© Frank H. Jump
This evening was the second time I had the pleasure to dine at Pomme de Terre. I wanted to do a formal piece but I haven’t heard a response from the management (I’m sure they are very busy- there was a half-hour wait shortly after we sat down) so I blitzed them. I ordered the Pan Seared Skate again since it was so good the first time I wanted to see how consistent they are, and it was equally delicious. The Cauliflower soup with Rock shrimp pictured above was also very scrumptious, as was the Cherry Pistachio tart.
Owned and managed by the same people that opened Farm on Adderley, Pomme offers quite a different menu. Although Farm does have a “french” quality to its entrees, it is less specific than Pomme de Terre‘s bistro fare. Chef David Pitula deftly runs the kitchen through peak capacity and still manages to have a smile on his face. The staff is equally cordial and the decor is quite authentic. The French liqueur reproductions are attractive and the wall paper taken from what seems to be vintage French magazines from the 1937 Exposition period adds a layered decoupage texture.
Although this may seem premature, Pomme de Terre feels like a mainstay. A local resident of over forty years (Mel) who ate there this evening with some buddies chatted with me out front about the history of this corner. Once a clothing store, and then a bodega, Pomme seems almost an anachronism next door to the Hispanic evangelical church and at the same time, it seems so right for that tiny triangular space on the corner of Newkirk Avenue and Argyle Road- an enhancement to an already lovely neighborhood. Mel agrees that Pomme is a valuable addition to the neighborhood. I highly recommend Pomme for a truly satisfying dining experience.
As a long time resident of this community, my sentiments for such an establishment are bittersweet. Sure, I enjoy having a lovely place to dine locally, but the new businesses of Ditmas Park could do much more to hire staff that is a true reflection of the neighborhood’s ethnic tapestry. It’s important to honor the history of a neighborhood and constantly utilize the present to ensure that the future still retains the wonderful flavor of a community. Because of the hiring practices of the new businesses here, I still find myself traveling to establishments with better hiring practices. How is it possible that you open a business in the most diverse area in the United States, yet hire a staff that is so ethnically one-dimensional? Shame on these owners from SOUTH AFRICA and all those who follow suit.
The staff seemed very ethnically diverse (more importantly – skilled and courteous) and representative of the cultural mix of that neighborhood. I didn’t notice such a blatant disparity. The food is good and the staff seemed to be a mix of Mexican, African-American and local European descent Americans and Jews. The clientele however was more “one-dimensional.” That dimension was economic and not racial. I do hear your concern for employing local residents, but you must also realize that when running a business with a need for skilled and eloquent workers – especially a restaurant – experience should be considered before heritage. Pomme’s staff certainly seemed much more ethnically diverse than Farm’s I must admit.
I wish to share a very negative experience about the management and staff. After having just finished dinner, my wife inadvertently left her cell phone on the table. We realized this a moment later and went right back in. The phone was gone. The management was defensive and suggested that my wife never had the phone or lost it elsewhere. Attempts to speak with the manager at Le Pomme as well as their other restaurant were unsatisfactory; both times they were rude and dismissive.