More on Little Piggy (Market)

BrooklynJay, who is just about moved back INTO the nabe, spent some time at Little Piggy (Market) this past weekend to chat up the owners and try some new food. Here's what he said about it: so we grabbed lunch at smoke joint yesterday and ben was nice enough to give us a little food preview of the little piggy market, i think that's what it's gonna be called - gotta check my timeout to verify, which is slated to open next door sometime next week.

ben made a black eye peas salad which had black eye peas obviously, corn and heirloom tomatoes. he also gave us a little taste of a macaroni salad too. both were outstanding. as one of my friends said "this tastes like summer. this is the stuff you'd love to bring with you on a picnic." it was so fresh - those heirloom tomatoes...wow.

he also gave a little walk thru of the new space and it's really cool. it's going to sell items by weight, like the two salads above, so you can bring it home to accompany your own cooking. (They are some awesome sides that would go with just about anything.) It's also gonna accommodate seating for 12 people (for now) and offer, along with food by weight, a blue plate special type deal - a protein or two, a couple of sides, etc. for one set price.

the cool thing is they're gonna have good COFFEE and DESSERTS. Pastries! Pies! Oh My! Fresh baked in the morning! and the coffee's gonna be the same as the coffee served at some of the finer gourmet restaurants in the city.

the menu's gonna change according to what's fresh. If, for instances, they can get nice peaches then they'll not only have fresh peaches for sales - they'll also possibly have peach cobbler available too.

I think it's gonna be amazing. since the menus gonna change it'll allow ben and craig to both experiment and be creative and offer some dishes that wouldn't have fit at the smoke joint. (mention of fried chicken and meat loaf had my mouth watering.) i personally can't wait for it to open.

oh and the smoked joint was awesome as always! lunch definitely is the way to go - nothing is sold out yet and plenty of seats available. (the food coma afterwards and napping in the early evening were the only side effects.)

Another friend who lives nearby and was kind enough to give me her own witty spin on the place:

I was headed to Smoke Joint for a bag of Brooklyn wings to celebrate my roommate having moved out when I noticed that Little Piggy Market was finally open. After several weeks shrouded in secrecy the owners of Smoke Joint had finally opened what they billed as a little sister to their successful BBQ joint.

More different siblings could not be. You will not find a drop of barbeque sauce at Little Piggy, instead what you will find is a changing roster of salads, sandwiches, entrees and sides that are determined by what’s in season at the moment. On my first visit they were out of the meatloaf sandwich but I was encouraged to sample the chicken salad sandwich which was billed as “awesome” by the cute cook. Although I hate chicken salad I like cute cooks so I obliged. The sandwich was in fact quite good and huge and the heirloom tomato salad I got as a side was quite tasty as well. In order to round out my meal I decided to get a cupcake, which kudos to Little Piggy was frosted with cream cheese icing instead of the typical butter cream that seems to be plaguing other cupcakes around this city. The cupcake was tasty and baked in a stiff foil cup which necessitated the use of a fork to eat it and made my cupcake into more of a cake in a cup.

On a return visit I finally got to try the meatloaf sandwich that had eluded me on my prior visit. One bite and I knew exactly why it had sold out the day before. It consisted of crusty bread surrounding a warm slice of meatloaf, heirloom tomatoes and caramelized onions. To round out my meal I decided to forgo any vegetables and got a s’mores cookie that was crispy on the outside and nice and chewy in the center. Everything was tasty and despite its large size and slight messy factor and I finished every bite with the reckless abandon that can only come with dining in the privacy of my newly empty apartment.

Much like The Smoke Joint next door Little Piggy and its sociable staff are a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Plus, here's some info from Brooklyn Based. Man, I need to get over there now.

(Lafayette at S. Elliott)

Bagel World is OPEN

YES! Jay texted me Saturday morning to let me know BW was open for business, so we made plans to check it out first thing Sunday morning. We arrived around 10am, so it was fairly quiet (with regular flow of patrons in and out). First impressions: good layout (register near the back, avoiding weird line congestion a la Bergen Bagel). Also, good selection of cream cheeses.

