Talde

Collaboration between the folks behind Park Slope favorite Thistle Hill Tavern and Top Chef alum Dale Talde. Even with nearby Pork Slope taking the pressure off of Talde's considerable creative output, his namesake restaurant is his shrine, an always bustling temple to his curious cuisine. The intention here is family-style eating, although in practice, you're more likely to want to horde your dishes than share them, since it is impossible to make a wrong choice on this menu. The most beloved item on the menu are the Korean chicken wings and waffles—a brunch selection that gives the chicken and waffle sliders at Pork Slope a run for their money—but options like lobster bao, bacon pad Thai, and the shrimp toast in Chinese sausage gravy are just as responsible for the difficulty in getting a seating at Talde's brunch services. So much thought and flavor goes into the dishes here that the menu might seem anemic at first glance, but a closer look reveals the sumptuous, satisfying nature of the fare, with a spicy take on samosas, a dynamite kale salad with beets, a lobster tom kha, and a beef short rib kare kare with Hong Kong noodles and a peanut and Thai relish. And that's before you've even perused the entrees: a whole roasted branzino, a frankly stunning miso salmon with perilla salsa verde, Korean fried chicken (a persistent favorite), and a lemongrass pork shoulder. Whatever you order, it will never be enough, even when you're already full!