Xmas Tree Reuse

Still have your tree around at home? This weekend, you can drop it off at Ft. Greene Park, where it will be turned into mulch for the park. You can even bring your own bag to bring some mulch back home. I wish the park would offer to do a tree pickup, as it would be kind of a pain to drag the prickly tree for several blocks. There are SO many trees on the street now waiting for the trash pickup (though I do think the city mulches them anyway). Anyway, if you're interested in donating your tree to the park, here's the info I received from them:

MulchFest Drop off in Fort Greene Park is Saturday January 6 and Sunday January 7. Sunday January 7, 2007, 12 noon to 4 PM, a Chipper machine will be in the park making the mulch. PLEASE NOTE: All lights, ornaments, and decorations must be removed from the trees prior to drop-off. Participants will be able to take wood chips and/or mulch home from chipping site. Jeff Sandgrund, Park Manager will have staff in the park Saturday and Sunday to ensure that people are dropping off their trees in the right spot.

Ten reasons to participate in MulchFest: 1) recycling is good for the environment 2) contribute your tree and help maintain the park 3) keep your holiday decorations working for you and the community by mulching 4) get free mulch for your own garden (bring bags) 5) get to know more about the park and the FGPC 6) introduce kids to the ecological systems in nature 7) get exercise by hauling your tree to the park 8) meet neighbors 9) get free hot chocolate on Sunday during the Chipper session. 10) see how big your neighbor's tree was

High-End Hair #1

(burzh-wa) is open on Myrtle! (352 Myrtle bt Carlton and Adelphi)

Looks like this is the African-hair high-end salon, and Joseph Tyler will be the Caucasian hair chi-chi spot.

A quick Google search proves fruitless, so I guess they don't have a website yet. Looks nice -- I like the signage and the lighting. Anyone been yet? Care to review?

Year-End Donations

There's less than a week left to sneak in tax deductions, and I myself have a whole bag full of clothing to donate. You know, making room for all the new pants I need post-cookie binging.A few years ago when I first came to Clinton Hill, I tried to find a local charity looking for clothing donations.  At the time, I also hoped to find something walkable due to my lack of a car.  I had a very difficult time finding something.  I started by emailing Leticia James, who gave me the contact info for someone at S.N.A.P.  That woman unenthusiastically referred me to a local organization that provides housing and education for teen mothers.  THAT contact was even more difficult to get a hold of, and then couldn't provide a pick-up for the goods.  This is one of the most frustrating aspects of material donation in NYC -- getting the stuff there!

Since inheriting a car, I've been dropping off clothing donations at the Goodwill at 1100 Fulton (bt Classon and Franklin).  They have a huge collection bin and a donation desk right inside for easy receipt pickup. There's also a Salvation Army near Broken Angel, but I've never been inside.

Aside from these two standbys, are there any neighborhood-specific organizations accepting clothing (or furniture/housewares) donations?

Coffee + Croissant Comparison

An anonymous Clinton Hill fan recently set out on a quest to discover the best coffee/croissant combo in the nabe (based on both pricing and taste). She's kindly sent us her analysis: When I first moved to Clinton Hill in the beginning of 2001, the only café in the area was Tillie’s. Now, there are a lot more options, so I decided to venture out for my morning calories and try some of them. My goal was to procure a croissant and a large cup of coffee and compare availability, price, service and taste.

Connecticut Muffin, Friday, 9:30am Availability: Yes. Price: $3.85. Service: Friendly staff. Taste: OK croissant and very burnt-tasting coffee, which is a shame because they give lots of it (20oz). Comments: No line.

strong>Choice Market, Sunday, 10:01am Availability: Yes. Price: $3.25. Service: They are too harried to say hello or even look you in the eye. Taste: Excellent and fresh for both coffee and croissant. Comments: As always, this place is mobbed! I don’t understand it. The food (sandwiches, pastries, etc.) is good but expensive, and they have sometimes messed up my order in the past. However, I am pleasantly surprised that my croissant and large coffee (160z) comes to $3.25, which I predict will be the lowest price of all the cafés. Except for the horrid line, I am very happy.

