Smoke Joint: Opening TONIGHT

/

From the NYT: THE SMOKE JOINT This friendly cafeteria-style place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is owned by Craig Samuel, above left, and Ben Grossman, above right, who bring pedigree to pulled pork, hacked chicken, ribs and other smoky pit barbecue staples. Mr. Samuel is executive chef at City Hall and Mr. Grossman has worked at Picholine and La Grenouille. Seating is at bare wood tables inside and on a glass-enclosed porch. It opened briefly last weekend and will reopen to the public on Friday: 87 South Elliott Place (Lafayette Avenue), (718) 797-1011.

FINALLY!

News on 67 Burger

/

After a minor delay, the owner of 67 Burger plans on opening sometime this week for friends and family! Hopefully the official opening won't be far off. Jay and I met a friend of the owner at Mullanes last week, who gave us a heads up on some of the menu items.

Sounds like they're giving a real shout-out to the midwest, and will be serving soda pop like A&W Rootbeer and RC Cola.

(In case you missed it, 67 Burger is in the LaFu -- Lafayette and Fulton.)

Mullane's Revisited

/
The New York Mets are in a very tight series with the St. Louis Cardinals. With Hey Momma and Brooklyn Jay both being HUGE Mets fans we decided that we should meet up at Mullane's to watch the game there and give it another try.I, for one, am sure glad we did.Someone at Mullane's read my previous review and decided to make a few changes. They added REAL BUFFALO WINGS to the menu!
These wings ARE from Buffalo.
They also broadcasted the game in HD! And they even broadcasted the television audio rather than music - an extra nice touch for all the fans that were in attendance.
In HD! No gray bars!
We also tried a new appetizer, a Quesadilla, which was very well received.

Mmm....another good bar food.

I have to say that it was really nice watching a game at a bar in the Nabe. I really had a good time, the Mets winning helped of course, and I'm glad that minor issues I had with the menu selections were addressed.

(Still chick peas in the mussels though...why? Why? For pete's sake, why?)

And, of course, Mullane's has a very good selection of beers which definitely helped to calm my nerves.

I'm headed back tonight, and I think Hey Momma will be in attendance too, to watch the Mets close out the Series with the Cardinals and, hopefully, move on to the World Series.

If anyone wants to stop on by and cheer for the Mets I'll be there. Stop by and say hi. You can't miss me.

Mullane's Bar and Grill: The Review

/
Mullane's Bar and Grill in the LaFu -----------
I'm a pretty decent Sports fan. So when Mullane's first posted a sign with "Watch the World Cup Here" I wasn't as upset as some people that a Sports bar was opening up around the Nabe.I was actually kind of happy.There really isn't any place in the Nabe that I know of to where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.I had high hopes for Mullane's to become that place so when it opened you just knew I had to go and check it out with this criteria in mind.

Watching the Game

The decor is nice inside Mullane's. They've got 4 HDTVs and it's high enough that you can get a pretty good view of the game from any place near the bar. What I didn't like is that, as you will see in the pictures, they weren't always broadcasting in HD.Those gray bars are really really annoying don't you think?
If you have HDTV's then you should be broadcasting the game in HD otherwise it's a waste.
Nice high ceilings and a dining room separate from the bar.

One of the nice touches is a separate dining area so people can still go there for dinner and avoid the Sports bar scene.

So as a place to watch the game, it's not so bad. You'll get a good view from anywhere around the bar and I'm sure they'll get it together eventually and put the games on in HD.

Getting a Beer
A decent selection of tap beers.

As with any decent bar they offer a good selection of beers on tap. Magic Hat #9 isn't something that you find in a lot of bars. The Blue Point is also a very good beer that not a lot of places have on tap.

I was quite impressed by the selection.

Great place to grab a beer.

Getting a Bite to Eat

I know that Mullane's might not be a Sports bar but I think because of the "Watch the World Cup Here" sign and the HDTVs - it left me with that impression.And, again, I'm looking for a place where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.So, in traditional Sports bar manner, I'm expecting really really good BAR FOOD.We start with the Onion Rings.The Onion Rings were missing...something. It was kind of bland. I mean, I should like it. It's fried after all but...no. Maybe more seasoning in the batter and stronger onions would help but these were boring.
Onion rings - eh.

