Remember that scene in Scent of a Woman when Al Pacino's (blind) character Colonel Slade tears it up behind the wheel of a red Ferrari? That was all shot in DUMBO in '92. Twenty years later, chef Brad McDonald and the trio behind Colonie and Gran Electrica opened Governor in the same Brooklyn neighborhood. Today, Pete Wells gives their efforts two stars.
Tamer Hamawi, Elise Rosenberg, and Emelie Kihlstrom have opened three restaurants since February 2011, when they introduced their vision to the world via Colonie on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The restaurant received a star from Sam Sifton three months after it opened. In March this year, the trio got their hands messy with masa and opened Gran Electrica on Front Street in DUMBO, serving their take on the cuisine of Mexico. Governor opened in July four months later and two blocks east.
Wells finds the DUMBO neighborhood similar to Tribeca, "With its axle-shattering cobblestones leading to a river, its expensive lofts, its S.U.V.’s and au pairs and its acronym." There was a heavy on the food this go round, as will likely be the case when you're talking about a chef who has Noma and Per Se on their resume, a fact McDonald is guilty of. The celery root "pasta" was "cool, smart and unexpectedly seductive." The flavors in McDonald's version of beef tartare "hit you right where they should," and McDonald's desserts are equally appealing, "A disc of chocolate ganache, outfitted with bits of cocoa Rice Krispies Treats, was dark and intensely brooding, and a flat macaron topped with cajeta was an ideal partner for macerated strawberries.
Restaurants in Brooklyn like Saul and Franny's are key players in the Brooklyn dining scene. Newcomers like Governor, Battersby, and Gwynnett St share an ambition to elevate the borough's cuisine. A growing presence of like-minded restaurants reflects a shift in the borough's dining trends. While Governor may not be a fine dining restaurant, the fare is fine and the room is elegant. These things come at a price and add to the fact that a meal in Brooklyn is becoming more likely to reflect the price of dinner across the river in Manhattan. In his review of Gwynnett Street today, Ryan Sutton explains "Brooklyn fine-dining has become as expensive as Manhattan dining." He encourages New Yorkers to, "Get used to it."
For more on Governor, check out our First Bite.
Monday, March 25, 2013 at 10:09AM 
Last night was your last chance to eat at the original Franny's location. Regulars and pizza lovers joined employees past and present at 295 Flatbush Avenue to celebrate the end of the restaurant's eight year run there. With its locavore mentality, Franny's quickly became a haven for those seeking Italian fare sourced from nearby, sustainable farms. The demand eventually outgrew the space and, early last year, owners Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg announced they'd be moving their operation down the street to 348 Flatbush. The time has come.
