Fed and happier now

Wow, I sure get cranky when I am hungry :). Thai 101 came through for us with yummy food late at night. Our usual favorites are the Pad Ke Mow and Cashew Nut n I, but we have been eating a lot of Thai lately and decided to try something new. We had a huge (I mean huge) Thai salad, which is the usual lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and peanut dressing. This dressing was a little lacking, I like it a little more peanutty and with a bit of a kick. We also tried the Rama (a peanut sauce) and the Jungle Curry. The two on their own were a bit lacking, the rama was a little peanutty, but not much else, and the curry was spicy, but not much else. So together they made for a spicy peanutty dish which was pretty good.

As for the other night's meal from Mojito's... Our downstairs neighbors had ordered it one night when they were locked out of their apartment. They looked like they were having such a great time eating the Cuban-influenced food out on the steps. They gave us the menu and we eagerly took it upstairs, but then waited a week before we ordered from them. When we did it was a late Friday, we were hungry and looking for a meal of munchies. When I called Mojito's they were clearly very busy, (the hostess kept putting me on hold, and I heard her repeatedly telling people that she was sorry about the wait), and yet they happily took my order - asking me to repeat things over their background din. We got quite a lot of food, the Veggie Cuban Quesadilla meal (white cheese and sweet plantain quesadilla with yellow rice and black beans), Yuca Frita, the Mazorca Asada (grilled corn on the cob with mayo, cotija cheese & chili powder), Moros & Cristianos (white rice & black beans mixed, with sweet plaintains and avocado), and Guava and Cheese Empanadas. The little tubs of refreshing and spicy green sauce was yummy on lots of things, and the combinations of flavors were really yummy. I am sure they would hold up even better if eaten in the restaurant - and it sounded like everyone in the background was having a great time. There was some flavor that seemed to permeate every dish that did get a little tiresome after a while, but the quesadilla and empanadas were a big hit. I also really liked the yellow rice, which was a creamy offset to the heartiness of the black beans. Definitely worth a visit so that we can try some of the great drinks too!

CSA this week saw some repeats from the previous week - the bok choy (this time smaller) and those delish french radishes (which I love on whole wheat bread with butter and salt - very decadent tasting). I have a great recipe for an almond, Asian chili, coconut sauce that we are going to try with the bok choy and some homemade seitan. After that, I may be done with bok choy for a while though. Also picked up some beautiful looking turnips, that will go nicely with a coriander, horseradish crusted tofu - I will carmelize the turnips which makes them savory, soft and sweet. The veg have all been wonderfully fresh tasting - better than anything you can get at the store that's been trucked and refrigerated and picked to early, etc. I am rapidly running out of room in my herb window boxes though! I also enjoy the updates from Farmer Ted. This week I will be volunteering at the CSA, so I will get a look at a little bit of the 'inner workings.'

I have gotten a couple more good recommendations on where to eat outside with your (well-behaved) pooch. I will try to figure out how to mark those places as special on the map...
Thanks to 'lesterhead' and "The Dog Lover's Companion to New York City" the list now includes, Madiba, Luz, Sushi D, Chez Oskar, and Loulou. (Does anyone know if Red Bamboo will let dogs into their enclosed patio?)

Don't forget to go play in the puddles... If the street water is too gross for you, there's big adult sized puddles out at PS 1 right now, part of their "Warm Up."

edited 7/2: Sorry I originally had "A Table" in the list of dog friendly places - had gotten it out of the guidebook (print material is so dated!) A commenter pointed out that what was A Table, is now Olea. Dog friendly?

people who suck and people who rock

sorry, I try not to be negative, but...

we live in a funny area, and because of that get cut out of delivery maps frequently. Having a new puppy also means not being able to either go out for food, or spend much time cooking at home. So tonight, 9:30 on a Sunday, desperate for food I started calling around. Here's the people who suck most:

• Famous Nicks (Not Ray's Pizza)- who are pathetically close and won't deliver
• Rice - who just barely cut us out of the picture
• Graziella's - whose menu says they deliver, but evidently they don't
• Zaytoons - "that's too far, we have bicycles, not scooters" ?!?!
• Thai 101 - after delivering no less than THREE times, it's now too far
• Sushi D -it's too far
  

People who ROCK:

• Mojito's (by a long shot!) they are waaaaay far away, and the food arrives piping hot even on a super busy Friday night!
• Fulton Thai - okay its easy for them, but at least they do it!

Sorry, don't mean to be a downer, but we always seem to live in neighborhoods that get cut off... Will be more positive and post a Mojito's review soon! Also can't wait for pup to be big enough to go to outdoor cafe's - I hear Madiba is the BEST place to dine with pooch in tow!