Smooch, Monday, 9:45am Availability: Yes/No. Price: $5.75. Service: Friendly, but very slow. Just because they are slow period doesn’t mean I don’t need to rush to work. Taste: Excellent and fresh. Comments: This newcomer has an earthy collegiate ambiance, so I am shocked at my total price for a muffin (they didn’t have croissant) and a large coffee. The coffee takes a while to make (and I was the only one in line waiting for anything) and is small (12oz) for a large size. It’s good coffee, though; it’s possible I was given an Americano. Even though it’s not what I wanted, they have interesting muffin flavors; I got granola-pear. Drink card—free coffee after you buy 10.

Tillie’s, Tuesday, 10:45am Availability: Yes. Price: $4.25. Service: Fair. Taste: Not so much. Comments: It’s been years since I ventured into Tillie’s for coffee purposes, so I am looking forward to trying them again, hoping to have a better experience. I am pleased that they have a choice of coffees that appears to change daily. I go for the house blend, because the barista says it is the darkest roast of the two they are offering. The total is $4.25. The croissant is decent. The large coffee is generous (20oz) but not good. (I’m beginning to see a trend, the larger the cup, the worse the coffee). Unfortunately, it tastes like watery dirt, even when I put cream in it. This is why I stopped going to Tillie’s for coffee in the first place. Drink card—free coffee after you buy 10.

Grand 275, Wednesday, 11:00am Availability: Yes. Price: $3.48 (normally $3.85). Service: Terrific, friendly and swift. Taste: Fair. Comments: The staff is always friendly and this morning is no exception. They’re out of regular coffee (they also offer hazelnut) and offer me a large coffee—that was missing about around an ounce or two of its 16oz size—at the medium-size price. So I pay $3.48 instead of the usual $3.85 for my breakfast. The croissant is fresh but doughy. The coffee is a good, solid cup, and before I leave, they top me off with some fresh brewed coffee. That’s some neighborhood “gets-to-know-all-their-customers” service. All-in-all, another happy coffee run.

Brown Betty Café, Thursday, 11:00am Availability: Yes. Price: $3.70. Service: Gruff. Taste: Fair. Comments: This place has a very appealing interior decor, but you have to wade through our local drug trade to get there. This actually sounds worse than it is, but if you’re female, I recommend wearing a coat that covers your ass for a more enjoyable stroll. 16oz large coffee.

Marquet Patisserie, Friday, 9:45am Availability: Yes. Price: $3.15. Service: Friendly and swift. Taste: Fair. Comments: Despite this café’s quaint name, good location and nice interior atmosphere with friendly service, the croissant and coffee (16oz for a large) are only average, albeit fresh. I expected more with such a set-up. But what pushes this place into my top three is the price, the winner in that category at $3.15.

There are other places I have yet to try: Pillow Café on Myrtle and Le Gamin on Vanderbilt, for example. But for now, I feel I’ve sampled the goods within the radius where I spend most of my time.

I am shocked at who I feel is the best overall place—Choice Market (perhaps this explains the lines). When they moved into Clinton Hill, I was unhappy because I felt their Soho vibe was out of character with the neighborhood, but now I feel they are a nice addition to the neighborhood.

If you’re a coffee-fueled foodie, you’ll probably enjoy Choice or Smooch. For value, try Marquet or Choice. For quantity but not taste, try Tillie’s or Connecticut Muffin.

However, for me, Grand 275 was my favorite. It wasn’t the cheapest or the best tasting. But their solid cup of joe, super friendly atmosphere and lack of frenetic lines make it my destination of choice for a coffee, either to go or to sit and sip. Thanks! I'd add Outpost Lounge to this list as well. Hopefully our coffee/croissant fan will expand this review in the coming weeks, esp once Pillow moves to its new location.

TOMORROW: Ft. Greene PUPS Holiday Coffee

Hi PUPS folks, This Saturday is the PUPS annual Holiday Coffee in Fort Greene Park. That means free coffee (donated by Starbucks), free muffins and other goodies (donated by Tillie's), and free dog treats (donated by Who's Your Doggy). Come on out to the park and enjoy a little holiday cheer with your fellow dog owners (and toast the recent off-leash ruling).

Saturday is also your last chance to buy the 2007 PUPS calendars in the park before Christmas. We're asking for a $10 donation per calendar, and this money goes right into the PUPS fund to help keep those popular bag dispensers filled. So buy a calendar--they make great gifts.

If you can't make it to the park on Saturday, the PUPS calendars are for sale at Tillie's, Who's Your Doggy, and Kiki's.

