The Hungry Russian

Le Petit Cafe
502 Court St, Brooklyn 11231
(Btwn Nelson & Luquer St)

I started going to Le Petit ages ago. Actually it was so long ago that I remember that the only things they served were coffee and desserts plus there was definitely no outdoor seating area in the back. There was one specific thing that always kept me coming back. It was their Iced Green Tea Latte. It was seriously amazing! I remember at one point they changed the recipe or used a different mix for the latte. A bad but brief move. Luckily they went back to the original. Over the years I have seen Le Petit Cafe evolve into a full service restaurant with one of the most beautiful interiors and seating areas I have seen. Their food was always tasty. Fast forward to Father’s Day 2012. On that blistering hot day I took my folks to Le Petit since their back seating area is not only gorgeous but it is also shaded from the sun. The perfect brunch spot while escaping the heat! What followed was something that I refer to as “A bad food day.”.

Steak & Eggs: My dad, being the constant carnivore that he is, started off with steak & eggs. Many times if I do not intervene, my father will order a steak well done and it would arrive with the texture of a burned shoe but I managed to get my 2 cents in and order his steak medium. I was pleased to see that it arrived with a pink center as opposed to a piece of charcoal. Unfortunately that was the only thing pleasing about the steak & eggs. Although the meat did arrive medium it was still pretty tough and chewy. That of course is not necessarily a fault in the preparation. It can sometimes be simply attributed to a bad cut of meat. Secondly, besides being somewhat tough and fatty, the steak lacked any flavor. Even the most fundamental and basic steak seasoning (salt & pepper) was missing. The potatoes were just as flavorless as the steak. Let’s just say that the tastiest part of that dish were the eggs and the whole wheat toast.

Shrimp Omelette: Things only proceeded to head further downhill after the steak & eggs. My mom ordered the shrimp omelette. Seriously, this was one of the most blandest omelettes I have ever had. It simply tasted like it had no seasoning. The shrimp inside it were quite bland as well. The only thing that slightly helped it were the slices of avocado and a sprinkle of some salt. Some cheese or spices could have definitely helped or if all else fails then just throw in the emergency food lifesaver: bacon.

Veggie Burger: I decided to go with the veggie burger since I had consumed a little too much meat that week plus I always love a good veggie burger. This was definitely not a good veggie burger. The texture of it felt like paste. I like a veggie burger with some defined texture and firmness but this was just too mushy. As for the flavor department, it just wasn’t good. It was something like salty beans except the beans were put through a blender and turned into goo.

Banana Bread Pudding: You have no idea how much I was hoping that dessert would step in and save the day but alas it was not so. The bread pudding was not bad but it wasn’t great either.  It was served lukewarm and the texture was somewhat lumpy. It was decent but I was expecting more.

Tiramisu: It was just ok. I’ve had way better.

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I know this was quite a disappointing review but please don’t be shocked when I tell you that Le Petit Cafe really does have great food. I’ve had countless delicious brunches there and several great dinners. Maybe they were just having a bad day which can happen even at your favorite restaurant. Maybe they had a different chef? Maybe Uranus was not aligned with Venus?  Who knows? Whatever was the reason,  it will not deter me from returning. It will take another bad meal for me to reconsider Le Petit. Believe me, it really is a gorgeous restaurant with great food offerings and wonderful atmosphere. Although on that day I was not happy with any of the food items we ordered, what did matter was that my folks still enjoyed their food and the lovely atmosphere.  As always, your mileage may vary.