Another Friday, another reason to have a couple martinis. At least this time it was not that bad of a week at work.
I ended up at Trudie’s Tavern, recently opened in Carroll Gardens. Not too far from work, supposedly great roast chicken, and I heard the martinis were worth the trip. You already know which of those two details actually got me in the door.
In true New York City fashion, the F train was not running correctly, so I had to hoof it a nice brisk 30 minutes down to Carroll Gardens on foot. I deserve a martini after that. Fat people should always get a martini after any kind of exercise. Someone make that a law.
The Space
Walking in, everything is super clean with great artwork that gives the whole room a nice mellow feel. Nothing screams for attention, no big pop of color, mostly neutral tones. But everything has detail if you actually look. Wood panel walls, but then a beautiful little dinner table painting tucked into the room that shows real thought went into it.
It is not sensory overload. It is the kind of room where you notice the little touches the longer you sit there and it just keeps rewarding you.
The Martini, With a Sidecar
I ordered the Trudie’s Tavern martini and it came with a sidecar. You already know how I feel about sidecars. Love them, always order them when available.
This martini was spectacular. Ice cold, cooled me down completely after that walk, with a little spunk to it. Definitely coming back and definitely reordering this one.
The Pretzel
I am an absolute slut for a good pretzel and this one delivered.
Everything at Trudie’s is made in house, which shows immediately. The pretzel came out warm, rich, chewy, clearly not something that had been sitting frozen for days. Served with butter, a dip, and some radish on the side. A really nice way to start the meal while sipping a martini and waiting for the rest of the food to land.
The Rotisserie Cabbage
Genuinely different from what I expected. Fully roasted cabbage with a little oil and a bit of anchovy worked into it. The rich sweetness of the roasted cabbage against the anchovy pop was a really nice combination.
The Rotisserie Chicken Dinner: Almost the Star of the Show
I will get to the actual star of the show in a minute. But this deserves real credit.
$39 for a half roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, and a cucumber sour cream salad. Genuinely great value. I am still a little sore about Giulietta pulling their roasted chicken off the menu, so I went into this one a bit guarded emotionally. Fair warning if you have read that post.
The chicken itself was perfectly prepared, comes with a dip on the side. The potatoes are the easiest thing to describe: they taste like my grandmother’s potatoes. Baked, semi crispy on the outside, super fluffy inside. Most restaurants push for maximum crispiness and lose that fluffy interior in the process. This one goes back to something more like a childhood memory instead.
The Grandma’s Cucumber (cucumber sour cream salad) hit the same note. Pulls on those little Eastern European heartstrings in the best way.
Portion size was big enough to satisfy me solo, but for two people, add the burger and you are more than covered. I did not order the burger myself, just was not feeling a burger that night, but I saw one go by and it was a genuinely beautiful patty. Ordering that next time for sure.
The Coconut Carrot Cake: The Actual Star of the Show
This is the one.
The coconut gave the carrot cake a little extra pop, almost a subtle Almond Joy kind of kick to it. I could not stop myself from finishing the whole thing even though it is technically still speedo season. Some sacrifices are worth making.
Washed it down with an espresso martini that they make fresh, actual espresso pulled to order, not one of those places using filler shortcuts. You can tell there was real thought and care put into that drink.
The One Gripe
The forks are ultra thin. I understand the design choice, but I have got some meat paws for hands and I spent half the meal genuinely worried I was going to snap one clean in half. The spoons are a normal thickness. The forks are not. Small complaint, but a real one.
Final Verdict
Trudie’s Tavern is awesome and I am definitely coming back. Staff was great, easy to talk to, fun energy throughout.
Also worth mentioning: this visit hit my monthly Blackbird challenge, and Trudie’s Tavern officially completes my list of five confirmed Blackbird spots. That roundup post is officially unlocked.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.