(sorry will add links later, too hungry right now!)

additions 6/30

edited 7/4 - this is getting sad. the delivery options are getting smaller and smaller. having said that, this blog isn't so much about the delivery as eating out in the nabe, so I will update this list, but won't dwell on it. anyone tried indian palace? they have placed menus out and about.

Changing your point of view

You never really understand what something is like until you actually do it. Like shaving your head, skydiving, having a puppy, surviving a life threatening situation or having a baby. I can now lay claim to two of them, shaving my head (it looked unlike I could imagine, but it was cute! btw, its quite long now, that was years ago), and now, having a puppy.

You think you know what is coming - cute bundle of playfulness that chews and pees a lot. While that provides a general overview it doesn't really cover all of it. G-pup and I adopted a rescued Australian shepherd mix 3 month old little bundle of sweetness and joy. (Friends of ours adopted her sister.) So, if there's anyone out there thinking of getting a puppy, here's a reality check. We are both (our friends too) so unbelievably exhausted. The pup sleeps during the day, you don't. Therefore she's okay with staying up late and getting up early. She's also not quite figured a) what is okay to chew and what is not b) where exactly to go potty. So you are on all day, watching what she is chewing, taking her for walks alternating with cleaning up pee spots around the house.

Having said that, we are really lucky. She is a really smart dog and does mostly sleep through the night - so much so that we have to get her out of bed in the morning. She mostly goes outside and on the paper. She is really quite good on the leash, and good with kids and people. She is so sweet and filled with pure joy and cheekiness. So it is exhausting (and none of our friends have heard from us) but it is also filled with laughter.

It has also given us a glimpse into dog culture in the city. We had some experience having partnered with a group of dog owners in San Francisco in an effort to save a green space (park) from being developed, so we knew a little of what to expect. We were also made aware of dog advocacy groups (mostly maintaining off leash privileges), FIDO and Fort Greene PUPS. Having a dog is an extremely social exercise, we have met so many new people and are definitely more noticeable in our neighborhood. We have met many wonderful and friendly people on our walks - its been great! We will keep you up to date on her progress and the things we find of interest for dog owners. Certainly if anyone has any recommendations (good cafes that are dog friendly, best dog runs, best pet store or vet?) - I would love to hear about it!

In other CH news, the first distribution of the CSA happened at Lattimer School last night. It was lots of fun. Everyone is super friendly and the veg look awesome! (Apparently it was a little thin, but it seemed like a TON of veg to me!) Here's what we got:
1/2 pound salad mix (that's a lot - but I love salads)
1 bok choy (huge huge huge)
1 bunch Tokyo bekana (a flowering cabbage) (pictured above)
1 bunch tiny scallions (tiny because it is spring & they are organic, however smaller scallions tend to be sweeter and taste really good raw)
1 bunch French breakfast radishes (so yummy) (pictured above)
1 potted thyme

It was so exciting to be a part of this and to see everyone coming together to enjoy vegetables and support local farmers! The fruit people also got a delish looking basket of strawberries. Next time I will see if we can buy some fruit onsite. I also picked up "the Beet" which is the CSA newsletter with information from the farmer (Ted) and recipes. I am all over that radish parmesan salad. (yummy salad pictured above with radishes and scallions from CSA, lettuce, pine nuts, dried cranberries from other sources)

Remember how I was complaining about the poor planning of the Grand Army Plaza? Well it looks like something is being done about it Transit Alternatives has joined forces with Grand Army Plaza Coalition (GAPCo). They commissioned Jan Gehl, of Gehl Architects to present a plan of revision. The PDF is here. It is a wonderful visual analysis of the existing mess that is GAP (it is referred to as Eskimos jumping from ice floe to ice floe). The review provides a glimpse into the car heavy (and completely irrational) design that is endemic to NYC. The cars are given priority - they have more access to the park than pedestrians, and the best available traffic flow. Pedestrians are given small and often dangerous refuge from the traffic, the environment is cramped, loud and difficult to navigate as a pedestrian, and is marked by "a sense of danger."

The proposed revision is a beautiful redesign of the area (in the European fashion) which gives increased priority and safety to pedestrians and bikers while still meeting needs of traffic. I have never understood why a city like New York, with its great transit infrastructure, doesn't act more progressively and proactively regarding the design of public space, giving priority to pedestrians and bicycles. It doesn't strike me as a political or classist strategy. People of all ages, races, wealth and political affiliation walk/bike/ride transit. Why not make our city a more livable city...

