come to the farm, in brooklyn!

Posted by Yevgeniya Yelkina in Around Town, Celebrity Gossip, Featured | 1 comment

To Gary Jonas, Ditmas Park has that certain special neighborhood flair that is seldom found anywhere else. Jonas and his wife Allison McDowell own the prestigious Sycamore Bar + Flower Shop, as well as the neighborhood restaurant The Farm on Adderley. Both hot-spots are located on Cortelyou Road, the main strip in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

The Farm, which opened five years ago, resulted from the limited food options offered in Ditmas Park.

Customers enjoy a bite to eat in The Farms warm and inviting dining hall.

The name is a direct link from a saying Jonas’s family used in Cape Town, South Africa where he is from. Growing up on Adderley Street, the family would often joke it would acquire a farm on Adderley, if an unlikely outcome of a situation were to occur. Years later, you could say that this dream has come true.

“The Farm speaks to everyone,” said Jonas of the restaurant’s cuisine.

Portobello Sandwich $9

The always crowded hot-spot offers American-style food, made from fresh ingredients, as the menu changes several times a week.

Come and enjoy a neighborhood favorite: The Farm Burger ($13), served for both lunch and dinner.

Outside seating at The Farm.

The unique experience Sycamore offers, is unlike any other in this town. Who would have imagined one could get a beer/bouquet deal, all one in place? Named after the sycamore trees in the Ditmas Park neighborhood, the flower shop/bar, open for three years, came out of  McDowell’s interest in the bar scene. But the couple also wanted to do something new and exciting; something that was not offered anywhere else in New York City.

The quant, dimly lit bar is complimented by a beautiful array of freshly cut flowers at the front. Sycamore will provide you with a wedding bouquet, as you sit down for a nice drink. It is the perfect spot for an after-work drink, or a late night hang-out. During the day, customers can visit the garden and have a BBQ, and enjoy live shows and beer and whisky tastings at night.

Beautiful flower arrangements align Sycamore's windows.

Jonas believes Ditmas Park to be a diverse, up-and-coming gem.

“Everyone that comes [to the restaurant] we know,” he said. “It’s rare when you live in a city where you know your neighbors, and everyone knows you.”

At Sycamore, the crowd tends to consist of younger families, or people in their 20’s. The Farm has a nice range of folks; from 80-year-old couples, to younger families with children, and hipsters.

The bar at Sycamore offers domestic and international craft beers and American whiskeys, one of the largest collections in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

As the interest for Ditmas Park continues to grow, with New Yorkers wanting to leave the busy streets of Manhattan for a calmer, family-friendly setting, the Victaorian flare of this neightborhood, along with its diverse groups of people, continues to win over new residents .  For Jonas and McDowell, the neighborhood they have come to love, has provided them with the keys for success.

The Farm on Adderley

1108 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn; (718) 287-3101.

http://thefarmonadderley.com/

Sycamore

1118 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn; (347)-240-5850

http://sycamorebrooklyn.com/