Photo by Kat Carney
El Almacen, a new Argentinean restaurant in Williamsburg, seemed to have identity issues on first encounter. Its awning announces a café-restaurant, while windows flanking the door read, on one side, queseria (cheese shop), and on the other, fiamberia (delicatessen). But when I visited, a display case at the front of the bar contained imported chocolates, not the promised cold cuts and cheeses. And a small vitrine on the counter held just two lonely croissants.
So is El Almacen a café, a market or a restaurant emulating one or both? The answer is all of the above. Owners Diego Galarza and Edu Saurez conceived the place as a version of a kind of general store found in rural Argentina, from which they took the name. That explains the signage. For the moment, though, the first-time restaurateurs are only serving lunch and dinner. Morning café service and deli items such as cured wild boar will be offered in time, Galarza says. Until then, guests are meant to sit and stay awhile.
Good for Galarza and Saurez, then, for creating such a cozy, inviting space. Long and narrow, El Almacen is lit by candles and skillet-shaped fixtures and finished mostly with rough-hewn and antique wood. Flowerprint wallpaper provides a homey touch meant, Galarza says, to evoke the feel of his parents’ country house in Argentina. This rustic vibe feels effortless and unaffected: El Almacen is a place comfortable with its modesty. Likewise, the menu appeals without trying too hard. Instead of flogging an
Choclo ($5), grilled corn prepared Mexican style, was perfectly charred and dusted with salty cheese but also slathered in a wonderfully smoky chipotle mayonnaise. A spin on a classic, the ceviche ($9) featured carpaccio-thin slices of beef, enriching and adding weight to the dish’s familiar light acidity; red onions, chopped herbs, more spicy mayo and a drizzle of chive-infused oil added layers of flavor and texture.The rabas ($8), cornmeal-encrusted calamari, were delicately fried, balancing the tastes of the squid and the batter, and also brightened by chopped herbs and a citrus vinaigrette. Avocado fries ($5) were truly decadent; “epic” as our waitress put it.The creamy slices were dredged in bonito flakes, deep-fried and served with a smoky chipotle-mate ketchup.
The same ketchup showed up on the choripan ($8), a garlicky sausage served with chimichurri on a crunchy baguette. For a lighter start, try the ensalada de remolacha ($9), which combines baby spinach, roasted beets, almonds and Manchego cheese with a tangy chipotle–honey mustard dressing.
With such reasonable prices, you might expect El Almacen’s entrees to fall flat, but those fine flavor details carried through.The house-made pappardelle ($14) was too al dente but saved by the oxtail ragout, its meat braised in coffee for a nutty, almost chocolaty flavor. Costilla de res ($16), short ribs braised in a coffee, mate and red wine reduction were rich and fall-apart-on-the-fork tender.
Parrillada ($17) offered three meats: a juicy cut of strip steak, rich and super-tender grilled short ribs and a hunk of chorizo. And the tilapia ($16) was surprisingly hearty, served over chunks of sautéed pumpkin and butternut squash with an herb-infused oil and a pumpkin seed–tomatillo salsa at once earthy and slightly sweet.
For dessert, try the panqueque ($6), a crepe filled with caramelized bananas and doused in dulce de leche that was gooey and rich but not cloying. Good for a cold night, the submarino ($4) is a cup of steamed milk with a bar of chocolate you stir in yourself. It’s not the best hot chocolate you’ll ever have, but it’s good fun—the perfect way to end a meal at a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
So is El Almacen a café, a market or a restaurant emulating one or both? The answer is all of the above. Owners Diego Galarza and Edu Saurez conceived the place as a version of a kind of general store found in rural Argentina, from which they took the name. That explains the signage. For the moment, though, the first-time restaurateurs are only serving lunch and dinner. Morning café service and deli items such as cured wild boar will be offered in time, Galarza says. Until then, guests are meant to sit and stay awhile.
Good for Galarza and Saurez, then, for creating such a cozy, inviting space. Long and narrow, El Almacen is lit by candles and skillet-shaped fixtures and finished mostly with rough-hewn and antique wood. Flowerprint wallpaper provides a homey touch meant, Galarza says, to evoke the feel of his parents’ country house in Argentina. This rustic vibe feels effortless and unaffected: El Almacen is a place comfortable with its modesty. Likewise, the menu appeals without trying too hard. Instead of flogging an
Argentinean identity, Galarza and Saurez have embraced their native cuisine’s trans- Atlantic heritage. So yes, there’s beef and yerba mate, but you also find dishes like pappardelle and chicken Milanese. (Crafted in part by the owners, the menu was refined by a chef who Galarza wouldn’t name. “PR reasons”, he says vaguely, something to do with the mystery man’s other restaurant ventures.) Whoever’s responsible, the kitchen delivers, preparing dishes large and small with an attention to detail rarely found at this price point. Citrus and fresh herb flavors, chipotle smoke and even coffee and yerba mate are all over the menu, enlivening traditional dishes without fuss or fanfare.
Choclo ($5), grilled corn prepared Mexican style, was perfectly charred and dusted with salty cheese but also slathered in a wonderfully smoky chipotle mayonnaise. A spin on a classic, the ceviche ($9) featured carpaccio-thin slices of beef, enriching and adding weight to the dish’s familiar light acidity; red onions, chopped herbs, more spicy mayo and a drizzle of chive-infused oil added layers of flavor and texture.The rabas ($8), cornmeal-encrusted calamari, were delicately fried, balancing the tastes of the squid and the batter, and also brightened by chopped herbs and a citrus vinaigrette. Avocado fries ($5) were truly decadent; “epic” as our waitress put it.The creamy slices were dredged in bonito flakes, deep-fried and served with a smoky chipotle-mate ketchup.
The same ketchup showed up on the choripan ($8), a garlicky sausage served with chimichurri on a crunchy baguette. For a lighter start, try the ensalada de remolacha ($9), which combines baby spinach, roasted beets, almonds and Manchego cheese with a tangy chipotle–honey mustard dressing.
With such reasonable prices, you might expect El Almacen’s entrees to fall flat, but those fine flavor details carried through.The house-made pappardelle ($14) was too al dente but saved by the oxtail ragout, its meat braised in coffee for a nutty, almost chocolaty flavor. Costilla de res ($16), short ribs braised in a coffee, mate and red wine reduction were rich and fall-apart-on-the-fork tender.
Parrillada ($17) offered three meats: a juicy cut of strip steak, rich and super-tender grilled short ribs and a hunk of chorizo. And the tilapia ($16) was surprisingly hearty, served over chunks of sautéed pumpkin and butternut squash with an herb-infused oil and a pumpkin seed–tomatillo salsa at once earthy and slightly sweet.
For dessert, try the panqueque ($6), a crepe filled with caramelized bananas and doused in dulce de leche that was gooey and rich but not cloying. Good for a cold night, the submarino ($4) is a cup of steamed milk with a bar of chocolate you stir in yourself. It’s not the best hot chocolate you’ll ever have, but it’s good fun—the perfect way to end a meal at a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
> El Almacen
557 Driggs Ave. (betw. N. 7th & N. 8th Sts.), Brooklyn, 718-218-7284
