Flatbush Farm: Welcome Back, Scramble
“Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay”
-Robert Frost
And so it goes with scrambled tofu in Brooklyn. One day it’s there, the next day the restaurant is boarded up or just plumb stopped serving it. But the good news is that new places to find it pop up all the time, and the cycle of life continues.

It’s rough all over, Ponyboy. But scrambled tofu makes it easier.
My latest pilgrimage to tofuland was Flatbush Farm. There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding this place, so I was kind of expecting something awesome. Instead I got something pretty forking good, and I can’t complain. Their scrambled tofu ($10) was from the heavily curried school of scrambles, with little flecks of red that could have been either tomato or red pepper, they were too small to tell. It came with a side of tangy stewed collards, which were melt in your mouth yummy, and whole grain grilled bread. On the side I ordered hash browns ($5) which ended up being the sleeper hit. I love when a dish makes you think, and I have to say, if it’s a potato dish that makes you think, all the better. I have no idea how they did this! It was casserolish, baked and sliced into thick wedges. With potatoes I never want obtrusive flavors, I really just want potato, and you can tell that Flatbush Farm used good high quality ones that needed very little fanfare. Perfect.

Magical hash browns
Service was really speedy and friendly, and good about answering vegan questions. I think our food was on the table within five minutes of ordering, that’s really how you know you’re not in a vegan restaurant. The dining room is nice and sparse, with high ceilings and black plank floors. A good solid place for brunch I will definitely be returning to.
One thing that was funny, whatever font they use makes it look like their scrambled tofu is 18 bucks instead of 10. I was prepared to try it for 18, if that gives you any insight into the sorry state of vegan brunch in Brooklyn.

Flatbush F A R M




February 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
You must kidnap one of the cooks and use some sort of vegan-appropriate torture to extract from them the secret of the hashbrowns!
February 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Awww… you just reminded me of one of my favorite adolescent reading experiences of all time: The Outsiders. Remember that poem was in there? Ah, Ponyboy…
February 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
If anyone can figure out how to do magical hash browns, it’s you, Isa. Those look incredible.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
In the photo, those hashbrowns look a little polenta-like. I wonder if they use really finely-shredded-then-boiled potatoes, let them mold (well, you know what I mean) and then fry them. They surely are beautiful. Glad you enjoyed them.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Those hashbrowns remind me of scallion pancakes - the earth’s most perfect food!
February 19th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I think some spying is in order to obtain the hash brown recipe!
February 20th, 2008 at 8:09 am
18 bucks for brunch? that is truly a scary concept.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Mmm, I love that stuff. Good cocktails there too!
February 21st, 2008 at 2:22 am
holy crikey hell. i would/could eat like 3 orders of those hash brown with the tofu scramble which means i would be even poorer than ever. how does one get full in brooklyn?
February 21st, 2008 at 4:03 am
I don’t know of any place in the whole country here that serves tofu scramble.
*envies*
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
i recommend the scramble at smooch cafe — it’s still curryish, but it’s four dollars cheaper. also really into their Vegan Temptress sandwich. probably better than the one you had at Earth Tonez… just sayin’…. but you probably know about Smooch, anyway.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 am
i’m surprised nobody left a mmm ponyboy comment… oh nvm i scrolled past it… but ponyboy was sexxxy… ages and ages ago… he was my favorite… I used to re-read that book all the time… i would set up my reading cot in the living room by the fire and soak in S.E. Hinton’s genius all the time…