I would like to grab some images from the pdf because it is really compelling (I can't figure out how) and certainly makes me want to move to Copenhagen where people and bikes are given priority over cars. The killing devices killed 4,598 people (2004) and 21 bikers (2005)) - excuse the language, but are you fucking kidding me? Don't get me wrong, you do sometimes need a car, but mostly you don't. And for when you do, there's ZipCar. (which came through in spades once again when we needed a car at a moment's notice).

Brownstoner launched an extensive new guide to Brooklyn, called "Brooklyn Record" I will try and keep up with what is going on, but for the full scoop make sure you subscribe to their feed (but expect around 10 posts a day - there's a lot happening in Brooklyn!) I don't have any updates on what might be happening this weekend since I have been busy scheduling playdates for the puppy.

Breaking news: Just added to the map, Natural Heights at 688 Washington (in P Heights) a store which will feature natural and organic products for you, your house and your pets. Just like the website says. Coming "May 2006," um, or sometime thereabouts. (Via set-speed, via the forum).

Been away from the hill

G-pup and I have been having fun in Puerto Rico, so we missed out on some excitement in the Hill while we were away, including:

• The Grand Re-Opening of Habana Outpost
• a shooting on Putnam and Grand

The weathers been a bit, well weird, around here, and there is rain expected for the Tour de Brooklyn this weekend. If you don't want to do the ride, you can meet us all at (aforementioned) Cafe Habana for the after party!

There are some important meetings coming up too, including a candidate's forum, the first pickup for the Clinton Hill CSA, and something else I just totally forgot. (Hmm, if I remember I will update the post - until then you can look at my PR pictures.)

Oh! If anyone knows anyone traveling to Houston within the next week or so, who might be willing to transport a puppy with them (by car or in the airplane cabin) we are trying to get our new puppy up here, but are running into a few obstacles. Let me know if you might be able to help out! (Yes we will pay additional pet fees levied by the airline, and will provide a carrier, meet you at the airport and pay you a "courier fee").

Just what il dottore ordered...

Thursday night, our friend La Dolce Vita flew in from San Francisco. We set our sights on Locanda Vini e Olii for a few reasons: a) its close by b) La Dolce Vita loves Italian food & culture (so do I) c) we would be eating late, and Italians are good at the eating late thing.

Locanda is a wonderful outpost on this side of DeKalb. It sits on a quiet dark corner, beckoning you to come into its warmth and friendliness. A round of heartfelt "Bouna Sera!"'s greeted us as we entered. There was a festive group in the front, enjoying a long meal with lots of wine. We were seated near the tempting desserts towards the back of the renovated pharmacy. It is a beautiful space with dark woods, shining pieces in the polished cases, warm lights and wonderful aromas from the kitchen which mingle with the smells of the fresh made espressos at the bar.

The menu changes according to the fresh ingredients available. It also states right up front that one is expected to eat a "typical" Italian meal (of antipasti, secondi and primi piatti), and the servings for each round were therefore compensated to allow one to enjoy all of the courses. For me, the cost of the dishes (and the vegetarianism) would give me pause in ordering that much food. Luckily having attempted the typical Italian meal on more than a few occasions while in Italy, I knew that I wouldn't need that much food even if the portions were smaller. (I love to eat food, just not in mass quantities - ask me about Vegas and my tasting menu experiences some time).

La Dolce Vita, G-pup and I shared the fresh bruschetta platter for our antipasti (one of tomato & basil, one of eggplant, one mushroom puree and one chicken liver which none of us would eat). They were all fresh and full of the flavors of the vegetables presented upon each of them.

We followed the antipasti with a round of salads, Dolce had the Beets and Young Pecorino Salad: a scrumptious mix of beets, pecorino, baby spinach and pears. I went for the Dried Sicilian Figs and Gorgonzola (of course I would) which was a taste party of figs, gorgonzola, baby lettuce and walnuts. With an ample handful of figs and large gorgeous slabs of gorgonzola, this was a dreamy salad. G-pup went for the Farro di San Giovani, a grain salad of yellow fin tuna, black olives, tomato, basil and farro. (He seemed to like it, cleared the plate and I couldn't get more of a description from him, maybe I can get him to comment).

For the main part of the meal we all opted for pastas - Dolce and I took the suggestion of the waitress (with the impeccable Italian accent) and had the Maltagliate (badly cut) L'Erbette. They were large sheets of pasta playing around (not swimming - a more perfect amount) in an olive oil and fresh herb sauce (I am forgetting the ingredients here). It was quite a different flavor - green and fresh and very tasty. A truly unique pasta dish (which is what the waitress had promised). G-pup had fresh and fluffy gnocchi with tomato and basil.

Having sat next to the desserts, we were tempted enough to leave some room in our tummies for a sampler of flourless chocolate cake (a little too crumbly for our tastes) and lemon pie (which wasn't remarkable in any way), but the fantastic grappa that I had for dessert more than made up for what was missing in the dishes.

