Season Two of Hammered starts April 4, and will air every Wednesday night at 11:30 pm on HGTV.
Make sure to check it out! The show is filmed on Waverly and the guys are super nice. The window on the top left was made for a bed and breakfast in Bed-Stuy, and the lamps on the lower right were made for Outpost Lounge on Fulton! (I've written about the show here and here.)
Click here to see a commercial for the new season filmed in the hood.
Hello everybody, This Friday the 16th, Olivino wines is hosting another of our favorite wine guys...Spencer from Winebow.
He'll be pouring 2 whites and 2 reds. First is an Alsatian riesling which I promise you is a perfect example of how a wine can be fruity but dry. The second is a white from the Languedoc, which has some similar characteristics to a white bordeaux but completely different grape varieties.
The first of the two reds is a cabernet from Stag Leap's second label, Hawk Crest that is more bordeaux in style than typical big Californian. And last but not least is a delicious malbec from Catena winery in Argentina.
Hope to see you here,
As always, we're at 905 Fulton Street, bet. Clinton and Vanderbilt. Tel. 718/857-7952
Cheers, Olivino
It's that time of year again -- the perfect excuse to check out some of the many awesome restaurants in the area. Go back to your favorite place, or try something new. The price is $21.12 per person (not including drinks, tax and tip) Here's a list of all the establishments participating in our area:L = lunch D = dinner Chez Lola (D) 387 Myrtle Avenue 718-858-1484
Chez Oskar (D) 211 DeKalb Avenue 718-852-6250
Five Spot (D) 459 Myrtle Avenue 718-852-0202
iCi (L/D) 246 Dekalb Avenue 718-789-2778
June Restaurant (D) 229 Dekalb Avenue 718-222-1510
Junior's Restaurant (D) 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension 718-852-5257
Le Grand - Dakar Restaurant (L/D) 285 Grand Avenue 718-398-8900
Los Pollitos III (L/D) 499 Myrtle Avenue 718-636-6125
Loulou Restaurant (D) 222 DeKalb Avenue 718-246-0633
Luz Restaurant (D) 177 Vanderbilt Avenue 718-246-4000
Madiba Restaurant (L/D) 195 Dekalb Avenue 718-855-9190
Maggie Brown Restaurant (D) 455 Myrtle Avenue 718-643-7001
Mojito Cuban Cuisine (L/D) 82 Washington Avenue 718-797-3100
Mullanes (D) 71 Lafayette Avenue 718-797-7606
Olea Mediterranean Taverna (D) 171 Lafayette Avenue 718-643-7003
Scopello Ristorante Bar (D) 63 Lafayette Avenue 718-852-1100
Soule Restaurant (D) 920 Fulton Street 718-399-7200
Thomas Beisl (L) 25 Lafayette Avenue 718-222-5800
Veliis 773 Fulton Street 718-596-9070
...and 2 for $21.12 at:
RICE (2 for 1 L/D) 166 Dekalb Avenue 718-858-2700
The Smoke Joint (2 for 1 L/D) 87 South Elliot Place 718-797-1011
(The full list of participating Brooklyn restaurants is here.)
I seem to recall this place being open when I first moved to the area, but it kinda looks closed now:
What's up with this place? Was it ever a decent grocery store? This is along that weirdly quiet stretch of Fulton near Adelphi.
Gowanus Lounge informed us that the new NYC Subway free condoms are completely unavailable in some Brooklyn zip codes! So, I've compiled a list of where to get your own in our nabe. I am pleased to find they are available in all three area zip codes!
11238:
Aphrika Hair Braiding 1259 Fulton St (bt Bedford and Nostrand)
Dominican Style Hair Salon 914-A Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Kings/Queens Unisex Parlor 920 Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Mega Dry Cleaners 916 Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Respect for Life 932 Fulton St (bt Waverly and Washington)
11205:
Five Spot Soul Food 459 Myrtle Ave (at Washington)
Floyd 131 Atlantic Ave (near Henry St)
Luigi Pizzeria 326 DeKalb Ave (at Mary Pinkett Ave)
Mojito 275 Park Ave (on Washington bt Park and Flushing)
Pena 505 DeKalb Ave (bt Skillman and Franklin)
Reign 46 Washington Ave (bt Park and Flushing)
Sputnik 262 Taaffe Pl (bt DeKaln and Willoughby)
Tillie's 248 DeKalb Ave (at Vanderbilt)
11217:
Brawta Cafe 347 Atlantic Ave (at Hoyt)
Changing Faces Barber Salon 692 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
Greene Community Pharmacy 702 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
Moe's 80 Lafayette Ave (at S Portland)
Moshood African Clothing 698 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
New Directions Alcoholism and Substance Abuse 202-206 Flatbush Ave (bt Bergen and Dean)
Stonehome Wine Bar 87 Lafayette Ave (at S Portland)
11238 def wins the Weirdest Condom Venues Award -- a bunch of salons, something that sounds like a Pro-Life church and a dry cleaner.
