A Hit and a Miss in Park Slope, Brooklyn

In the last week, my husband and I have tried two restaurants new to us on Park Slope's 5th Avenue. One, Lobo, was a huge miss (in every respect) and the other, Brooklyn Fish Camp, a delight. Here's the skinny on both:

MISS: Lobo, 188 5th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn.
In search of a place to watch the playoffs and eat a little dinner, my husband and I popped into Lobo last weekend. This Tex-Mex restaurant, however, had awful and indifferent service, unpalatable food, and a lonely atmosphere. We sat at the bar where we were essentially ignored by the bartender. After we'd managed to attract his attention (we were two of only four people seated here, by the way) and order drinks, we perused the rather conventional menu. My husband settled on pork tacos and I went for the cheese and bean chalupa. The food was crated out in record time (a sure sign that very little was prepared to order) on huge, boat-like plates that would have individually served an entire football team. If the food had been good, this might have been nice (leftovers!); however, it was so bland, insipid, and uninspired that I left 80% of it behind. The worst part: the processed cheese they used on the chalupa (pretty much everything tasted like it came out of a can). We will most definitely not be returning here and would advise others to seek out better Mexican food down the street at El Jalapeno or up on 7th Avenue.




HIT: Brooklyn Fish Camp, 162 5th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Fish Camp is pretty well known, yet we only got around to giving it a try recently. And I'm so happy that we did! The place itself is quite small and has a charming atmosphere. Past the bar, you'll find a handful of tables, each with a view of the open kitchen where all the seafood magic takes places. Fish Camp features whole roasted fish, lobster (in the shell or as lobster rolls), a smattering of more elegant fish preparations, and a series of sandwiches. I went for the pan-seared cod sandwich, which was served on a fabulous and fresh roll with a lemony-garlicky aioli and arugula. It was SO GOOD. The sandwich came with shoestring frites that were incredibly addictive. My husband had the shrimp tacos, which I think he might have regretted ordering. They tasted good, but the fish seems to be the source of the best dishes here.