PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Sidecar is just the kind of medium-priced bistro that Park Slope is overloaded with, but its location at the southern end of the neighborhood makes it a welcome new hotspot nonetheless. As I’ve written before, the South Slope has come a long way, but it still suffers from a drastic shortage of quality bars and restaurants (at least according to gentrifying yuppie standards). From the outside, Sidecar looks like just another generic bar and grill, but inside it’s filled with cute old-fashioned touches like a pressed tin ceiling, heavy wooden booths and a long retro bar. The narrow nature of the space and the reddish lighting make it feel somewhat like a cross between a speakeasy and a train car, but whatever it’s supposed to be, it’s a nice looking place.

You’ll probably want to start with one of their signature drinks, like the Ramos Fizz (with gin, lemon, egg white, cream and orange flower water, $9) or the eponymous Sidecar (with cognac, Cointreau and lemon, $8). They’ll delight your taste buds and get you tipsy before you’re even done figuring out what to eat. The small menu represents an appealing cross section of international influences, from French to Vietnamese to Mexican, all with modern American touches. The prices are reasonable enough that you can order a couple of courses, and I recommend pretty much all of the appetizers. My favorite is the white bean dip with tortilla chips for a reasonable $6 (add delicious bacon for $2), but if you’re into pate, the Chicken Liver Pate appetizer (with apples, currants, shallots, brandy, port and cream, served with toast points) is a steal at $7. The entrée I’ve found the most intriguing is the Bahn-De (a Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chops, pâté, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and mayonnaise on a fresh baguette, $11). You can order it spicy or not, but I highly recommend the spicier option. The shot glass full of oily green sauce that accompanies the overstuffed sandwich is like a magical shot of spicy deliciousness, and once you pour it on, there’s no non-sloppy way to go about eating this thing. Just dig in and save your napkins for the end.

The food is all well and good, but surprisingly (for this neighborhood), the service is even better. The friendly servers and managers are always quick to offer a free drink for inconveniences like asking you to move tables to make room for a big party, or when the kitchen is backed up on a busy night. Food and drinks aside, that’s what will keep me coming back and bringing my friends. Even if it makes me a heartless gentrifying yuppie.