Mazelle

Apparently Mazelle is closing this Sunday, 9÷1÷2013?

Amazing service, great bloody Mary’s and the food was wonderful as well. Highly recommended!

Dinner in Bushwick was somewhat hit or miss. I tried about three different cocktails and thought all of them were pretty poor (the margarita, the whiskey sour, etc). Luckily the food proved much better. We shared the veal dumplings and salted cod fritters (amazing!) and then ordered the bass and the chicken. The chicken dish is INCREDIBLE — it has this thick balsamic glaze that I smothered the chicken in. Would definitely recommend. The service was great too. Our waitress could tell that we weren’t particularly into the drinks and without us even saying a word removed one of the drinks from the bill because I guess she felt bad. So unnecessary and yet so appreciated. Another great date spot because you have some room to yourself at the table but also great for dinner with the parents.

So this was my first foray into Bushwick and I likee. I was here last Saturday night for a Birthday party and the place did it right. The birthday girl lives down the street and knows the owners so she decided to have her bash here. The place is cozy and adorable. When we got there the owner came up and introduced himself and couldn’t have been more gracious. They had concocted a special drink for the star of the night, some infused vodka, cucumber, mint and something pink and it was delicious! They went down REALLY easily and I lost track after like the 5^th one. I did get a chance to sit at the bar and talk to the bartender later in the evening and he was fabulous as well, a real professional mixologist. He explained how he infuses the vodka and how he comes up with some of the delicious combinations. On to the food. I think what they basically had was a sampling of almost everything on the menu.
1. charcuterie plate — assorted meats with house made pâté, pickles and vegetable. This was fantastic. The pâté and the pickles were so fresh with very distinct flavors.
2. cheese plate — beautiful assortment of cheese with fresh honeycomb, berries and toast. Everything here was also plated gorgeously.
3. hand-​rolled Siberian dumplings — O. M. G. these were ta die for! the freshest house made dough with a veal center with crème fraîche. I could have eaten an entire platter myself.
4. asparagus with poached eggs — delish
5. spatezle with cheese and fried onions on top — the most delicious mac and cheese ever
6. cod fritters — fabulous and beautifully presented with fennel and greens
This place is definitely a special neighborhood gem and I would trek to BK for another go round. Well done!

The Bloody Mary at this place is perfect if you’re more into the pickled aspect of the drink than the spicy component. It has lots of horseradish, and for my spice-​sensitive taste buds, it’s totally on-​point for the perfect breakfast beverage. Their truffle fries are really delicious and so is the Egg Sandwich. My friends and I all scarfed down our food really quickly because it was so good and perfect.
The location is really cool and I like the concept of the restaurant — it’s pretty unique to have a restaurant with a Russian/​Eastern European influence in a neighborhood like Bushwick that’s saturated with an array of Latin American and New American places like North East Kingdom or Café Ghia (both of which are also great). I like that Mazelle kind of has this off-​beat metal feel to it. The service is kind of awkward, but at the end of the day it’s still a nice place to hang out. Sitting in the window bar is great on a nice day too.

Absolutely amazing! My cousin has been telling me to come here for over a month but now that I finally came I think I found my favorite spot in Brooklyn. I had the steak which was cooked to a perfect medium, the service was amazing and they have $ 1 oysters (the BIG ones). Décor is great, the music is chill, the crowd feels like a young version of «Cheers». And the menu makes it hard to order just one thing. I’ll be back, probably in a couple of days. highly recommeded.

I only came for brunch, but the food and prices of food were really good. The drinks were good, but kind of made up for the inexpensive food (bloody Marys: $ 8 and coffee was $ 3, really?), I guess that’s how they get you, but I’m not complaining.
A friend and I did the Groupon special, it was like getting a free drink. I ordered the omelet, not expecting it to be anything to brag about, but it was surprisingly good, I don’t know how they make it. My friend got the lamb burger and said it was really good as well.
The service was good and friendly. Definitely recommend this place…