The guy in charge told us to check out the heated outdoor-ish back room, so we did.

Cool! Ample seating, and out of the way of other people in line and ordering.

Another bonus: TONS of pastries and cookies, in case you're not up for a bagel or sandwich.

Our order: I had a toasted sesame with olive cream cheese, and Jay had a toasted everything with regular cc.

Jay felt that Bagel World's (BW) bagels are better than Bergen Bagel (BB), but I myself prefer Bergen taste-wise (and I think Bergen has better olive cc). BW's bagels were very crispy and ARE made on-site (bonus). The guys working at BW also seemed far more cordial than those at BB. The main guy behind the counter (manager? owner?) was exceptionally friendly and eager to serve. Let's hope that's the standard and not just opening @sskissing.

BW is localed on DeKalb Ave between Clermont and Adelphi.

FROM BROOKLYNJAY:

Bagel World. Stupid name, good bagels.

The first thing I noticed was how well stocked, neat and organized this place was which, I guess it's to be expected since this is their second location. The staff really had thier act together too. Attentive, pleasant and there when you needed them but not in a pushy sort of way.

I ordered my favorite - an everything bagel, toasted, with regular cream cheese and a small coffee, light and sweet.

Mmmm...good bagel.

First thing I noticed is how well the bagel was topped and how it did indeed have a little bit of everything. The bagel was crunchy from the toasting on the outside and still soft and chewy on the inside - just perfect. The cream cheese was good too with just the right amount to perfectly compliment the bagel's coating. You can taste a little bit of everything but the salt was the most predominant flavor - not that I'm complaining as I like salt. (But a salt bagel on it's own always makes me feel like my blood pressure's just increased by 300%.)

Mmmm...good bagel.

The coffee was eh but I wasn't expecting it to be amazing - just passable enough to go with my bagel in the morning which it is.

Overall I'd have to say Bagel World has a slightly better bagel than Bergen, which is my local, and Le Bagel Delight and I would rank them currently in that order.

heavenly crumbs

when is a stack of luxurious boxes not a stack of luxurious boxes? when it's a cake. shannon pridgen has been doing custom cakes out of a rented kitchen in bed-stuy for the past 8 years. want a cake shaped like a coach handbag? she's done it. a pair of adidas? done it.

but now she's expanded and taken her operation retail, and her newer offerings look more like this:

which, to my eyes, is just as, if not more, beautiful.... this is, of course, the red velvet cupcake, with cream cheese frosting. now, i'll be up front here: i've never had red velvet cake before, not cake man raven's, not anybody's, so i was judging this cupcake purely on it's own merits. and the verdict is: it's a great cupcake. it was moist, not overly sweet, and the frosting was delicious, smooth and creamy. i also had a small sample of some of shannon's other goods: oatmeal cookie, vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting, carrot cupcake, and buttermilk biscuit. the cookie was great, very dense. the chocolate frosting on the vanilla cupcake was perfect, with the kind of cocoa-y flavor that i really love in chocolate frosting. the carrot cake i can't speak to, since the bite i had had a big raisin in it, which is just not my thing...so you'll have to go in and try that one yourself. and the biscuit was fine, and i suspect that if i'd had a whole one from the serving case instead of the piece that had been sitting out on the sample plate losing moisture, it would have been great. some of the other varieties in the case that i didn't get to taste are: vanilla cupcake with passion fruit frosting, yellow cupcake with triple berry frosting, spice cupcake with rum frosting, and chocolate cupcake with coconut frosting.

the space is tiny, with most of the room taken up by the kitchen. but there's a little table in the front, with a few chairs, two small benches, and a little pink stool for the kiddos that my kiddo at least was completely enamored of. there's also a tea and coffee station, with a drawer full of tea bags (herbal and black) to choose from.

shannon, who grew up in the bronx but has lived in brooklyn for the last 10 years, was working the counter, answering phones, reading cookbooks, and generally looking like a small business owner when i got there. she told me that she thinks of her desserts as "refined american", or "well-done comfort food".

which is exactly what a cupcake should be.

heavenly crumbs 355 franklin ave. @ greene and lexington 718-623-6271 heavenlycrumbs.com