Is this place related to Myrtle Thai? Because they have almost exactly the same sign (same font, different color awning) and a similar naming scheme. Or is this just a default generic Thai food restaurant sign?
(Fulton at Vanderbilt)
This place was operational for awhile, but has been available for rent for several months now. I know someone who's looked at it and says it's huge inside! Wonder what it'll become.
From Olivino: Who says love is cheesy? We do! You know what we mean: Love is rich, love is gooey, sometimes it's hard, and sometimes it's melt-in-your-mouth smooth. And sometimes it just plain stinks - still, we can't seem to get enough of it.
And that's why we've joined up with Formaggio Essex, purveyors of fine cheeses on the Lower East Side, to bring you a very special pre-Valentine's Day wine and cheese love fest next Tuesday, February 13, from 8 to 10 pm. Come get it on with a selection of FE's exclusive cheeses from around the world, cheeses made on small farms, in Old World, traditional methods. Cheeses like the Mil Ovejas, a smooth, slightly fruity sheep's milk cheese from Spain and Couronne Lochoise, a creamy, ash-coated chevre from France's Loire Valley.
Each cheese will be carefully paired with wines from our shop by neighborhood sommelier, Bill Powers. Bill will be on hand all evening to guide us all through the sensory process of properly pairing food and wine. And because love is best when it's bitter-sweet, we'll also be sampling scrumptious handmade chocolates by Durand, a boutique chocolatier from Rennes, France. Yummy. Titilate your senses and maybe even find that perfect gift for your Valentine at the very same time.
This event is $40 per person, and space is limited to ten people, so please RSVP soon!
Cheers (and, of course, love),
Olivino
It ain't easy being green, and when it comes to the world of organicwine-making, the road to understanding is so confusing it can drive a person to drink. Lucky for you (and us), Leigh from Organic Vintages will be here Friday evening to help you do just that -- and in the process he'll explain the specifics of organic farming, unravel the mystery of biodynamics, and set the record straight on the sulfite debate.
We'll be celebrating the global sustainability with wines from three very different parts of the world: Nuova Cappoletta, a crisp, mineral-y chardonnay from Piedmont, Italy; Stellar Organic's juicy-smooth cabernet from the Western Cape of South Africa; and a full-fruited syrah by Badger Mountain Vineyards of the Columbia Valley in Washington State.
Together we can help to make the world a better place, one bottle of wine at a time.
The tasting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30. Hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Olivino 905 Fulton Street (bet. Clinton and Vanderbilt) Tel. 718/857-7952
After my irritating experience at 11205, I hoofed it back to 11238 in the hopes of renting my PO Box. The line was surprisingly short, and the woman at the window was surprisingly friendly. However, she told me that I also needed to provide a current utility bill as proof of address. I don't recall the application mentioning that -- only that I needed two forms of ID. I guess a valid NYS driver's license AND a US passport are not enough to rent a PO Box.
Problem is, no one mentioned that to me at 11205 (why would they?), and I shred all of my bills as soon as I pay them. So, I walked back home to see what I could scrounge up. Take note that I am a 15-min walk away, so after 45 minutes of walking to and from the PO, I return with the following: a year-old mortgage statement, a current credit card bill, a current IRA statement and my cell phone contract. I get a significantly less-friendly window attendant and she tries to deny me. ALL this proof of ID and address is not good enough. Plus, do not forget that THE APPLICATION DOES NOT STATE THAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE A CURRENT UTILITY BILL:
The nicer woman tells Meanie that she can accept the mortgage statement, but Meanie gets mad because the statement is a year old. Never mind that the other "unacceptable" statements are current and show the same address that's on my mortgage statement. Maybe this is one of the ways the post offices "do things differently." Finally, Nicey convinces Meanie to let me have the box because she feels bad that no one told me about the utility thing and doesn't want me to have to go back and forth again. Then Meanie mumbles about me under her breath while she fills out the paperwork and bitches about a customer who had to come back four times the day before because of things that were the customer's fault, and NOT Meanie's fault. Really? I find that hard to believe.