See you Saturday!

Kath www.fortgreenepups.org

Buddhist Meditation in Ft. Greene

Need to chill out this holiday season? Try meditation in Fort Greene! Coordinated by the Vajradhara Meditation Center

Stillness Within – The Power of a Peaceful Mind

Sundays 7:30-9pm December 10^th & 17^th

Lucky Lotus Yoga – 184 Dekalb Ave. Brooklyn , NY 11238

Tree Hunt

On Saturday, I began my hunt for a Christmas tree. I had hoped for a Scotch Pine, but none were to be found. Instead, I settled for a lovely short-needle tree from the lot at the church on Clinton and Lafayette:

They also have gorgeous wreaths, starting at $20:

I also spied a tree lot on Myrtle between Washington and Hall:

Their selection didn't look as robust, but it was early in the morning.

There is also a lot on Washington just north of Myrtle, but their trees were locked up early in the day behind a fence-thing, so I can't speak to the selection.

Need a GIANT tree? Try Gardel's Garden on South Portland. Last year, Bishop Laughlin HS also set up an enormous lot on Lafayette. The workers were super friendly, and even gave me a free bag of pine branches towards the end of the month. Haven't seen them set up yet this year.

All the lots I've seen so far have a wide range of tree-heights, and they've all included the mini Charley Brown size.

Do you spy a particularly good (or bad) tree lot in the nabe? Email me!

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: 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.

Chez Lola Revisited

Chez Lola

387 Myrtle Avenue

Ft. Greene, Brooklyn

(718) 858-1484

www.bistrolola.com

cash only

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(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

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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.

CHB Interviews: Kath Hansen of Fort Greene PUPS

The Great PUPkin had an enormous turnout this year -- 50 dogs! Since one of the founders, Kath Hansen, is a neighbor of mine, I thought I'd ask her a few things about the group's history and more about what they do:

1. How long have you lived in Clinton Hill, and what brought you here? I've been in Clinton Hill for 9 years. My husband and I moved here from Nashville, Tennessee, because I landed a dream job with the Modern Language Association.

2. Tell us about how Fort Greene PUPS got started, and what your role was? I started PUPS in 1999, as a reaction to the threat that off-leash hours might be ended in city parks. We had just moved here with our dog, and learned that for twenty plus years there had been a courtesy rule to let dog owners run their dogs off-leash in parks that have no dog runs, from 9 pm to 9 am. I also heard there were mumblings the Parks Dept. might have to discontinue the courtesy off-leash hours. I thought dog owners in Fort Greene Park should get organized to protect this great policy, and basically copied the setup that FIDO in Prospect Park has. I made friends with the founder of FIDO and she was really helpful. I literally walked around the park with a clipboard for people to sign up; I'm sure lots of folks thought I was nuts. I guess I am nuts, because I'm still doing this 8 years later. And unfortunately, we are still fighting to keep off-leash, with the Juniper Park lawsuit that came up this year. You can go to www.nycoffleash.com to learn more about this.

3. Aside from the Great PUPkin, what other events does PUPS sponsor? We do a couple of coffee and doughnut gatherings a year to sign up new members and sell calendars. We used to do a dogwash in the summer, but it got hard to find volunteers. Who wants to wash dirty dogs?

4. You obviously have a dog. Tell us about him! Bobby is our new dog; we've had him three months. He is more like a drunken frat boy than a dog. The fine folks at Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital found him tied to their front door last summer and took him in. He was terribly emaciated but had a friendly personality. I was at the vet one day with one of the cats, and saw their sign looking for a home for him. We think he's part bloodhound, part shepherd, maybe a little great dane in there. I would give anything to see his parents. Before Bobby, we had a hundred pound mutt named Cameron for 9 wonderful years. Lost him to cancer in January 2006.

5. The dog owners in the park can be transient (as people move in and move out). How do you get the word out about PUPS? Events like the Pupkin and the coffee gatherings help, where we get new names to add to the email list. We have a few regular volunteers who help with these things, but for the amount of members we have (over 300), it is sad how few people ever volunteer even once to help out with the Pupkin or the calendar. Maybe that can be chalked up to the transient nature of dog ownership. I worry that too many take off-leash for granted.

