on top of a phenomenal meal. The casual style of the the space allows for unforgettable food in a comfortable setting, if you go once you will be back. Quality, talent, and accessibility, now theres a restaurant worth traveling to Brooklyn for!