Our latest edition of Quick Bites brings us to a new little cafe in Carroll Gardens.
THE VIBE
Madcap Cafe is a lovely, thrillingly confident little restaurant in the heart of commercial Carroll Gardens, a place that has no concept, no branding, and barely even any signage outside. Once inside, grab a stool overlooking Court Street, or at the bar where locals tend to linger, or at one of the close-set tables — the corner nook by the window is one of the best seats in the house.
To be honest, in this era of tightly themed menus and meticulously art-directed settings—even at casual, all-day cafes such as this—Madcap feels almost radical in its lack of marketing hooks. The woman behind all the wonderful rule-breaking is chef and owner Heather Fuller, whose previous kitchen jobs under David Chang (at Ko) and John Fraser (at Nix) perhaps foreshadowed the "Screw it, I'm just going to make what I want" ethos here. And make no mistake: Fuller's Madcap is all her own.
One little flaw: The short menu seems to be more a list of what might be available today, rather than a definitive guide, and my excellent server didn't seem to be in on that day's offerings. I wasn't able to try the Key Lime Pie on either visit, for example, which was the only dessert on offer (or, I guess, sometimes on offer), but the disappointment stings less once you experience how much love Fuller puts into everything she does whip up for you in her tiny kitchen.
THE BITES
The Madcap Cafe menu is filled with winners, but the most important thing to know is that the CGBG, or Carroll Gardens Burger, is fantastic, the best such sandwich I've had all year. Fuller gives most of the credit to her butcher, the old-school Paisanos right around the corner (her other secret is "black pepper"), but that downplays her skill at the grill. Yes, as she says, the fact that it's served on thick slabs of marvelously greasy toast makes it "pretty much a patty melt," but whatever, this is a masterpiece of meat. No ketchup offered or required; the vinegary side salad provides all the acid you need to even things out. The dish comes, charmingly, with a bag of sweet potato chips.
If tucking in to a huge hunk of juice-oozing cow isn't your thing, the Maitake Mushroom sandwich is nearly as good as the burger, with large pieces of that hearty fungus balanced with pickled onions, crisp cucumber, greens, and a sticky, sweet chili sauce. The chewy housemade flatbread that holds it all together is also superb. Also excellent and, really, the dish I would be tempted to eat several times a week if I lived next door, is the Oma cheese platter. I'm not sure how Fuller can charge only $10 for this hefty wedge of this soft, pungent lactose gold—plus three slabs of insanely good apricot membrillo and candied dates—but I graciously accept her generosity and hospitality.
Fuller also makes a terrific Guacamole, creamy and rich and served with thick, salty chips. I added Sriracha, and that tasted good too, but was not strictly necessary. This dish was so straightforward that I began to imagine what it must be like to hang at Fuller's house, with her all "You hungry? Want something to eat? Here, I'll make some guacamole..."
And if you're in the mood for dumplings (because why not), the five fat, crisp-fried Squash beauties served here will definitely satisfy.
THE VERDICT
I love it at Madcap Cafe and will be back for everything else Fuller makes—including that weekday brunch—as soon as possible.
(Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Madcap Cafe is located at 387 Court Street near 1st Place, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (929-337-6117; madcapcafebk.com)
