An American Ham Bar Opens In Brooklyn

There's a bit of a meet-cute story behind And Sons, an American Ham (and wine) Bar that opened about six weeks ago in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The owner, Phoebe Damrosch, used to work as a server at Per Se, where she carried on a "secret affair" with the then-head- sommelier Andre Hueston Mack. How do I know this? She wrote a memoir about it, Service Included, which was a Times Notable Book in 2007.

Anyway, Damrosch and Mack left Per Se, got married, moved to Prospect Lefferts Gardens a decade or so ago and promptly set about having children. Four of them, if fact. All boys. Hence the name of their cured meats restaurant and wine bar, And Sons, which they've spent the last three years building out and getting ready to open.

The couple's energy and effort show. And Sons is a true neighborhood charmer, a narrow space with a plain, virtually sign-less exterior, decked out inside to feel special and intimate. It's an obvious labor of love. There's seating for about 20 at high, heavy tables on one side, and backless stools before a metallic drinking and snacking counter on the other. But it's the details that really bring delight to the space.

Up front by the window a 100-year-old fly wheel slicer, made by the Dayton Scale Company, is pressed into service with each order. The lighting overhead comes from Benjamin Electric Company pendants, circa 1935, and housed in Japanese milk glass. The long mirrors on the wall, taken from an early-1900s home in upstate New York, came by their oxidation naturally. And all the flatware is vintage, and silver.

But why a ham bar, other than the fact that ham is delicious and "ham bar" is a fun thing to say? Mack said he was first inspired during trips to Spain and Italy, where such spots are much more common, and unapologetically celebrate their respective national and regional meats and grapes. Hence Mack and Damrosch's focus at And Sons is on American hams, cheeses, and wines.

I ate at And Sons over the weekend, but before I get into specifics I should admit that one of the great secret loves of my life has always been a well-curated spread of meats and cheeses. Put one of these beauties out at a party, and that will be my dinner. So when I saw they served a $25 "chef's selection" board, starring eight different meats and cheese that I didn't have to make a lot of agonizing choices over, I pounced. The small size offers easily enough treats for two, with the likes of Cremont from Vermont Creamery and Duck Rilletes, and it made me very happy.

The heart of the And Sons experience, however, is the sliced-to-order selection of country-style cured hams. There were nine different options available on Friday evening, and though you're not given much information to go on from the only menu in the place (nor, to be honest, from your server), a quick consult with the tasting notes on the And Sons website can help you choose.

The Lady Edison ham, from North Carolina, was dry as bone and deeply funky, which made for a lovely contrast with my other plate, the sweet, wonderfully fatty Fathers ham from Kentucky. Both came with a crock of gherkins and a trio of warm cornbread madeleines, the latter of which were good, but I liked the toasted slices of Runner and Stone bread that accompanied my first platter better.

Other ham choices include Dakota from Kentucky ("robust, unsmoked, salty, umami"), Casellas from New York ("delicate and nutty"), and the aged-25-months Newsome's from Kentucky ("complex, clean pork flavor"). A few snacks and small plates like a Smoked Pork Chop with cabbage and chilled Three Bean Salad round out the food offerings.

Mack helped open Per Se and served as head sommelier at that ultra-high-end restaurant for many years, but the wines here, mostly from California and Oregon, will only set you back from $10 to $15 a glass. There's also a bottle list, which features hundreds of choices from Mack's collection.

And Sons isn't done there, though. Coming this summer: And Sons Buttery, a "cheese and provisions" shop right next door.

And Sons is located at 447 Rogers Avenue, between Lincoln Road and Lefferts Avenue, and is currently open on Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Monday through Wednesday. (718-284-0159; andsonsnyc.com)