I’ve come to Mazelle sporadically since it first opened and I still can’t figure out what this place is going for. Everything just seems inconsistent. I loved hanging out at the bar when it first opened but now it feels more like a restaurant (kinda) and most of the staff I got along with in the summer has been replaced by people who don’t seem to know (or care for that matter) what they are doing. Not everybody, there are one of two bartenders who I have had a good time with later at night when they work.
My biggest complaint though is that I have NEVER been there when they have everything that is on their menu! The times I have been able to actually eat what I want to order, its been really tasty. So, since I live a block away, I continue to come and bring guests. But it is ridiculous how often they are out of food! Perhaps using a chalkboard as a menu and only putting what you are actually serving would be better than having laminated menus.
Late at night as just a bar, its as fine place as any in this neighborhood to go to have a beer and share shots with some neighbors but I don’t recommend this as a dinner destination. *Never been for lunch so maybe the servers seem more awake and they have the food they offer*

I’m surprised to read comments about the waitstaff’s attitudes. I finally decided to go to Mazelle after months of walking by it before getting onto the subway. It’s not impressive to look out from outside. Inside, though, it’s rustic and warm, with walls that look like lightboxes with holes punched in them.
And back to the staff, they were really nice to me. The restaurant was out of happy hour-​priced oysters when I got there, so I decided to have the daily special– blackened trout. The dish smelled really fishy when it arrived, but it tasted amazing.
Yes, this place is basically a dressed up bar, but what’s wrong with a dressed up bar with great food and decent prices? My co-​conspirator had a lamb burger, which somehow tasted better than it smelled. We had several Tahitian teas, which were delicious and apparently happy hour-​priced, even though happy hour ended as we were sitting there.
Bottom line is if you’re in Bushwick and you want a good alternative to the other, not as dressed up establishment, go to Mazelle.

The latest trend in Brooklyn bars and restaurants is to have the basic elements of a dive bar combined with everything that’s annoying about fine dining. In other words, you have a cheaply thrown together atmosphere, a handful of bored, if sweet, waiters with a «don’t give a f#$%» attitude, mediocre food, and above average prices. I’m sad to report that after several visits, I can confirm Mazelle fits this description.
Not a bad place to sit in the window and have a drink. But just check your glass. Today we were served wine in a glass that looked like it had vomit splatter on it (dishwater?). I’m not exaggerating here, the dried droplets on the glass were beige colored with some specks of solid substance in it; this combined with a few rings around the glass as if it hadn’t been washed since its last use. Had it been washed? Is their dishwasher broken? We will never know. We decided to let it go and just pull a buck off the tip.
On another visit, I sat at the bar and promptly ordered the beef stroganoff and a beer. I had my beer, sipping slowly and hoping to get my food before having to order another beer. I managed to wait a good 45 minutes for my food. The people who sat next to me arrived 20 minutes later than me and got their beef stroganoff just before I got mine. The food was fine, nothing special. The pasta was fresh, the meat was fine, the sauce a bit too creamy. I got eating done, but was certainly not impressed.
What it comes down to is that in New York, we have great food because there are way too many options to choose from for restaurants to get lazy. Some who open businesses in Bushwick think that they have a captive audience and so they are guaranteed success. Maybe you could say this 5 years ago, but it is no longer true. Not only are there many options in the neighborhood, but the clientele do not have deep enough pockets to blow that kind of money on an average meal.

A group of 4 of us came to this place because the restaurant down the street had a long wait to be seated. We should taken the hint that this place wasn’t as good, and just waited it out at the other place.
We were seated right away– yay! Then server brought us one of those trendy large glass bottles to fill our own water glasses, which for 4 of us was about ¾ if a glass each. Little did we know… we were not to receive any additional water. We ordered two hot teas, two mimosas. After a few minutes of waiting for these drinks, the server comes back to double-​check the kind of tea. Fine… But, where are the mimosas?
When the tea arrives, we ask for honey. A few more minutes go by, and the server tells us it is crystallized and they are trying to melt it down. Hmmmm… We cancel the honey.
They were out of 4 or 5 options off the two paged menu. Fine. We order.
Without being overly dramatic: items were placed in front of the wrong people without even asking who ordered it, one item was missing the bacon (which did not come out until we had all finished eating), one person’s entrée room three minutes longer than everyone else’s, yadda yadda yadda. It was amateur hour at Mazelle.
I would try this place again but I’m not in a hurry to rush back. Oh, and it’s cash only!

