Elite Event at Le Comptoir

After attending a Unilocal Elite event here last month I definitely wanted to come back here to try out a real dinner. We did last night and it did not disappoint.
Walking in about 8PM it was much emptier then when there was a packed house of Unilocalers filling it up. I was able to actually see the layout of the place and the very subtle décor. Melting candles in candelabras, nice brown wood finishes throughout, cool bar, dim lighting, open kitchen concept. This offers a view of the chef creating his dishes and you get to experience the wonderful aromas of each.
Sat in the cozy dining area in the back past the kitchen. There were a few other couples and a few groups enjoying their meals. Made for a nice atmosphere as it was not too crowded. Went with the braised beef risotto and the gnocchi with peas and prosciutto. Bottle of pelligrino. The braised beef was cooked perfectly — moist, flavorful, and pulls apart so easily. Risotto was cooked perfectly. Gnocchi was just terrific. Like small pillows of wonder. Cooked in a light cream sauce and the prosciutto added a smokey flavor to the dish.
Oh, I almost forgot the we started with an appetizer of shrimp tempura. The plating of this looked terrific, as the shrimp were piled on top of each other over a foundation of potato salad and frisee, finished off with ginger style sauce. Just delicious! One thing I have to note is that the actual portions of food here are not on the super large size, but are really more in line with what a normal food portion should be. After we left I did feel full enough, but not stuffed into a food coma, the way you should feel after eating a meal.
Decided to skip dessert and have a few drinks in the lounge area up front. It was nice as we had the place to ourselves and cozied up on the couch by the window to people watch. The bartender made us a couple of tasty cocktails, and we sipped them over the smooth beats of the DJ that they have spinning tunes at night. The guy is good, as he sets up a portable DJ station at the end of the bar and has some cool mixes, almost like 70’d disco laid over modern jams. Volume is kept at a comfortable level too. Sets a nice mood.
Our whole meal, including cocktails, before tip came out to $ 70. To me a low amount for a nice dinner and night out.
I also do have to note that the staff here is wonderful, friendly, and caring. From our waiter, to the bartender, to Chef Sebastian. He did remember me from the Elite event and we chatted for awhile. Very outgoing and friendly guy. Not pretentious as some chefs can be. Cool and humble. Even as we walked out the door everyone said goodbye and the chef waved to us from out in the kitchen. This is the type of place you root for to make it, as they are in an area that is still kind of underdeveloped and a bit of a walk from the hopping Bedford Ave strip.
We will come back here for sure!

Such a cute little French bistro! Came here a little earlier than my 2 girlfriends, and was greeted by great staff both as i walked in and at the bar :)
Our table was at the corner in the back, and we just enjoyed ourselves with our bottle of wine and GREAT FOOD! mmm I had the Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Risotto. The meat was sooo soft and perfectly marinated! And the texture and flavor of the risotto. mmmm amazing.
I tried a little bit of the Steamed Mussels and Chorizo — it surprisingly worked very well! Especially the soup was perfect for dipping the sourdough bread that they gave.
Can’t leave a French Bistro without having their Crème Brulee. Pretty big portion (can you imagine 3 girls not being able to finish it?! Or maybe we were too full from all the wine we were drinking. haha), but definitely delicious. Perfect ending to the meal.
Bottom Line: Beyond reasonable prices for the type, quality, and taste of the food. Can’t wait to try the Duck Breast next time!

