I first met Quincy Taylor over on the west side of Crown Heights, where he and his crew (aka his literal family) were firing a slew of jerk chicken on a rogue sidewalk grill set up near Franklin Avenue.
Nothing too unusual about that; you see these smoky, cylindrical beasts all over the place in this neck of Brooklyn. And though I had just eaten way too much food somewhere else, for some reason I stopped and chatted with the amiable Taylor. Which is what led me, a week later, to the opposite end of Crown Heights for a feast at the family's year-old restaurant, Authenticity.
Like those sidewalk grills, steam-table spots such as Authenticity are a common sight around these parts, though quality can vary widely. So if you find a good one—and Authenticity is definitely one of those—you want to remember it. These no-frills joints, spooning out massive plates of saucy meats and rice, offer some of the best dinner deals in town.
