Friday Photo

(Fulton St.)

Indie Movie House on Washington Ave Screens Doc on Former Local Biz

I feel like I've been living under a rock having not known about this. Over at Embora Studios (Fulton near Washington), the Brooklyn Indie House offers independent film makers a chance to show their short or long films and allows them a percentage of box office sales. In return, they must be available for post-screening Q&A. The MySpace site says they have 15 large screens and seating for up to 100! Currently showing is If You Succeed, a documentary following the trials and tribulations in marriage and business of the couple who once owned the wildly popular Liquors restaurant on DeKalb Ave in Fort Greene (now Kif) and Bodegas, a great neighborhood space formerly on Fulton and Clinton (now home to Autour du Monde). When the businesses closed, rumors swirled about the couple's financial difficulties and their crazed landlord on DeKalb.

I am psyched to hear about both the movie house AND this particular film. I went to Liquors for brunch on my very first outing in this area, and Bodegas opened up around the time I moved to Clinton Hill. Bodegas especially has a permanent place in my heart, as I often frequented it on snowy days when I was visiting the neighborhood waiting to close on my place more than four years ago. I'm glad someone took the time to preserve the story (which focuses on the process of opening Bodegas).

Here's a flier and more info on the showtimes:

May 23 at 8pm May 24 at 8pm May 30 at 8pm May 31 at 10pm June 6 at 10pm June 7 at 10pm

The film follows restaurateurs Christian Dennery and Dolores Lagdameo as they risk everything to expand from their original restaurant, Liquors on DeKalb Avenue, to a second bistro called Bodegas in a much bigger storefront at the corner of Clinton and Fulton. Throughout this intimate verite documentary, the main characters struggle with the question of what success really means, and what they're willing to do to attain it.

We're very excited to finally screen this version of the film - complete with new ending and an amazing original score by Greg Karnilaw - for a New York audience! Come and check out this film about a very local subject: the screening venue is only two blocks from the storefront where much of the film is set.

More info on BIH from the NYT here!

Rapper Killed on Fulton Street Yesterday

From Gothamist:

Leval Lyde, a 36-year-old Brooklyn rapper who went by the street name "Kevlar," was gunned down yesterday on the corner of Clinton Ave. and Fulton St. in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Lyde was shot just before 5 p.m. on the street corner and declared dead on arrival at Brooklyn Hospital. Lyde had just exited Fish & Crustaceans Quality Seafood and was walking with his sandwich towards the maroon Jaguar (owned by the mother of his child) when he was shot once in the torso.

The NY Times describes the rapper of little renown as a holdover from Fort Greene's grittier days, and sees his killing as a foil for the transformation that has occurred in recent years. "The shooting was a reminder of rougher times in Clinton Hill, where gentrification has turned crack houses into wine bars." They quoted one resident who noticed the crime scene tape only after observing that a new French restaurant had opened on the block. He figured it must have been an accident and was surprised to hear that there had been a murder.

Info from the NYT here.

WTF???? A murder at 5pm on Fulton? Could this be related to the gunfire on Lexington a few days ago?  OMG!

Fresh-Baked Gossip

A source told me yesterday that he is hoping to open a bakery on Fulton, right near the Met. He reminisced, "When I was young, we'd go to the bakery every Sunday after church for a fresh loaf of French bread, soft and still warm from the oven.  I'd love to recreate that here."

So would we!

Tentative plans include a June opening.

OMGYAY!

Fulton Ave Food Survey

(Sorry for my delay this morning!) One of CHB's readers is looking into opening a food shop on Fulton, and she'd love to know what you all think.  If you have a few minutes, please answer her survey.

This is an opportunity to express your opinions and share thoughts and ideas for the Fulton area to an entrepreneur who's willing to listen.  Please help her out!

The Met Scrambles for Some Cred

After all these comments on the Met on Fulton, I'm sure glad that it's not the closest grocery store to me! Looks like the opening of Green Planet (and maybe some of the remarks here on the interwebs) have the Met trying to make themselves look better. This just in from reader Rachel:

I found this really interesting: Met Foods now has a painted sign on their window claiming “Largest fresh organic products in the area.” I went in to see if there were, in fact, any fresh organic products and was hard-pressed to find any (just the usual half-rotten produce they usually carry). It’s clearly a reaction to the threat of all the discerning customers shopping at Green Planet, but why lie? I find it very fitting that the bunny painted next to the sign looks more like a giant rat…

Heh. It actually does kinda look like a rat!

