focaccino-no-no

if your block is like mine, you've probably seen one or thirty of these in the past week or so:

looking at the menu, with the times square clip art photo and the "slick" graphics, my husband was sure that it was a chain; i wasn't so convinced. i checked their website, and my woman's intuition was right: poor design choices notwithstanding, this was a one-off business.

anyway, as it seems like mainly a order-in kind of place, i felt that i could do a review by calling for delivery and not feel like a slacker....

i called up, and it took me five redials to not get a busy signal, which made me first think "wow, they must be really busy, the food must be great!" and then think "busy signal?? what is this, 1988?".

when i finally got through i spoke to a very nice worker, who took my order for a personal-size plain pizza on whole grain dough and a family-size goat cheese focaccia and was totally accomodating when i asked to substitute grilled zucchini for the grilled eggplant on the focaccia. i was pretty psyched that they offered whole grain crust, it makes me feel like a better mother to order a whole grain pizza.

it arrived (quickly, bonus points), and we cracked open the boxes. the pizza looked fine...

...but wasn't a hit with any member of the family. the little guy thought the sauce was too spicy, we both thought it was too sweet. the whole wheat crust, though, was pretty good.

then we opened the big box to check out the focaccia:

i've eaten a fair amount of focaccia. i've even made focaccia. and every focaccia i've ever met before has looked...not like that. they've been at least 1/2-inch thick, doughy. so after staring at the thing in the box for a couple minutes, i decided that there must have been a mistake—maybe they thought i ordered a goat cheese pizza? also, what was up with the sundried tomatoes? i had a bite: it was dry and flavorless. so i gave them a call. i got the same very nice guy, who remembered me. he couldn't really answer anything about the sundried tomatoes, but told me that the thin dough was just "how they make it", that their focaccia was "pretty much like a pizza dough." which, okay, fine, if that's how they want to make their "focaccia", that's their prerogative. i just won't ever be ordering it again.

IcI's new dining room

This summer, while eating brunch in the garden at IcI, Mike and I tried to figure out just what the floor above the restaurant was used for, post-Sodafine. It looked totally empty, and yet we could see people walking around. I guessed IcI was using it as an office, but I guessed wrong: It's IcI's new private dining room, which opens tomorrow. It seats 40, and can be booked for private parties, and anything else you might want to do in an all-white room (even the floors are painted white apparently). I learned this from reading the Village Voice's food blog. (Just when you think the world can't sustain another food blogger, one tips you off to something good.) But I'm curious how much it is to rent. If anyone inquires (the contact info is: marion@icirestaurant.com, 646-460-3808) please do tell.

***Addendum: Thank you Kathryn Fox for reminding me of the blurb in NY mag's fall preview, that talked about the new space being turned into a take out place called "iCitotakehomewithyou." I can't find that mention online, either, though Brooklyn Record also reported rumors of it being turned into take-out place in front, wine and tapas place in back. More on exactly what this place has morphed into (and why) soon....

Mighty Expensive Breakfast

Spied this in the Pratt Coffee Shop window Sunday morning:

Really? Two dollars for a half grapefruit? Does it come with a side of diamonds?

Stonehome: Mixed Reviews

I're recently discovered The L Magazine blog, which to my surprise covers cool stuff all around the BK and NYC. I assumed that it was just a Williamsburg thing based on the name- doh. Anyhow, they've recently checked out Fort Greene's Stonehome Wine Bar, giving them mixed grades.

I've always had pleasant experiences there, but have not yet stopped in to experience the full dinner menu. Also humorous is the L's description of the patrons as "elderly" -- mid-late 30s.

Kinera II Review!

(I'm headed upstate early Wednesday morning for the holiday, so things'll be a bit quiet around here until Monday. Anyone wait on line at Jive Turkey today?) I haven't gotten around to checking out Kinera II on Myrtle yet, and have been slightly dissuaded by a less-than-favorable review I read on www.Clintonhill.us.

