One Greene Review

If it's not clear by now, I really like a lot of the restaurants we have around here. Most of the time I'm stuck trying to pick between three or four great choices for dinner if I'm going out, cursed with a plague of choices. That's all great, until I want sushi. I love sushi, but to be frank, the choices around here aren't great. Sushi Tatsu is good for delivery, but I'm not a fan of the space when you're actually in the restaurant. I say that with a caveat, though, since I think they're already up to Sushi Tatstu IV now and it's possible that at least one of them is really nice. So as usual, I might be very wrong.

I know there are a few of you out there who are already pissed at me and starting your vitriolic comment because I'm not touting Sushi D, another eatery I admit I might be dismissing too lightly. I ordered delivery from Sushi D when I first moved to the neighborhood, and I thought it was absolutely awful. The rolls were tiny, the fish was pale and tasteless, and it was way too expensive. Maybe I ordered on a bad night? Maybe things have changed in the last four years? Maybe they're just the best of a bad lot around here? I don't know what it is, but they're still around so they're probably doing something right. A lot of people seem to defend them passionately, which says something. Still, I'm not a fan based on my single experience.

Dogs are welcome on the porch

That's all a prelude to my going to One Greene for the first time last week. One Greene's a welcoming little place on the corner of Greene and Fulton down in the heart of what I guess is Fort Greene's restaurant district. What I think I like most about it is that they always seem to have a great happy hour with beers at a reasonable price, and they have nice outdoor seating so it's a great place to spend a lazy afternoon or warm evening. My only complaint about the location is that it's a noisy intersection, so if honking cars tends to tick you off while you're eating, get a table inside. 

Gyoza - pretty great for $3

Crispy calamari salad

Still, if location and atmosphere were all I cared about in a sushi place, I'd love Sushi D. One Greene is a nice place in a good spot, but it's the presentation of rice that I really care about. To start, I had an order of gyoza and Liv had the crispy calamari salad. Both were good, and the gyoza especially was a good value at (I think) $3. They have a happy hour appetizer menu with cheap eats, and I was impressed with how much you got for the price. 

Our shared rolls

We decided to share a bunch of different rolls for our entreé. On the plater were spicy yellowtail, Boston, shrimp tempura, and salmon tempura rolls. Nothing really stood out as exceptional, but it was all pretty good. The two tempura rolls were massive and actually difficult to eat in one bite, which is good except that they'd completely fall apart if you didn't swallow them whole. 

Tempura ice cream

We weren't initially going to stay beyond the sushi, but when offered something like fried ginger ice cream, I find myself unable to move and simply nodding with expectant glee. While the sushi may have been a bit predictable, the dessert turned out to be really excellent, and would almost be worth the trip alone. The ice cream was creamy and not too sweet, and was surrounded by a wonderful tempura batter and topped with whipped cream and chocolate. While the sushi was all right, it's hardly something that will ever conjure up any cravings. The fried ice cream, on the other hand, certainly has that potential. If you want a nice, comfortable, inexpensive place that won't wow you with its food but almost certainly won't disappoint you either, One Greene is a good choice. I think we could still use a really great sushi restaurant around here, but this will do for now.