As a side note, PO Boxes at 11205 are $37/mo, while they're just $31/mo at 11238. Wtf?
So. I've had enough, especially after hearing all of your stories. I am going to contact this local politician everyone keeps talking about and see if we can actually DO something about this. Would anyone be willing to type up a description of the bad experiences they've had at either or both of these POs? I'd like to get a whole packet of complaints together.
(You can also rent a box at the Mail store on Myrtle, but they're 3x as much as the USPS boxes- FYI.)
On one slightly positive note, I did see supplies available at one of the crappy counters at Adelphi Station. However, look at what the supply bin looks like!!
All cracked and taped together. Are they kidding us with this?
we all know that the adlephi post office (on fulton at the end of cambridge place] is a pit of despair. but! i went in yesterday to mail a package and was pleasantly surprised.... when we came through the door, we were faced, of course, with this:
but there were three (!!) tellers working, and i was up to the front of the line and out the door in fifteen minutes flat. not too bad. and the teller was friendly!
i have to assume, unfortunately, that this is extra holiday staffing and that they will return to their evil ways come the new year. but hey, i'll enjoy it while it lasts.
A few weeks ago, a reader tipped me off to a new TV show he caught on HGTV called Hammered. On the episode he was watching, the show's hosts were filmed walking into Sister's Hardware on Fulton. He implored me to investigate, so I did. I set the trusty DVR to record all episodes. After viewing a few, I saw the guys outside of what appeared to be Adelphi Station:
WOW. It seemed fairly likely that the DiRestas' workshop was located in the area, but where??
After a few days of hard research, I made contact with Jimmy DiResta! And I was RIGHT: the workshop is located on Waverly between Fulton and Atlantic! And even more exciting: The DiRestas are going to do some interviews with us and fill us in on their new season, which begins taping in a few weeks.
Jimmy and John are both Brooklyn natives. Jimmy, an artist, designer and teacher, creates unique items tailored for their users. John, a former NYC transit cop, is a well-known stand-up comedian and actor, and has appeared in major movies as well as starred in his own UPN sitcom. I wonder what they'll make in their new season. This last season's projects included an art table for the Brooklyn Children's Museum, a mailbox shaped like John DiResta and a giant birdhouse for wood ducks in Prospect Park. It's cool enough that they work and film in the neighborhood, but even nicer that they're making creative products to be used in the area!
Hello everybody!! Olivino is gearing up for a jam packed tasting weekend!
Friday Nov. 17th from 6-9pm: Rudi is back- this time with his Italian portfolio. He'll be pouring our favorite prosecco-Bellenda; two beautiful wines for your Thanksgiving dinner; an organic chianti and a ruche from Piedmont. We'll also be tasting a gorgeous aglianico del vulture from Basilicata, and last, but definitely not least, we will be tasting a single vineyard vino nobile di montepulciano from a woman winemaker!! Don't miss it!! Saturday the 18th from 6-9: Kerin from Tempranillo will be pouring some delicious new Spanish wines. First, a Txakoli from the Basque region (all zest and minerality), then a red from Toro called "G" (all cherry, smoke and earth). We will also be tasting an amazing malbec from Argentina called Alfa Crux, an elegant priorat from Miserere, and finally an Oloroso sherry. Don't miss this one either!
See You Soon!
Olivino Wines 905 Fulton Street btwn Clinton and Vanderbilt 718 857 7952
Just noticed this new awning on Fulton between Waverly and Clinton:
I did a little research, and discovered that they do original clothing design as well as sewing and pattern-making classes! Here's a post I found on Craigslist:
Interested in PATTERNMAKING or SEWING CLASSES, well read on......
We're starting our Fall/Winter '06 semester of fashion classes with an OPEN HOUSE!!
* A FREE Sewing lesson for Adults and teens * Demonstrations * Door Prizes and give aways * Tuition discounts (if registering during Open House)
Where ? ESAIE COUTURE design studio 915 Fulton Street, 2nd flr loft (btwn Clinton Ave & Waverly Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11238 718-284-2942
When ? Saturday October 14, 2006 12 noon to 4 pm Missed it or can't make it? Then call for a brochure and class schedules
About Us & our classes: Novice to experts are welcome. Adults and teens can sew and fashion design. ALL sewing skills are covered. There's also a separate class for flat patternmaking fundamentals. We will help you progressively build your skills, as each level’s lessons builds on the knowledge of the previous lessons.
