Photographed by Martha Williams
Fifteen years in the past, once I first met Alex Brownstein on the Candy Auburn Curb Market, the place he opened his first Grindhouse Killer Burger, I felt like every part I knew about eating places was about to vary. He would not like that I name him the primary hipster restaurateur I’ve ever met (“I wasn’t that cool,” he teases). However the best way he mixed widespread tradition and fancy meals ideas in an unconventional setting blew me away.
Every little thing about Grindhouse was enjoyable. Did we just like the burgers extra as a result of that they had recent southwestern chili and attention-grabbing sauces, or did we take pleasure in sitting on the counter and watching cult films on the wall? Each! A former lawyer who put apart his circumstances to embrace a much less severe life-style, Brunstein was difficult us to let go of being so stuff. We accepted the problem, and a motion was born.
Brounstein’s new idea, the extraordinarily intelligent and versatile Breaker Breaker (921 Wiley Avenue Southeast), opened late final summer season on the Beltline. It takes full benefit of an unusually crowded and slender stretch, as soon as residence to Reynoldstown’s historic Stein Metal, the place enormous steel beams are changed into ceiling joists.
The Beltline makes a fast flip onto Wylie Avenue, and Brownstein wished to name the restaurant the “level break” for the Nineties Surfer film. After his companions vetoed it, Matthew McConaughey appeared to Brunstein in a dream and urged “Breaker Breaker.” properlyshe thought. If they are saying it twice, they may keep in mind it.
What I particularly love about Breaker Breaker – the fried fish dishes with thick tartar sauce, the scrumptious sandwiches and the cocktails. Not like many of the locations constructed round Croagh Avenue, there may be nothing typical in regards to the structure. It consists of linear-stacked concrete blocks, topped by a large steel roof of floating chrome steel. Dubbed “the world’s most costly umbrella” by Brounstein, the long-lasting characteristic extends to guard a big patio, paying homage to these alongside Florida’s Gulf Coast seashores.
The restaurant has a comfy diner vibe inside, however the most effective seats are outdoors or on the bar. Individuals round you’re having enjoyable. Kids play with the massive yellow crane and different leftover equipment. Their younger dad and mom watch over them with tall, not-too-sweet, sipping frozen cocktails and fats grouper sandwiches in entrance of them. Keen cyclists dismount and lock their wheels, whereas inner-city dwellers come from an space the place parking continues to be not a nightmare.
Simply because it is enjoyable does not imply the restaurant is not severe about its meals. The chef, Maximilian Hines, hails from the now-shuttered Lawrence, and a few of his concepts — at all times run by Brownstein and his standard supervisor, now associate, Johnny Farrow — mirror his expertise on the earth of high quality eating. Take Hines’ Dip, for instance. The recent, earthy taste of a chunky beet dip topped with recent dill—served with uncooked greens, however simply employed to reinforce supermeat hush puppies introduced with spicy honey butter—rapidly wins enthusiastic approval. Smoked fish dip with pickled chillies. Fried calamari topped with scrumptious little fried enoki mushrooms. The fries, formed like sticks or wedges or curls, appear to have fallen from a big peel that respects the irregular form of a potato.
Every little thing is well shareable: charbroiled oysters with lemon wedges, empanadas generously full of hen etouffee with salsa verde on the facet, shelled shrimp, fried fish platter with fries and Cajun slaw, a dockside poutine the place the crab hides–look for it within the cheese curds. The sandwich—shrimp po’ boy slaw, mushroom shredded cheese, correctly fried or grilled hen—has a whole lot of attraction. The youngsters menu features a mini fish platter and a grilled cheese sandwich. Positively no burger contemplating how shut Breaker Breaker Grindhouse is. However there are vegan crab muffins and different tempting choices.
Every little thing is simple to perform in an unusually slender kitchen. Solely two desserts—ice cream sandwiches (cookies pressed firmly into banana or vanilla ice cream brackets) and refreshingly bitter particular person key lime pies—are straightforward to seize and serve.
Lots of thought has been put into the drink menu. wine field; low-cost lagers; Cocktails just like the Mucho Nada (white claw mango vodka, mango puree, tagine rim) and the spicy By way of Con Dios (habanero tequila, ardour fruit liqueur, lime juice)—all are fast to make and lend themselves to repeat orders. As of press time, a rooftop lounge, “Florida Man,” will open in late March. [Editor’s note: It’s now set to open in May.]
Not like the simply replicated Grindhouse, Breaker Breaker is a singular idea primarily based on a novel location. By no means earlier than had I considered the Beltline as a metropolis boardwalk. However I see it now, because of a workforce with a real understanding of what makes us blissful, and sufficient chutzpah to make it occur.
This text appeared in our Could 2024 problem.
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