Other stops along the way.

We've spent many meals already at Outpost, but um, I keep forgetting to take pictures :)

We were excited about outpost because they serve organic fair trade coffee and we like coffee (especially when it is organic, shade grown, fair trade). We were pleasantly surprised by the relaxing unpretentious environment of the cafe, and the wonderful patio out back. Here's the information added to the map, and the updates from recent visits.

They were the first place we visited in the neighborhood. Since we and our moving help were locked out of our new apartment (ask me the story some time!) we decided to get some coffee! G-pup went around the corner and picked up coffee for everyone. He liked the vibe and the coffee, which is Dean's Beans, organic fair trade coffee - YAY!

Later in the afternoon we stopped by to get a bite to eat. I had the green apple and pear sandwich on a baguette. The baguette was a bit too crunchy, but the brie was flavoursome and the green apples crisp. I also got extra apple and a little cup of caramel for dipping on the side! Outpost you know the way to my heart -- brie and caramel.

G-pup had the eggsalad on an onion bagel. The egg salad was fresh tasting and mostly eggy (less mustardy than some) with baby spinach and olives on the side. The coffee was dark - just like we like it.

Sunday morning, I went over just as they were opening to pick up an almond croissant, a pain au chocolate and some coffee. The pastries were okay (we decided they would do in a pinch) but certainly have had better, and the coffee was as good as ever.

The service is friendly, and they are trying to program to be involved in the community by encouraging local artists to show, and they are hosting a mini market in the garden - with some nice antiques and vintage clothing.

We can also understand the name, our block of fulton is strangely vacant, a couple of blocks east and west are chock a block with stores, but this block is mostly shuttered empty storefronts.

UPDATE: Stopped in for lunch on Sunday, G-pup had a cappucino (which wasn't as good as previous - different blend?) and macaroni and cheese, which was hearty and rich. I had the hummus plate. A huge mound of tangy hummus with pieces of poppy seed bagel and slices of apple (strange but very enticing replacement for boring pita) and there was a huge pile of olives on top.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Seattle mom (soon to be ex-seattle mom) and I stopped in for some lunch. She was frustrated with apartment hunting (anyone have a beautiful brownstone they want to rent to a wonderful family of seattle mom, dad, kiddo and dog? they are looking for something $1200-$1600 and would be interested in a fixer-upper if its out there). We both opted for something light, the fig, pear and goat cheese salad. It was large and super fresh, with a nice citrus-y vinaigrette on top. Loads of crumbled chevre, dried figs (hope they do fresh figs in season!) and a pile of baby spinach. Another great meal - I have almost tried all their veg options...

We took a walk to check out Vanderbilt, and found some great places, including:

Delicacies: a nice (if sparse) little european deli. they have coffee beans, a good selection of cheeses and meats (if thats your thing), pastries and a variety of condiments. Ciao bella gelato, juniors' cheesecakes. They also do fresh sandwiches on foccacia and soup. G-pup had the goat cheese with roasted peppers which had a spicy kick, he thought it was a bit large. I had no problem finishing off my asiago with olive tapenade (minus the meats) sandwich. We washed it down with a mini cheesecake. Later we munched on some fig paste (a little darker than the preferred quince) and la perrail cheese - a soft mild understated goats cheese with rind.

Housebroken: Cute shop featuring a variety of cute items. Candles, pet goods, baby items, small furnishings.

Also, thanks to a note from an anonymous poster on the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill forum, we are signing up for the Clinton Hill CSA (hurry up the deadline is April 15th!) They also offer fruit, flower and egg shares. We will add on later in the year or next... flowers would be great! I will let everyone know what we get in the boxes.

As always, check out more spots on the map: http://www.communitywalk.com/map/2616