Press
“Getting the best delivery on the street where you live ”
- The New York Times
"It's hard not to love a restaurant that lets children roam the premises "
- Ultimate Review Guide
“Two Boots: A downtown gem you can kick up your heels for ”
- Park Slope Courier: by Kenneth Brown
“Kick up your heels at Two Boots: Good food and great sounds go together ”
- Park Slope Courier: by Stephen Witt
“Two Boots Restaurant: A Party in Your Mouth ”
- Courier Lifestyles
“Royal Feast: Kids are treated like kings at these family oriented resteraunts ”
- Go: The Brooklyn Papers
COURIER LIFESTLYES: ARTS & LEISURE
“Two Boots Restaurant: A Party in Your Mouth”
By Camille Sperrazza
It’s Mardi Gras every night at Two Boots restaurant (514 Second Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 718-499-3253), where one can enjoy Cajun and Italian cooking in a lively, party atmosphere.
The excitement takes place in all three of the restaurant rooms – a family friendly one, complete with stroller parking; a back room decorated with colorful hanging lights and garland against a Mardi Gras mural, and a spacious outdoor seating area.
A full bar serves everything, but patrons are passionate about Two Boots specials served in mason jars – Sangria, served with lemon and lime wedges, and frozen drinks of every possible combination. Some are served in boot-shaped jars.
If the menu, drinks, and decorations don’t put you in the party spirit, the music will. Every Friday and Saturday nights at 10pm there’s live entertainment. The music varies from jazz to rock to country to blues. A different group is featured each night so there’s always a new show to see. Best of all, there’s never a cover or minimum. Come for dinner or just stop by for drinks and fun.
If you’re an early bird, don’t miss the live jazz bands each week at Sunday brunch, noon to 3pm. But even an ordinary weeknight is transformed into a party at Two Boots because energetic music plays in the background every evening, and drinks are 1/2 price from 4pm to 6pm.
The restaurant is so named because it features the food of the places on the map that resemble boots – Italy and Louisiana. The menu offers an assortment of both. Recommend for a starter is the Louisiana Crawfish pie – a flaky pie shell packed with tasty crawfish, simmered with onions, peppers, celery, and tomatoes, in a savory sauce. It’s a luscious taste of the South we Northerners don’t often get to experience, and it’s served on a party platter adorned with fresh tomato slices, lemon wedges, and sprinkled with enough parsley to resemble confetti.
Other Louisiana appetizers include spicy BBQ shrimp, N’awlins style. Shrimp are simmered with garlic, herbs, spices and olive oil, while still in their shells. It’s served with Cajun garlic bread. Baton Rouge Wings, accompanied by blue cheese and celery is another possibility, as is Bubba’s Black Bean Chili. Italian appetizers include Fried calamari in a batter that has a New Orleans-style kick.
Dinner entrees range from pasta, meat and chicken, all prepared in unique ways. Try the Pan-Fried Lemon Parsley Catfish with a crisp cornmeal coating. It’s accompanied by Mardi Gras rice pilaf and Creole ratatouille. Dixie Chicken features boneless breasts of chicken marinated and grilled in cilantro and lime juice, served with sliced avocado and red bean and rice.
If that chicken doesn’t move you, how does Voodoo Southern Fried Chicken sound? It’s a Southern favorite, served with a mound of mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Don’t overlook the Grilled Steak Louisianne – a 12oz New York shell steak, marinated in Creole steak sauce, accompanied by Southern greens and mashed potoates.
It you prefer Italian, the Shrimp Traviata pleases – a deep bowl of angel hair pasta sautéed with a generous serving of shrimp, sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and parsley. The Pasta alla Paesana tosses linguine with arugula, calamata olives, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and roasted garlic.
Specials are offered daily, and include Veal Marsala, arranged attractively around a mound of mashed potatoes, sprinkled with mushrooms, and served with a side of Creole ratatouille.
Sandwich favorites include what Louisiana is noted for – Cornmeal Fried Oyster or Shrimp Po’Boys. These traditional New Orleans heroes come stuffed with fish, then topped with shredded cabbage, pickles, sliced tomato, and Cajun tartar sauce. Unique pizzas are another house favorite, and include possibilities such as Mississippi Pie – pizza topped with blackened chicken, pepper jack cheese, and scallions; or Verde e Blanco – a white pizza of spinach, ricotta, and garlic. But if that’s not “different” enough, try a pizza topped with crawfish, or choose your favorite ingredients, and put them together for a Mardi Gras pie.
Desserts feature another beloved Louisiana must-have – Mississippi Mudcake. This thick, rich chocolate cake is accompanied by three mounds of whipped cream. Other down-home desserts include Strawberry-Rhubard Pie; a Homemade Brownie served hot, then topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry; and authentic Key Lime Pie, also topped with whipped cream.
A kids’ menu offers toddler-friendly food at reasonable prices. Two Boots is also available for kids’ parties as well as adult get-togethers. Guests are welcome to bring their own cakes, or Two Boots will order one for you. Speak to Piper who will help you plan a party of Mardi Gras magnitude.
Two Boots is open seven days a week for dinner and for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit Mondays through Thursdays, 5pm until 11pm; Fridays until midnight; Saturdays from 10:30am until midnight; and Sundays from 10:30am until 11pm. Most major credit cards are accepted.