We move on to the Buffalo Wings.Any decent Sports bar has to have really good wings. It'll make or break a place, for me, if I can't get good wings while watching the game.Mullane's wings were...different.While the Wings were kind of tasty I wanted traditional Buffalo Wings. Hot sauce and butter. And the hotter the sauce the better so that I can wash it down with beer.These were kind of gourmet wings. And I think they were grilled, not fried. WTF??

There also weren't very many of them. I'm counting like, maybe, a half a dozen in the picture?

Maybe it's me but when I want wings I want to be able to, if need be, make a meal out of it. You'd have to get like 10 orders of Wings here to make it a meal.

Very disappointing.

These Wings are not from Buffalo.
These Wings are not from Buffalo.
[Lesterhead's Two Cents: I, however, AM from Buffalo,
and was extremely insulted by these wings. No, they weren't bad, but they were chicken wings in a ginger sauce. BUFFALO WINGS indicate that they are chicken wings in the traditional Buffalo hot sauce.]
What are Mussels doing in a Sports bar?Well, okay, this is the whole "maybe it's not really a Sports bar" thing but I like Mussels. I had to order them. Just because.
Does it go with Onion Rings? Does it go with Buffalo Wings? No, not really but, hey, food is food.But does Mussels go with Chick Peas? NO. THEY DO NOT.

So why are there Chick Peas in with the Mussels?

Ugh.

The Mussels were good once you picked out all the Chick Peas.

There are chick peas in my Mussels. Not a good thing.
And the last staple of good ol'Bar Food is the classic American Burger.

burger 1

burger 2

burger 3

And, no, I didn't eat them all.(I'm good but I'm not that good.)I was the proud owner of burger 3 - mushrooms and bacon. It was either the BAM burger or the LaFu burger or something like that.As burgers go - these were good. Not the best I've ever had, not the worse. It was...just a burger. That's probably the best way I can explain it - it was just a burger.

The Final Verdict

I really wanted to like Mullane's. I really wanted it to be that place - especially since the Mets made the playoffs.(Let's Go Mets!)I just wasn't impressed by the food.TV: Check. Beer: Check. Food: Eh.And the food really matters. The Wings were a really big disappointment to me.

Still, you might catch me in there from time to time.

I'm just probably going to have to eat before I go.

(When are Smoke Joint and 67 Burger opening again?)

---

We need a vote on what to name that area.

LaFu - is short and sweet. TriFuLa - the triangle between Fulton and Lafayette is what Mr. Set Speed wants to call it. TriLaFu - adding the Tri to LaFu to gives it that TriBeCa feel and I can still claim ownership. (Which is important for royalty reasons once the realtors pick up on it.)

Cast your votes.

top clinton hill chef

/

i was on bravotv.com the other day, feeding the gaping hole left in my life by the fact that there was no new episode of project runway last week, when i saw that the page for the new season of top chef was up, so i jumped over and started perusing the contestants. and one of them looked familiar:

i clicked on her, and, lo and behold, she's from brooklyn.... i racked my brain and it finally came to me: she used to be the chef at maggie brown's! she is also a former professional football player. you can read her full bio here.

i'm hoping that once the new season of t.c. starts, bravo will give us a way to contact the contestants and i can try to get an interview....

Churches and Chinese Takeout

/

BklnJay wondered aloud one day whether Clinton Hill has more churches or Chinese restaurants. After chuckling about it, we realized that it would be a fun project.

What we need now is your help! Explore your own block and take photos of all churches and Chinese restaurants. Then email them to us, and let us know what areas you've covered.

Here's what we've completed so far:

All church-esque places are accepted (especially storefront churches!). Also acceptible are Chinese-Mexican combo takeout places.

Let's be inclusive -- Vanderbilt to Franklin.

(I considered adding bodegas to the mix, but that's just insane.)

On My "you-know-what" List

/

BklnJay found a flyer for a new cafe in Clinton Hill called Head Over Heels Cafe! Of course we decided to check it out immediately. First, I visited the website.