However, one of our neighborhood readers loves it, and typed up a superb review with a very positive spin. Thanks to "mizbrooklyn" for this contribution: KINARA. 368 Myrtle Ave / Corner of Adelphi Street

It isn't flashy, and it doesn't have an interior decorator, but my husband and I were eagerly anticipating Kinara's arrival anyway. We'd first discovered this tiny, design-challenged storefront when it opened up deep in Park Slope: it looked a bit gritty, but the Village Voice review taped to the window convinced us to give it a try ...in the middle of summer...with no airconditioning. We loved it, and left with bellies full of chickpeas and samosa. So we literally counted the days until Kinara's arrival in our neighborhood and ordered take-out that very week.

I'm happy to report that the wizardry in the kitchen hasn't suffered under expansion. The best deal, doubtless, is the $11.95 dinner special, which includes an appetizer, an entree, naan, rice, and assorted raita and chutney. One order is really quite enough for two, but we always end up ordering a couple of combinations, for variety's sake. I'm especially partial to the Aloo Papri ("snack w/ potatoes, chic peas, yogurt & chutney"): imagine a spicy chickpea salad...with fried, crispy potato-flour croutons...and two different dressings (a sweet/sour dressing, and a yogurt dressing). There's a lot going on in a dish like that, and it tastes especially good in winter, when you want a "salad" that sticks to your ribs. As an entree, the Tikka Masala is the real winner: super-tender spiced chicken dunked in a decadent sauce that a more modest restaurant might drizzle. In the post-e. coli world I hesitate to recommend spinach, but the Saag Panir is another good standby. Unlike many other Indian places, Kinara uses fresh spinach in their recipe, making for a brighter, tastier dish. A word of caution: Kinara's sweet and sour eggplant (an appetizer) may tempt you with the promise that "if you like eggplant - try this" -- but, well, don't. It is heavy and gooey and all around disappointing, both in Park Slope and Clinton Hill.

Sadly, when I walk down Myrtle, I often find Kinara mostly empty. I'm hoping business perks up soon - if not for sit-down service, than at least for Wednesday night takeout. Don't expect reduction sauces or artful presentation - just bring your appetite.

Have a restful holiday! We have LOTS of cool stuff in the works, and I am psyched.

PS- Why can I not figure out how to edit font and color of text in this post?? Sorry it looks crappy :(

67burger review....finally

67burger67 lafayette avenue at fulton (LAFU), ft. greene, brooklyn 11am-11pm daily 718.797.7150 www.67burger.com

after our thwarted first attempt, we headed back to 67burger on thursday (calling first to make sure they were actually open). my only problem was that my husband had nabbed our digital camera for the day, but i just picked up a disposable and we were on our way. and i took a bunch of lovely photos and didn't think i needed the flash...but turns out maybe i did...so i don't have as many as i would have liked, and the ones i do have are a little art-house-y. enjoy!

so all in all, 67burger gets a thumbs up. they are clearly still ironing out the kinks, but there were enough positives that i would gladly go back again. in fact, my lunch date already has.

first of all, the space: it's long and narrow, with a minimalist garage thing happening—blue and gray striped cement walls, garage doors at the front and back, stainless steel accents, and very stylish ceiling fans.

the very open kitchen takes up the majority of the western wall, with the counter to the front of it and the restrooms to the rear, and the tables line the eastern wall.

there are some drawbacks. when you're standing at the counter ordering, you're pretty much blocking the only aisle in the place, so anyone who needs to get to the rest of the restaurant—to a table, to the restroom—has to squeeze past you. not too comfortable for anyone. and when we first sat down, it was LOUD in there. the front garge door was open and the street noise was pouring in and bouncing off the concrete walls and floor.... but as more tables filled up, the bodies muffled the din and it was fine.

so, the food: my lunch date ordered the cheeseburger, with cheddar cheese and avocado (they were out of avocado, alas) and a chocolate shake.

we split an order of curly fries, which came in a cool metal wire basket lined with butcher paper.

the kids got the hot dog kids meal and the grilled cheese kids meal, both of which came with regular fries.