Inside Body By Brooklyn

Body by Brooklyn opened months ago, and I still haven't been. I had planned on it, but I just keep forgetting it's there. I did take a tour once, and the facilities seemed amazing. Yet it does seem a bit mysterious and those who have gone say a few things seem a little "off." Thankfully, reader mizbrooklyn gives us the DL on what goes on inside:

BODY BY BROOKLYN. 275 Park Avenue

It's not that every neighorhood NEEDS a place to get a massage, but since even the pets in Clinton Hill have a spa, I was excited to notice Body By Brooklyn's ambitious opening last spring. Truth was, I missed having a local place to go when my back felt crunched-up, and if a spa can make a go of it in a building overlooking the BQE...well, it can probably make it anywhere. I've been to BBB a number of times by now, more out of neighborhood loyalty than anything else -- but I'm still convincing myself to like the place.

First, the concept. If you've ever been to a really high-end spa -- think "Ten Thousand Waves" in Santa Fe, NM or even "Juvenex" in Koreatown -- the idea behind BBB will be familiar: you're supposed to spend a couple of hours here, having a drink or a snack, getting a massage, maybe plunging in their pools or sitting in their sauna. There's a big room filled with magazines -- and a bar! -- just for lounging. If you're there for a "spa day", you're supposed to use the locker room to strip down, and pad around the building in a robe and slippers. (If you're there for just, say, a waxing, they'll show you right back to your room.) In Santa Fe, I found this idea kind of novel and fun -- in Brooklyn, I have to say, I found it a bit...weird.

It didn't help that the whole place is eerily quiet and empty, even on weekends. With every room appointed in couches and poofs from West Elm, it's a bit like being in a furniture showroom after midnight. Mostly naked.

So far I've gone for a waxing and a massage. The good news is that this place is spotlessly clean. Having gotten manicures and at places I cringe to remember, there's something great about walking into a truly pristine space in the middle of the city. Service has always been fairly friendly (spas not being known for their warmth), and the rates are reasonable. But there is definitely something a bit fishy going on that's hard to put my finger on. Despite the prominently posted signs asking patrons to keep their bathing suits on (which really make you wonder why they're there in the first place), the one time I wandered into the bath area, I was greeted by a pair of naked (male) buttcheeks. I quickly fled, not knowing if this was a cultural miscommunication -- BBB is a Russian-style spa -- or a health code violation. The naked guys definitely seemed to have more run of the place than I did.

The massage wasn't bad but definitely wasn't like any other massage I've had, featuring an unexpected neck-cracking session and lots of limb-pulling: you shouldn't go in expecting Swedish Massage, even if you say you're there for deep tissue work, like I did. Then again, the first time I went to a Korean spa and had a body-scrubbing, I was pretty weirded out, too.

Mostly, the owners of BBB seem to be just figuring out how to market themselves and get customers in -- in a way, they seem to still be figuring out what customers they WANT to get in. Are they going super-high end? For the first few months there was a whopping cover charge levied just for entering the place -- suggesting they were going for the (maybe non-existent) high-luxury client. It seems like that charge has been dropped since the summer -- but BBB is still figuring out how to get things done.

I think what this place needs, more than anything, is more local patrons to make it their own: it seems more like one person's vision of a spa than a reflection of the neighborhood growing up around it. But I may go back with friends -- there is something irresistible about having a massage - or waxing - within 10 minutes' walk.

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.

Stonehome: Mixed Reviews

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

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

Kinera II Review!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

67burger review....finally

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bonita II we heart you

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

Lesterhead's Review + Photos:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hey mama adds....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

(link to the original review is here.)

LOOK! A BAR!

The Vegetable Parcel

Steamed Manila Clams

Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper

Grilled Pork Chops

Guitarra Pasta

Libby Hillmans Crunchy Meringue Pie

White Chocolate Lavender Bread Pudding

Chocolate Tart

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(As you can see.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brooklyn Jay

The Smoke Joint

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

---

I love BBQ.

It's one of my favorite food groups.

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

But I was also a little wary.