The first thing that stuck out to me? The flash intro shows almost all Caucasian people dining! There's one Asian and one potentially African-American. Maybe I'm reading too into it, but for one of the most diverse neighborhoods in NYC, it's an interesting choice. The music is mildly irritating as well, and there's no way to shut it off!

Jay and I hopped on the Vespa, eager to explore a new haunt.

As we drove east, I realized that we had passed into Bed-Stuy. No, not THAT far, but still (and the site definitely claims Clinton Hill).

(irritation is building)

We arrive at DeKalb and Skillman, and see... nothing!! A few shuttered Mexican restaurants, but nothing else. No cute cafe, no signs, nothing.

Now I'm highly irritated.

Neither the flyer nor the website indicate that the cafe isn't yet open. Thank god Jay has the Vespa, because if I walked all the way there... grrrrr.

The upside is that the menu, which looks fairly tasty AND reasonably priced. I really admire that they're going to offer several breakfast options under $10. I can only hope if/when this place materializes it offers tasty comfort-breakfasts in a cute atmosphere. Another bonus: the HOURS! Sun-Weds 10am-midnight; Th-Sat 10am-2am. Halleluia!!

UPDATE: I just called them, and the guy who answered said they're open! Hmmm... wonder where they were at 11am this morning.

Anyone been yet? The man on the phone sounded superfriendly, so I'm willing to give it another go.

Head Over Heels Cafe 525 DeKalb Ave. (bt Bedford and Skillman) 718-624-4224

(the inconsistent opening times is a pet peeve of mine in the neighborhood. i prefer to patronize local businesses, but if i come by and you're not open when you say you'll be... annoying!

An Exciting Surprise

/

After BklnJay wrote about LaFu, I decided I needed to check it out for myself. When I first moved to CH, I spent quite a lot of time around that corner. It didn't hurt that I had friends who lived across from Moe's, and CH wasn't home to quite as much as it is today. However, in the last year I've been down there less and less. So I was surprised to see all the new stuff with my own eyes!

It seems that only male bloggers have mentioned the new Stuart & Wright boutique in Fort Greene, which led me to believe that it only carried men's apparel. But NO! I peeked inside, and definitely saw lots of lady-tops, high boots and peep-toe shoes!

SWOON! I love that they kept the old sign up outside.

Here's more info.

Um, when did Fillmore open here?

And now for Mullanes. Well... I like the outside design a lot. The inside looks like... any Murray Hill pub. Here's the menu and the hours:

I do like that they're serving food. How many times have you been at Rope and gotten superdrunk because you haven't eaten dinner first? Um, OK, maybe just me (and a few other readers -- you know who you are).

On the OTHER side of the LaFu intersection, next to Academy, is THIS:

This looks cool. The exterior kind of reminds me of HK, in my former neighborhood.

I still haven't tried Le Bagel Delight. They're soooo witty!

At first, I assumed S&W was in the former cleaners closer to CH at Cumberland and Lafayette.

But no. Instead, there's a 7-11 moving in there!!!

Not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure it will be cleaner and bigger than any bodega in the area, and probably less smelly and stocked with more practical stuff (ie it won't have that entire aisle dedicated to those religious candles).

Looks like I'm spending my weekend in LaFu.

Happenings Down In LaFu

/

I was walking along Lafayette Avenue last night and saw that Mullany's Pub* was now opened for business. A quick peek inside saw 2 flatscreens above the bar broadcasting the Sunday Night NFL game and a pretty mixed crowd inside. Looks like it's off to a good start. I also saw that Stuart & Wright* has also opened for business. Some really nice stuff from what I could see but I didn't stop in.

I also noticed that the outside of Smoke Joint* has been upgraded. Could construction almost be done? Is real BBQ finally coming to Fort Greene?

Oh, and I decided that little area needed it's own special nickname since it's got so much stuff going on around it. I've decided on LaFu since it's where Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Avenue meet up.

(No laughing unless you can think up something better.)

And remember, if you start to see the term LaFu popping up on all the Realty sites you saw it here first.

(*Thanks to Set Speed and Brooklyn Record for the original head's up on these places.)

