PHOTOGRAPHY BY BIANCA ALEXIS

Tandem is a signal of the change occurring in an area usually known for its gritty demeanor. Jane and Cathy Virga, two sisters who roam the floor every night, brewed this gorgeous small plates bar and restaurant in the depths of Bushwick, Brooklyn on a residential street that is being refurbished building by building. They chose the name Tandem in part because it means “at length”. For them, it meant taking the time to make sure every detail was on point, which I appreciated alongside a packed bar of locals and visitors alike.

Click any image to enlarge and begin our scrumptious slideshow!

From the main space, to the secluded “makeout” room, and all the way back to the dance floor, exposed brick and pipes, curvy glass sconces, and antique chandeliers make up a motif that the sisters describe as “psychedelic art deco.” Low lighting and a familiar song compliment the bar décor and furniture, which are salvaged or locally produced in beautiful glass, wood, and iron. The palette focuses around aqua, red, white, gray, and wood, a combination that is quite easy on the eyes. The story goes that the sprawling wooden bar was relocated from an upstate New York social club where Ella Fitzgerald was a regular. The most stunning features of the interior are Jane’s hand glazed ceramic tabletops and tiled wall mosaics.

In short, Tandem does a body good. The familiar and pleasant staff juggle a little of everything here. You may catch the bartender serving food or fixing speakers, in between mixing precise drinks with care. The selection ranges from wine, tempting cocktails, local beer served in Jane’s ceramic pint glasses, and saliva-inducing, contemporary American food. The menu mimics the place: modest and inviting at a glance, delightful and satisfying when taken in.

I checked the blackboard for daily specials and ordered to my heart’s content.

The most popular dish, the artichoke and chard dip, was as delectable as it sounds. A hot dish of bubbling, creamy, mashed artichoke and chard (in place of the more common spinach) paired with toasted bread from nearby Roberta’s Pizza. It cooled to a tangy, dippable, yet thick and chunky mixture that disappeared in moments to a cleanly wiped dish.

The salad that arrived was bruised kale with lemon and Parmesan cheese, a daunting textured pile of greens. The softened yet al dente curly leaves let the lemon soak in and flecks of Parmesan adhere. The lemon dressing was just enough to coat but not drip, although bread could always come to the rescue.

Meatballs are undeniable gifts to our bellies. Tandem’s grassfed meatballs came confidently on a plate, swimming in a thick-bodied tomato sauce. No need for spaghetti, these chewy, uneven, hand-rolled meatballs stood alone only to be devoured. Big chunks of garlic, onion, and ginger scattered throughout the balance of meat and sauce, mashed into every bite.

Last came a humble dish that revealed itself with every bite: lemon-scented quinoa with asparagus topped with a fried egg. Tandem’s take on the protein-packed seed is to dress it while it’s warm and allow it to cool by the time it hits the table. The quinoa had a distinct lemony aroma, accompanied by fresh steamed asparagus and a runny fried egg. Perfect as is.

The delicious and elegant chocolate amaretto tarte is a dessert you expect to be good, but when actually tasted sends you flying. No matter what happens to your thighs, nothing can stop you once you take the first bite. The density of the dark chocolate mousse slowed down my fork before hitting a moist crust. Close your eyes, this bite needs to last forever. Or until the next.

Drinks are drawn strong here, since the bartenders know no one is stumbling that far to get home. I frankly didn’t know what they put in these and all it took was a couple (or rather, four) drinks for me to feel great.

One of the first things that struck me when I first came to Tandem was seeing a Dark and Stormy listed. I almost doubled over when the bartender told me that the ginger beer, which nicely rounds out the drink, was made in-house. Make me a backup please, I’m ready to go. This drink was once named Bermuda’s poem-in-a-glass, and if you get one with just the right ratio between the depth of the dark rum and the bite of the ginger beer, you’ll know why. A splash of lime may be considered sacrilege in Bermuda, but I found it essential for a warm night in the open doors bar.

After that Carribean-inspired drink, I settled on another, the Masten Lake. Drinking it was like pouring summer down my throat and soaking my tastebuds in effervescent lemon, simple syrup, seltzer and gin. Fragrant basil (grown on the bar’s roof) wafted through the daisy field that had become my palette. I suggested they leave the drink on the menu all year as a reminder of good summer times throughout the harsh upcoming winter.

I was already feeling quite nice, but I couldn’t leave before the Bushwick Fizz, a variation on the classic gin fizz. It sat pretty in a delicate martini glass: creamy yellow with a thick white froth formed from the egg whites whipped with lemon, elderflower liqueur, and gin. The light, sour drink was exquisite but I learned you have to drink it quickly before the froth separated and made for an entirely different experience.

Getting ready to go, with the chocolate tarte still on my lips and the drinks swirling in my head, Tandem’s bartenders decided to get personal and refused to let me leave before I tried one of their specialty cocktails. The Suther was carefully prepared and poured at my table by Terry himself. It was a dark pink nectar surrounded by a smoky salt rim. The color gave me second thoughts, but the jalapeno-infused tequila made it more than worthwhile. Lime, lemon, honey, and angostura bitters mix into this spicy, sweet, salty, tart, and smoky concoction. Ten things happened in the space of three seconds in my mouth. It was robust and drunky, but didn’t make me want to fight. Not that I’m a generally violent person, but you never know with tequila. A permasmile crept over my face as the music switched to dubstep.

No hurry and no attitude…Tandem pulled me in from amidst the rowhouses and cared for me like an alcoholic surrogate mother with impeccable taste. Let her do her thing. —PIAMA HABIB

Menu reviewed by Piama Habib. Drinks reviewed by her Lush Friend.

TANDEM bar + restaurant

236 Troutman Street

Brooklyn, NY

www.tandembar.net

You can find [piama] at Tandem in Brooklyn or piamaH@gmail.com.

Posted on 05 January 2010