Locanda is a real treat to have in the neighborhood, if I had loads of money (which I don't) I think I would split my time between there and Ici. It felt distinctly and beautifully Italian, and the food was interesting, fresh, and flavorsome.

Locanda Vini e Olii
129 Gates Avenue at Cambridge Place
(718)622-9202
Hours: Tue-Thu 6-10 pm
Fri-Sat 6-11 pm;
Sun: 6-10 pm
(Closed Sunday)
All major credit cards

Other reviews: New York Magazine, NYC Pulse, Village Voice, CitySearch, MenuPages, EatingForBrooklyn, New York Times, New York Eating, L Magazine, Chowhound, Dodgeball, Village Voice Best Of, New York Magazine Brooklyn Episode

De-LUZ-ious

I love making up crap titles for these posts. (see here, and here).

I kept my promise to myself and my blog and made it out for some delish Clinton Hill food, and boy was it worth it. We took the C train home from 'the city' and got off at Lafayette for a nice evening's walk through the neighborhood. We were headed to the other side so we got to walk through all the beautiful brownstones and townhouses in the area. Lot's of green on the trees and those crazy purple flowered trees (anyone know what they are?) are in full bloom. (We have one right outside our window too). G-pup and I were hungry, so it was hard to walk past all the delicious smelling restaurants we are so lucky to have in this neighborhood. Graziella's almost sucked us in with their rooftop dining, but we were almost at our destination and good things were promised ahead.

This evening we were headed to Luz. I didn't entirely know what to expect, I had heard 'nuevo latino' 'pan latin' and 'south american' bandied about but wasn't entirely sure what that would mean. What we found was a lovely demure restaurant bustling with loud music and a beautiful and diverse crowd enjoying eclectic drinks and fresh flavorful food carefully crafted. I loved the ambiance, it was something that I just couldn't picture finding in Manhattan any longer, it was a beautiful Brooklyn evening.

We were seated immediately found the whole staff to be friendly, attentive and helpful. You get a lovely serving of plantain chips and spicy sauce when you are seated, we ate those up right away and ordered a beer for G-pup and a Cava Guava for me. The drinks menu was full of lovely tropical fruity drinks and I had trouble choosing between the Melontini, a Caipirinha (love those) the Cava Guava - the lychee juice in the Cava Guava was the deciding factor.

We decided to try the arepas for appetizer - they were perfectly made, crisp and crunchy on the outside and tender and sweet on the inside, not at all oily, mushy or greasy. Lovely melted cheese oozing out from within, and paired with a tangy watercress salad on the side.

We had thought about ordering antojitos and ceviche for the dinner, but G-pup was really intrigued by the Salmon al Pimenton (tender, pan seared with cilantro mashed potatoes, a spicy cress salad and crunchy baby shrimps) and I couldn't get my mind off the Palmito, a salad of hearts of palm, grilled mango and a ginger-orange dressing.

So I chose that for my dinner. It worked out perfectly, the meal was filling, but I didn't feel heavy. We thought long and hard about the incredibly rich sounding desserts, but decided to pass this time, promising next time to save room for them. (And I can't wait to go to brunch - mmm, guayaba pancakes, coconut french toast and tortillas espanol).

It was a really lovely evening and I truly doubt that one could find such a great mix of ambiance, great food and friendly service in Manhattan any longer. It may be true that Brooklyn is now a much cooler place to be than 'the city' but then, I always thought that.

Luz
177 Vanderbilt at Myrtle
(718) 246-4000
Hours: Sun-Wed 5:30-11 pm
Thur-Sat 5:30 pm-12 am;
Sat-Sun: 11 am-3:30 pm (brunch)
All major credit cards

Other reviews: Citysearch, New York Magazine, New York Times, Go Brooklyn, Eating for Brooklyn, Latina.com

Pulled in lots of directions

Sorry I haven't had any updates, we've been pulled in a lot of directions and haven't been able to spend as much time eating Clinton Hill as we would like :) Hope to change that (a little) this weekend.
I did get out to the BBG Plant sale member's preview. That was hoot. Long line of people waiting for the gates to open, and when they did people ran, literally RAN into the sale to grab mostly wagons but a lot of plants too. I got a couple of lovely bromeliads, and a bunch of yummy herbs. They have filled my windows, but we haven't had sun since I have put them there! We are hoping to take out a ZipCar from the PHeights garage and head over to Gowanus Nursery this weekend for a unique tree. BTW, Peonies (pictured), Azaleas and Bluebells are in full bloom at the BBG right now, and while it won't be sunny for a while, cloudy days are good for color photograph taking.