Soule

/
Soule
920 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 399-7200
Free Delivery

In my opinion eating out is an experience. In reviewing places I often take into consideration certain things that have nothing to do with the food. While the food takes top priority the atmosphere, the decor, the service, etc. can make or break the "eating out" experience. So before I get on to the food portion of Soule I have to talk about two little things that bugged me.

First, there's a television.

(I didn't win the daily numbers.)

I find a television in a restaurant terribly distracting and in very poor taste.

And as hard as I try I can't seem to stop looking at it. It's like we're conditioned to look at it even when the sounds is off. (More on this in a second.) There's no reason for me to be looking at it either. I'm dining with good company (Lesterhead) and we're having good conversations yet every once in a while I have to turn my head and watch Wheel of Fortune.

...must...watch...t...v...

Second, their choice of music.

I'm going to date myself here but does anyone remember that commercial for the "Hey Love..." album?

(Yes, I said ALBUM.)

This is the commercial that starts off with several attactive black women sitting on a couch extremely bored and to get the "action" started one of the guys puts on the "Hey Love..." album.

Of course this gets the party started and everyone's now slow dancing.

It ends with one guy trying to take the album home and the other guy saying:

"No, my brother, you have to get your own. This one's mine."

(Or something like that.)

They only aired this commercial around 1 or 2 in the morning when your will is at it's weakest and your judgement is at it's poorest.

...must...buy...Hey...Love...

(Available on Amazon. You know you want it.)

I'd swear they were playing the entire collection while we were having dinner. Music while you eat is a good thing but the "Classic Sounds of Sexy Soul" isn't what I would call music to dine by. It's just didn't feel right.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest I can continue with my normal review.

Soule is nice. They've got about 12 tables so it's decently sized. It's very sparsely decorated and a little darker than I would like but overall it's a nice place. It has a sort of homey feeling to it.

(But that could just be the television.)

The service was prompt and friendly. We were offered several glasses of wine while we waited for our entrees, which is a nice touch. They also brought us complimentary corn bread.

(Mmmm...corn bread.)

The corn bread was served warm and the dipping sauce was really nice and unique in flavor. The sauce had a coconut/pineapple type of sweetness and flavor but it was very hard to place.

Our appetizer was Deep Fried Catfish Strips with a Curry Pineapple Sauce. Tasty stuff but, then again, anything fried I'll usually like. I did think the breading or the fish was seasoned with something spicy to give it a bit more flavor. It's not unbearable but just enough that you notice it.

Overall it was okay, not great, but all I could think of was how good a Catfish Po'boy these strips with make. Add a little remoulade on some crusty french bread with a bit of lettuce...mmm. Reminds me of N'Awlins.

("Can I just get one rib?")

I ordered the BBQ Chicken and Ribs platter with a side of Collards and a side of Mac and Cheese.

BBQ sauce on meat does not a barbecue make. (What was I thinking?)

It wasn't bad but I guess I was expecting barbecue, one of my favorite food groups, and got this.

The Mac and Cheese was good but I'm a fan of the Blue box. I grew up on the Blue box and when it's not gooey and drippy like the Mac and Cheese from the Blue box I feel a little disappointed.

The Collards were good.

(Hey, is that a garnish? That's fancy!)

Lesterhead got the Fried Chicken and, of course, I had to try it.

(She's small, I'm large and there's starving children in China! I can't let food go to waste! What would my mother say? Plus I need to have some so I can review it! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

The Candy Yams are awesome! Sweet and oh so good. I think I'm officially hooked on them.

The piece of Fried Chicken I had was okay. I thought it was a little dry. Then again, if you want Fried Chicken there's a Crown across the street.

(A review of all the neighborhood Crowns will be forthcoming and, no, they're not all the same.)

---

Overall, I liked Soule.

I thought the food wasn't bad and for the amount of food we got it was a decent price. I would probably get takeout from there -- they offer free delivery -- only Soulé is on all the way on Fulton and I'm closer to Myrtle.

(5 Spots and Ruthie's on Myrtle is closer to me and offers the same type of dishes. )

I seriously doubt I would ever "eat in" there again. The television and the music was just enough to turn me off from doing that again but, hey, don't let that stop you. If you like to dine to the "Classic Sounds of Sexy Soul" be my guest.

