Down Home Eatin'

With cuisines from all over the world on every corner in New York City, the possibilities are endless. Thai, Ethiopian, French, Argentinian. There isn’t a country not represented on the food scene in New York. But with so many international options, it can be easy to forget about good ol’ American cooking. Whatever happened to mom’s homemade mashed potatoes and meatloaf? After a recent dining experience at Peter’s Since 1969 in Brooklyn, I made a nostalgic and delicious journey back to some real, down-home American comfort food.

Located on Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, Behind the Burner sent me to Peter's to do a "media meal". Media meals are no doubt the coolest and yummiest jobs I've ever been able to do at an internship. Tons of restaurants contact Behind the Burner offering us a free meal if we write something about them on our website. Free PR for them, free food for us. It is an ideal win-win situation. So I was lucky enough not only to get a free dinner, but also to enjoy a wonderful evening at Peter's Since 1969.

The meal started off with a bit of a blip. My friend Elana and I arrived at the restaurant in Brooklyn. I introduced myself as from Behind the Burner, but the Irish girl working behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about. Tara (we became quite friendly with her by the end of the night) called Arnon, the owner, who was at the other location in Manhattan (Peter's just recently opened another restaurant on 9th Ave.). Arnon graciously offered to meet us in Brooklyn and instructed Tara to make us comfortable. While we waited we enjoyed some top-notch sangria and corn muffins. The corn muffins were the real deal--super moist and flaky, with actual corn kernels inside.

Nibbling on our muffins gave us ample time to admire the scene of the restaurant. Set in an old butcher shop, the tiled walls, metal racks, and hardwood floors are all authentic. The enamel door to the once-refrigerator still remains and forms the entrance to the kitchen. At Peter's, guests order from a standard menu (1 main dish and 2 sides), receive their food, and seat themselves. It is very casual, but also very cozy. Red Le Creuset pots warm all of the food, so it feels as if your own mother is dishing out dinner from the stovetop. Beer is served in mason jars, and sangria in copper tin mugs. All these little accents created a unique dining atmosphere. Unlike fast food places with no personality, Peter's manages to serve up great food in a casual yet characteristic way.

Once Arnon arrived, he ordered us a sample of everything on the menu...literally EVERYTHING! So our feast consisted of...

Rotisserie chicken, short ribs, meatloaf, slow cooked pork, kielbasa AND mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, collards greens, sauteed okra AND bread. Phew! I wish I brought some stretchy pants to get through this meal! (à la Joey's maternity pants at Thanksgiving in and episode of "Friends")

Each and every food that we tried was so undeniably good that I kept going back and forth between which was my favorite. I would take a bite of the short ribs and think to myself "Mmm, this is it". But then I'd follow that with a bite of meatloaf and was convinced that was my new favorite. Then I'd have some pork or chicken, and the same pattern continued until I'd eaten so much I didn't think I could fit another bite of food into my body.

But this feeling of fullness only lasted until it was time for dessert: chocolate fudge cake, apple pie, and coconut flan. It was much easier to pick a favorite for dessert; and of course that was the chocolate cake. It was very simple, no frosting or anything, just a lone slice of chocolate cake; but it surely did not need anything to add to its decadence. So fudgy and moist, it was almost like a brownie cake.

On my train ride back to Hastings, I had to fight not to pass out in a food coma and miss my stop. So when I finally got home and into bed, I was lulled to sleep by calming thoughts of comfort food, home, and family meals. For me, a successful meal isn't just about taste and flavors; it's about creating a whole experience that can evoke emotions and memories. For me, food isn't just sustenance; food is love. So any meal that makes me feel like I'm home, sharing a meal with loved ones is a sure success. And the authentic atmosphere and comforting food of Peter's Since 1969 managed to do just that.

Photo credits: Bayer Public Relations