Green Planet: Photos and Stuff

Despite the snow (and this is nothing, considering I'm from Buffalo), I purposely got off the C train on the Washington end.  So far, I'm pleased with what I saw.

The highlight of the store, as many have commented, is the very full bulk section in the back!

They seem to have everything here from dried fruit to beans to organic candies.

They also have a juice bar:

I tried a 16 oz Blueberry + Creme shake.  It was made with some sort of blueberry protein mix, low fat vanilla soy milk and an organic banana, for $3.99 (no tax!).  Not dirt cheap, but seemingly reasonable.

They have a lot of "normal" organic stuff that I'd buy regularly, like Amy's Organic soups and Kashi cereal.

Looks like pretty reasonable prices on both -- average to slightly lower than average.

They also have a crapload of vitamins.

Personally, I hate swallowing big pills. I stick to an Advil-sized multivitamin and a C chewable, personally.  But maybe you guys are into this stuff.

I didn't take a pic of the produce section, since my camera battery was dying.  It looked kind of small to me, but at least there's one in there!

Conclusion: Green Planet seems to be an ideal mix of the super hippie-dippie organic stuff, as well as the more mainstream organic stuff, and prices seem fairly reasonable.  Staff seemed nice, too.  Plus, the hours are AMAZING (8am to 10pm!!!).  I'll probably hit up my Waverly Associated for the basics.  But for me, this'll be a great place to stop for a smoothie while taking a walk, loading up on dried fruit and stopping in for snacks when Associated is closed (ahem, Sunday evenings!).  You could probably do a lot of your basic grocery shopping there -- they have dairy, pastas, condiments, etc.

(Green Planet is on Fulton St. at Washington Ave)

Green Planet: OPEN!

Received this early sneak peak last week: Just sending an email about the new store Green Planet on Fulton St. I walked by there today and they were loading in stocks of vitamins & supplements. I peeked in and there does not really look like space for fresh produce or any other fresh goods. Seems to be all packaged stuff, vitamins, drink mixes, cold remedies, etc. I for one am a big consumer of vitamins so I vow to patronize this place. HOWEVER, I am disappointed there will be no fresh veggies! *keeps fingers crossed*

A reader g-chatted me last night with this info:

just wanted to let you know that green planet is open (not fully stocked yet) but it looks great in there!

I hear they also have bulk granola!! I'll stop by after work to snap some pics.

Fulton: Armpit of the Neighborhood

Despite lovely businesses like Olivino, Autour du Monde and 'Cure nearby, Fulton Street remains a real hole. Like this place for example, which is completely hollowed out:

(between Vanderbilt and Clinton)

Bizarre.

Revisiting Autour du Monde

A reader emailed me an excellent review of Autour du Monde (Fulton at Clinton)!  If you haven't been, check it out.  Let's not forget the businesses on Fulton that are suffering from all that construction! It took us awhile to try the new restaurant on Clinton and Fulton, Autour du Monde, but I'm so glad we finally went. I had read the earlier comments here, including some snarky ones by people who hadn't even been there. And to be honest, those remarks, plus the smallish, eclectic menu posted by the door, didn't fill me with confidence. But I'm so glad we finally went.

The meal started with bread, oil, and balsamic vinegar placed on the table. The oil and vinegar together were weirdly scrumptious. I think it must have been very good balsamic to be that rich and smooth, the perfect salty-sweet balance.

When I studied the menu, I was surprised to realize that I could have ordered almost anything on the menu happily. That never happens to me: though I'm almost an omnivore, I won't order a dish if it has a side or a sauce I'm not crazy about. For some reason, 90% of the menu was right up my alley. (I know that's a subjective thing, but two of my three dinner companions felt the same way; the fourth is a chicken-and-fish-only-vore.)

The three appetizers we chose bode very well for the rest of the meal: the excellent, meaty crab cakes with a hint of curry and possibly red pepper sauce were light and large; the veggie-packed spring rolls were light and fresh and had an intriguing dipping sauce with flavors we couldn't quite place (tamarind? -- our server, also a co-owner, called it the chef's take on various east asian flavors), and the cheese-and-caramelized onion tart (more like a flatbread) with a small salad was mellow and outstanding, not to mention gratifyingly large (a generous four-way split). We agreed that the 'tart' would make great takeout all on its own -- something to pick up for dinner on the way home from the Clinton-Washington C train stop.

