Openings and Closings On Myrtle Avenue

My little photographic stroll down Myrtle Avenue.(With Commentary!)

Crown Fried Chicken. Yum. Really. Yum. I'm serious. This one on Myrtle is the best of all the Crown's around too. (No, they are not all the same.) Beats the DeKalb/Classon and Fulton/Washington branches hands down.

Another liquor store? Or is this a new sign?

The juice place didn't last too long huh? And in it's place another deli...great.

This looks promising. Chez Lola. New restaurant? New bar? Whatever it is I'm excited! Anyone have any information on this?

A new Yoga/Dance place coming soon. Location is across from Polish Beauty Bar.

Now here's something you don't see everyday. A McDonald's closing. Granted, it was only a McDonald's Express but I'm still surprised. Chicken Rings. Can we at least pretend it's real chicken? Just a little? Please? But I'm glad to see that take credit cards, you know, like all the classy establishments.

And last but not least...

New condos on the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Kent Street called 609 Myrtle. (Catchy but unimaginative.)

Looks okay from the outside and I'm digging the high ceilings and big windows.

Interior pictures are here along with the units still available and prices. It's relatively affordable considering.

I do have issues with the descriptions (read the Neighborhood description for a bit of a laugh) and the fact that they're advertising it as Clinton Hill and not Bed-Stuy. It's clearly Bed-Stuy according to the Boundaries post.

Should we start calling this area Clinton Hill East?

Just looking around the area is still relatively undeveloped without any nice shops or amenities. It's a bit of a hike to the Classon Avenue stop on the G train, too.

Anyway, there's an open house today, Wednesday August 16th, from 6pm-8pm.

Check it out and please let us know what you think.

My Little Section of the Nabe

Clinton Hill is blowing up! So much so that I've been enlisted to help cover my little section of the nabe - and since I live really close to Myrtle Avenue around Pratt I figure it'll be the first place I cover.

---

I've been living in Clinton Hill long enough to remember the KFC being open next to the Pratt Post Office on Myrtle Avenue. It's been closed now for a couple of years with the building being empty and abandoned until recently.

Last week I noticed a giant crane knocking the old KFC building down and there's been a flurry of construction activity ever since.

The site where KFC once stood.

Anyone know what's being built in it's place? I'm hoping for a CVS Pharmacy. This area sure could use one.

---

A little further up at 559 Myrtle Avenue is Cafe Martino.

I'm not sure when this coffee shop opened but it seems pretty nice.

The menu has a decent selection of breakfast and lunch choices with a slight bent towards Latin America.

The hours are 7am to 7pm weekdays and 8am to 6pm on weekends.

A full food review coming soon.

---

There's been a lots of recent residential construction activity too.

First, there's this monstrosity being built on the corner of Myrtle and Steuben.

And these 3 new developments on Grand.

Hmmm...didn't notice any places for parking. Let's hope they're smart enough to build it in.

I'll swing by and take updated construction photos as these building get closer to completion.

More to come.

Brown Betty: The Review

The new Brown Betty Cafe is not that close to my apartment, but if something is new, I'll make the journey. Plus, it's not far from Outpost. Being in the location it's in (Grand south of Fulton), I didn't expect much in the way of decor or ambiance. I was wayyyy pleasantly surprised!

The color scheme and the subway tiles in the kitchen are warm and inviting, and the staff is super friendly and welcoming.

I had the cornish hen (a favorite of mine to prepare) and Jay had the jerk chicken burrito. Mine was delish, and the perfect amount for lunch - a small piece of roasted hen, plus sides of rice and beans, and a salad with mango vinegarette dressing. Jay loved his, but it was a bit spicy for my taste.

We each had a thai iced coffee -- sweet and creamy.

It's a great lunch place, or a coffee-muffin stop mornings on the way to the C train. Yesterday, they started serving a prix fix dinner for $17.95, including salad or soup, entree and dessert. It will be offered on weekend evenings. Being the inside table space is small -- maybe 5 tables for two, plus two small areas with bar-style seating -- I'm not sure how dinners will work out. If they added a back garden, it would be perfect. Food quality-wise, it'll probably be a winner.

Bonus... they have rock candy!!! (a childhood favorite of mine growing up in Buffalo)

Do stop by and pick up a thai iced coffee. Take it to go, or if you have the time, sit inside and enjoy the ambiance.

Brown Betty Cafe 466 Grand Ave. Bkln, NY 11238 718.398.8800 www.brownbettycafe.com

On My Way to the Park

OK, this is Ft Greene fodder, but chances are you have the same questions. Most days, I walk my dog Marshmallow to Fort Greene Park.

1. I used to like to take Lafayette to Cumberland and then cut north to FG Park. I liked this route because I would pass a magnificent garden on the east side of the street the width of a house. Now that's being turned into luxury condos, but out of habit I still walk that way.