I know I’ve been to Williamsburg for a number of times now, but somehow when I got off the train and asked for directions to Grand Street, I was misguided one after another. I ended up getting lost for 30 minutes and somehow wound up on the other side, where the highway separates Grand Street. It’s so sad that I wanted to go home, but I made so many turns and gone in so many circles that I didn’t know how to find my way back to the train station lol. With hope and maybe a little bit of luck, I kept walking and finally found the place! *phew*
My adventure does not end there. So I finally arrived and opened the gated door and tried to enter through the wooden door, but found it was locked. I kept turning the knob and it just wouldn’t open. This is ridiculous! Why would it be this hard to enter a restaurant? I couldn’t even find a bell lol. Then I realized I was at the wrong door. it was a door leading to the upstairs apartment. Sigh with relief… but at least I found the place and entered through the right door before the event ended.
Upon entering I was greeted by Jane. Saw many familiar faces and met many new ones. Tried the Tuna Tartare, Steak Tartare, and the Beets and Bacon. Wow they were just so delicious! I really like the beets and bacon one, it’s just so different and scrumptious! The butternut squash soup was pretty yummy too, but someone at the event told me it reminded them of baby food. If baby food was that yummy, I would eat it every day! The dish that blew my tastebuds away was the Wild Mushrooms and Braised Ribs Risotto! I looooove mushrooms and wow this dish is like my comfort food! It was so delicious! If they gave me the entire pot to me, I’ll be glad to finish it all! I was really hungry still and I was eying their huge pillow breads at the top of the counter… really wanted to take one and start biting into it. The Bread Pudding Brulee was pretty good too!
The event was just good enough of a size to get to know everyone a little better, even though I had already forgotten a bunch of names (sorry). I had a great time mingling with all the elites at this event. The atmosphere of this place was pretty fun, the cook was super friendly, the servers were very helpful and nice, the DJ was cute, the food was pretty darn good and I had an awesome time! Despite my poor sense of directions and getting lost and arriving late to this event, I had a lot of fun still.
Thanks Unilocal,Jane, Peter, Leighann and Le Comptoir for an awesome night! =)

«try this, tuna tartare!»
You had me at tuna tartare.
Peter d. And Jane know how to throw a party. Not a lame keg party. Those are so over. This event was classy but not uptight. Sexy and hot. Literally, it was like 98 degrees in there. (temperature, not the band). However, a quick jump outside to feel the brisk air will do the trick.
I loved this event so much I kept blowing kisses at Peter d. He WILL love me back.

I keep saying the same thing over and over at these events. Alcohol flows freely and kicks your ass.
You wake up in disappointment but remember how awesome the quinoa vodka was (the food was also great – steak tartar, beet/​bacon salad, and rib risotto).
This was a fantastic event and will return to this awesome restaurant that’s in the hood. Hung out with new and old Unilocalers and enjoyed the stumble home. I think it was the free-​flowing shots that the bartender poured throughout the night.
I look forward to the future event and thanks petey pete and jane for this awesomeness in the burg!

The first event for Brooklyn 2011 reminded me of how different the Brooklyn events are from the Manhattan ones sometimes. Whereby most of the time, Manhattan are these big elaborate massive gatherings with 2 million or so Unilocalers * gathered in one place for a fun night out, the Brooklyn events are usually much smaller and more intimate. This was the case for the event at Le Comtior. The space was small. So small that the area by the bar in the middle of the restaurant had about 3 feet of spacing between it and the wall. This caused an interesting traffic jam throughout the night for those that wanted to move from the front lounge area to the only two tables in the back. This event is literally «rubbing elbows» at times. For me, after slowly squiggling by way to the back little by little, I decided it was too much work to go to the front again so I stayed put for most of the night. Not that I was complaining since that was where the kitchen and cook was. First dibs on the food coming out. Yahoooo!!! I have to give major props to the waitress and waiter that constantly fought their way back and forth throughout the night between the two areas feeding the hungry masses that is the Unilocal Elites.
And feed us they did. Tuna tartars, steak tartar, beet tartar, truffle flavored gougère, bread pudding, squash soup, and risotto cooked with braised ribs and mushrooms were given out as samples, personally cooked by one of the co-​owners. Praise of this being the next Traif was muttered throughout the night.
Some of us had a nice chat with both of the friendly owners (the other one being one of the bar tenders) and found out that their menu rotates weekly, they could take reservations for up to 40 people, and that they have a backyard for customers when the weather gets better. In fact, we got so friendly with them that the cook gave us extra servings of the bread puddings and they topped it off with tiny scoops of ice cream that wasn’t given to anyone else outside our small little group that was chatting with them at the time. The bartender-​owner gave us a small shot of a caramel vodka concoction that was also only given to our small group. The drink I stared at in envy because I had to drive people home after the event and had to abstain from it. Sigh. These were all accompanied by a shhhhh from the owners.
I really enjoyed talking with the other Elites (and only Elites since there was no plus ones for this one) at this gathering. Well, let me correct that. Not talking. Shouting. I really enjoyed shouting at my fellow Elites over the loud but banging music being played by the DJ of the night. Smaller groups makes for much more deeper conversations when you aren’t bouncing from one person after another because there are so many people to talk to. Like I said. This event is more intimate. The mood and setting was fantastic.
Thanks to Le Comptior for hosting a great gathering that future Brooklyn events would have to strive hard to match for the rest of the year. Thanks to all three CM’s for being the gracious and fun people that they always are.
And… thank the stars that we have our regular Unilocal photographer Benjamin back because to be honest and blunt, the last photographer for the Manhattan event that just passed a week prior sucked ass. I was never so happy to not have my photo taken as when I saw what went up for that event.
See you all at the next event.
* Ok, 2 million people might be a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe.

