Williamsburg’s lovely new Neeloo is a family affair

By Scott Lynch

Christophe Moser was born, raised and spent a chunk of his adulthood in the South of France, which seems like a pretty pleasant life. But as he tells Brooklyn Magazine, “New York City was always my destination. I always thought: The second I get a chance, I’m moving here.”

Moser’s other dream was opening his own restaurant. So after a lengthy sojourn in Naples, Florida, and after he and his family finally made it to Brooklyn four years ago, Moser has taken the plunge with Neeloo, a lively, very pretty restaurant on Grand Street in Williamsburg.

(Photo by Scott Lynch)

It is a Moser family affair. His son Sean is the sous chef here, following stints at Olmstead and Gramercy Tavern. His wife Gaëlle Cameron, who he worked with at the Saraghina Hospitality Group, is also in the house, and soon their daughter Isabella will join the Neeloo team. And just so no one in the family feels left out, the place is named after the Mosers’ two dogs, Neo (like in “The Matrix”) and Leeloo (“The Fifth Element”).

The Neeloo menu is overseen by chef de cuisine Kevin Rojas, also from Olmstead, and is loaded with enticing choices. “Even though it’s seafood focused and influenced by the South of France, we didn’t want to be tied down with a specific region or culture,” says Moser. “So we call it New American. The idea is to go off classics, put our twist on it and make it fun.”

And fun it is, in a luxe sort of way. The socca, for example, starts with the traditional chickpea pancake of the French riviera, but piles on bits of littleneck clams, fresh corn and bright, herby greens. A thick white sauce brings some garlicky tang to the plate as well. It’s delicious.

Socca with littleneck clams, $16 (Scott Lynch) 

The firm Spanish mackerel crudo, too, is swimming in sauce, a neon yellow, saffron-based affair that also drenches a scattering of grapes, sungold tomatoes and pistachios. Moser emphasizes that, whenever possible, the produce at Neeloo will be seasonal, so you can expect some swapping out of the above accompaniments in the coming weeks and months.

Spanish mackerel crudo, $18 (Scott Lynch)

Continuing with the high-end comfort food vibe is Neeloo’s ricotta gnudi, the plump dumplings meltingly soft, soaking in a pool of perky sauce along with some chanterelles and more of that corn. This is an incredibly rich dish, as is the pork collar au poivre, an impressive slab of porcelet (young, milk-fed pig) that arrives with a nice crunchy black pepper coating and a pair of roasted Jimmy Nardello peppers on top.

Ricotta gnudi, $23 (Scott Lynch)

A few crowd-pleasers round out the menu, including a beet, peach and goat cheese salad; a fried potato puff and horseradish snack; and a wagyu sirloin steak. For dessert, there’s that throwback favorite baked Alaska, and a surprisingly gooey white chocolate mousse studded with cocoa nibs.

Porcelet pork collar au poivre, $32 (Scott Lynch)

Booze-wise, there’s a full cocktail program, with drinks coming in at around $16 a pop, and a wine list with lots of $50-to-$70 bottles.

White chocolate mousse, $9 (Scott Lynch)

Neeloo is located at 284 Grand Street, between Havemeyer and Roebling Streets, and is currently open on Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday dinner service is coming later this fall, as is weekend brunch.