Chez Lola

/
Chez Lola
387 Myrtle Avenue
718-858-1484

"Chez Lola is Oskar's tall little sister. She is by no means a copy. Where Oskar is Bistro on the beaten path with classic decidedly French fair with butter & cream staple, Lola is Bistro off the beaten path, spilling over France's borders, (particularly to the south) with it's decidedly herb and olive oil staple.

She is a bit like the dark side of the moon..."

it's finally opened!
A view of the inside of Chez Lola.
Another view of the inside of Chez Lola.
A view of the garden seating from inside.
A view of the garden seating from outside.
The steamed little neck clams appetizer.
The assorted cheese terrine appetizer. The 12 oz sirloin steak. The spicy salmon burger.

Papillote.

Papillote opened.

Chocolate tart.

White chocolate and lavender bread pudding.

---

Do I really need to review this? Aren't the pictures enough? Lesterhead has given me the job of food reviewer so I feel I must write something to live up to my obligations. So here goes....First, I have a confession to make.I have been living in this area since 2002 and I've never been to Chez Oskar. I know, I know. It's one of the more popular places in the neighborhood and it's always packed but for some reason I've never felt like dining there.Probably because it's French.(And by this I mean super slow service ala Choice Market and, for those who can remember it, A Table. It once took an hour just to get our check at A Table. NOT good times.)

So having never eaten at Chez Oskar I cannot compare the two places.

On with the review...

Chez Lola just opened, with it's first official day of business being Thursday, September 7th, so things are still in a state of flux. They have not yet received their liquor license so it's BYOB until then and the menu will be expanded once things are a bit more settled. I think it's only dinner for now, they opened at 6pm tonight, with plans for a Sunday Brunch once the liquor license comes in. (No use getting brunch if you can't drink mimosas or bloody marys.)

The decor is great. The high ceilings, the colors and the paintings really give it that Bistro kind of feel. I immediately felt comfortable in this place. The garden is amazing. At the moment it's a bit dark with only the candles on the table giving off any illumination but lights will be strung up in the trees and fences to brighten it all up soon.

The food was wonderful.

The Littleneck Clams appetizer is highly recommended. The clams are served in a coconut curry broth so save some bread for dipping.

I had the 12oz Sirlion Steak, medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection. Very tender and very flavorful. The Freedom fries, okay - French fries since it is a French Bistro, were also the way I like them; fresh, small and crispy with a liberal amount of seasoning, and by seasoning I mean salt*, on them.

(*It's really ticks me off when you order Freedom fries and they don't come salted or barely have any salt on them. They need to be salted when they're hot! Don't you people watch the Food Network?)

The Mushrooms on top were tasty and offered a nice contrast of flavors but, honestly, they were kind of in my way of me consuming my steak.

As for the desserts...the Chocolate Tart was like eating a giant wedge of chocolate which is a good thing and drew no complaints.

The White Chocolate and Lavender Bread Pudding was good as well, you could actually taste the Lavender, but I liked the Chocolate Tart slightly better.

And the service? Couldn't have been better. Granted, it wasn't very crowded, but the staff was extremely friendly, very prompt and I got the check moments after asking for it.

(For a French place this is a big plus.)

I think Chez Lola's, like Oskar's, is going to be around for a long time.

Soule on Fulton

/

Caught a glimpse of a brand-new soul food restaurant on Fulton last week, called Soule. Staff seemed friendly and welcoming, and the space appeared to be well-designed. I haven't eaten there yet, but since I am on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N this week, it's likely that I'll stop by. Ever since Bodegas closed (RIP!), I've generally ignored Fulton. Instead, I default to Myrtle. I keep forgetting there are cool/intriguing things down there to check out, like Olivino and Boca Soul. Speaking of which, I wonder of Soule and Boca Soul will battle it out for patrons.

Mmmm...Toasty

/

There is this beautiful storefront on the corner of Grand and Myrtle. I was speculating on what it could become and had my very own wishlist going, hoping for something cool. Instead we got this:

Now I have nothing against Quiznos (except that I never thought the subs were that good, the whole "toasty" thing is way overrated and it's kind of pricey) but what a waste of a perfectly good location.

Ugh.