then i ordered. okay, tell me what you think: the burger portion of the menu starts with "beef burger", then "cheeseburger", then a few specialty burgers; i.e. the parisian burger, whose description reads "sauteed mushrooms, onions, and dijon mustard." then "turkey burger", then "veggie burger", then the "greek garden", whose description reads "artichokes, feta, olives." this is what i order. when it arrives, it is artichokes, feta, and olives...on a veggie burger. i thought it was going to be artichokes, feta, and olives on a beef burger. was that crazy of me? if it had said "greek veggie", there would have been no question what it was. but as it was....

in any case, they should offer the "greek garden" on a beef burger, because it was one of the best burgers i've ever eaten. the burger itself was exactly how i like them, relatively thin rather than so fat you can't get a comfortable bite. and as my lunch date pointed out, the burgers were crumbly and roughly shaped, so definitely not from pre-formed patties. they were cooked well too—the medium rare was nice and crispy/charred on the outside and pink in the middle. the buns are soft but not airy or tasteless.

the curly fries seems to have possibly come from the freezer, but that didn't make them any less tasty. the regular fries could have been hand-cut, though; they were slightly irregularly shaped and had bits of skin on them. and a big plus: the ketchup comes in big red platic squeeze bottles, which are so much easier to deal with than glass bottles. if they would only put squeeze bottles of mustard on the tables too, it would be a perfect world.

the milkshakes were thick and delicious, and mine (i got a vanilla) tasted very much like it was made with breyer's ice cream, yum. speaking of beverages, 67 has a nice beer selection on tap: stella artois, sierra nevada, magic hat #9, and bass.

and while they're still definitely getting their act together, the service is great. all the employees are friendly and seem to actually care. they replaced my garden burger with a beef burger with amazing speed and apologies (and said they would reword the menu to make it clearer...). and just as the kids were about to get antsy, someone appeared with paper placemats and crayons.

at $6.25 for the cheapest burger and $2.95 for the fries, it's not a cheap lunch. but the ingredients seem fresh, everything is prepared to order, and it's delicious.

ps - when my lunch date returned with her husband, they both got bacon cheeseburgers and split the onion rings, and said that the bacon was crispy and the onion rings were thin and nicely beer-battered, and didn't suffer from that awful issue of the whole onion slipping out from the coating in the first bite....

Bonita II we heart you

Ah, it feels good to have Bonita in the hood. We have been anxiously awaiting its opening, so it makes sense that Mike, me and fellow CHBers Lesterhead and Hey Mama would eat there as soon as they would have us (Lesterhead's friend Marina was also in attendance). Since I don't want to judge the food or service on opening night (or perhaps until the smell of fresh paint disappears) I'm really only going to comment on the decor/difference between Bonita I and II. Two words: full bar. Co-owner Mark Firth, who was tending bar, filled us in on why Bonita I doesn't have a full liquor license: midway through building, they noticed a church next door. So, only beer and wine for them, but they stuck the grill behind the bar, and made the cooks the main attraction. We'll miss watching our carnitas sizzling on the griddle before us, but the full menu of tequillas (there must be at least 20) is a sweet consolation. The house margarita was smooth and frothy, and mike's harbanero-infused sauza tequilla had a great kick. Now, I guess we'll just have to wait until they open a second Diner and Marlow + Sons. Apparently they love this hood. The feeling is mutual.

Lesterhead's Review + Photos:

Clintoncentric is right -- you can still smell the fresh paint inside, and the joint is already packed! Welcome to the 'hood.

Jay was not able to join us, so I'll do my best to do a BrooklynJay-style review.

First: I reeallly like the inside. Love the subway tiles and the mosaics. It was a lot smaller than I'd hoped though, but I suppose it's better for them to have a packed house than a lot of empty tables.

I had one gripe straightaway. I requested a table for five to three different employees, and then ended up at a table for a MAX of four. The Clintoncentric team was stuck at the bar until I weasled my way into two small tables pushed together near the back bench seating, with (barely) enough room for all of us. Thankfully, my crankiness was soothed as I already had a tasty margherita in-hand.

I've (lesterhead) actually been the only one at CHB who knows everyone else, so hey mama and Clintoncentric met one another in person for the first time last night!

Of course, we started with the guac and chips. (duh) My first taste was a little disappointing, but once I dug deeper, I could taste the fresh cilantro and citrus - tasty! Still, I think Los Pollitos has one up on the overall superiority of the guacamole.

