FADA

Fada, 530 Driggs Ave (N. 8th St.), Williamsburg, (718)388-6607

I've walked past Fada on the way home from the subway more times than I can remember. Each time it seemed inviting; on fall days the small tables by the windows seemed the perfect place to watch people on their way to and from the L train, and on rainy April afternoons the perfect place to watch the downpour, perhaps with a glass of wine or coffee. I've always been happy to know that Williamsburg has a French restaurant to add to it's diversity of culinary choices. But honestly, in a pinch I'd rather stop for sushi or tacos and for one reason or another I'd never been inside. It was finally time to visit.

Worn wood floors, tables and short bar are all cozy and there's additional outside seating. The many windows along the walls of the restaurant allow a lot of light in and the servers were friendly and eager enough to please. A native French speaker sitting at a table near the windows spoke to the man behind the bar in French and lending some authenticity to the restaurant but looking over the menu I felt comfortable yet disappointed-- it was filled with many of the recipes I've seen in Level 1 and Level 2. To start, I ordered the Homemade Pate ($5.50) which was served with bread, cornichon picles and mustard. While it was tasty enough and tide me over to the entree it wasn't anything very special.

I followed the pate with the Coq Au Vin ($15) and a special, the Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Sauce ($25). The Coq Au Vin was dry and tough and the sauce was flat and needed salt. The filet mignon was cooked well but the sauce was thick, the mashed potatoes were uneventful and the parsley garnish was so large that it seemed like someone put a small tree on the plate. These have to be the first dishes I've had since beginning school that I felt with confidence I could cook better than they were served to me.

New York Magazine called Fada's menu, 'crowd-pleasing.' Well, I don't know which crowd they're hanging out with, but me, while I still might stop in for a coffee or a glass of wine about the only reasons I'd take advantage of the somewhat reasonable prices again would be to test my initial judgement or to see what someone else thinks classic French dishes should taste like.

TOTAL SPENT: $49.31 (1 appetizer and 2 entrees, no beverages).

20 WORDS OR LESS: With so many other decent Williamsburg eateries why give Fada more than one or two chances to dissapoint?