Move With Grace

Signs are up in a Myrtle Avenue storefront window across from Polish Bar announcing a new yoga and dance studio called Move with Grace. Turns out Grace is is the name of the owner, AND she's the sister of Karen Tappin of Karen's Body Beautiful just down the street.

Currently, Grace is renovating the interior space, and plans for an October opening. She's also lining up the class schedule, which for now includes jazz, hip hop, yoga and meditation. For those of you who don't know me personally, yours truly has been tap dancing for 22 years, and may add a tap class to her busy schedule at Move With Grace.

Props to her for the nicely done window posters:

Grace is still looking for instructors to round out the schedule! Interested? Email movewithgracestudio@gmail.com.

Lesterhead is so very excited!

Move With Grace Myrtle Avenue between Washington and Hall opening October 2006

Chez Lola

Chez Lola

387 Myrtle Avenue

718-858-1484

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

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

it's finally opened!

A view of the inside of Chez Lola.

Another view of the inside of Chez Lola.

A view of the garden seating from inside.

A view of the garden seating from outside.

The steamed little neck clams appetizer.

The assorted cheese terrine appetizer. The 12 oz sirloin steak. The spicy salmon burger.

Papillote.

Papillote opened.

Chocolate tart.

White chocolate and lavender bread pudding.

---

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

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

On with the review...

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

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

The food was wonderful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vintage Store Update!

Last month, fellow CH blogger Clintoncentric discovered a new vintage shop, Blue Bass Vintage, getting ready to open on Classon at DeKalb! Jay and I checked it out last weekend and took a peek inside.

The ladies tell me they have a grand opening party scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9 from "7pm 'til whenever!"

They promised to email me with more details... stay tuned.

UPDATE:

(I have to go to a bachelorette that evening, so if any readers attend, please email us pics and reviews!)

Blue Bass Vintage Clothing 431 DeKalb Ave (enter on Classon) Brooklyn, NY 11205 347-750-8935 bluebassvintage@gmail.com www.bluebassvintage.com

Soule on Fulton

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

Fort Greene Stuff

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

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

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

Unique Amenities on Grand

A reader tipped me off to some new stuff going in on Grand, just south of Lafayette. Of course, I checked it out (after a stop for an iced coffee and scone at the beloved Choice Market!). I've been looking at the intriguing storefront across from the late Karrot for awhile now. Finally, there's some signs in the window!

Grand Avenue Workshop

I wasn't lucky enough to find someone inside, so I gave them a call.

After 24 hours of phone tag, I connected with Carl, the owner.

Grand Avenue Workshop does restoration and finishing on antiques and newer pieces. His clients consist mostly of architects and designers/decorators. Neighbors are often dismyed to find that he doesn't work on weekends when they might be around to stop in.

However, he doesn't do much work for local area residents -- that is, unless they've hired an architect to renovate for them. He works when the professionals work, and describes his business as "a strange hybrid that only resides in NYC."

Carl has been in business for twenty years, and has lived in the neighborhood for that long, too -- he's a "Pratt Kid who never left." His shop on Grand Ave has been there for the last five years.

He says that lots of people will pop in on their way home from work if they see him in the office to find out what exactly he does. He seemed pretty jovial about that, but warns, "I am NOT the neighborhood fix-it man! I will not hang your cupboards for you!"

Then, there's this:

(sigh)

I'm a bit of a grammar hound, and stuff like this sends me into a tailspin. Do they mean "mirrors," plural? Or the name of the store is "Mirror," and the store belongs to it?

PLURAL WORDS DO NOT GET AN APOSTROPHE.

Who knows -- maybe they'll actually sell cool mirrors at reasonable prices. Personally, I've been wanting a floor mirror for some time. If they're going to call the store "Mirror's on Grand," I don't think I can patronize. But I hope you will, and report back. (Sorry, personal quirk.)

Still confused? Check out the Apostrophe Protection Society.

Urban Spring Springs into Business!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

I got the Acai smoothie which was very tasty.

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

BrooklynJay

URBAN SPRING: UPDATE!

Yesterday afternoon, I walked past Urban Spring and peeked into the window, behind the newspapers hung there. I saw a counter, shelving and cute overhead lights! YES! THEN, this morning, I noticed the window paper had been removed! A tall blonde guy was in the store and I gave him a wave. On my way back from the park, I ran into him outside.

Inspection is TODAY. As long as they get the "OK," they're going to practice during the week and may be open as early as SATURDAY!

