Best of the Borough: Brooklyn Egg Cream Bonanza!
There’s a creamy, fizzy, chocolaty controversy taking place in Brooklyn these days–and it’s being stirred up by a long spoon. One could even say it’s coming to a head.
Egg creams have been the more or less official beverage of the borough for generations now—but like many of the hallmarks of Brooklyn culture, there’s been a recent renewal of interest as new blood moves in and stakes a claim to old mantles.
In the case of the famed Brooklyn egg cream, the most vocal challenger to the scene is Petey Freeman, the thirty-something owner of the “soon”-to-open Brooklyn Farmacy on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens. In a recent interview in Overflow about his plans for Farmacy, which just a few weeks ago underwent a spiffy restoration by Discovery Channel’s Construction Intervention program, Freeman sampled the egg cream at Hinsch’s (generally considered the best in town) and found it unsatisfactory. “You gotta be on your ‘A’ game, even though it’s just an egg cream,” he declared. “You always gotta make the best egg cream possible. That’s my mission statement—to make the best egg cream in Brooklyn.”
Farmacy hasn't opened yet, and so we can't comment on how well Freeman is accomplishing his mission, but BrooklynTheBorough.com thought we should at least report on the competition he’s up against.
We checked out a few spots on our little egg cream tour of Brooklyn; here's what we came up with…
Tom’s Restaurant—Prospect Heights, $3
We started at Tom's Restaurant, where Pablo Vasquez whipped up vanilla and chocolate egg creams for us, topping them off ostentatiously with whipped cream and cinnamon. The vanilla version of this soda fountain classic is often derided as a bastardized variation, and we tended to agree, finding it a bit too sweet to our chocolate egg cream accustomed palates. As for the chocolate, it hits the spot, and the generous dollop of whipped cream—while borderline sacrilege to some—has its certain appeal (see above), as does Tom’s kitschy counter. The drink even comes, in full tradition, with a signature long spoon, and is made with Brooklyn’s own U-Bet syrup. We give the folks at Tom's 4 out of 4 long spoons for effort, presentation, and value.
El Greco—Sheepshead Bay, $2.50
Next we shot down to the beautiful “Brooklyn Riviera” of Emmons Street in Sheepshead Bay for the El Greco Diner—we supposed it was named after some anonymous Greek ("Jimmy the,” for instance) but it turns out it refers to the View of Toledo painter himself. The place is just and all that you could imagine a Brooklyn diner to be: the revolving cake display, neon lights framing the ceiling and walls, and a gorgeous patio to dine outside in warm months. We snagged a table outside and ordered up some egg creams and a plate of fries. The sodas arrived frothy and delicious, here featuring Hershey's syrup, but no long spoon. (Due to the ample outdoor seating, El Greco is definitely the spot to hit if you fancy a smoke with your soda.) We give El Greco 3 out of 4 long spoons plus a bonus for ambiance.
Hinsch’s—Bay Ridge, $2 (closed October 2011)
"When I first started working here, I said, 'What crazy combination is seltzer, milk and syrup?'" said Raoul Vautista, the waiter/soda jerk manning Hinsch's soda fountain in Bay Ridge.
Hinsch's, the 65-year-old establishment on 5th Avenue and 86th Street in Bay Ridge, just up the street a ways from the towering Verrazano Bridge, offers a peek into old Brooklyn. Its luncheonette style counter is the perfect setting for a tasty egg cream: you can tell the place hasn’t changed much in decades. The good folks there make their own chocolate in the basement, a rarity unmatched by any of our other destinations. Some have advocated chugging as the best method to down a glass, noting the beverage tends to alter its taste as the seltzer dissipates into the milk. Hinsch's egg creams are frothy and heavy on the syrup, and were the cheapest of all our stops at $2 a pop. And before you head out for a stroll on the waterfront, grab a homemade chocolate lollipop—you won't regret it. We give Hinsch's 4 out of 4 long spoons.
Fort Defiance—Red Hook, $3
Over in Red Hook, we caught up with St. John Frizell, the owner and bartender of Fort Defiance, the delightful new cafe/bar on Van Brunt. We asked him for any wisdom as to where the name “egg cream” originated. "I did some research when we were opening and I found the history of the egg cream to be very confusing," he told us. (Indeed, a search of the web for the drink’s etymology produces more conflicting answers than even whether it’s best to start with the milk, seltzer or chocolate syrup first, and in which order to proceed from there.)
Fort Defiance makes their own seltzer, which may have tilted the scales on the ratio of fizzy to creamy in favor of the former in their version. The result is an egg cream with a more pronounced bite, and a slightly more bitter chocolate taste. Unlike his deviled eggs, which in our opinion have officially achieved perfection, Frizell conceded that his egg cream is still something of a work in progress. However, he hinted that he's currently working on an egg cream/espresso combination, so look forward to sampling one on a summer stroll through Red Hook. We give Fort Defiance 3 out of 4 long spoons and bonus points for the friendly bartender.
Others…(almost)
We heard Hope and Anchor, located just down the block from Fort Defiance, whips up a fine egg cream as well, but after five egg creams apiece we figured we’d call it a day and leave the taste-testing to you. Ditto Henry Street Public, located in Cobble Hill, but they commanded a hefty $5 per glass. At that rate, you’re probably best off buying the ingredients and mixing a few up for friends at home.
Who else did we miss? Let us know your favorite egg cream purveyor in the comments section below and check out the video above to watch our new pal Raoul whip up an egg cream at Hinsch's in Bay Ridge.