The four entrees we chose were equally eclectic: the baby chicken with almonds and broccoli was extremely moist and flavorful; the skirt steak got a yummy unexpected kick thanks to a light topping of chermoula (a basil and parsley blend); the spare ribs were out-of-this-world tender and complex without being heavy; and the salmon (also with the chermoula or something closely related) was cooked perfectly, very intensely flavored, with four adorable mini veggie-and-olive skewers. Each dish was familiar enough to feel like comfort food -- but also just-offbeat-enough to demand our attention.

Finally, two desserts: a gorgeous lightly "cardamomed" creme brulee with a perfect caramelized sugar crust (not a black edge anywhere) and one of those fairly ubiquitous but in this case extremely fresh-tasting molten chocolate cakes with a small spoonful of vanilla ice cream. The only off note was the biscotti that came with the creme brulee -- they had a pretty good texture but not enough flavor.

That plus a charming, personable host from Antibes, a full bar and (I'm told) a good wine list, and we have a real contender. Though it doesn't have the sophisticated outward appearance of an Ici or Olea (and I blame that mostly on the look of the menu alone), it is a very close competitor, I would say. And no, it really is not an 'around the world' joint, as some of the naysayers on this blog were complaining in an earlier post on CHB.

Fulton needs interesting, truly good-bang-for-the-buck places like this. And the endless street construction right out in front can't be helping. Apparently they do morning croissants and lunch/brunch, too. Would love to hear a fuller report on those offerings.

Is it perfect? Probably not. Is it a vegetarian's dream? No. But let's give Autour a fighting chance. I say it's definitely worth your time and money.

Meth Clinic Meeting Tonight!

The meth clinic on the corner of Fulton and Waverly has long been a problem for neighborhood residents. Via Brownstoner:

Today, the Fulton Street Alliance holds its first informational meeting on the issue. Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Brown Memorial Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 484 Washington Avenue. (718) 596-0100.

Halal on Fulton

This place opened kind of recently, but the vertical blinds and the hand-written menus have kept me away.

Have you been in?

High-End Grocers are Everywhere (EVEN ON FULTON!)

Oh boy, people. We're on the cusp of an insane explosion...of chi chi grocers! So far, we have:

• Fresh Garden (Fulton and Lafayette - TriLaFu!) -- They have a nice flower selection, thank GOD:

• L'Epicerie (Vanderbilt south of DeKalb): Allegedly cranky service, but also allegedly offering amazing dinners now
• Karrots (Myrtle at Clinton): A little too crunchy for my personal taste

Soon, we'll have:

• Provisions, a gourmet grocery from the fine folks at the Greene Grape (Fulton at St. Portland):

• Union Market, at the corner of Fulton and Rockwell [BK Paper]
• Choice Market's new place on Greene near Grand:

• AND... (drumroll)...GREEN PLANET, to open at 969 Fulton (between Washington and St. James). All I know is that it'll sell "organic food, health food and juices."

Do you think they'll be successful?

And finally, just a shout-out to the slightly dank but decently-stocked Associated on Waverly between Lafayette and Greene, which has been increasing their inventory of organic foods and "green" cleaning supplies. Plus, the staff is so friendly!

Dentist on Fulton?

I think this is new, as I haven't noticed it before:

OK, I just Googled it and found a bunch of places it's been listed, so maybe it's NOT new. Anyone go here?

And as an aside, does anyone have a good doctor in Brooklyn? Either primary care, lady doctor, specialist, etc? I love my PCP, but am have long grown weary of trekking up to her office on East 90th Street. What do most Brooklynites do?

White Lilly Cafe

I finally had the chance to peek in on the new restaurant on Fulton at Grand. It's now open, and here's the menu:

Not sure if this is permanent, but it looked pretty dead inside and there's no signage outside:

I like that a few brave folks are trying to take the plunge on Fulton, but with a limited menu, no signage and all that horrible construction there, I don't know if this place has a very favorable outlook.

Anyone been?

NOW OPEN: Autour du Monde

With absolutely no fanfare or warning, Autour du Monde -- the new restaurant opening in the old Bodega's space -- is open!

Autout de Monde opened last Thursday. Jay and I checked it out Friday for lunch.

