The Cuisine at General Greene is Just OK

Any business that dares to co-opt the namesake of the man who gave Fort Greene its name should be held to a high standard.

Unfortunately, the General Greene is too inconsistent to be considered a brilliant kitchen tactician. Rather, this eatery is comparable to General MacArthur: capable of great achievements at the dinner table, but also prone to face-slapping miscues.

The DeKalb Avenue restaurant’s menu is divided into share plates and signature dishes, though the latter seem as share-able as any other plate.

I ordered the shrimp and grits with bacon ($12), a winning combination if there ever was one — I thought. But the shrimp and bacon are diced, and it seemed this was done to minimize the amount actually in the grits. The shrimp flavor was not very strong, and the pleasing texture of the crustacean was nowhere to be found.

The three-cheese mac and cheese ($7) was an entirely different story. A wonderfully rich combination of cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan topped with breadcrumbs, I devoured the dish with gusto. The macaroni was cooked just right, giving it a chewy, cheesy texture that hit the spot in the cold weather.

The sautéed kale with garlic, chili and lemon ($7) was a success as well. The kale had a farm-fresh crunch to it, and the strong garlic and lemon flavors added a layer of complexity that made this simple dish a winner.

But the roasted Brussels sprouts with carrots and turnips were another misfire. The sprouts were drenched with butter, and the carrots and turnips served only for color alongside such strong, uninteresting flavors.

The General Greene was far from a total bust, but it certainly wasn’t a rousing gastronomic victory, either. This restaurant hasn’t earned its stripes quite yet.