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

Luckily, the Smoke Joint does it right.

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

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

Craig hard at work.

Full slab of ribs.

So nice I took it twice.

The Brisket.

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

All this is more than okay with me.

BBQ is not fancy dining.

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

And boy did I get down and dirty.

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

Oh.

My.

God.

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

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

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

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

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

Pork Ribs.

Mmmm...Pork.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mullane's Revisited

The New York Mets are in a very tight series with the St. Louis Cardinals. With Hey Momma and Brooklyn Jay both being HUGE Mets fans we decided that we should meet up at Mullane's to watch the game there and give it another try.I, for one, am sure glad we did.Someone at Mullane's read my previous review and decided to make a few changes. They added REAL BUFFALO WINGS to the menu!

These wings ARE from Buffalo.

They also broadcasted the game in HD! And they even broadcasted the television audio rather than music - an extra nice touch for all the fans that were in attendance.

In HD! No gray bars!

We also tried a new appetizer, a Quesadilla, which was very well received.

Mmm....another good bar food.

I have to say that it was really nice watching a game at a bar in the Nabe. I really had a good time, the Mets winning helped of course, and I'm glad that minor issues I had with the menu selections were addressed.

(Still chick peas in the mussels though...why? Why? For pete's sake, why?)

And, of course, Mullane's has a very good selection of beers which definitely helped to calm my nerves.

I'm headed back tonight, and I think Hey Momma will be in attendance too, to watch the Mets close out the Series with the Cardinals and, hopefully, move on to the World Series.

If anyone wants to stop on by and cheer for the Mets I'll be there. Stop by and say hi. You can't miss me.

October 19, 2006/ Robin Lester Kenton/ 2 Comments

dining, observations, opinion, review

Robin Lester Kenton

Mullane's Bar and Grill: The Review

Mullane's Bar and Grill in the LaFu -----------

I'm a pretty decent Sports fan. So when Mullane's first posted a sign with "Watch the World Cup Here" I wasn't as upset as some people that a Sports bar was opening up around the Nabe.I was actually kind of happy.There really isn't any place in the Nabe that I know of to where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.I had high hopes for Mullane's to become that place so when it opened you just knew I had to go and check it out with this criteria in mind.

Watching the Game

The decor is nice inside Mullane's. They've got 4 HDTVs and it's high enough that you can get a pretty good view of the game from any place near the bar. What I didn't like is that, as you will see in the pictures, they weren't always broadcasting in HD.Those gray bars are really really annoying don't you think?

If you have HDTV's then you should be broadcasting the game in HD otherwise it's a waste.

Nice high ceilings and a dining room separate from the bar.

One of the nice touches is a separate dining area so people can still go there for dinner and avoid the Sports bar scene.

So as a place to watch the game, it's not so bad. You'll get a good view from anywhere around the bar and I'm sure they'll get it together eventually and put the games on in HD.

Getting a Beer

A decent selection of tap beers.

As with any decent bar they offer a good selection of beers on tap. Magic Hat #9 isn't something that you find in a lot of bars. The Blue Point is also a very good beer that not a lot of places have on tap.

I was quite impressed by the selection.

Great place to grab a beer.

Getting a Bite to Eat

I know that Mullane's might not be a Sports bar but I think because of the "Watch the World Cup Here" sign and the HDTVs - it left me with that impression.And, again, I'm looking for a place where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.So, in traditional Sports bar manner, I'm expecting really really good BAR FOOD.We start with the Onion Rings.The Onion Rings were missing...something. It was kind of bland. I mean, I should like it. It's fried after all but...no. Maybe more seasoning in the batter and stronger onions would help but these were boring.

Onion rings - eh.

We move on to the Buffalo Wings.Any decent Sports bar has to have really good wings. It'll make or break a place, for me, if I can't get good wings while watching the game.Mullane's wings were...different.While the Wings were kind of tasty I wanted traditional Buffalo Wings. Hot sauce and butter. And the hotter the sauce the better so that I can wash it down with beer.These were kind of gourmet wings. And I think they were grilled, not fried. WTF??

There also weren't very many of them. I'm counting like, maybe, a half a dozen in the picture?