$ 1 Oysters & $ 3 Well Drinks?! F*CK YES!
I’m always on a search for a good Happy Hour. The more local it is, the better. It’s a big plus if they have food specials as well. This is where Mazelle comes into play. This cozy little spot is located right off the Jefferson. When I mean, «right off». I mean it is literally next to the entrance/​exit of the train. You can’t miss it.
This place offers some pretty sweet Hour Hour deals. Well drinks for $ 3, cocktails for $ 4 and beers for $ 5. They also have $ 1 oysters, which is the real winner here. Other places offer $ 1 oysters but for only an hour or two. Mazelle has them from 4−8pm. This means that you don’t have to rush to get here after work.
Once inside, you have the option to sit at the bar or at a table. Another option is the massive, «Last Supper Table». This is pretty cool for large groups and an easy way to meet new people. The place is dimly lit, but a cool thing is the projector that plays videos on the back wall. I love that extra touch.
Aside from the $ 1 oysters, they do offer bites and the specials of the day. I didn’t want to eat something big (more room for alcohol). We decided to get the Truffle Fries. These were thick-​cut wedged potatoes, fried to perfection, lightly salted and served with a good truffle sauce. Not too shabby for $ 5.
I’ve read through the reviews and it seems like it’s a hit or a miss. I DEFINITELY got a hit. The oysters and Truffle Fries were great, the staff were kind and on point. I never had to ask them for another drink.
If you are looking to unwind, slurp some oysters and down a couple of drinks. Try something new and all without breaking the bank… This is the place!

Came for brunch around noon and there was no one inside! So weird!
Within about 30 minutes the place was packed though.
Got the spiked coffee (whiskey was pretty strong) and sorta wished that the coffee pouring person gave us refills of coffee sans whiskey and didn’t bother ordering a whole new coffee because it seemed like I shouldn’t have to.
Love the ambiance. They were playing classic rock tunes. I was looking on jealously at other good looking couples wondering if any of the pretty girls had trouble orgasming or…
Anyways.
The rosemary mint pancakes are very rosemary-​esque — and they were amazing. Not very minty though. The honey butter on top, well… I could have used like, three times as much because I love to fucking chow.
Also got the baked eggs with creamed truffled spinach and a side of root vegetable hash. The root vegetable hash was beets and carrots and gorgeous hues — it DID, however, kind of taste like USSR food. Just not all that delicious. The creamed spinach was not one bit like truffle anything so… I was pleased but not like, not OVER the moon, ya know?
Wise installment of two bathrooms. I wonder if people bump into each other waiting for bathroom or coming out of bathroom or accidentally make out because of this set up during busier more drunken dark hour times.
The service was very friendly and competent up until we finished eating, then needed check… Waited for a very very long time to get it, then even longer to get change and so did the table next to us have the same experience. That kind of stuff doesn’t bug me too much, because they were very friendly, but it was a tad excessive on the slow tip.
I’ll be coming back regardless, because its a good place. It’s not amazing, but it’s sort of wonderful.

A neighbor recommended this new, local restaurant and bar and so I went with some friends last Friday night. We had a fantastic time and I look forward to going back.
I love the atmosphere with lights and brick walls – the streaming of Russian films made for really great visuals. I also like the bar – it looked like the perfect place to land after work and knock back a cocktail before heading home.
The food is really delicious and fits the design and overall Russian touches without being too heavy. I had the eggplant caviar appetizer that came with buttered and toasted yummy bread. My friends loved the oysters and we also had the devine charcuterie plate and pickled vegetables – also really delicious. Then I had the chicken kiev which was gorgeous with oozing tarragon butter and mashed potatoes. I would love to have it again, right now actually!
Since I was too full for dessert, I was happy to find out that they have special blended teas to finish the meal. I had one with coconut and yellowgrass – it was a unique flavor and totally tasty.
The service was attentive and very friendly and the restaurant was full of all sorts of folks beginning or ending their day. I really liked the place a lot and will try the veal dumplings next time.