We all ordered something different, so we could taste and compare.

All of the food took awhile to come out, but mine took really long. Like 20 minutes or so after everyone else received their dinners.

Thankfully I was on my second margherita and wasn't too concerned about it.

Plus, I tasted some of Marina's chicken enchilada and one of Mike's pork tacos while I waited. Both fresh and delicious. The side order of plantains was crusted in garlic (yum), but also seemed a tad dry. A little sauce might have done wonders.

The waitress swung by to let us know all the food would be 30% off due to the kinks of opening night. Points regained after the severe delay of my dinner for acknowledging the problem early on.

I had the fish tacos, which were soooo worth the wait. The fried fish was piping hot, and the sauce, whatever it was, was the perfect compliment. Plus, it was LOADED with fresh cilantro, my most-favorite herb ever. I seem to remembering having ordered this at the Wmsbg location, but I don't remember them being THIS GOOD.

We ordered one of each of the three desserts: rice pudding, tres leches and flan.

My personal favorite was the rice pudding, but I don't think the table shared my opinion. The problem with having all three desserts was the competing flavors. I happened to try the rice pudding first, which was cinnamon-y and mild, but it did taste kind of funny after preceding with a bite of the supersweet tres leches.

Yes, there were some major-ish service glitches, but the staff seemed to be all over it, and making sure they were attentive to at least most of the diners. Plus, for opening night, the place was packed. The food is superfresh, and it was a great night in the hood with good friends. Plus, the clientele was really mixed -- families, young people, old people. I have confidence that they'll iron out the kinks.

When we left around 9pm, there was a crowd waiting outside just to get in! I'd say the excitement rivaled the TomKat wedding/sightings of their automaton infant!

Afterwards, we debated a nightcap at either the Navy Yard Lounge or the proported new bar on Waverly south of Fulton, but in the end we called it a night. Those are adventures for other nights!

hey mama adds....

i thought about ordering a margarita too, but went with the sangria instead (am just creeping back into the world of alcohol after 3 years of pregnancy/breastfeeding, and not sure if i'm ready for tequila yet....). it was good, not outstanding. i thought the guac was excellent, really fresh and light with just the right amount of heat. and the plantains, though definitely dry, were delicious—they could even be saved by just putting a lime on the plate to squeeze on top....

i went with the chiles rellenos, which were stuffed with mild cheese and sat in a pool of tomato broth with some big chunks of potato in it. it all come together really well, letting the heat of the chiles be present but not overwhelming. yum.

oh and the three homemade salsas were great: the chipotle was smoky and rich, the tomatillo was fruity and tangy, and the supposedly "really hot" green chile wasn't mouth-searing but hot enough and with good flavor.

my favorite dessert was also the rice pudding, though it was tough to appreciate the subtlety of it after the sweeeeet tres leches cake. the flan was....eh. just eh.

i also loved the look of the space: the mosaics, the park-bench-esque banquettes, the subway tiles. just lovely. they were smart to keep the decor so simple in the small space. i also dug that they were able to create three distinct seating areas (four if you count the bar) in the small space.

can't wait to go back for a harbenero margarita when i'm back up to full speed...

What's New On Myrtle (Small Update)

Just made a quick stop into Castro's on Myrtle and notice that they've been redecorating and it's starting to look really nice inside. Much better atmosphere now for dining in. Also noticed that this sign:

Where the Gardens use to be. Boiling Kettle LLC?? Hmmm...another bar or a restuarant? Boiling Kettle doesn't sound very "bar-like" does it? Anyone got any info on this?

Saw a new store front and new apartments (?) next to El Cofre (Good Cubanos too).

Wonder what's going to open up in there.

And last but not least, a sneak peek at the Bank of America.

Looks very "bank-ish". (And I should know - I work for a bank.)