June 4 is the Tour de Brooklyn. We live in a great borough for biking (although drivers are awfully dumb about bikers, and some bikers are awfully dumb about drivers). This will be a fun group tour of parts of Brooklyn (Bed Stuy, not CH). It looks like it will be a lot of fun, look out for G-pup and I. It is also a great way to see the borough if you live in another one. If you can't make it out, I will try to remember to take pictures to blog the thing for y'all.

And if you haven't already, join Transportation Alternatives as they strive to create more livable streets in NYC - I don't know why we don't have them already, this is a perfect place to be radical about urban development. (Maybe the AY development should be working with TA to create a more open, permeable and friendly development. Right now it presents a wall of harsh buildings to the outside world, tiny sidewalks and little in the way of plazas or sidewalk cafe space).

That's me for today. Looks like a cloudy weekend and I don't see any sun in the current forecast...

Here and now...

(It's a dumb reference to Ici, we'll just let it slide okay?)

Sometimes my mind doesn't work so well... Before we even moved to CH, one of the places I was really really (really) excited about visiting was Ici. I had read about it, and drooled over their beautiful website. But all memories of that version of Ici went out the window when Mr. Minerva commented that I should go there for my breakfast yummies. Suddenly in my head, Ici was a cute little coffee shop. But oh no, it is much more than that, so much more. We did go (with the croissant and coffee in mind) last week. G-pup had the veggie frittata and I had a chocolate croissant and cappucino (I needed the consolation of chocolate).

Holy moley! If that wasn't the best veggie frittata I have ever had. It was dense and full of fresh flavors from the veg and herbs. (Of course I had a taste). It was served with the traditional Frenchie breakfast tartine, which I also helped eat. The bread tasted so French, and with fresh creamy butter and flavor packed jam... yummy. I eat tartine a lot when we are in France (oh, which by the way, is all the time*) and this one was straight from a little cafe in the Marais complete with wicker chairs and all. And as for that choco croissant and the capps - as good as they should be! Buttery layers of croissant with dark rich choco, and a well made (no overcooked milk here!) capp. Thanks for making me do it Mr. Minerva! I can't wait to go back and have another brunch in the lovely back garden (a peaceful retreat - impeccably turned out), or -ooooh - dinner with candles in the warm summer.

Later that day we headed back to DeKalb for a lovely sunset meal at Red Bamboo. So, Isa, you should go back to being jealous of 'us lucky bastards.' Although it got off to a bumpy start, it does seem that Red Bamboo is getting its Brooklyn legs under it. I ate the Carribean Jerk Chicken (fakey) and G-pup enjoyed a faux fish dish (sorry the delay in posting means I forget what it actually was). I also imbibed a 'Not your Mama's Fruit Punch.' The drink was tasty - couldn't taste the alcohol (just the way I like my drunkeness, thank you!) The food was quite good (I wouldn't say stunning - but I never thought the West 4th Red Bamboo was stunning), but it was satisfying, tasty, fresh and well made.

My jerk chix had a nice flavor, I would have liked it spicier, but the honey mustard was a nice dipping sauce. G-pups fish dish was quite tasty. More spicy than mine. The sides of mash and steamed veggies were all tasty and filling. We didn't get apps or dessert, sorry, maybe next time. We also had a nice walk home, and lots of neighborhood cats came out to see us.

*No, not really.

Ici
246 DeKalb Avenue
(718)789-2778
Hours: Sun, Tues-Thurs 8 am - 10 pm
Fri & Sat 8 am - 11 pm
All major credit cards

Other reviews: Citysearch, New York Magazine, IgoUgo, Go Brooklyn, Travel Channel, Eat Drink One Woman, Village Voice, New York Times, Cititour, The Brooklyn Rail, NYC Eats, Yelp,

Red Bamboo
271 Adelphi Street at DeKalb
(718)643-4352
does anyone know their hours yet?
cash only (right now)

Other reviews: Go Brooklyn, Brooklynian.com Clinton Hill/Fort Greene board,

Chocolate Heaven

Sorry to have been a little absent lately, last week we lost our kitty (of almost 16 years). For those who have had an animal for that long, you understand how difficult it can be. You find yourself missing their presence in everything you do. A friend said, "losing a pet is the hardest because their love is uncompromised."

Jordan, our chocolate black cat with minty green eyes has lived with me in 6 cities, and at least twice as many apartments. She was with me through good times and bad and brought me love, laughter and peace. She was the softest, silkiest cat I have ever touched. We sometimes called her puppy cat, because there were things she did (like meet us at the door) that were more like a dog. She loved taking walks in the garden, she loved playing with the neighbor dog, she loved sunshine, cuddling in bed, sleeping late and playing games. She was incredibly brave and strong through her illnesses of the past couple of years, always taking everything in her graceful stride.

