When Le Gamin‘s Franklin St. location opened a couple weeks ago they were serving guests in the restaurant from their Le Gamin Mobi (pictured above, find out where it is via twitter!) that was parked right in front of the store front ( before the kitchen was even completed).
La Gamin boasts that it is “Known for its authentic casual French ambiance , popular neighborhood feel and good fresh food and crêpes are LE GAMIN’s trademarks. Each location is unique reflecting its neighborhood.”
We didn’t make it over while the food truck was the kitchen, but this past weekend we stopped by to try the new Greenpoint spot and got a taste of what they have to offer with a fully operational kitchen.
In Greenpoint and Williamsburg it’s hard to find a good breakfast spot that isn’t a diner if you wake up early on the weekends. While brunch is great… most places don’t start serving until 11am, or even 12pm, but Le Gamin is offering us early risers a wonderful new option for breakfast. Their cafe is open from 8am through dinner, and is serving a variety of delicious options.
The restaurant itself has a very open feel. The walls are plain, it is filled with small tables, a large bench type booth that wraps around half the restaurant set up with two or four top tables and one large table near the front of the cafe, as well as a small table with a chalkboard menu and a basket of delicious croissants in the center.
I had to try with all my might not to order a croquette madam, what I’m typically drawn to, and in the end I succeeded. Actually klk and I both ended up ordering crêpes (when that is what they are known for I think it’s a good place to start). The crêpes are more or less build your own. You can choose between two or three interior ingredients, and judging by the chalk board some of these ingredients change daily. We got a ham, egg, and brie crêpe and one with goat cheese, leak, and merguez (a Moroccan lamb sausage).
The crêpes at La Gamin were large and rectangular. The goat cheese, leak, and merguez crêpe was extremely unique, but that might have been due to that fact that I’ve never had merguez before. For those unfamiliar with merguez the closest thing I can compare it to is chorizo, but not as greesey. It has an amazing spiciness, and really brought the flavors of the three ingredients together. While I don’t typically order lamb I imagine this is something that I will want to eat again…it was just so delicious. The ham, egg, and brie crêpe was also good. In this one, for me at least, the brie was the star. Our only problem was that the egg was a little too runny, almost a bit raw (maybe that is the style). Don’t let the egg turn you off though it was still delicious, but we were just a little surprised. The outside of the the crêpes were perfectly cooked, and the overall they were extrememly tastey. There was even a delicious little salad served on the side that had an amazing mustard vinaigrette…I mean so good that I could imagine craving this dressing.
We finished our meal by sharing a pain au chocolat, and I can’t ask for much more than desert with breakfast.
I think that Le Gamin is working on a beer and wine license, but for now they do not have booze. Their iced tea was very excellent, and essential to our dining experience in the upcoming warm months.
When I passed by today there was a sign in the window that said “New Menu Today.” Le Gamin is a nice little addition to our neighborhood, and I imagine I’ll be back soon (maybe next time for acroquette madam) . The food was delicous and fresh, they open early, and it might be the only French restaturant in Greenpoint.
A wonderful additon to the neighborhood, and thank you Le Gamin for giving us a new breakfast spot!
——————————————-
Le Gamin is located at
108 Franklin St.
between Noble St. and Oak St.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
————————–
- more of my food posts can be found here.
- Le Gamin Truck photo via Blondie and Brownie.