When I moved into this neighborhood, Northeast Kingdom was literally the only place with a restaurant and bar near my home. Over the past two years we’ve seen the area completely transformed by a proliferation of bars and restaurants, and the choice is overwhelming.
I’ve been to Mazelle’s many-​many times and always felt mostly positive toward it. The food’s good and the people that work there are pretty nice — so much so that I don’t usually mind that the service is slow even when the place isn’t crowded. Fine, I’m not demanding about waitstaff/​bartending, I can be plenty patient when I’m having a good time.
Over the past few months it’s gotten more and more insulting, though — you can walk in the bar at happy hour when there’s only two other people there and bartenders leisurely polish glasses and seem to deliberately make you wait before serving you, like, real power-​game bullshit, just so you don’t feel too important having them make you a cocktail. It’s annoying — you don’t need to be treated as second-​class citizens when you’re already paying more for drinks than the rest of the very-​similar local bars (where people are way hipper and friendlier).
I’m not sure when somebody decided to start projecting ridiculous-​looking «art films» on the walls, but now I feel too embarrassed to bring people not from the area there because the head-​up-​ass vibe has gotten so egregious. Want to convince your friends you fit every awkward stereotype of the gentrifying trust-​funder? They could shoot a film about this shit in Mazelle. They probably already have. Seriously, have some grace if you’re going to be colonizing a diverse neighborhood with your self-​righteous cocktail culture.
The worst is that my friends and I are all from the neighborhood and we’ve brought our business here zillions of times. We tip well. Now all of a sudden none of us are allowed to use the restroom on our way back from the train, even when the place is virtually empty. Like, what? On my own freaking block, dude?
The attitude problem seems terribly unwise given that Heavy Woods is to one side, Cobra Club to the other, and Pearl’s around the corner and all of them are more welcoming and integrate better with the culture of our area. Nobody here NEEDS this place, and it’s a little jaw-​dropping how little effort’s been taken to make us want it.
Dude, we all work pretty hard to be here. If we want to feel condescended to and excluded we’d go drink in Manhattan or someshit. None of us are particularly motivated to reward this level of smug douchery with our business. We’d rather go to Pearl’s or Heavy Woods — if you’re reading this, you should too!

The cool grey look really comes alive at night with supercool lighting effects and movies projected on the wall. By day the tilandsia sculptural display is a nice touch. The attention to special details really stands out, the fabric on the bench seating, the carved wooden bathroom doors and the happily infusing jars o’ booze. If I lived in the neighborhood I’d be living here.
I loved the dumplings and the fact that you can get them at night. The salad I had during the day sported celery leaves, which I’ve never had in a salad before: mmmm. The dressing was delicious, too.

After a great night, my friends and I decided to try this place out earlier this morning/​afternoon for a meal. It’s a shame we wasted our time and money at this establishment.
Let’s start with the fact that it took over an hour to receive our meals. While we were waiting, someone approached us (assuming it was the manager) and offered us a round of mimosas and/​or bloody marys. We decided to take up his offer and chose bloody marys. What a mistake! They were bitter, watered-​down bloody mary mix concoctions. No hint of vodka and just disgusting. My olive had a huge, curly hair on it. Wrong move.
After waiting what seemed like an eternity, we received our meals and they were all wrong. My friend ordered eggs benedict only to cut into the egg and have the yolk roll out like a ball. They were overcooked and disgusting. They did bring him a new meal but that also took an eternity. Other friend ordered scrambled eggs and it was literally one egg with a plate full of salad. The rest of us ordered burgers.
When you ask a waiter if they have any other types of cheeses, the normal answer is to list off the various options. Well, this guy didn’t know if they had any other types and told me he would come back and let me know. I never heard back from the waiter and there was no cheese on my burger.
Let’s also talk about the consistency. My hamburger was nicely sized, while my friend had a burger that you could literally fit inside of a shot glass. On the menu, the burger said it came with a variety of things and somehow ours only had a limp pieces of lettuce and tomatoes. My friend also ordered a side of fries and never received them, although they were on the check.
Let’s also dabble with their coffee. It was three dollars for a tiny asian doll cup of coffee. While the refills were unlimited, they were never offered until asked and the portions were tiny.
This place was absolutely awful. EVERYONE was waiting for meals and the single waiter just walked to every table and said that he put every order in at the same time so that’s why the wait was so long. Get real.
I would never write a review like this if it wasn’t warranted. Seriously stay away from this dump. The only positive aspect was the décor on the inside.

