Buttermilk Channel

Before Buttermilk Channel peeled the butcher paper from its broad bay windows, Frankies 457 owned lower Court Street’s finer-dining beat. But this bright, charming restaurant—and its talented chef Ryan Angulo (Stanton Social)—has pumped some much-needed competition into this quiet corner of Carroll Gardens. Buttermilk Channel has a way with the locals, and the menu emphasizes its hometown flavor. New York State dominates the taps and the wine list; nearby Esposito’s Pork Store provides the links for a satisfying sausage roll; and a first-rate starter layers vibrant local delicata squash with tart buttermilk-based ricotta (made, naturally, in-house). Comfort-food entres also hit close to home. A singular duck meat loaf, packed with caramelized onions and swollen raisins, is served alongside the classic steakhouse accompaniments of creamed spinach fortified with celery root and a fat fried onion-ring halo. A more ascetic dish of flaky brook trout speaks of the South—the fish is rolled in smoky bacon and served over crumbly johnnycakes. Desserts are similarly straightforward: Doug’s pecan pie sundae (named for its creator, owner Doug Crowell) has the simple brilliance of a midnight snack conjured in your parents’ kitchen. The nutty, brown-sugary pie is pressed—crust and all—into an old-fashioned tulip cup, lavished with airy cream and Blue Marble’s butter-pecan ice cream—another local flourish for the consummate neighborhood joint.