Brooklyn Jay

Friday Photo

Children watch pizzas being made at Graziella's on Vanderbilt

Photo by David Velez

(Vanderbilt between DeKalb and Willoughby)

SCH Meeting Recap

Thanks to Russell from RePop for reporting back on Wednesday's meeting.  Here's a recap, in his own words: The Society for Clinton Hill General Membership Meeting at St. Lukes was interesting  but I didn't realize we were going to have to speak so my nerves took up most of my attention span.  But, it was a fantastic opportunity for people in the hood to become acquainted with each other and the new businesses that have opened up here in the last few years, some of which I had never heard of before.  We all took turns presenting a speech about our businesses, why we chose Clinton Hill, and what we feel our responsibility is to the neighborhood.

All of the vendors listed below set up tables showcasing their wares. The restaurants offered samples of food.  We of course over did it with a crazy Victorian display providing an example of just about everything we carry, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Chairs and the large folding screen.  (why we insisted upon transporting the entire store....i'll never know)

Hakeem Jeffries, our New York State Assemblyman was the guest speaker and conducted a brief question and answer period about the changes happening to the neighborhood, specifically focusing on the positive in the gentrification of Clinton Hill, as it seems to be a community that can marry change and remain a "community."  "If we keep our dollars IN the community."

In attendance were the following new businesses (in addition to RePOP): Beezu Children's Clothing (CUTE!  I WISH THEY MADE THESE CLOTHES IN MY SIZE) Choice Market Clinton Hill Hardware Crunch Fitness (WHY?????????????????????????????) Embora Wellness & Movement Studio (you definitely HAVE to talk to these people - yoga, fitness, acupuncture, massage and personal training) Head Over Heels (hot shoes and couture) L'Epicerie du Quarter (yummy quiche!) Madiba (delicious crab cakes and to die for samosas) The Outpost  (way cute manager) Rice (not new) Tillie's (not so new either - 10 year anniversary party to be announced soon) Urban Spring (organic cafe) 4W Circle of Art & Enterprise  (one of 20 national African American based performance and exhibition venues - open to all and rental of space available for let's say - DANCE) Yu (high end midcentury modern)

Wish I could report more, but that is the gist of it.  Oddly enough, after unloading the van, we ended the evening at Reign which was hosting it's second Gay Wednesday party.  People did not start arriving at the club until well after midnight, but it actually was GAY.  Carl and I were the caucasian representatives and i was the only one who actually danced on that amazing lighted floor.  My bad ass white boy moves managed to clear the upstairs club (LOL) so we retired downstairs for one last drink and hit the hay.  (Isa was Sexxxy Back by the way in ripped fish nets and black cape!)

Thanks, Russell!

Bonita: Lo Siento!

Sorry, guys. It looks like Bonita was only open to friends + family tonight.  CRAP.  I hear the "real" opening is Friday.  Sorry to lead you astray.

A few notes unrelated to this:

• I had no idea Kum Kau was so good and popular.  I need to go asap.
• Are you a local photographer (amateur or profesh)?  I'm going to keep up the Friday Photo posts, so if you'd like your pic featured, just email it to us with whatever credit info/link.  Make sure it's taken in CH, Wallabout, Ft Greene or the western edges of Bed-Stuy.
• Did you go to the SCH meeting tonight?  If so, email me with details.
• I personally will not be posting tomorrow because I am having Lasik.  Hopefully one of my compadres will come up with something witty in my place.
• Glad you liked David's interview.  There will be more long-term-resident interviews coming as soon as my eyes heal.

lafu lunch

brooklyn jay handed me the assignment of reviewing 67 burger (67 lafayette @ fulton, next to corcoran), since it is currently only open till 4pm, and he works a day job, whereas i lead the leisurely life of a stay-at-home-mom. so we headed over around noon today, and were greeted by this:

boo! but we were also greeted by the very nice manager whose name i can't remember (ed? sorry!), who explained the follwoing to us: the noon–4pm hours had been their soft opening, and they had found a few things that they wanted to tweak before they opened for real. they are very happy with the quality of the food, but less pleased with how service was flowing. they're paying special attention to this aspect since they know that there has been some talk lately about the low quality of service in local restaurants (ahem!). so they are switching over from waitstaff service to counter service only, which i agree makes a lot more sense for the kind of place that 67 burger seems to be. they should be open again tomorrow or friday at the latest, and we will return....

but in the meantime we had to eat lunch, and i was determined to review something, dammit, so we hoofed up the street to la bagel delight (73 lafayette, next to mullane's). and all in all, it was...really good. the moms split a grilled chicken with broccoli rabe and fresh mozarella on focaccia:

the chicken was passably moist, the broccoli rabe wasn't overcooked, and the foccacia was great, flakey yet dense. very happy. the kids split wild rice with grilled vegetables....