6. How should a dog owner deal with an aggressive dog in the park causing problems? Any tips on that? Look for signs of an aggressive dog and keep your dog far away! Signs can be things like mounting behavior, some unfixed males, growling, a tail held too high, showing of teeth. I am no dog trainer, but you do learn to spot the aggressive dogs if you are observant. Just be really observant if you're going to go off-leash and you will probably be able to avoid 99% of any problems. Some people say big and small dogs don't mix, but I don't buy into that. Some small dogs are way more aggressive than big dogs.

7. What makes our area so dog-friendly, aside from the park and its off-leash hours? I think of Clinton Hill and Fort Greene as a pretty laid back mix of races and cultures, and I believe that laid back vibe sort of rubs off on the dogs. Plus, there are a few nice restaurants that will let you eat al fresco with your pal. Tillie's is famously dog friendly; they even have biscuits inside donated by a certain PUPS member who is an absolute angel.

8. I know that you, like myself, own both a cat AND a dog. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person? Oh man. Cats for the times you want to be introverted, and dogs for when you want to be extroverted. I think everyone should have at least one of each. They teach you things you can't learn anywhere else.

9. Favorite dog breed: 100% mutt, baby!

10. Favorite place to dine in the neighborhood: Red Bamboo

11. What would most like to see come to the Ft. Greene/ CH area? PUPS anxiously awaits the arrival of the dog fountain and drainage system we got funding and approval for a few years back. The Parks Dept. works on their own schedule! Personally, I'm waiting for a greengrocer, and how about a bakery?

12. If you were a flavor of ice cream, what would you be and why? Honey, you're killing me here.

Interested in getting more involved? Check out the PUPS website, or email info@fortgreenepups.org

Want to support the group with the purchase of a PUPS calendar?

now on sale at the following convenient locations: -Tillie's (DeKalb Avenue at Vanderbilt) -Who's Your Doggy (197 Adelphi, at Willoughby) -Kiki's (DeKalb Avenue location) -Woofs 'n' Whiskers (59 Summit Street)

The calendar will be available in the park during morning off leash hours from time to time (watch your email) and at the Annual Holiday Coffee, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 9th. We also hope to have the calendar for sale in the park's Visitors Center Gift Shop soon.

If you want to purchase three or more calendars you may also contact Nancy Peterson (info@fortgreenepups.org) to arrange for a drop-off/pick-up.

In addition, orders can also be placed online via PayPal at www.fortgreenepups.org, however there's an additional per calendar shipping and handling charge of $2.50. (On the home page, click the donate button to get to PUPS' donate page on PayPal and indicate as the donation amount $12.50 PER CALENDAR and be sure to include your mailing address.)

The Smoke Joint

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

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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

The Great PUPkin!

Thank god for rain, as I was able to attend the Great PUPkin this afternoon! My precious little pup took fifth place.

I'm proud to have a ribbon, of course, but I personally think Mallow should have ranked higher. I mean, come ON! I made those ruby dog slippers, and the wig, and attached the Toto on her back.

More of my favs: the incredible hulk

ratner's projects

NY's bravest

Fifty dogs participated this year, and the weather was gorgeous (and also very windy).

The annual Fort Greene PUPS calendar is now available for purchase. It's $10, and features some of the many "regulars" at the park.

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.

WKND Overview

I know there's a ton of stuff going on this wknd, and I wanted everything to have its own post. So, here's a little recap to help you (and I) stay organized: Friday, Oct 27:

• Smoke Joint Opens (87 S. Elliott)
• Wine Tasting at Olivino (905 Fulton)
• RePop Halloween Party -- 8pm, artist's reception; 10pm best costume prize; DJs, dancing and drinking (68 Washington)
• babyDia Gallery's first art show (64 Washington)

Saturday, Oct. 28:

• Myrtle Ave Community Workshop --10am-2pm (100 Clermont)
• Fort Greene Park Conservancy's Children's Halloween Festival -- free pumpkins! Event will be cancelled in the event of rain (Ft. Greene Park)
• The Great PUPkin -- MOVED TO SUNDAY!

Sunday, Oct. 29:

• The Eighth Annual Great PUPkin -- registration at 11:30; judging at noon. (Fort Greene Park)
• DRESS REHEARSAL at 313 Clinton Avenue. For those of you who miss this yearly extravaganza on Halloween itself because of the crowds, this is a good opportunity to catch a glimpse.

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!