two8two Bar & Burger 05-29-2011

Location: 282 Atlantic Ave. BK

Time: 3pm

People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: BoCoCa is a baby friendly area. It is not an overstatement to say that babies and kids followed with yuppie parents and post hipster singles rule this area. It is so baby friendly that I curiously managed to become pregnant shortly after I moved here, and I often see babies at bars and parties with their parents. My father used to take me to izakaya when I was little, which is a common practice in Japan, but bringing your baby to bars in New York is rather a new phenomenon, which might make some people cringe and may come shocking to people outside of the city.

For many people, bars and alcohol may have the negative connotation of partying, hook ups and binge drinking that may lead to ill behaviors and loss of control that are not appropriate for children. However, in BoCoCa, bars are often about social gatherings of friends and beer connoisseurs, which reminds me a lot of the 90's coffeehouse scene.

When you enter two8two Bar & Burger during brunch time, you notice right away that it is completely occupied by kids and parents. The back patio and kids menu help in attracting the demographic. I overheard parents ordering, "No butter, no salt for his dish," and the wait staff

accommodating the complicated orders with a smile.

RB wished they had more exotic and rare beer selection, but he enjoyed Victory Donnybrook Stout. All of the dishes are reasonably priced at $6-$9, but here's the catch: everything is a la carte. You would have to order the side of onion rings, French fries, or sweet potato fries at $3 each.

My veggie burger ($7, with lettuce, tomato and two8two sauce) was moist and flavorful, and it was a bit greasy. It was overall tasty, but I wish it had more texture either from the burger or the bun since it was almost to the point of mushy altogether.

RB's two8two burger ($9, with roasted poblano chiles, cheddar cheese and two8two sauce) was well cooked, but he had a similar complaint. The soggy poblano chilies mixes with the gooey sauces and cheese lacked a bit of texture.

If you like burgers, beer and kids, this would be an ideal place for you during brunch time. It was a bit too kid friendly for our taste if that is even possible. It's also quite interesting that a bar/restaurant across the street from the detention center is such a kid friendly place. Only in Brooklyn!