Boerum Hill
Get directions | 190 Dean St., New York, NY 11217
Hours | Sunday 10am-12am, Monday 8am-12am, Tuesday 8am-12am, Wednesday 8am-12am, Thursday 8am-12am, Friday 8am-12am, Saturday 10am-12am
We wrote a review of Rucola three years ago, mostly focused on the fact that local food media had created so much hype around the opening of this restaurant that it would be impossible for it to live up to the expectations of anyone who was expecting it to be more than just a solid neighborhood joint. We certainly tried to love this place as much as the internet wanted us to, but it always came up short.
Lately we’ve been making return visits to Rucola, interested to see how things have developed, and to see what happens to a “buzz” restaurant after the foodie-industrial complex has moved on and stopped supporting a place because it’s no longer new. What we can tell you is that Rucola is definitely better than it was in the early days. We still don’t find the food to be so good that it’s worth your time on the subway or waiting for a table if you don’t live nearby. But if you happen to own a brownstone down the street, this is pretty much the perfect neighborhood restaurant (and congratulations on your perfect life). It’s small and cozy and Perfect For a Sunday night dinner, assuming you weren’t hoping to have the best meal of your entire life on that particular Sunday night.
We can also tell you that Rucola does not need us or anyone else to write reviews of it or make maps of it or take pictures of its avocado toast to stay in business. This place is on a permanent 45 minute wait, which would lead us to believe that the people of Brooklyn don’t really care that this restaurant doesn’t get written about anymore. That, or those “first look” pieces just have really long legs. People do love a pretty picture.
718-576-3209
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