...and pasta salad with mozarella and tomatoes...

...which was a little too vinegar-y, but i'd rather have too much vinegar than too much oil.

but what pushed this place from "mediocre" to "really good" was the guys behind the counter who, while mindful of the fact that most people in there are on their lunch break and need to get in and out quickly, are just plain sweet. smiling, joking, genuinely nice. they even gave us free cookies for the kids (but don't tell the kids that, since they never saw one little crumb of them, no sugar high before nap, thanks).

and look—if you get a bunch of bagels to take home, they give you a handy carrying case that you can reuse the next time you need to take your cat to the vet!

my only complaint? lack of a restroom. i know it's mostly a to-go kind of joint, but if you're gonna have tables, you should have a rest room.

SCH Events This Week

1. Society for Clinton HillNew Business FAIR Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 – 9:00 PM St. Luke's Church Parish House 259 Washington Ave. (between Dekalb/Willoughby)

Come meet our area merchants, hear about their businesses and view or sample their wares. It's a great opportunity to sign-up for a fitness program, get new ideas for holiday gifts, and try some special foods. Support our local merchants! Merchants include (among others):

Beezu Children's Clothing Madiba Restaurant Burger 67 Peace of Mind Books Choice Market The Outpost Clinton Hill Hardware Repop Vintage Gallery Crunch Fitness Center Rice Restaurant Embora Wellness Studio Tillie's Coffee Shop Head Over Heels Urban Spring L'Epicerie du Quarter 4W Circle of Art Yu

Word has it that there will be some interesting demonstrations of how to whittle that waist, some great discount coupons, delicious food samples and much more.

See you there!

2. COME TO THE COMMUNITY FORUM ON ATLANTIC YARDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 7 PM HANSON PLACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (Hanson Place and Saint Felix Street)

Join your neighbors for a community meeting on the Atlantic Yards arena and high-rise development proposal.

FEATURING:

* An update on the Federal eminent domain lawsuit and other legal challenges. * City Hall and Albany update from elected leaders * A presentation by the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods on the environmental impacts the project would have. * Q&A session

INVITED SPEAKERS:

* Incoming 57th District Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries * 44th District Assemblyman Jim Brennan * 52nd District Assemblywoman Joan Millman * 18th District Senator Velmanette Montgomery * City Councilwoman Letitia James

SPONSORED BY: Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association • Bergen Street Block Association • Brooklyn Bears Community Garden • The Brooklyn Christian Times • Brooklyn Vision • Carroll Street Block Association (5th-6th Ave.) • Dean Street Block Association (4th-5th) • Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn • East Pacific Block Association • Fifth Avenue Committee • Fort Greene Association • Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus • Park Slope Neighbors • Pratt Area Community Council • Prospect Place Block Association Atlantic Yards Task Force • Sierra Club • South Oxford Street Block Association • South Portland Block Association • The Society for Clinton Hill • Times Up! • Warren St. Marks Community Garden • Reverend David Dyson, Pastor of Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church

(Note: The Business Fair sounds cool. I may try to stop by before I dine at Bonita!)

Chez Lola Revisited

Chez Lola

387 Myrtle Avenue

Ft. Greene, Brooklyn

(718) 858-1484

www.bistrolola.com

cash only

---

(link to the original review is here.)

LOOK! A BAR!

The Vegetable Parcel

Steamed Manila Clams

Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper

Grilled Pork Chops

Guitarra Pasta

Libby Hillmans Crunchy Meringue Pie

White Chocolate Lavender Bread Pudding

Chocolate Tart

---

I had such a wonderful meal and experience at Chez Lola last time that I'm actually surprised that I haven't been back sooner. I always wanted to go back but with so many new places opening up, so many old places I haven't reviewed, I just never really had the time.