I wandered into this place at like 2 am one Monday night and it’s become my favorite spot for a last call before going home. The bartender, Lacey, who’s most often there when I am is a doll, she’s fun, engaging and she makes great drinks! I can’t speak to their food as I haven’t tried it, but I did enjoy some good super inexpensive beer and a late night impromptu Salt-​n-​Pepa dance party with like 4 of the regulars.
Try and come before the weather gets really chilly because there’s a great window which opens up to allow you to actively people watch with your cocktail and converse with your pals who are outside on cigarette exile.
My first time here was a wee bit tragic because in the midst of all the hard dancing I unfortunately lost my glasses, but there’s really no one to blame but myself, well and Salt-​n-​Pepa…

I accidentally stumbled upon Mazelle on a walk to Pearl’s and was so pleasantly surprised that I’m now a regular.
We walked in on a Tuesday night and it was pretty slow (also, it was 9:00pm). The bartender was friendly and suggested drinks for each of us after asking what we were into. We ordered the Dumplings and Brick Chicken. … This is the part of the review where I will gush unabashedly:
The Dumplings were unexpected and smart. I mean, that’s the only way to put it. They were cute (and shareable) and the sauce was the perfect compliment for the yummy dumplings. Will order again.
Star of the show was the Brick Chicken. The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. I could’ve done with less spice on the wedge fries, but they were still delicious.
I’m so glad that I don’t have to go too far for good food and great drinks. I’ll be back… often.

Disclaimer: After I started writing this brunch review, I read somewhere that this past weekend was Mazelle’s first ever brunch service. Not that it forgives some of the things they got wrong, but it softens my review a smidge or two.
Anyway, I was psyched to see this new place over in the Northeast Kingdom dominated stretch of Wyckoff. And on a Sunday when I had some out of town guests, and there was an hour-​plus wait at NK, we happily went over to the nearly emtpy Mazelle.
The décor here is gray, gray, and just a touch of gray; like a bleak Soviet era bunker — I guess in keeping with their «Russian» theme. Not hard on the eyes, but without much charm either. It’s probably a nice bar setting, when it’s full of colorful Brooklynites, but on this Sunday around 1 p.m. there were practically tumbleweeds rolling through.
The cocktails sounded intriguing so I started off with a blueberry-​basil lemonade and whisky. The drink was very sweet, and I didn’t see or taste any basil. The whisky was all at the bottom of the glass. Maybe it was a layered cocktail? Not terrible, but not great. My girlfriend’s decidedly un-​Soviet manatiale calliente was a chili-​spiked mango and tequila drink that wasn’t half bad.
Some of us just wanted coffee. First our waitress seemed unsure if they even had coffee (at brunch!) or if they had to brew more. It turns out they French Press each order. That’s quaint, but I’m not sure it’s going to work if they get a busy brunch rush. Note the «if.» The cups were also tiny but refills did eventually come to save the day.
The menu, aside from a few overt Russian influences, was all over the map, both in what was listed, and what arrived on the table.
My «Siberian dumplings» came as advertised: a plate of tortellini-​like pockets filled with a well-​seasoned lamb/​beef combo, and topped with a sour cream based sauce. Like stroganoff in dumpling form. Weird for a brunch, but I enjoyed it.
Two people ordered the Benedict, only to have their dreams dashed, when the server came back a few minutes later to tell us they were out.
Other orders at our table included a egg and bacon breakfast, which came in the form of a fluffy omelette style egg, some tasty home fries and some limp looking bacon.
The biggest disappointment at our table was the «Scotch egg.» It’s $ 8, priced and placed alongside other items that are meant to be mains. But when it came, it was just a single, smallish egg, breaded and deep-​fried, then dolloped with caviar (nod to David Chang?). Fancy, but I have a bit of Scottish blood, and I know that a Scotch egg should have a layer of ground meat packed around the egg. I guess the caviar was the substitute.
We ended up having to order some last minute sides of potatoes for those who only ordered the egg. This was something our pleasant but scattered waitress should have mentioned when we were ordering.
Oh lastly, the server made a «math error» on the hand-​written bill, and tried to charge us about 20% tax (before tip). I told her and she fixed it promptly.
To sum up: a pleasant enough place, some interesting menu items and some welcome new competition for brunch on Wyckoff, but Mazelle’s got a long way to go baby.