Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Birds, bees & oysters are out at Brooklyn Girl

Exemplary spring fare and a new oyster bar in Mission Hills

Last month, I was asked by U-T San Diego for my idea of a perfect spring meal. I noted lamb as the quintessential springtime protein and made mention of peas, morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns, including a note that the latter can be very hard to find. Little did I know then that, just weeks later I’d be digging into a dinner including a plate of pickled spring veg featuring this lovely but rare gem as well as an earthy pea soup, a halibut dish adorned with deliciously meaty morels, and Colorado lamb sirloin with pea and fava bean risotto.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44978/

The site of this archetypal spring ensemble was Brooklyn Girl (4033 Goldfinch Street, Mission Hills). I was there to preview some upcoming dishes and left impressed with chef Colin Murray’s smart and extensive use of the season’s best. The lamb was tender and made extra tasty with a puree of salsify, a sweet, earthen vegetable that isn’t utilized nearly enough by local chefs.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44975/

The halibut was moist, flaky, and seared to golden brown perfection, but even with that precision, the morels and a creamy, acidic pickled ramp butter sauce were the stars of the show. Then there was that vibrant pickle plate with fiddleheads, ramps, and multiple varieties of radishes and turnips. It was a stunning example of just how poignant and influential seasonal vegetables can be in the spring when used fresh and intelligently.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44974/

The night I was there marked the test run of Brooklyn Girl’s new oyster bar, which has been installed in place of the restaurant’s former pantry/take-away area. The bar will offer three varieties each of East and West Coast oysters, clams, dueling lobster rolls (Murray’s mayo-adorned traditional version plus a drawn butter-dressed style owner Victoria McGeath is a fan of), a spicy seafood stew and New England-style clam chowder that have been on the restaurant’s regular menu for awhile.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44977/

There will also be warm shellfish preparations including green lip New Zealand mussels coated in a buttered, baked mix of breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic; Clams casino; and a dish called Oysters “Roc-a-Fella.” That’s a misnomer. The only similarity the dish has to Oysters Rockefeller is that it features baked oysters. But these bivalves are topped in a delicious, spicy mixture of cream cheese, chilies, breadcrumbs, and Murray’s soft and delicious house-made chorizo sausage. It’s the best from the new bar so far.

With such exemplary seasonal fare and the brand new seafood options, there’s plenty of good reason to make a side trip to Brooklyn. Girl, that is.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance

Last month, I was asked by U-T San Diego for my idea of a perfect spring meal. I noted lamb as the quintessential springtime protein and made mention of peas, morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns, including a note that the latter can be very hard to find. Little did I know then that, just weeks later I’d be digging into a dinner including a plate of pickled spring veg featuring this lovely but rare gem as well as an earthy pea soup, a halibut dish adorned with deliciously meaty morels, and Colorado lamb sirloin with pea and fava bean risotto.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44978/

The site of this archetypal spring ensemble was Brooklyn Girl (4033 Goldfinch Street, Mission Hills). I was there to preview some upcoming dishes and left impressed with chef Colin Murray’s smart and extensive use of the season’s best. The lamb was tender and made extra tasty with a puree of salsify, a sweet, earthen vegetable that isn’t utilized nearly enough by local chefs.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44975/

The halibut was moist, flaky, and seared to golden brown perfection, but even with that precision, the morels and a creamy, acidic pickled ramp butter sauce were the stars of the show. Then there was that vibrant pickle plate with fiddleheads, ramps, and multiple varieties of radishes and turnips. It was a stunning example of just how poignant and influential seasonal vegetables can be in the spring when used fresh and intelligently.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44974/

The night I was there marked the test run of Brooklyn Girl’s new oyster bar, which has been installed in place of the restaurant’s former pantry/take-away area. The bar will offer three varieties each of East and West Coast oysters, clams, dueling lobster rolls (Murray’s mayo-adorned traditional version plus a drawn butter-dressed style owner Victoria McGeath is a fan of), a spicy seafood stew and New England-style clam chowder that have been on the restaurant’s regular menu for awhile.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/05/44977/

There will also be warm shellfish preparations including green lip New Zealand mussels coated in a buttered, baked mix of breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic; Clams casino; and a dish called Oysters “Roc-a-Fella.” That’s a misnomer. The only similarity the dish has to Oysters Rockefeller is that it features baked oysters. But these bivalves are topped in a delicious, spicy mixture of cream cheese, chilies, breadcrumbs, and Murray’s soft and delicious house-made chorizo sausage. It’s the best from the new bar so far.

With such exemplary seasonal fare and the brand new seafood options, there’s plenty of good reason to make a side trip to Brooklyn. Girl, that is.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.