First Bite: The Pines

Welcome to First Bite, in which we bring you a look at some of the city's newest restaurants shortly after they open. We'll go, eat some food, take some pictures, and report back to you. This go round it's the Pines on Third Avenue in Brooklyn's quickly developing Gowanus neighborhood.

In November of 2011, Aaron Lefkove and Andy Curtin brought fine fair to Gowanus when they opened Littleneck at 288 Third Ave. The New England-style clam shack sits on the same block as a social club and something called The Pottery Cafe. As of Wednesday, September 19th, these places share the block with Lefkove and Curtin's newest restaurant: the Pines.

Chef Angelo Romano is in charge of the kitchen at The Pines. His preparations reveal a passion for seasonal ingredients and a cooking style that may safely be described as incredibly original. Romano has spent time in the ktichens of Lupa, Roberta's, and the short-lived Maston Lake in Williamsburg. At The Pines, his handwritten menu is susceptible to changing daily. The only constant is an appreciation for fresh, seasonal food and a superb understanding of sweet and savory. The result is a truly unique dining experience. First Bite isn't meant to serve as a review, but it's going to be a challenge coming off as anything but optomistic when talking about the food being served at The Pines.

Amuse Bouche (complimentary) - Cantelope granita with nasturtium leaf "from the backyard." This was an introduction to the vibrant combinations that define Romano's style of cooking.

Bread ($4) - The lightly toasted striata (Italian for stretched) bread comes with a healthy portion of homemade caraway butter and course sea salt.

Romano split each dish for us in the kitchen, so what you're seeing isn't the full portion size.Jicama ($10) - Coconut, pancetta, and sorrel. These bowls are from Angelo's house and what they contained was the first example of Angelo's thorough understanding of sweet and savory ingredients. Jicama is not widely used outside of Latin and Asian cuisine. The use of coconut water and pancetta here make for an incredibly suprising contrast of flavors.

Purslane ($14) - Pistachio, lardo, and Ogen melon. This salad is a loose interpretation of prosciutto with melon and has subtle Middle Eastern influences. Purslane originated in North Africa and spread to the Middle East before coming to the New World and Ogen melon describes several melon varieties native to Israel. The melon, similar to honey dew, was soft and delicate; perfectly ripe. A smear of pistachio milk (made from blending and straining pistachios and water) and crushed pistachios add a textural element to round out the dish.

This dish also wasn't on the menu the night we ate there. Romano's willingness to improvise makes dinner at the Pines feel that much more personal. Lobster mushrooms with egg yolk, sorrel, and huckleberries. Rich and fatty with the meaty mushrooms and egg yolk the dish had a subtle spice from the sorrel and sweetness from the huckleberries that contrasted the naturally salty egg yolk.

Also not on the menu was squash and squid. A squash puree played foundation to quickly seared squid, haricoverts, and an heirloom variety of mustard green known as Red Frill. Another Romano original comprised of sweet and salty textural delights.

Maltagliati ($17) - Bouchot mussels, oregano, and burrata. A sharp curiosity to investigate the eternal "seafood with cheese" question lead to this shitty picture. Turns out, like clam pizza, this dish works surprisingly well. The mussels are steamed and removed from the shell. No brine or cooking liquid is added to the dish so the "seafood" element is subtle and only resides in the mussel meat itself. The bright flavors from the oregano cut the fat of the burrata and the success of the homemade maltagliati pasta shows Romano paid attention during his stint at Lupa.

Cavatelli Amatriciana ($16) - Another perfectly cooked pasta. This time dressed with tomato, onion, and guanciale. Don't expect any mediocre pastas at the Pines anytime soon.

Chicken ($24) - Brodo, amaranth, and puntarelle. This was a twist on the chicken dish that was on the menu the night we dined there. Amaranth shares a season with tomatoes and thrive in late summer and early autumn. The name refers to a genus of perennial plants, many of which are raised to produce amaranth grain that is very simliar, though smaller, to quinoa. The amaranth cooks in the brodo (Italian for "broth") and absorbs the rich chicken flavors extracted from a brined then roasted chicken. Breast, leg, and thigh all make an appearance on the plate. Tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Textbook chicken.

Cheese ($14) - "Moses Sleeper" cheese from Jasper Hill Farms in Vermont with seeded wheat, tomato, and chili paste. This young, bloomy-rind cows milk cheese is buttery and full-flavored. Concord grapes and spicy tomato jam are paired with the cheese.

We were set for dessert after the cheese course. It came 10 minutes or so later. Romano brought his take on the "Icebox Cake" (whipped cream and chocolate waffers) to our table and explained he had just spun the banana gelato. His version had banana gelato, crushed vanilla wafers, and a subtle sheep's milk ricotta in place of the whipped cream.

Angelo Romano's efforts are extremely well thought out and elegantly plated and we put them in line with what's on offer at other restaurants easts of the river, namely Battersby, Gwynnett St, and Blanca. As a new member of the developing Gowanus landscape, along with Lavender Lake and Gowanus Wine Merchants a few blocks south, the Pines serves as the Gowanus template from which others can only imitate. We predict more favorable reviews in the very near future.

The Pines | 284 Third Avenue (btwn Carroll and President) | 718.596.6560 | www

*cash only