I have learned more than I realize from her, and she has been by my side as I have grown and changed. She was a constant muse to me and always loved helping to create my artwork. She will always have a place in my heart. Even her passing is something from which I will learn and grow.

My wonderful chocolate kitty - Jordan, 1990-2006

Brooklyn is the new black

Well, absolutely everyone, and I mean, everyone, is talking about, arguing about, complaining about the "Brooklyn Style" edition of New York Magazine. And guess what, turns out we're

"looser and more playful than its Manhattan counterpart, homey and ironic, comfortable but always conscious of its looks, and often of its politics (green and recycled are key)."

But hey, we already knew that, we've been that way for years. We're also crafty, enjoy our neighbors, stylish, and, hungry!

So hungry in fact that according to the NY Mag map of all that's hip and cool, it would appear that Fort Greene ate Clinton Hill, Park Slope ate Prospect Heights, and Williamsburg ate Bushwick. Oh well, never mind, they got it right at least in the article on the foods.

Featured were Ici in Fort Greene, "...there'’s a French grace to the setting, but the menu stays close to home..." and CH's Locanda Vini e Olii, " It took guts ... to open their Clinton Hill restaurant in a culinary near vacuum of landmarked brownstone Brooklyn."

Um, thanks, I think.

And thanks to the article I now know to go check out Cloth, "As chic as organic clothing gets" and Yu Interiors "Tasteful vintage furniture mixes with Jonathan Adler." (And will add them to the ever growing and much cooler real map of Clinton Hill!)

And this just in via Super Vegan Blog - Red Bamboo is hosting an opening party tonight, "Complimentary hors d'oeuvres (oh, yeah!) and cash bar. The party goes on from 7pm through 1am. "

See y'all there?

Fascinating and creepy - Brooken Angel

Gothamist posted earlier about the set of photos on Flickr about Broken Angel. The photos were posted by Arthur Wood's son.

It is a wonderful set. I used to live a block away on St. James and could see the Angel from my bedroom and living room windows. I always thought the place was both fascinating and creepy. Turns out I am right, it is both fascinating and creepy.

A couple of quick links

• Brownstoner has the wrap up on the Clinton Hill Association meeting from last night.
  
• Brownstoner also asks readers to report on the opening of Choice (Grand and Lafayette)
• Addition to the map (thanks to commenter Mr. Minerva): Thai 101, (a sad oversight on my part since we really like this Thai place, but haven't been to it since moving here - we are on the opposite end of CH!), and Choice
• CHB updates on the 88th Precinct Community and Youth meeting
  

What you looking at?

Twice now I have seen the big double decker busses driving around Brooklyn. Are they touring Park Slope? And I thought it was weird years ago when they started driving through the east village. This is definitely strange. Having tourists gawking at Brooklyn...

So it just goes to show how self centered - or is it lazy - let's say too busy - I can be. I had put together the map before moving back to Clinton Hill. I didn't even take the time to notice whether or not someone had already covered the hood. That's why also in my post yesterday, instead of doing my due diligence of a little research, I just asked for information on Smooch, instead of looking around a little. Had I done so, I would have noticed that eating for Brooklyn had just reviewed Smooch, which it turns out its a funky organic vegan place. Also will be keeping a watch on the efb posts, since had I been aware I could have attended the Chocolate and Port tasting at Green Grape which efb posted.

I am thinking that we (Brownstoner, eating for Brooklyn, Words to Eat By, SetSpeed aka One Hanson Place, Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn- am I missing anyone?) should get together and start a 'brooklynist' version of Gothamist. We could be snarky too! -but with Brooklyn style...

Spring roundup

We were planning on doing a lot of house fixing up and working on some freelance projects that we are super late on delivering, but with such gorgeous weather outside!!!

We decided to take a walk through the neighborhood and head over to the farmer's market. We walked down DeKalb to check out all of the places I have listed on the map (and a few I don't). I will have to post the images later because they are on the digital camera - better quality, but a longer wait to get them (don't ask).

We stopped in for a quick coffee at Tillies. Very friendly very busy place, I can see why it is popular - well located and an absolutely stunning array of delicious looking pastries. Even some vegan ones. We wanted to wait and get some goodies at the market so passed on the pastries (were those Cake Man Raven red velvet cupcakes??) The coffee (once it cooled and don't even get me started on that) was good. Not the best I have had, not the worst. It is, however, a great gathering spot, which hosts a variety of events. (Check their website for more information).