I hadn’t been to Le Comptior before, but I have been to Trash Bar right across the street many times. While the latter serves some sweet tater tots, I enjoyed the offerings at Le Comptior far more.
The event was, as others have already said, smaller and more intimate since we couldn’t all just bring a friend and hide in the corner with our +1 if we weren’t feeling social. I am not the world’s most social Unilocaler, and I unfortunately couldn’t have more than 1 of the delicious drinks they were serving (ugh, medicine), so I didn’t have alcohol making me chatty. I did manage to meet a few Unilocalers I had never met before, and of course talked to a few I already knew.
The food was tasty. My favorite thing of the whole night was the bread pudding they served just as the event came to a close. SO GOOD. I also really loved the tuna tartare. I also had the beets and bacon, the butternut squash soup, and the risotto with rib meat and mushrooms. All were tasty, and I was happy with the amount of food I was able to eat. They actually had extra portions just sitting on the counter waiting to be scooped up! They were prepared for a pack of hungry Unilocalers. The drinks were also tasty — I only had the «Voila», but I enjoyed it.
The space itself was lovely. It was tiny but I loved the setup. The owners were really great, too. They and their staff worked hard all night with smiles on their faces even when the humidity from the sheer amount of bodies threatened to take away from the good mood.
Thanks Peter, Jane, and Leighann for this great event!

Guys. Listen. I don’t know if you know this, but there was a box of Franzia in the kitchen. Did you see it? I did. Awesome.
You know what else was awesome? That mushroom risotto. And the tuna tartare. And the beets with bacon. And the bread pudding. And the rockin DJ.
And finding out that we could get that quinoa vodka in vodka-​tonic form. Look ma, so healthy!
I fully agree with Danny P that not having a +1 lead to more mingling. As one who generally chooses my +1 as the person I know who is easiest to hide behind, this was especially challenging. Turned out to be pretty ok… I guess (jk jk it was great).
Big ups to Jamel for the life-​advice portion of the night. That was real.
I need another coffee, I’m hung over.