It's funny how new storefront openings in our neighborhood attract the kind of frenzy that a boy band in-store appearance might have in the midwest. In the park, my neighbor and I shared stories of anxious waiting - me for Sushi D and he for Choice Market. New stuff in Clinton Hill is kind of like a drug.

More to come...

***Urban Spring is an organic juice bar set to open on DeKalb Ave. near Ft. Greene Park. I wrote about it last month here.

New Blog on the Block

Yay - we have fans! One local couple liked us so much they started a CH blog of their own! Welcome, to Clintoncentric!

Blogger Nicole has lived in the 'nabe for seven years, so I'm sure she has some good stories to share.

(Perhaps almost as interesting as my neighbor, Sam, who bought his co-op for $13k back in the 1980s.)

She's already got the scoop on a new vintage clothing shop slated to open next month on DeKalb and Classon (yessssss).

Thanks to all for your comments thus far, and I hope you'll add Clintoncentric to your must-read links!

New Contributor: BrooklynJay, and How I Came to Clinton Hill

This little site seems to be meeting at least some neighbors' needs -- people have found it linked from elsewhere, and through Google searches for resources in the 'nabe. Since I'm always trading information on the area with my friend and neighbor Jay, I invited him to come on board and write some posts of his own. Since he lives farther east than I do, he's usually discovering things over there before I do.

Plus, it just seems fitting. Jay's the one who got me to move to Clinton Hill!

***

Nearly three years ago, I decided to buy an apartment. I had been renting a tiny studio in Hell's Kitchen when my friend and former co-worker Linda told me her childhood friend Jay owned a place in Clinton Hill -- an area I had heard of via recent real estate searches, but knew nothing about.

I came out on the Q train one Sunday afternoon in 2003, and we walked around and did brunch. I admit, coming from W44th Street, I was at first unnerved by the quiet. But each time I came out to look at co-ops, I liked it more and more. There were trees, gorgeous brownstones, parks, restaurants and unique architecture. Not to mention the friendly people. One cold winter morning, an elderly man said hello and struck up a conversation with me on Washington Ave. I couldn't believe it -- it was just how I always thought NYC was supposed to be, but never quite was! Culture, cool stuff to do and best of all, a varied population of mostly friendly people. I knew it was an area I could call home.

At first, I was the one educating Jay on neighborhood amenities. That first day in CH, Jay didn't even know where the C train was! Even though he had a year on me, I was informing him of openings and developments, even before I closed.

These days, we're both always on alert for "what'snew!" in the 'hood. BrooklynJay was my first of many friends in Clinton Hill.

As a native NYCer and having lived in Clinton Hill longer than I, Jay may have some different perspectives and history. Plus, he's pretty funny.

Welcome, BrooklynJay!

New Goods on Myrtle

The days of "Murder Avenue" seem long gone. Might as well call it Marvelous Avenue. Jay notified me about some NEW openings, so Mallow and I did a walk-by last night. I really like Myrtle, much more than Fulton. I'm glad Jay's so close to Myrtle so he can keep an eye out for new stuff.

I noticed this sushi place -- Yamashiro -- a few weeks ago, but completely forgot about it until he mentioned it to me.

The menu and the inside of the restaurant look fairly generic, as far as design. But we all know that good design does not excellent food make! Jay and I will be trying this out asap and I will report back.

More exciting is Polish Bar Brooklyn. I'm not the only one who automatically assumed it was Polish, like the country. My new rollerskating friends from Rope thought the same. But no, it's pawww-lish, as in nail. It appears to be a trendy, upscale nail salon! Hopefully serving alcohol as well. It opens July 22.

I may end up staying true to my local cheap-o nail salon, Charming Nail (Waverly Ave. between Lafayette and Greene), depending on the prices. When it comes down to mani-pedi, convenience is key.

And now, one more supercute shot of Mallow:

A Second Try

As you can see, I didn't have much luck starting this blog six months ago. I think I actually set it up while drunk.

The upsurge in neighborhood blogs has been amazing over the last several months. If I have learned anything from that, it's that I cannot claim to be "the pulse" of the neighborhood. (That was the original name of this site.) I'm not too saavy on politics, nor on the happenings at every single street corner.

However, I've got a decent grasp on what's new, what's tasty and what's aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, I give you 'clintonhillblog' -- a space for me to post photos, reviews and musings on our wonderfully interesting neighborhood.

Care to contribute? Let me know.

xo, lesterhead