Bed-Stuy's Model of Casual Fine Dining

After only three years in business, Peaches Restaurant has become an icon in Bed-Stuy.

The restaurant is named after co-owner Craig Samuel’s wife’s grandmother, Peaches, with the intent of evoking the same “warm, inviting spirit” and  “sense of hospitality,” that came so naturally to Peaches herself.

“We have an equitable cross section of the neighborhood,” Craig said, pointing out an opera singer, a doctor, and a gallery owner in the restaurant for lunch. “We are a little bit of everything.”

Even by design, the restaurant is built to accommodate a range of needs. There is a separate room for take-out orders, and a small bar that allows for customers to have the bar experience while still emphasizing the family-oriented dining area. And the main dining area offers the elements of a diner, while remaining slightly upscale.

I started with the grits with wild mushrooms, asparagus, cream, and truffle oil. The grits are incredibly creamy without being too soft and maintaining a distinct, gritty (is that where that word comes from?) texture. I grew up as a vegetarian, which is where I developed my love for wild mushrooms, which, when cooked properly, are the best meat substitute.

These mushrooms are neither soft nor chewy, and add a heavier element to the otherwise light meal. The asparagus is only lightly sauteed and offers a fresh crunch to the meal. And then the truffle oil, oh the truffle oil! This is my favorite ingredient to add a little class to a dish, and if I ever see it anywhere on the menu, I will inevitably order it.

I tried one of Peaches’ famous rice bowls, which are sort of like a jambalaya with a risotto style rice. The rice is a little too firm for my liking, but the exquisite taste of the other ingredients more than makes up for this.

Thick, meaty pieces of blue crab are combined with slow-cooked, soft onions, wild mushrooms, lightly cooked sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, topped with a mix of micro-greens. Every ingredient is decidedly sweet, while still adding it’s own flavor to the dish.

Jumbalaya is often cooked over a long period of time, making the individual flavors of the ingredients hard to separate. The ingredient in this rice bowl are mostly cooked separately and put together at the end, and while the combination of flavors pack a delicious punch, they don’t melt together into one, overpowering flavor.

For dessert I had their Apple Ginger Melba, which, due to seasonal menu changes, will be a Peach Melba next time you stop by. The dish is made up of a spongy cake with a crispy outer edge, much like an apple crisp. The vanilla ice cream seeps into the cake, making it soft and creamy.

All of this is topped with cubes of apple sauteed in ginger that become almost gelatinous in texture and a warm raspberry sauce.

Alongside my dessert was a pretty pink drink with a cherry on top called Brownstone Punch, which looks much more innocent than it is. The drink is a mix of real cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, silver rum, gold rum, and coconut rum, with a splash of champagne on top.

The fruit juice is fresh, and since it is made from real fruit rather than an artificially flavored syrup, it is not too sweet and rather refreshing. The rums are delicious and you can taste a slight alcoholic flavor (as well as a bit of coconut) without it overpowering the drink.

The splash of champagne can be likened to a twinkle in one’s eye, giving the drink a slight bit of carbonation and a sweet kick at the end. A tall glass of Brownstone Punch is definitely sufficient. Don’t be fooled by the mild flavor, there is a lot of alcohol in there!

As Craig said, these foods, are “basics, but with a twist.” The classic meals are prepared with special attention to each ingredient, matching unexpected flavors in order to make a simple dish into something unique and stylish.

The same can be said for the restaurant as a whole, a local hang-out with a touch of class; a place for first dates, family outings, business meetings and Sunday brunch.