On the bright side, I walked past this store which is slated to open on September 4th.

"Who's Your Doggy", Premium Pet Food and Supplies, on the corner of Aldelphi and Willoughby Avenue.

Pet owners rejoice!

Fort Greene Stuff

/

Damn, there's a lot going on in this vicinity!! Over in the western corner of Fort Greene, SetSpeed reports on the turtle-esque progress of a new BBQ joint (opening where the Cambodian place used to be), as well as the irish pub slated to open next to Le Bagel Delight. This place was advertising broadcasting World Cup games, and it's STILL not open. Maybe they meant the 2008 World Cup? He ponders whether the pub points to the Murray Hill-ification of the 'hood. God, I hope not. I wonder how this'll fit in with the neighbors, and Moe's. The BBQ place definitely seems like a good choice for the area.

Both Clintoncentric and Brooklyn Record have clued us in on the former Italian restaurant on DeKalb that's been undergoing renovations. It's slated to be... Bonita! YESSSSSS. I do admit to the area already having some stellar Mexican (Pequena, Los Pollitos), but Bonita will be significantly closer to me than the other two. Depending on the quality of the guac, it might be tacked on to my list of regular dining options. (FYI, the original is in Williamsburg.)

My bad -- the pub and BBQ are both on South Elliott near Lafayette. Bonita is on DeKalb across from iCi.

Bistro Lafayette

/

Bistro Lafayette is the meeting place for the Bed-Stuy North Improvement Association. I figured that if people are planning on attending the meetings, Monday nights at 7:30pm, someone should review the food there. And since I like food... So, Bistro Lafayette.

My little ride parked outside as Marise opens up.
The inside of Bistro Lafayette.

It's located on 338 Franklin Avenue, not Lafayette Avenue as previously posted, between Greene and Lexington Avenues.

(Why is it called Bistro Lafayette? Wouldn't Bistro Franklin, Bistro Greene or Bistro Lexington be more appropriate? I guess Bistro is a French word and Lafayette is that famous French dude so maybe it does make sense. Anyway, I digress...)

On my first visit (more on this in a second) I took the recommendation of Marise, the very pleasant hostess, and ordered the Lafayette Burger, a burger with goat cheese and carmelized onions, for $8.

I was too excited that I got my food and took a bite before I remembered to take a picture. (Again.)

While the idea of goat cheese and carmelized onions sounds great on a burger there was something still...missing. Good idea, good ingredients but something keeped it from being "great". I couldn't really put my finger on it...and I probably could have figured it out but I got caught up in a really funny conversation with another patron and Marise that I totally forgot to take notes on the food.

An incomplete food review by me just wasn't going to cut it.

(Lesterhead's a real pain in the butt sometimes...)

So I went back the next day for breakfast.

Bistro eggs with a side of Turkey bacon.

This time I ordered the Bistro eggs for $5. (Eggs any style, toast, grits, fries or home fries.) I got my eggs over medium, passed on the grits (they get all over everything) and got some Turkey bacon on the side.

Turkey bacon was excellent, home fries were good but my eggs were a little overcooked. Eh. I'll live.

Now while I do have to say the food is just passable I would go back again because I had such a great time eating there. It's usually tough to eat alone in restaurants but I never felt like I was eating alone as the patrons and staff were all really nice and willing to engage in silly conversations.

It's really one of those nice neighborhood type of places that you can see yourself going back to again and again just because it's so friendly and comforting.

I just wish it was closer to me.

---

Bistro Lafayette 338 Franklin Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 230-4728

'Nabe Gossip: Cafe on St. James?

/

A neighbor of mine told me that he heard this renovation on St. James and Gates was slated to be a cafe on the ground floor! Apparently a friend of his climbed over the barricade to see what was up.

Renovation permits simply say "residence," and it just looks kind of unlikely to me. Sure would be nice to have a cafe over there, though.

***

Then I received another similar tip, and a plea to find out what's going on there.

So, Jay and I walked by again. This time, I climbed onto his shoulders and took a few pics over the wall. (See how I risk my safety for you all?)

The entire ground floor of the house is wide open. I'd say it's definitely NOT a "normal" home renovation -- almost certainly going to be some sort of retail space.

