First Taste: The Brixton
The Brixton:
I've always felt one of the biggest blows to Andersonville's dining and drinking scene, aside of course from the heart-wrenching closure of Great Lake, was the unfortunate end of In Fine Spirits' restaurant. The bottle shop remains strong to this day, but the adjoining bar and restaurant was a keystone in the neighborhood for casual wine- and cocktail-friendly bites. Locals could frequent the spot for a meal, an after-dinner drink, a quick snack, or anything else. It defined what a neighborhood standby should be, comfortable and consistent, accessible and flavorful through a mix of contemporary American compositions. Once it closed, in its stead came a stream of new concepts that attempted and failed to fill the void, from an overwrought fine dining prospect to an uppity French bistro. But with The Brixton, the cozy corner of Clark and Balmoral is once again at fine form as a neighborhood bastion.
(Shishito peppers at The Brixton)
Walking into The Brixton is reminiscent of those comforting days when In Fine Spirits inhabited the enclave. It's familiar and relaxing, tended to by an amiable staff of servers who treat you like regulars regardless of how often you've visited. Perching myself at one of the high-top tables near the window, it felt like a chic home away from home, quite the sentiment considering I had spent the prior two days whining about having to hoof it up to Andersonville from Ukrainian Village, no small feat especially when your Uber driver enrobes himself in a heinous amount of cologne.
The menu, presided over by chef Kevin McMullen, is basically my dream menu. As a food writer, we spend day after day and week after week pouring over wordy menus and highfaluten concepts. Contrived sharing plates and muddled entrees make dining out downright wearisome on occasion, especially after doing so on a constant basis. So it's refreshing to approach a menu as pared down and clear-cut as the one at The Brixton. There's small plates and bar bites, followed simply by a few entrees and two dainty desserts. It's as simple as it gets, and simplicity wins the day in focused dishes like a masterful chicken liver pate and addictive blistered shishitos awash in miso. Even a straightforward watermelon salad, exhibiting market-fresh produce at its finest, shines bright and luscious. Of the larger plates, vegetable-strewn risotto is an apt showcase for broccoli, crispy kale, and poached egg, although meaty mushrooms proved a bit challenging and tough. Same thing on a salmon plate, where the 'shrooms served to combat more than accentuate, though the salmon in and of itself was nicely cooked and vibrant. Desserts are a bit of an afterthought here, but should you crave something sweet, The Brixton offers a couple adorable jars filled with aggressively tart key lime custard and another with "Butterfinger" goodness, a suckerpunch of treacly richness.
To drink, The Brixton does the spirit of In Fine Spirits proud with a thoughtful array of cocktails and a bevy of wines by the glass and bottle. I enjoyed a pleasantly peachy drink infused with thyme, cucumber, and chilies, a curious amalgam of ingredients that went down surprisingly smooth.
Be it a simple Sunday supper, a lavish weekend dinner, or a quick drink with friends, this cozy alcove in Andersonville is back in fine form with The Brixton, the bar and restaurant the neighborhood needed all along.
- Matt Kirouac