Brilliant idea, Peter D., screw Valentine’s Day indeed! I needed a pick-​me-​up, post-​VDay, and there’s no better way than by mingling with awesome fellow Unilocal Elites, nibbling on yummy food and sipping on some strong drinks.
While it was packed with other Unilocalers, this event at Le Comptoir was thankfully much more intimate and way less of a crazyhouse than the last several Elite Events I’ve attended. Much, much easier to meet new people here. Isn’t that part of the point? (Hi to Lisa D., Sarah K. and Nel L.!)
Here’s what I especially loved:
— Le Comptoir is so cute! The grapevine decorations, the elegant candles with dripping wax? Love it. I’d imagine it’s a lovely spot to lounge (in the front) and would make a cute dinner date spot (in the back).
— I only tried the tuna tartare (creamy), the butternut squash soup (a bit salty, but tasty) and the bread pudding brulee, but enjoyed them all, especially the bread pudding! So eggy and delicious! The chef heated up my soup for me, unasked. Bonus points.
— The bartender is awesome. Service with a smile and a wink.
— I had dinner beforehand and I was *still* knocked out by the drinks!
So, great job, Unilocal staff! You did well. Thanks for another fun event and hopefully the next one will be just as relaxed.

I just got my Unilocal-​Elite cherry popped at this event and boy, was it amazing. I came by reluctantly after a long day at work and was greeted by such wonderful people and delicious food!
Chef Sebastien whipped up a fantastique assortment of palate-​pleasing bites… The tuna tartare was refreshing and flavorful with interesting texture with the crunchy bits of tempura. I loved the bread pudding brulee, but I didn’t wanna marry it until Chef Sebastien dressed it all up with gelato and dulce de leche. It could definitely be tasty with a fresh raspberry sauce as one awesome Unilocaler, Will C., suggested. The mushroom, braised rib risotto was tasty but for me the risotto tasted a little overcooked. I liked the bacon & beets, a strange but tasty combo which also supports my theory that bacon can go with anything and everything.
I will definitely be back to visit here to try out the rest of the menu. I heard they have a great prix-​fixe brunch.
Thanks to Unilocal for this awesome event and to all the superfun people I met last night.

I walked in the door and immediately got a hug from Jane K., which helped me loosen up a bit. See, I’d been a little nervous to attend this elite-​only event for a few reasons: 1) I no longer had a +1 to keep me from awkwardly standing around, 2) I’m shy, and 3) Since I rarely go to events in BK I didn’t really know anyone here. Unfortch I did start off the night awkwardly standing around, but gradually got to mingling as the hours passed.
The bartenders and staff here were so nice! The bartender kept churnin’ out those FAIR-​y cocktails for me. Food was plentiful (the Beets and Bacon excessively so, however). Great tuna tartare and mushroom and braised rib risotto. I loved nibbling on those tiny French pastries at the bar, too.
I don’t know how, but I somehow made my way home at the end of the night — not an easy feat when I had to go all the way to upper Manhattan fully inebriated. Well-​done Unilocal team!

Fall 2010 — driving back to Brooklyn from Long Island vineyards, we throw out dinner options. Mode, Le Comptoir, Kaz An Nou or Caffe e Vino? Unfortunately we selected Caffe e Vino which was tragic and Le Comptoir remained bookmarked.
Fast forward 2011. Elite Event calendars are up and Le Comptoir is the first venue for Brooklyn event. Holler!!! I got to experience this bar restaurant for the first time alongside fun, friendly and food loving Elite Unilocalers. Props to Peter D. for making this happen. I’m impressed.
One of the best Elite Events in my book* for reasons namely:
— Awesome DJ who did not play top 40s, great music taste and transition
— Right amount of attendees. Not overly crowded and conversation came easy.
— Food was tasty, fresh and abundant. I enjoyed the tuna tartare most and the extra dishes and shot of caramel vodka after. Thank you Chef Sebastien!
— Drinks were well balanced. Yummy mix with the right amount of kick.**
Cheers to Le Comptoir staff, Peter D., Jane K., Leighann F. and all the awesome Elite Unilocalers from last night!
Fuck Valentine’s Day!!!
*Traif is still the best Elite Event.
**Drinks with enough kick for me to misdial my boss’ phone. I swear I wasn’t drunk.
Here’s the link to said tragic dining

You know what made last night an awesome night, and one of my favorite elite events yet? I had une liaison dangereuse with les FairYs, got comfy with ample seating, enjoyed listening to an adorable French bartender, and felt the love from my fantastical Unilocal friends.
Special thanks to Lisa and Kate, mah dolls.
Such a pleasure to meet the radiant Ashley and lovely Claire.
James, I took your advice…
Peter, thanks for everything, not least keeping those tantalizing little gougeres moving in my direction. To borrow a phrase from the boys, wowee wow wow.

