NEW STEAKHOUSE in park slope!

Subject: New Restaurant at/behind Loki Lounge

I saw a sign that a restaurant was opening at or behind Loki Lounge on 2nd st - anyone know anything about this?

yeah, i saw that sign too the other night, thought maybe Loki was going to serve food too? Found it confusing.....

It's a new place. It's open. It's owned by one of the partners at loki. Apparently, the other partner at loki is not a partner at this new, destined for failure, money pit, of a venture.

What is it? Does anyone know - name, food type, etc?

urbandog25 wrote: What is it? Does anyone know - name, food type, etc?

Gnocchi? Karaoke? Jokey? Cokey? Hokey?

Where exactly is this place? Is it in the building that's set back from 2nd Street, behind Loki's garden?

^ Yes. I ate there tonight & was very impressed. It's surprisingly ambitious. Don't think bar food, it's more of a slightly upscale dateworthy place with quality ingredients, "pasture-raised" meat and that sort of thing. Among the appetizers are scallops and a venison knockwurst. I had a very nice ribeye steak, a salad with goat cheese, truffle oil & yuca, and some remarkably good spaetzle as a side. There was a rutabaga lobster bisque on the menu, if I remember correctly. Come to think of it, the place reminds me of the late Tempo more than anything... a little New American, a little Italian, a little Austrian. The interior is deep tan and chocolate-colored with lots of exposed brick & surveying equipment on the wall (gotta have a theme, I guess). I'm not a wine expert, but the wine list had a serious look to it. A chestnut bread pudding was offered & enjoyed at the end.

I looked for it on Sunday but couldn't find it...a great concept for a restaurant: let's make it impossible to find.

Is it on 2nd street?

what is the name?

has there been no press about it?

Place is called Benchmark - saw the menu outside - they have no sign just a lectern with the menu on 2nd st - looked kinda like a Smith St restaurant circa '99 - foie gras, free range stuff, etc... not that such a menu is bad (if cooked right), just surprising given the location.

They are either well funded and going for a very soft opening to work out the kinks - or they are idiots and will be out of business in a few months - because the place has no press is impossible to find and is often the beaten path - I really hope Zebra's review is accurate and the owner has the funds to build up a business.

You approach on 2nd St. & walk through a little courtyard to get there. I wouldn't necessarily read anything into the soft opening & lack of pre-opening hype. If the food stays good I bet the place will garner a following. When Al di la opened in 1998 I don't recall any advance press, & furthermore their location was definitely considered off the beaten path.

This is interesting. I like those menu options.

Brownstoner has a tiny bit on it. Interesting comments from readers:

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2010/02/streetlevel_sec.php

We ate there last night. We loved the ambiance, the old carriage house down a hidden walk. It's large and comfortable inside, service was very good. The restaurant is certainly called Benchmark, there's a large wooden sign inside saying in as many words "You are here - Benchmark Restaurant - Brooklyn".

A glass of wine was only $6 with about a dozen to choose from. We had a beet & endive salad which was good although we've had better. I had an acorn squash dish that was overly spicy/hot. My wife's blackened tuna /w parsnips and brussels sprouts was the better choice. She prefers her tuna cooked through and found it a touch dry.

In short we found the food promising but nothing special. It was a lovely setting and I have a feeling that it'd be worth a re-visit in a few weeks. The focus at Benchmark is steak, that might have been a better bet than tuna & squash for a first meal there.

Does this place have a name? Where is it again?

W_T_F is going on?

And wait... you have to walk PAST apartments in order to get there..... thats NUTZ.

that courtyard was always pretty crowded with loki customers when it's warm out. what i don't get is what is going to happen once it starts warming up and the courtyard becomes extended seating for loki.

it seems like it would have made a lot more sense to have a restaurant with a lower price point that could combine with the loki crowd and provide food to that built in audience.

Went this week and the food was fantastic. I can't wait to try more from their menu - so many choices that look great. And the space inside is really lovely.

They intentionally are going for the soft opening. They said they wanted to work out kinks first. They also said that the seating in the outdoor space that used to serve as a back patio for Loki will now be for the restaurant.

I am not really a fan of Loki, but I love a new option to have dinner outside when the weather is nice, so I am very excited about this.

It does seem to be in an odd place, but with the right advertising and word of mouth this place could be a great addition in the neighborhood. Also, they have a bit posted about the history of the building - it was some sort of storage and transfer station, not a carriage house. Very interesting if you're into that kind of thing.

I can't wait to try this place. I like that it's a little nook behind Loki (which I also don't really like as a bar).

http://gothamist.com/2010/03/18/new_restaurants_8.php?gallery0Pic=1#gallery

i know some have already seen or talked about it, but gothamist does a write up on benchmark, the new steakhouse in park slope...

seems they got the address wrong though...i believe it's 2nd STREET, not 2nd avenue...

yes! this makes my heart happy :-) (right up until the moment I need angioplasty)

Nice!

"339A 2nd St.
(between 4th and 5th Ave.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn NY 11215
Ph: 718.965.7040
email: [email hidden]

website coming soon."

is it vegan?

this is the same place as the spot listed as being behind loki. someone combine pleasseeee

MOD NOTE: merged. Thank you, Carmen!

jeffrey wrote: is it vegan?

Haha...I'm going to say no.

We were planning to go to Prime Meats tonight but upon seeing the Gothamist story about this place, changed our plans. No real complaints.

Nice space, music not too loud, good service.

They started us with a steak and egg amuse bouche. Not really my thing, but the bf thought it was fantastic and ate mine for me. Fresh bread was served with tasty garlic butter. We both had a la carte steaks (different cuts) and the meat was good and abundant. Very, very slightly overcooked (instead of just ordering medium-rare, I might say "more on the rare side", but not rare). For sides we had the curried (?) brussels sprouts and the hand cut fries with home-made super spicy ketchup. I like really strong flavors and these both had it.

It wasn't packed but throughout our meal there we probably saw about 8 other pairs of diners and few just at the bar (seemed to be friends of employees). I would go back when in the mood for a lot of food and for meat.

I imagine they will do well.

Great review.

The next time I think I need to Convivium (where we always get an AMAZING steak) I will try this place.
As in almost all openings... waiting a few weeks for the kinks to be ironed out is not a bad idea.

Luckily we didn't really experience any kinks. The staff seemed on top of things and eager to make everything work. If they were packed it might be different, but our food was all delivered together and seemed fresh off the grill/pan.

I heard another diner saying that this was not his first time b/c he enjoyed it so much. I don't find a lot of difference between places as far as a steak goes, but the sides had a huge flavor punch (I love stuff to be almost seasoned too much) and the other food options sounded good.

When it warms up a little, I think the garden area alone might make it worth the trip.

Oh, the bf had one complaint. They put paper on top of the tablecloths but no crayons were available or him to work out puzzles and math equations while forgetting I'm there He would like crayons at all meals.

Oh, and they said brunch starts in April.

^ while he is drawing on the table forgetting you are there, do you throw things at his head and then look innocent when he wonders what happens? :-)

Wow.. that sounds like a good idea Flexi.

I have had times in my life when I felt like doing just that.. I didn't.

veets wrote: Wow.. that sounds like a good idea Flexi.

I have had times in my life when I felt like doing just that.. I didn't.

Well, that's what *I* would do, but maybe that's one of the reasons why you've been married forever and I am single