We also popped into L'Epicerie, which has gotten a variety of reviews on Chowhound, SetSpeed, and Brownstoner. We only browsed, but the focaccia looked beautiful, as did the vegetables and something was cooking in back that smelled divine. Will let you know more as we get to try some cheeses (as we undoubtedly will).

Walked past the newly opened Red Bamboo, which is getting mixed reviews on the CHB (I can't keep writing out 'Clinton Hill Boards'), but we love the one on west 4th and look forward to trying this one too. Especially if they have a good dj as one commenter suggested on the map.

We loved visiting the small, but friendly farmer's market in Fort Greene park. I wanted to buy some plants, but am holding out for the member's preview of the BBG plant sale. We did pick up a yummy quiche, and I apologize that we ate it too fast to either photograph or note the name of the vendor.

I have a couple of places to add to the map and if anyone has any information regarding them please add comments to the map or here so I can put in the information (even before we go try them out). They are: Smooch on Carlton @ DeKalb and June at 229 DeKalb.

On the way home we stopped into the charming Olivino wine shop on Fulton to pick up some things for my new habit - Port Wine. We asked for suggestions and walked out with a 10 year old Warre's Otima, and a moscato ('redolent of honeysuckle and ripe peach), Dolce Sogno. The port is a lovely tangy (can you call it that) not to expensive tawny. Saving the moscato opening for the imminent arrival of Seattle mom and family.

We ordered again from Fulton Thai, and again forgot to take pictures. The food is certainly good, but I wouldn't say great by any means. Maybe it is what we are ordering? Anyone have any suggestions? (It is nowhere near as good as the Thai Cafe on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint).

On Easter Sunday we did what it seems pretty much every other Brooklynite did, we went to the Botanic Gardens to see the early cherry blossoms and tulips. We definitely can't wait to go to Sakura Matsuri in a couple of weeks. It was packed but as gorgeous as always. I did get a little cranky about the incredible lack of bike parking (they have it but it was all full) and the difficulty in biking from the Gardens over to Prospect Park. Grand Army is fuuuun on a bike. (In the not really way).

We had a picnic of some vague imitations of croissants that I made, some dried dates from Delicacies, and some wonderful cheeses from Bierkraft. The first was a washed rind double cream, Robiola Querciola. It ripened nicely and was a mild washed rind cheese. It paired well with a slightly stronger mini chevron (which looked like a brain). Again - oops no pictures (I will get the hang of this soon!)

me gusto! Castro's on Myrtle

Monday night we hiked through Clinton Hill to Castro's over on Myrtle. We did this for two reasons, one Seattle Mom wanted to see more of the neighborhood, (for more on their apartment search, see here). Second, G-pup is constantly on the search for a delicious burrito.

I had read some good comments regarding Castro's over on the chowhound outer borrough's board. Given that they have a liqour license (beer, wine, margaritas and pina coladas) and we always enjoy a nice mexican meal, we were up for it.

Seattle mom and I had margaritas (they were okay, nothing really good or bad about them) and some quite delicious chips and salsa. Both the chips and the salsa tasted fresh, the salsa was a pleasant mix of sweet and piquant. While waiting for G-pup to make the - in his words - long trek over, we tried to order some guacomole and chips, only to find out that, and this is odd for a mexican restaurant, they were out of guacomole. Heck there's a supermarket and produce stand just down the street - can't you go get some avocados? We opted instead for the nachos. Which, with their refried beans, generous cheesiness and chopped jalepenos boded well for the meal to come.

When G-pup got there we ordered a couple of veggie burritos for ourselves, and Seattle mom opted for enchiladas. She tried to find out if it was shredded beef inside, but there was a bit of a language barrier. She ended up just going for cheese with green salsa.

Let me put forward the fact that G-pup and I spent 5 years in San Francisco and are very very spoiled about our burritos. We are also used to really really large burritos. That said the burritos at Castros were HUGE. They looked like sack cloths of rice and beans lumped on the plate. Not tightly wrapped or served mojado (wet style, with salsa on top) they were a formidable mass of food. They contained the curious vegetable frozen mix that one finds in some 'veggie' mexican dishes. You know the mix that you hated as a kid? Lima beans, carrots, green beans... These contained that mix with mexican rice, beans, salsa, sour cream (no guacomole tonight) and lettuce on the side. I think they suffered from the lack of guac, they seemed too dry for their size. Next time (yeh its good enough to go back) I would go with the enchiladas.

The cheese enchiladas came with large chunks of unmelted chese inside (Seattle mom thought they were chicken at first), were smothered in sauce and more cheese and a generous serving of rice and beans. Seattle mom seemed to like it :)

So, it's not a replacement for Pancho Villa or La Corneta from SF, but it would certainly satisfy an ex-Texans craving for yummy tex-mex.

