When a conference in Brooklyn ended, a coworker and I decided to grab lunch before heading back to Manhattan. It started drizzling so we ducked into the first place we saw so I didn’t even realize until after I was already sitting down that we’d happened to walk into Allswell, a place that had been on my list. It’s been around for a while, but I never made my way there…because I rarely make my way to Brooklyn. But this restaurant was one that helped push the gastropub movement to the forefront all those years ago and it seems to me, they’re still going strong.
I felt hopeful when I saw their housemade hot sauces – not one, but two. They’re good and definitely on the hot side.
My coworker ordered the avocado toast and I got a Mediterranean bowl. This bowl was nothing like I imagined. I thought it would be more like a grain or slaw bowl, topped with an ice cream scoop of hummus and some grilled chicken. That would have been perfectly fine but this was so so much better.
While the menu seems to change seasonally, my guess is the food is always solid. Gastropub doesn’t have to [just] mean bistro burger. They’ve certainly got that, but the menu is filled with other comforting foods that are all sorts of crazy. And like all gastropubs, the dark wood and Victorian wallpaper is primed for comfort. And when we’re done with this coronavirus quarantine, won’t you be ready for some comfort?!
Peaches to Apples 