Inside, it still looks like Bodegas (RIP!!!!), aside from having painted the walls. I had the chicken panini, and Jay had the burger. Service was friendly, but SLOW (just like Bodegas). There were a few other diners inside, which surprised me since they don't have a sign and that huge construction arrow on Fulton is blocking much of the storefront.

They're serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and are cash only and BYOB for now.

Here are some menu shots:

I predict it'll be a good place to stop in for a croissant and coffee before hopping on the C! Autour du Monde SE corner of Clinton and Fulton

Champagne Tasting @ Greene Grape

Kicking off the Holiday Season with a Grower Champagne Tasting Join us in Brooklyn this Thursday, November 29, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for a rare opportunity to taste four different grower champagnes back to back! The bubblies are all from Terry Thiese, the primary importer of grower champagne, and a member of his team will be on hand to answer questions about what Terry calls “farmer-fizz”. Grower champagnes are made by small producers who have the advantage of growing their own grapes and fashioning their own style. The event is FREE and no reservations are required. The Greene Grape is located at 765 Fulton between South Oxford and South Portland (718) 797-9463.

Clothing Donation in the Hill

Two separate readers have recently contacted me, lamenting that their usual clothing donation drop boxes have disappeared. (Specifically, the box at Grand and Fulton, and the box on Myrtle near Tamboril.)  Where else can one drop a donation? Personally, I bring stuff to the Goodwill on Fulton near Franklin.  They take clothing, books, appliances, etc, and they also provide you with a receipt - key for tax season!

Other options include the Salvation Army on Quincy between Downing and Classon (near Broken Angel), and the library on Washington between Greene and Gates - I noticed a clothing donation box at the circulation desk a few days ago (I think they're collecting clothing through December).

Hope that helps!

Thanksgiving Pairing Wine Tastings @ Olivino

Friday 6:30-8:30:Scott of Barterhouse wines (and former Olivino employee we adore) will be tasting us on some magnificent wines perfect for the upcoming holiday. We will be sampling a totally lovely Pinot Blanc from Canada, a smooth berried Cote du Provence, A spicy Uruguayan Tannat, and a Cote du Rhone blanc that resembles the revered baby Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc.

Saturday 5:00- 7:30 Elizabeth from Michael Skurnick will be introducing us to this year's Beaujolais Nouveau!  Just in time and a perfect wine for Thanksgiving dinner.  Elizabeth will also be uncorking a sophisticated Gruner Veltliner, a flavorful Riesling Kabinett, and an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.

We look forward to seeing you!

Olivino Wines 905 Fulton Street btwn Clinton Avenue & Vanderbilt (718)857-7952

More Thanksgiving Fare

(Was out of town yesterday -- sorry!) The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are teaming up to offer a complete Thanksgiving package, delivered to your door! They're hosting a free tasting this Thursday:

Click, Uncork and Gobble!

The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are excited to host their Third Annual Thanksgiving tasting on Thursday, November 15th from 5 to 7pm at The Greene Grape at 765 Fulton Street between South Oxford and South Portland and at The Greene Grape Downtown, 55 Liberty at Nassau in the Financial District of Manhattan. We’ll be pouring six American wines recommended to go with Thanksgiving dinner and serving a Jive Turkey with all the fixings. The event is FREE and is a great way to try before you buy! For more information, please visit www.greenegrape.com.

The Greene Grape and Jive Turkey are also proud to continue a New York Thanksgiving tradition by offering a full Thanksgiving meal – a deep-fried Jive Turkey and all the fixings – plus a Six Pack of American wines specially selected by The Greene Grape to complement the Thanksgiving meal. The total package is $249.95 plus tax and includes delivery any day the week of Thanksgiving – November 19-22. Quantities are limited and orders must be placed by Friday, November 16. This offer created an absolute frenzy last year – it’s never too soon to sign up! For more information or to order, please visit www.thejiveturkey.com or call (718) 797-1688.

The Greene Grape features offers from individual producers with integrity, skill and pride. For more information, please contact Amy Bennett at amy@greenegrape.com, by calling (917) 412-5901.

Jive Turkey features deep-fried turkey that has been called “a tender, juicy bird so perfectly cooked, with skin so crisp and tasty, you might never roast again.” For more information, please contact Aricka Westbrooks at westbrooksa@aol.com or (718) 797-1688.