'Hood in the News

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Some of this is old news now, since I drafted it up ages ago!  Sorry.

  • Compost used to nourish local community gardens [AM NY]
  • Composting in Ft Greene Park [Urbanite]
  • Newest crime: stealing iron gates! [NY Times]
  • CH G-train crusader [NY Observer]
  • Monthly dance party at Tamboril [TropicalFete]
  • Fallen woman saved on G train tracks [NY1]
  • Digital food kitchen in Bed-Stuy, first of its kind! [ABC news]
  • Progress for BAM Cultural District [Curbed]
  • Developer who tore down Associated on Myrtle may back out of affordable housing [Metro NY] (Apparently this guy will likely run for mayor! We need to be careful!)

Peaches

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(ed. note: BrooklynJay has resurfaced with this review of Peaches in Bed-Stuy!)

Peaches.

393 Lewis Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11233

http://peachesbrooklyn.com/

I realize that Peaches is in Bed-Stuy and is quite a bit of distance away from Clinton Hill, it was like a 10-15 minute drive for me, but the food, the atmosphere and the service makes it a worthwhile trip. I really enjoyed my meals there - there were so many choices on the menu I went back to back nights just to try as much of the food as I can.

Peaches is owned by Craig and Ben of the infamous Smoke Joint and Little Piggy Market in Ft. Green. They took their years of experience in the restaurant business and finally opened up their own "sit down and be waited on" place using a similar formula that made the Smoke Joint and Little Piggy Market so successful - good home style food using fresh ingredients at good prices.

The indoor space (there's outdoor seating as well in a fenced in private area) is really pretty and nice with very high ceilings and lots of lights creating a very comfortable and welcoming feeling. I saw families there, people who were there for a romantic evening out, friends just getting together for a meal and to catch up - and it all worked. They all happily coexisted in the same space and everyone was having a good time.

The menu is very "New Orleans influenced" but will probably change as different items come into and fall out of season. It's priced very reasonable as there isn't any menu item over $20 and quite a few choices in and around the $10-15 range.

Sorry for the bad food photos but it's tough to take pictures of food and make it look good without staging the food properly. (Though the kitchen does do a good job on presentation don't you think?)

We've got the (l to r and top to bottom) Ceasar Salad, the BBQ Shrimp, the Fried Green Tomatoes, the Beef Short Ribs, the Brickhouse Chicken, the Gumbo and for dessert, the Mixed Berry Shortcake.

I really like Peaches. Everything I had was very good. I definitely think it's a great addition to the dining scene in Brooklyn.

What's other readers experience with Peaches?

'Hood in the News

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  • Clinton Hill chef discusses African cuisine [NY Times]
  • Suspect identified in local robbery [NY1]
  • Afro-Punk -- the Next Great Music Genre? [PSFK]
  • All You Need is Love [Slow Burn]
  • Solo Picnic in Fort Greene Park [Eat Out More Often]
  • Gentrification in Bed-Stuy [LA Times]
  • Fort Greene high school providing lots of personal attention [NY Times]
  • Walt Whitman's Brooklyn [Gothamist]
  • Executive producer moves to Ft Greene to be a "cool dad" [NY Press]
  • Clinton Hill students dance at Lincoln Center [Brooklyn Eagle]
  • PS 270 in Clinton Hill: One of BK's most improved schools! [NY Daily News]

BREAKING: Myrtle Ave Citibank Robbery

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"Hey Robin, Did you hear that the Citibank on Myrtle and Clinton was robbed this afternoon, at 3pm? I was walking by, and I saw all the commotion. Now the tellers are closed, but the atms are still open. There are signs that say because of an emergency, the bank is closed. I went inside at around 4:30 to get some cash out, and there were some plain clothed officers inside talking to the employees.

Scary!

Mel"

More on Design by RePop

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Many of you commented and emailed me about pricing on RePop's new interior design services (post about my experience here). Here's more info straight from the guys: RePOP's design services cover a great range depending upon the needs of the client. Sometimes we go in and revamp what the client already has to work with, and at other times we refurnish and redo entire areas of the home. We are capable of hanging wallpaper. painting, dealing with electrical issues as well as combining the vision of the client along with our own. Since we are constantly rebooting and rearranging the RePOP boutique, we are not like other interior performers who are adamant about going in a direction that you are not comfortable with. We work with the client to ensure that whatever changes are made inspire and delight the person whom they are being made for. After all, it's your space and should reflect comfort, style and beauty in a fashion you can identify with.

The initial two hour consultation is free. We arrange a time to come over and chat with you about your space over tea or wine. If you decide you like what we have to offer, we can begin the process! (Our fee for labor is a competitive $40 per hour). Currently we only use two designers and in a situation as with lesterhead's space we were able to perform the necessary task in less than 12 hours. (obviously, each situation varies) Fee does not include materials such as paint and supplies or any additional furnishings, decoratives or lighting you would like to accent your home with. If you are on a tight budget we are often able to locate great pieces for less than most designer stores. However, we are certainly not opposed to mixing styles or purchasing items for the client outside of RePOP sources. We enjoy a vast array of designers, but are not set on using true design pieces if the client is going more for a look rather than a collection. Some designer pieces clients have enjoyed in the past are mostly in the mid-century modern or danish modern aesthetic including Milo Baughman, Omann Jun, Knoll, George Nelson, Thonet, Craft Associates and others. However, we also enjoy primitive, industrial, deco, shabby and antique pieces as well and often enjoy showing people how amazingly easy it can be to blend many styles for an ultimate living experience.

If you are interested in meeting with us, you may contact Russell or Carl at 718-260-8032.