Well, luckily, I had some time this Friday and had another wonderful meal and enjoyable dining experience.

The first thing I noticed was the bar. FINALLY. Which means a brunch will be starting up soon.

(We were informed that they are finalizing the brunch menu and will begin serving brunch on Sunday, November 19th but I would call first and check before going. They will then begin opening up for lunch shortly after.)

We ordered the clams as an appetizer again and this time it didn't come with any (Freedom) Fries and the clams seemed a lot smaller. Still, it was very tasty and I remember to save some bread to dip into the broth. Good stuff.

The Vegetable Parcel appetizer was an interesting combination of eggplant, tomato, zucchini and a portobello mushroom. Very unique and also quite tasty.

I ordered the Grilled Pork Chops (*But I only got one pork chop. Shouldn't it then be called Grilled Pork Chop?) and it was really good. About an inch thick, juicy and very flavorful. I would have like a couple of more potatoes, and I could've done without the cooked tomato (cooking them makes them mushy) but overall I was happy with my selection.

(As you can see.)

I tasted the Guitarra Pasta and it was okay. Just okay. It's pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic bread crumbs, fresh tomatoes and herbs. It's a very light dish but I felt like something was missing from it that kept it from being more than just okay.

I also tasted the Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper. The little taste that I had was very good. The fish was well prepared from what I can tell. (Maybe Lesterhead can write a review on the fish since she was the one who ordered it.)

The Chocolate Tart seemed to have been made with a dark chocolate and had that dark chocolate bitterness to it. Also the crust and the creaminess of the filling seemed...off. Like two textures that didn't quit go together. It seemed very different from the last time I was there. Not a happy change in my opinion.

The Libby Hillmans Crunchy Meringue Pie was interesting. Not sure how to describe it but it's obviously not a traditional Meringue pie. I can't tell if I liked it or not. Hm. Gonna have to go back and try it again.

Overall, I'd say it was another nice dining experience at Chez Lola.

Oh, I recently read that people have been having service problems with several restuarants in the area. Our service was prompt, friendly and attentive. No problems here.

One last thing - Chez Lola is offering a Prix Fixe meal. While the choices are very limited it's still a very good 3 course meal for the price of $23 per person. At that price there's no reason not to give it a try.

Brooklyn Jay

Bonita: Update

I've heard from multiple sources that opening night will be November 15 -- next Wednesday! SEE YOU THERE.

BONITA: UPDATE

Just walked past, the the sign is up outside, all lit up! Is the opening drawing near??

Chicken-n-Waffles?

A reader tipped me off to this restaurant set to open in the former home of Karen's Body Beautiful.

I first discovered the wonder that is chicken and waffles At Mike's Coffee Shop. Who knew such a combo could be so wonderful?

The sign says it's opening in October. It's now November. Liquors on DeKalb still has a sign in the windows claiming they'll reopen in spring. Spring 2006 -- you know, six months ago. Maybe this place means October 2007, which is pretty much how openings work around here.

The Smoke Joint

The Smoke Joint87 South Elliott Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-797-1011

---

I love BBQ.

It's one of my favorite food groups.

So when I heard that the Smoke Joint was opening in the LaFu* I was ECSTATIC.

But I was also a little wary.

BBQ is one of those simple foods in concept but very difficult in execution. There has been a lot of BBQ places that have opened up, mostly in the city, and very few have managed to do it right.

Luckily, the Smoke Joint does it right.

(*I will continue to call the area around Lafayette and Fulton LaFu until it sticks. I'm stubborn, even a little stupid, like that.)

The inside of the Smoke Joint is very sparse in decor. Just a few wooden tables and some lights and a view of the very open kitchen where you can easily spot Craig and Ben busily preparing the food. I really like that as it's like built in entertainment - and they are both extremely friendly and willing to talk to the customers. I thought that was a nice touch and definitely made it feel like a "neighborhood" place.

Craig hard at work.

Full slab of ribs.

So nice I took it twice.

The Brisket.

The Smoke Joint's dining system is cafeteria style. You look at what's on the board, you place your order and you sit down. No waiter/waitress service here but there were a couple of runners to bring the food to your table as well as assisting the diners with anything they needed like sauces, more napkins, etc. They even have plastic utensils instead of real silverware.