This was one of my favorite, favorite Brooklyn events. Memorable for many reasons. I really enjoyed myself.
Even though it was slightly nippy outside, there was enough warmth and high spirits inside to ward off the winter blahs and any leftover Valentine blues. The venue itself was cute, intimate, and the folks at Le Comptoir dazzled us with their hospitality and good eats.
Let’s talk about those good eats. So much yummy food and variety! I took a healthy interest in sampling everything that came out and munched enthusiastically. Beet and bacon salad, steak or tuna tartare, short rib and mushroom risotto, bread pudding brulee, truffled, cheesy gougere bites… I can’t remember the last time I ate so well at an elite event! Seriously pampered.
Hats off to the kitchen, particularly the french chef who kept looking our way to gauge our approval. Thumbs up!
Drinks made with liquor by FAIR (a quinoa vodka) were impressive and tasty. The bartenders did a great job replenishing them throughout the night.
Finally, the company. It is always the best part of any elite event. I was definitely feeling the Unilocal spirit: catching up with old friends, meeting new ones and generally enjoying the energy that flowed. Special thanks goes to Matteo for breaking my fall and Phil H for providing a much needed glass of water at the right time. You guys rock.
Thank you, thank you Unilocal CM’s-you guys threw an awesome Brooklyn bash. And thank you Le Comptoir for inviting us into your house and going above and beyond.
This was a rendezvous to remember!

If this is typical of the 2011 Elite events, I’m excited for the season.
Great crowd
Otherwordly cocktails
Tasty quinoa vodka
Didn’t care that I couldn’t bring a +1
Ran into people that I knew (but should have found more)
Understood that I couldn’t eat *all* the steak tartare
Nibbled on tuna and beets with bacon too
Knows full well I’m returning

I haven’t had this much fun at a Unilocal event in a while, and that’s not because the events aren’t a ton of fun on their own, but I think when you force people to mingle by not letting them have a +1 to hide behind and you put together a space as cute and fun as Le Comptoir, then you get the perfect mix of shafatafaliciousness.*
Let’s count the awesomeness:
1) A really cool space, with room to spread out in the back and low candlelit areas up front to sit and get snuggly with someone.**
dos) A bunch of Unilocalers I’d never met before, and now want to hang out with on a regular basis (hi to Nydia, Claire, Nel, Camille among others) as well as seeing a bunch of my favorite Unilocalers who I don’t get to see often enough (Lisa, Cara, James, Liz, Colleen and many more).
III) The drinks. I mean, I know it probably cuts out a good portion of my masculinity to go up to a bar and order a drink in a martini glass, but I tell you this my friends — whatever was in that drink (I know it was FAIR vodka, but not much else), it was strong and delicious. I can tell you after my third drink that I was very much in that happy fun place where everyone is my best friend*** and if I didn’t have to go meet another friend after the party last night, I would have stayed and ordered more.
arbah) The food. I don’t like beets — but thankfully by putting something in my mouth without first asking what it is**** I learned that the beef and bacon was delicious, and the incredibly nice woman who brought us this amazing food nearly lost a hand when she brought the tuna around. It was basically like a spoonful of sashimi. Who gives that away at a party? For free? I (think) I tipped pretty well, but it probably wasn’t enough for how gracious and charming she and the bartenders were being with our crowd not really drifting too far away from the bar.
Vendetta) Our hosts. Thanks to le Comptoir and, most pimportantly, peter, Jane and Leighann (who I am now totes on a first name basis with) who put together such a fabulous start to Unilocal Elite 2011 in BK. I had such a great time, and my only complaint is that I’m an idiot who had a friend in town so I couldn’t stay for the after party.*****
* — Shut up, it’s going to be a thing.
** — I was not doing such things; I’m just saying that if you wanted to, it was available.
*** — Especially you.
**** — Shut it down, shut it down.
***** — And I left around 9, btw, and was the only person leaving. I’d love to hear some stories of what went down afterward.