Nothing is left out!
Our instructors are designers in the fashion industry working with Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Eileen Fisher, Beyonce Knowles, etc.
If you are interested in learning a skill, building on your skills, or fine tuning your skills...see you there on Saturday!
Registration is on a continuous basis. New classes open every 6 weeks.
Call to RSVP for the OPEN HOUSE.
Guess we missed the open house- crap. But I've been wanting to take sewing for years now. I'm going to investigate further.
Greetings from Olivino! This Friday, October 27th, from 6:30 8:30, Spencer from Winebow will be pouring four delicious whites perfect for this season's dinner table or cocktail party!
Argiolas Costamolino is 100% Vermentino di Saregna. Lemony and fresh, this wine will pair perfectly with any southern Italian seafood dish.
Westside White, from Treana Vineyards is a Rhone-style blend from California. It is rich and velvety with strong notes of overripe tropical fruits. This wine needs food. Its perfect accompanying meal? Roasted pork with prunes, raisins, apples, or figs. Anything sweet like red cabbage or homemade applesauce will be complemented by this luscious white.
Cederberg Bukettraube is a German grape varietal grown in South Africa. It shares characteristics with riesling, with more tropical overtones.
Finally, we have a new sparkling Vouvray in the store for holiday toasts! Domaine Champalou produces this Vouvray Petillat Brut and we think it's delicious!
Cheers!
905 Fulton Street (bet. Clinton and Vanderbilt) Tel. 718/857-7952
Thursday, October 26, 6pm Halloween comes to Outpost. Grab a sweater and watch the last Outdoor Movie of the year, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Bring Your Own Pumpkin (BYOP) to our back garden and enter into our first annual jack-o-lantern carving contest. The winner of the contest, judged by the Outpost Staff, will win a very special halloween treat.
Pumpkin carving starts at 6pm. Movie starts at 8pm.
Outpost Lounge 1014 Fulton Street (Grand + Classon Aves) Brooklyn, NY 11238 718 636 1260 www.outpostlounge.com
(crap. once again, i have class and can't go. lucky for all of you, since i carve a mean pumpkin.)
We know it's last minute, but we here at Olivino are hoping you can join ustomorrow, Thursday, from 6-8pm. Diego from Farmer Wines will be pouring 1 white and 3 red wines, all from Italy, all very interesting!
The white, Greco della Basilicata is a full, crisp, minerally and round white.
Also from Basilicata Diego will open Cabanico, a 50/50 blend of Cabernet and Aglianico.
Molise Rosso is a blend of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Tintilia, a grape variety that Diego assures is in this bottle only in the United States!
Finally we will have open a Rosso di Montefalco from Umbria. This wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino, and Merlot straight from the heart of Italia.
Join us after work! And, while you're here, enjoy the artwork of renowned neighborhood artist John Spinks. Perfect for Halloween, these skeletal characters decorate our wall as little windows into the activities of the afterlife. Boo.
Cheers, Olivino
905 Fulton Street (bet. Clinton and Vanderbilt) Tel. 718-857-7952
Wine Tasting TONIGHT @ OlivinoOlivino will host an exciting tasting this Friday, September 29, 2006 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Rudi, from Miskeit Wines will be tasting a flight of five German wines, three whites and two reds!
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn BAKE SALE The bake sale on Sat., 9/30, is sponsored by Fort Greene Kids, runs from 11 am to 4 pm, right near the children's park at Washington Ave. and Lafayette Ave. Great food at excellent prices. The proceeds benefit the DDDB Legal Fund.
Bad Postal Service in the News Here's the article in the New York Sun, focusing on the inconsistent and irritating mail delivery service in our area. The article sadly did not focus on the foul 11238 post office, but mail delivery is just part of the problem being generated there and at other area POs.
A reporter from the New York Sun has contacted me about our post office woes. She tells me that several Fort Greene residents are having major problems with their mail delivery -- mainly that mailmen/women are too lazy to climb up brownstone steps and are instead dumping all mail by the ground floor apartment, where it often gets destroyed in inclement weather.
I told her I would post a notice and ask for further comments on general mail problems in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. Go to it, friends, especially if the post office/mail carrier has lost something valuable during delivery.
Want to file a complaint? Go here.
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 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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clinton Hill Blog published from 2006 - 2010. Please enjoy these archives - a love letter to the neighborhood.