Update: Thought I should probably add some information regarding the 'atmosphere.' Having spent college years going to a taco shack, I quite liked this place. You walk into the front which looks like most take away mex places, hot bar with all the stuff to make burrtios et al. Even the requisite pile of pre-made chile rellenos :) The back dining area is pretty stark, but the real gem is the big patio out back (it was too cold that night for it, but summer should be great!).

Castro's
511 Myrtle Avenue between Ryerson & Grand
(718) 398-1459
Hours: Sun-Fri 6:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 8 am - 12 am
Cash

Other reviews: Citysearch, AOL, GO Brooklyn, eating for brooklyn, AddYourOwn

(sorry for the lousy pics - they are from the phone - but the red sure looks festive!)

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

A look of surprise Kush on Putnam

We made a point to take a break during the craziness that is unpacking after a move. We wanted to go somewhere convenient and that offered an escape. Kush was a great choice. A self described 'french african' restaurant, Kush serves up african influenced continental cuisine in a warm, friendly and inviting environment. We were really looking forward to moving to a neighborhood where we could feel like we were more a part of a 'community' and Kush is a strong part of that -- on to the food though!

We decided to try some of their homemade juices, g-pup had the tamarind, which is a flavor we both really enjoy, and the Kush version was crisp, refreshing and full of tamarind and cinnamon flavor. I tried the sorrel (having seen a number of bottled shandys with sorrel). The flavor is unique and distinct. The beginning tastes like a juice, and the finish is almomst barbque like. If anyone can describe this better, please do!


Kush serves toasted bread and a dipping oil chock full of olives that was tasty.

Our meal started with a salade de chevre, tossed mesculin salad with an almond dressing. On the side were two golden medallions of fried goat cheese. Don't freak out at the world fried, the coating is light enough to not absorb oil, and the result is a wonderful medley of warm soft goat cheese and a lightly crunch crust. Also on the salad were a couple of tomato wedges topped with what I think was an almond topping - something like a nut salsa. The entire arrangement was a variety of flavors and textures.

Which is also a good description for my meal, the Kush Kush Vegetarian. What a wonderful myriad dish. In the center was a medley of rice, chick peas, greens and spices. On top were roasted veg (eggplant, zucchini, squash, plaintains - yum) and extremely thinly sliced tofu. The tofu were coated with crumbs and again had the deft quick fry job of the chevre, which left crunchiness without oiliness. The flavors of the dish were so wonderful and diverse I couldn't stop eating, even though I was full! Our host was even shocked that I finished it all :)


G-pup treated himself to a Baked Penne Vodka with Shrimps (a bit of a surprise ont the menu - but there were a couple of pasta dishes). He was thrilled with it. He lavished on the rich creamy dish the compliment 'this tastes like something you would cook!' He too finished his heaping bowl of pasta. I tried it before the shrimps got mixed in, and it was a wonderful balance of creamy flavor and texture, without being too heavy handed.

We really wanted to try the Tatin (with pears and plaintains) but couldn't fit that in! (We'll be back for brunch though).

As we were leaving we got a warm and jovial goodbye from our host - made us feel so welcome!

see map here: http://www.communitywalk.com/map/2616

(I promise to get better at the pictures!)

Kush Cafe
17 Putnam Avenue
Closed Mondays
Tues - Fri 11 am - 12 am
Sat 9 am - 12 am
Sun 9 am - 11 pm
Cash & Credit Cards

Other reviews: CitySearch, GO Brooklyn, Brownstoner, Village Voice, BedStuy Online

Back on the Hill

I first moved to Clinton Hill in the fall of 1993. I lived in a gorgeous brownstone (okay, it had a few problems) on St. James Place between Greene and Gates. I also lived on Carlton (which is technically Fort Greene). I moved back to Clinton Hill, this time on the other side of Fulton. I am thrilled to be back in the neighborhood, I always thought it had a charm unmatched in other neighborhoods. I look forward to exploring all the new areas, and revisiting the old. I have started a 'Community Walk' map - easily one of the coolest tools on the web which maps food, shops, etc in the area. I will fill it in with comments and pictures as we continue to explore. Please feel free to send me information or add comments here or too the map directly. I would love for this to be an ongoing and community project! I will double post reviews and pictures here and on the map. You can access the map here: http://www.communitywalk.com/map/2616


It is such a lovely thing that the day we moved in was something like the first day of spring in new york. It just felt right. The choco-kitty has been enjoying the sunny windows (we haven't had direct sun in about 7 years), and I and G-pup are enjoying the big kitchen, and the neighborhood.

Look forward to enjoying the neighborhood that all of you that already live here have helped to build and grow - sorry I have been gone for so long!