This is one of the best Unilocal Events so far! Great way to start off the Brooklyn events this year. NO plus ones was kinda a good thing. We get to meet more of our fellow Unilocalers and bask in the glory of being Elite. =)
The venue was amazing. I love the candlelit lounge area when you first walk in. I’m a fan of Quinoa and was surprised that they have a liqour made from it. After sipping on my Et Voila and Fair. y (which were pretty refreshing) the samplings began…
All the samplings were served on spoons, which added a more excellent touch to it. I’m a fan of beets so I really like the beets & bacon dish. Next was the Tuna Tartare Japonais… AMAZING. I was a happy camper. Drink in one hand and tuna in the other. The food was non-​stop excellent that night. The Steak Tartare just melts in your mouth, but the highlight of my night was the Wild Mushroom & Braised Ribs Risotto. This was the best thing that night. That dish alone makes we want to come back again again.
The staff was great the the chef was excellent and very kind. He even gave me an extra helping of risotto. I had some time to talk to the owner and she showed me the backyard, which was still covered in snow. I can’t wait till summer time!!!
I met a lot of new people at this event. Some already my friends here on Unilocal and the others are fresh faces.
Well done Peter D, Jane K and Leighann F!!!

It’s always a sign of a good night when I end up speaking French with strangers. (coucou, Camille!)
Loved the FAIRy drink– anything with St. Germaine is ok by me– and the quinoa vodka went down easy. Perhaps a little too easy. Ahem.
The tuna tartar was like butt-​ah! Delightfully vinegary. I briefly considered filling my purse with gougères until Peter stole them from the bar. This was probably for the best.
The cozy atmosphere made it a little easier for this newbie to put faces to names (or cute bunny avatars). Waves to all my new Unilocaler friends. :)
Awesome first Elite Event. Thanks to Peter, Jane and Leighann for putting together such a great evening!

So after waiting patiently for the first Brooklyn 2011 Elite event, it rolled up so fast and furious on the calendar I was almost caught off guard.
The windows were fogged when I got there, you could tell it was a hot party! Love the intimacy of Le Comptoir, its such a fun word to say!
I never really realized how valuable a spot is on the guest list, that place was small, but it was just right for the amount of people that showed up.
I’m really glad I got to meet alot of you Unilocalers I have been seeing on Unilocal for the first time. For all of you who I didnt recognize till now, duh, till next time. Everyone else, you all made me smile!

Some times waking up with a hangover feels sweet.
Wonderful place full with awesome people. I liked the intimate, warm feel of the venue. The space is just wonderful! I can see myself being a regular here, spending long winter nights on the comfy couches in the elevated space by the large front window, and warm summer evening in the leafy backyard patio. I definitely look forward to checking that out.
Great, well-​balanced drinks, particularly the FairY, my medicine for the evening. Also, you have to respect a bartender that pours himself vodka shots while mixing drinks! Very impressive.
The food was wonderful and plentiful. I particularly liked the savory choux pastries with cheese and truffle[1], and the steak tartare, which was so nice, fresh, and buttery I almost mistook it for tuna! Wait a sec… that actually was tuna tartare! Ok, a FairY too many there, I think… The mushroom and braised ribs risotto was also a winner.
Thank you Peter, Jane, and Leighann for such a wonderful event! looking forward to the next one already.
— — — — — — — —
[1] I think Cassy and I ate a whole bucket of those babies while sipping our drinks at the bar…