Review: Uncommon Grounds in BK Heights

I finally had the chance to go here on Friday night. My husband joined me and we had an amazing time. My overall review is that this place has enormous potential. It's got coffee, casual comfy seating, art, awesome entertainment of all genres, good food and great wine.

The drink: We had a bottle of the Shiraz they are serving, which was nice and smooth. They also had a nice selection of wines by the glass and half bottles, which they nicely recognize on the menu as "cute, but pricey."

Nibbles: Then we tried the seafood dip, which was similar to an artichoke dip but with seafood. Not overpoweringly fishy, just nice and light. That was served with flat bread and crispy pita chips. We also had their "slyders," a very scaled up version of the White Castle favorite. There were three mini burgers with some homemade accoutrements including ketchup. My only feedback there is that they weren't served hot. They were still tasty though.

Dessert: Always in its own category, dessert was a nice slice of pecan pie with ice cream (think from The Blue Pig, who may also be supporting the team at Uncommon Grounds...). The pie was really, really good and the chef, who is also the chef at Busy Chef, brought out his student who cooked up the Pecan Pie earlier that day.

The entertainment: There was a really cool chica called Drum Girl (aka Amanda Homi) who played an assortment of world music. It was fun and lively, the kind of music you can't keep still in your seat when you listen to, but still relaxed and quiet enough to carry a conversation. She was joined by a drummer and guitarist (so sorry, I skipped a day and blogged about John Valeri being there on Friday, but he was actually booked for Saturday). I liked her music, as did my husband, so we bought her CD. Our favorite was her song "Thin Ice."

The vibe: There were about 15 people there including us and the people who work at Uncommon Grounds. Everyone is really friendly and brings a special set of talents to the table. There were a few people who were hanging out in the doorway, intrigued by the music, but ultimately continued on their way. Others stopped in and gave a little shake to the music.

All in all, it was a great time and something you don't get to experience every day. Uncommon Grounds brings a unique atmosphere to Brooklyn Heights.