All this is more than okay with me.

BBQ is not fancy dining.

It's messy dining and this was set up for you to get down and dirty.

And boy did I get down and dirty.

The meal started off with what I thought was going to be a small tasting plate. Just something to tie me over as I waited for the rest of my party. It consisted of (Freedom) Fries shaken with jointrub ($2), Brooklyn Wings ($7) and Tips and Bits ($7).

Oh.

My.

God.

The jointrub on the fries gave it a nice spicy-ish flavor making it like "a BBQ potato chip, only better" as one diner commented.

The Tips and Bits were amazing. One of my favorites of the night.

The Brooklyn Wing were plentiful, I think I got 7 or 8 in my order, and flavorful but not very spicy. A quick dip into one of the hot BBQ sauces, Hollapeno or Hotbanero - I'm not sure which, took care of that little problem.

The above alone could have been a meal as it was quite a bit of food for the price.

But I'm here for BBQ and BBQ means Meat and by Meat I mean RIBS.

Pork Ribs.

Mmmm...Pork.

So I got a half slab of the Spare Rack ($10) along with the Corn on the Cob ($2).

The ribs are of the dry rubbed variety and cooked to perfection. There's a selection of BBQ sauces you can choose from, Ben was nice enough to bring our table a tasting of all of them for us to try, and I have to say that my favorites were the Jointsmoke and the Brown Sugar-Chile. While the hot BBQ sauces were good my personal preferences is towards the sweeter flavored sauces.

I tried some of the Baby (Got) Backs ($9) and I have to say I thought the Baby's were slightly better. A little smaller, a little leaner but a little more tender in my opinion. It's really close and neither one will disappoint but if I had to go with one over the other I'd get the Baby (Got) Backs.

At this point I was about to explode so some of the other meals on the table - the Brisket, the Hacked and Stacked Chicken sammich, the Hacked and Stacked Pork sammich along with the Mac and Cheese and coleslaw - I didn't get a chance to try but there's always next time.

And, oh yes, there will be a next time.

And since everything can't be positive...my complaints are that the napkins are kind of flimsy, you'd need like a hundred to get through a meal, and I would like a few wet naps afterwards.

And maybe a bib as I happened to get BBQ sauce all over my shirt.

The Smoke Joint 87 South Elliott Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-797-1011 www.thesmokejoint.blogspot.com

Smoke Joint Goodness

Thanks, SetSpeed, for hooking your readers up with The Smoke Joint's new blog/website. BklnJay and I are scheduled to dine there tomorrow. YUM.

we've got questions, we've got answers

if you're a loyal reader, you'll remember that about a month ago lesterhead posted a shot of that beautiful blue storefront on myrtle ave and wondered what might become of it.... well wonder no more! thanks to a hot tip from the local playground gossip ring, we can now confirm that come 2007, that storefront will be housing something that is defintely cool, useful, and independent: it will be the new home of the pillow cafe.

if you're not familiar with the pillow, it's a fantastic spot that's been on myrtle over in fort greene between adelphi and clermont for the past 2-1/2 years. they serve awesome muffins, fantastic sandwiches (the egg salad, with sliced hard-boiled egg and capers, is a local legend), nice big cups of tea, and the "best coffee", according to a coffe-drinking friend of mine (i'm a tea lady myself).

they are emigrating to clinton hill for the prospect of a bigger and better location, where they will have a playspace for kids and a backyard. woohoo! the menu will remain pretty much the same, except that they'll add brunch, and will have a liquor license. and, as they do in their current location, they'll have wi-fi. (internet, beer + wine, and a place to stick the kid? it's a parent's dream.) and apparently the space is just as beautiful inside as it is outside---they said that every time they go in, they stop and gasp and realize all over again how gorgeous it is.

they're hoping to be in their new digs in january, so keep an eye out, then go on in and welcome them to the hood....

edited to add: realized i forgot to give the exact location when i first posted this: the beautiful blue storefront is on the north side of myrtle between ryerson and grand (hall and emerson, from the south side), across from the blockbuster.