I have to make mention of the supercool zebra-masking tape grafitti:

I swear, I will get to the bottom of this. Stay tuned.

24-Hours in Clinton Hill

/

Thanks to those who brought the lack of 24-hour amenities to my attention via their comments in the last post. Funny -- this really bothered me when I first moved to CH from Hell's Kitchen, but I've become complacent and have forgotten how nice it is to have a place for drunken noshing (or, just noshing after you work late, etc). The amenity I most sorely miss is 24-hour pizza. I was thrilled to find Mario's pizzaria practically at my doorstop when I moved in, and boy was I disappointed the first night I cabbed it home drunk and hungry circa 3am.

I'm generally not much of a "night owl" myself, but the fact remains that after 10pm or so, there's not many simple services available. Food delivery also ends around this time. It's been more than once that I've gotten home late from traveling after a flight was delayed, only to find an empty refrigerator and no one willing to deliver. Bah.

What do you think we're lacking, as far as round-the-clock services?

(Or even extended hours services. Could the Associated on Waverly close any earlier, especially on Sundays?! By the time I decide what I need to make dinner, the gates are down. Damn them! Then I am reduced to unhealthy Chinese takeout, or a dinner of Triscuits and ice cream.)

Cafe Martino

/

So I had a chance to stop by Cafe Martino for breakfast this morning . I got the Breakfast Burritos (2) for $6.50 which was more like Breakfast soft tacos, but I'm not complaining. It was really good. I ordered mine with bacon -- they seemed to have run out of it and it looked like I got what was left. A discount was taken off my bill for it so it's all good. I would have preferred it being mentioned before hand so I could have switched it to something else that would clog my arteries but, again, I'm not complaining.

I apologize about the flash photography of the food but it's fairly dark inside Cafe Martino as the first picture shows. Oh, and the fresh salsa comes on the side but I was so excited I put it on my eggs before I remembered that I should photograph it...

The ice coffee was, in my opinion, very, very weak. Some people might love it -- everyone's got different preferences when it comes to coffee -- but I'm not a fan. I really like my coffee turbo-charged and this was far from it.

I do have to say that it's Uber-friendly in there. He knows almost all the regular customers by name and what they drink. A nice little touch in my opinion.

I'll be back - there's still more on the menu I want to eat. I'm just going to have to get the hot coffee or drink iced tea unless they amp up the octane on the iced coffee.

Cafe Martino 559 Myrtle Avenue (between Emerson + Classon) 718-636-3966

Urban Spring Springs into Business!

/

now open!I know this is firmly placed in Fort Greene, but for those of us who head to the park regularly (especially with dogs!), this place is RIGHT on the way, and has been slated to open for months. I think it'll provide a nice alternative to iced coffee.

Inside, the space is small but adorable. Props on the design choice for the ceiling lights!

urban spring juice bar

Staff seems supremely friendly and welcoming, which seems fitting for an organic juice establishment.

I stopped in this morning on my way home from the park with Mallow...

The owners, a husband (Gordon) and wife team, returned to Brooklyn after stints in Afghanistan (he working on Presidential elections and she in drug control). Finding it difficult to go back to 9-to-5 jobs, they decided to go into business for themselves. At first, they concentrated on green building, but when a storefront around the corner from them became available in April, they jumped at it.

They didn't want to be "just another coffee shop," and decided to focus on healthy juices and food.

I tried the avocado-banana smoothie in a bowl with granola (bowls are partially made from sugarcane and are fully biodegradable). I'm not normally into granola, but whatever they used was completely delish. The only drawback? It set me back $7.04. Totally worth $5, but $7 seemed a bit steep.

Then again, the high-ish prices may help pay for organic-natural products and supplies.

And here's the menu, if you're interested:

urban spring menu

Urban Spring 185 DeKalb Ave @ Carlton www.urbanspring.net

---

I had a chance to go into Urban Spring this morning and they must've had a busy opening weekend! Lots of items on the menu weren't currently available. Don't worry -- as I was leaving a delivery of fresh ingredients was being made.

I got the Acai smoothie which was very tasty.

And Robin's right, the lights are super cool.

IMG_5367.jpg BrooklynJay