Five Leaves, capital of cool and Brooklyn mainstay, was Heath Ledger's last business venture before his untimely death in early 2008. His business partner, Judd Mongell, still runs the perennially packed and bustling cafe and restaurant, a small corner spot on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
US-born and raised, Mongell spent some of his teens in New Zealand and paid his dues pulling coffees at cafes along on K Rd. There are remnants of the impact in his formative years visible in the restaurant: the Five Leaves Burger is a nod to the Kiwi variety and features a sunny-side-up egg and house-pickled beetroot.
You can get a flat white, Kiwi-ish Devils on Horseback and there are even tiny jars of Marmite available on request. There are also killer cocktails, a kale salad with aged gouda, hazelnuts and a spicy anchovy dressing, and the very popular truffle fries. Well worth the 30-minute wait.
• Five Leaves, 18 Bedford Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York.
- VIVA