Rustik Tavern

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Rustik Tavern 471 DeKalb Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11205

http://rustiktavern.com/

I needed a place to eat that was close by but I wanted someplace new too. I didn't want it to be too fancy either. I just wanted a nice, chill, relaxing place to grab a beer and some decent food. I saw a review of Rustik over on Clinton Hill Foodie which seem to fit the bill perfectly. (yeah, I've been slacking and they got to it before me) After checking out Rustik's very slick website and menu online I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did.

The first thing I noticed was how...out of place Rustik seemed to be in where it's located. It's like bodega, bodega, take out, take out, bodega, Rustik.

Well at least you won't miss it walking by.

I was impressed with Rustik's interior decor. High ceilings and lots of lights, but not overly bright, gave it a very warm and inviting feeling and with that big sofa up front - definitely a place to chill.

First order of business: a beer. Rustik has a very decent selection of tap and bottled beers. (All of which is listed on their website.) I went with the Blue Moon which they had on tap - always an excellent choice.

Second order of business: FOOD.

Every item was named after something local or of significance. For example, the Willoughby Wings for Willoughby Avenue. It's kind of silly but nice at the same time. Adds a very "neighborhood" feel to it.

Prices were extremely reasonable. Lots of items under $10 and nothing over $15.

We decided on the following:

The Nostrand Nachos with the olives and the jalapenos on the side.

As a stand alone dish it's eh. I like the fact that it's cheese sauce rather than real cheese, real cheese has a tendency to clump up and get chewy as it cools, but other than that it was lacking something that made it great. Like...

The Clinton Hill Chili.

Now I know you can add the chili on top of the nachos for $2 but go with a whole order of chili along with the nachos and use the nachos to scoop up all that chili goodness.

The chili, by itself, is still was very good and, while still full of flavor, it was relatively tame and lacked heat and spiciness.

Mixing it with the nachos is really the way to go. It takes two "okay" dishes to 11.

We moved on to a small order of the Willoughby Wings with BBQ sauce. (That's where my olives and jalapenos went!)

I want to point out that these wings are breaded. Normally I hate breaded wings but these I didn't mind. It worked well with the BBQ sauce, giving the sauce something to stick to, as well as adding a bit of crispiness to the chicken.

What surprised me about this dish was that the BBQ sauce was actually spicy and had some heat to it. The heat was unexpected, I had to double check to make sure it was the wings and not the chili, but not overwhelming. It actually worked very well together as a sweet and spicy combination.

Finally, the Franklin Fish and Chips.

This was pretty good. The fish was lightly breaded, not battered, which kept the whole dish relatively "light". The fish was done well and was flaky and moist. The chips on the other hand...eh.

The chips were too big in size and I think that kept them from getting really crispy. The chips also had some old bay seasoning or something on them which was too over powering for the lighter tasting fish. I like the fish...the chips need work.

We wanted to try the Chambord Creme Brulee but they were out of it. (Doesn't it sound good though? Chambord Creme Brulee? Mmmm...)

Overall, it's a great place and I'm definitely going to be back. It's got a nice mellow vibe, serves good food and has good drinks. All at a very reasonable price. The entire meal was about $40. It's like the perfect little local neighborhood spot.

The service was good with the bartender being attentive without "hovering". (And he didn't once ask me if I spoke english! That's a plus right there!)

The one complaint I do have is the TV. There's a pretty big TV right in the middle of the room and when there's a TV on you're sort...of...forced...to...watch...it. I would have like it a lot better if it was off and a good selection of music was playing instead. (They have a very nice sound system.) The TV just seemed out of place and sort of broke up that "chill" feeling if you know what I mean.

Other than that it's a great place and a very welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Oh, and if you're lucky you'll catch a free show.

We were treated to piano renditions of Keane and Coldplay. Very very cool.

Wegmans Clarifications

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Just a few bullet points on my earlier post about Wegmans to clarify my opinions:

  • I SUPPORT the preservation of Admiral's Row
  • The new locally-owned stores opening look amazing, and many of us will shop there (OMGfishandbreadatProvisions!)
  • These same stores are not nearby the public housing residents and many of them are selling specialty, more expensive items (instead of things like paper towels and basic cereal)
  • The point of the supermarket in the Navy Yard is to serve these populations, as they do not have a store nearby for basic necessities
  • The politicos are pretty much set on providing a comprehensive supermarket in the Navy Yard for these populations
  • If our neighborhood will HAVE to be home to a new supermarket, why not work with local officials to bring a GOOD store in, that serves ALL populations of the neighborhood, offers reasonable prices, is a company dedicated to the neighborhoods they operate out of and that provides quality job opps for locals?
  • High-end grocers are not serving the public housing populations (which is fine, but point being those residents have needs that need to be met)

To all those who emailed me about Wegmans, I will send out an email this weekend!

Safe Winter Sidewalks

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Annoyed every time you almost break your neck on your way to the train? Just received this information in my inbox:

picture-6.png picture-5.png

It's easy to curse your neighbors when it takes you ten extra minutes to get to the C in the morning because you have to wade through snow or jump over slush. We're making it easy for people to do something constructive and neighborly about keeping their block shoveled this winter. We'll send you cards, and all you have to do is drop them in the mailbox of your neighbors who shovel. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way towards making a snow-free and friendlier block. This definitely won't work for people living in larger buildings controlled by a management company, like in downtown Brooklyn, but in mid- and low-rise areas with more homeowners, like much of Clinton Hill, it's a good solution to the eternal neighborhood problem of sidewalks blocked by snow.

What do you think? Would these cards work?

Comments

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Hi all- There have been a few times when readers have noted that I have deleted their comments.  Just so you know, I have only ever deleted a comment ONCE, and it was a really nasty comment using profanity to describe another commentor, which I felt was really unnecessary.  Feel free to challenge others in the comments, but there's no need to be obscene or downright nasty.

xo- Lesterhead