As soon as I turn right on Cumberland, I always pass this car service:

I am completely convinced this storefront is a front for something else. I mean, it looks like there are lights on inside, and it's never gated up. But have you ever seen anyone go in and out, or see towncars parked outside? Have you ever known anyone to take this car service? As the neighborhood continues to come up, this weird business seems more and more out of place.

Out of curiosity, I called them.

There was no answer at the first number.

The second one went straight to a voicemail. I'm sorry, but this is NOT a legit car service.

2. Change is afoot on DeKalb Avenue. Liquors is still closed, and the shoe repair place next door has become a cute-looking children's clothing store (Beezu?). On the block just east of the park, two storefronts have been under construction for months. One is slated to be a wine shop, while the other will be an organic juice bar!

I could have sworn this sign used to say "this spring." And even so, summer's half over. Open your damn juice bar already! I have high hopes for this place. I'm hoping it's nicely designed.

Yamashiro: The Review

Jay and I hit up Yamashiro last night -- the new sushi haunt on Myrtle. Inside, the place is small. It's not totally lacking atmosphere, but it's definitely not the kind of place to go for a trendy night on the town. Most, but not all, of the tables were full when we arrived at 8:15pm -- not bad for a Monday night!

I immediately recognized the waiter as having worked at Sushi D. He recognized me, too. He said that most of Yamashiro's staff came from Sushi D. Interesting. We also started with free edamame, just like Sushi D. However, Yamashiro's edamame was kind of dry and wilty.

The menus were certainly not as flashy or nice as those at Sushi D, and were kind of confusing.

We started off with some apps - I had the kani salad, and Jay had the salmon skin salad. The kani was just fine. Jay wasn't very happy with his. The salmon skin on top of the salad was actually very tasty, but it was sprinkled on top of a boring pile of iceberg lettuce. Our apps took for-e-ver to come out, which was annoying.

The rolls were very tasty, specifically the Waterfall and the Dynamite (both pictured on the left). Waterfall is topped with crab and the Dynamite is fried in tempura. Heavenly.

We were too stuffed for desert, but if not we would have gotten the Japanese ice cream, which comes deep fried in a puffy bun thing, and appears to have a side of carrots on fire (literally, it comes burning).

Summary: Not as nice inside as Sushi D. They also played techno music inside, which was annoying. Service is friendly and prices are a bit lower than at Sushi D. Definitely great for takeout, and fine for dining in, especially if you're close by. Good fancy rolls. Low on atmosphere, crappy edamame. No outdoor seating. Good deal for the $$$.

New Goods on Myrtle

The days of "Murder Avenue" seem long gone. Might as well call it Marvelous Avenue. Jay notified me about some NEW openings, so Mallow and I did a walk-by last night. I really like Myrtle, much more than Fulton. I'm glad Jay's so close to Myrtle so he can keep an eye out for new stuff.

I noticed this sushi place -- Yamashiro -- a few weeks ago, but completely forgot about it until he mentioned it to me.

The menu and the inside of the restaurant look fairly generic, as far as design. But we all know that good design does not excellent food make! Jay and I will be trying this out asap and I will report back.

More exciting is Polish Bar Brooklyn. I'm not the only one who automatically assumed it was Polish, like the country. My new rollerskating friends from Rope thought the same. But no, it's pawww-lish, as in nail. It appears to be a trendy, upscale nail salon! Hopefully serving alcohol as well. It opens July 22.

I may end up staying true to my local cheap-o nail salon, Charming Nail (Waverly Ave. between Lafayette and Greene), depending on the prices. When it comes down to mani-pedi, convenience is key.

And now, one more supercute shot of Mallow:

Outpost Lounge - YUM

Tillie's is my closest neighborhood coffee shop. And that's just "fine." They've recently upgraded their outdoor tables and chairs, which looks much cuter (the inside is still on a drab side). Plus, it's not out of the way if you need to grab a quick cup of joe or a muffin. Plus, the red velvet cupcakes are a nice touch. Thankfully, some friends who live farther east in Clinton Hill introduced me to Outpost Lounge, situated on a dull strip of Fulton between Grand and Classon. A friend in my building is always over there with her laptop, and I used to think she was crazy for trekking so damn far.

Then, one day, I walked over to meet her.

Often times, the "new gentrifier on the block" isn't all that cool - it's a step up from corner bodega, but not always the kind of enclave one can easily slip into and feel right at home. Outpost, however, somehow escaped this faux-pas.

OMG- new favorite place! Uber-friendly guys Colin and Gary have done a knock-up job in decorating. Exposed brick, antique mirrors, cleverly-mismatched furniture and a super backyard make it a hidden gem. They offer tasty custom concoctions named after area streets. Live music and "sangria Sundays" offer even more reason to swing by on the weekends.

Dogs are welcome in the back yard, and you'll usually spot a few lounging in the sun. Warm, diverse and inviting? Check.