Maybe it's me but when I want wings I want to be able to, if need be, make a meal out of it. You'd have to get like 10 orders of Wings here to make it a meal.

Very disappointing.

These Wings are not from Buffalo.

[Lesterhead's Two Cents: I, however, AM from Buffalo,

and was extremely insulted by these wings. No, they weren't bad, but they were chicken wings in a ginger sauce. BUFFALO WINGS indicate that they are chicken wings in the traditional Buffalo hot sauce.]

What are Mussels doing in a Sports bar?Well, okay, this is the whole "maybe it's not really a Sports bar" thing but I like Mussels. I had to order them. Just because.

Does it go with Onion Rings? Does it go with Buffalo Wings? No, not really but, hey, food is food.But does Mussels go with Chick Peas? NO. THEY DO NOT.

So why are there Chick Peas in with the Mussels?

Ugh.

The Mussels were good once you picked out all the Chick Peas.

There are chick peas in my Mussels. Not a good thing.

And the last staple of good ol'Bar Food is the classic American Burger.

burger 1

burger 2

burger 3

And, no, I didn't eat them all.(I'm good but I'm not that good.)I was the proud owner of burger 3 - mushrooms and bacon. It was either the BAM burger or the LaFu burger or something like that.As burgers go - these were good. Not the best I've ever had, not the worse. It was...just a burger. That's probably the best way I can explain it - it was just a burger.

The Final Verdict

I really wanted to like Mullane's. I really wanted it to be that place - especially since the Mets made the playoffs.(Let's Go Mets!)I just wasn't impressed by the food.TV: Check. Beer: Check. Food: Eh.And the food really matters. The Wings were a really big disappointment to me.

Still, you might catch me in there from time to time.

I'm just probably going to have to eat before I go.

(When are Smoke Joint and 67 Burger opening again?)

---

We need a vote on what to name that area.

LaFu - is short and sweet. TriFuLa - the triangle between Fulton and Lafayette is what Mr. Set Speed wants to call it. TriLaFu - adding the Tri to LaFu to gives it that TriBeCa feel and I can still claim ownership. (Which is important for royalty reasons once the realtors pick up on it.)

Cast your votes.

September 30, 2006/ Robin Lester Kenton/ 13 Comments

dining, fort greene, new, review

Robin Lester Kenton

Soule

Soule

920 Fulton Street

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 399-7200

Free Delivery

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 didn't win the daily numbers.)

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...

(Available on Amazon. You know you want it.)

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.

(Mmmm...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.

("Can I just get one rib?")

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.

(Hey, is that a garnish? That's fancy!)

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.

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.

Bistro Lafayette

Bistro Lafayette is the meeting place for the Bed-Stuy North Improvement Association. I figured that if people are planning on attending the meetings, Monday nights at 7:30pm, someone should review the food there. And since I like food... So, Bistro Lafayette.

My little ride parked outside as Marise opens up.

The inside of Bistro Lafayette.

It's located on 338 Franklin Avenue, not Lafayette Avenue as previously posted, between Greene and Lexington Avenues.

(Why is it called Bistro Lafayette? Wouldn't Bistro Franklin, Bistro Greene or Bistro Lexington be more appropriate? I guess Bistro is a French word and Lafayette is that famous French dude so maybe it does make sense. Anyway, I digress...)

On my first visit (more on this in a second) I took the recommendation of Marise, the very pleasant hostess, and ordered the Lafayette Burger, a burger with goat cheese and carmelized onions, for $8.

I was too excited that I got my food and took a bite before I remembered to take a picture. (Again.)

While the idea of goat cheese and carmelized onions sounds great on a burger there was something still...missing. Good idea, good ingredients but something keeped it from being "great". I couldn't really put my finger on it...and I probably could have figured it out but I got caught up in a really funny conversation with another patron and Marise that I totally forgot to take notes on the food.

An incomplete food review by me just wasn't going to cut it.

(Lesterhead's a real pain in the butt sometimes...)

So I went back the next day for breakfast.

Bistro eggs with a side of Turkey bacon.

This time I ordered the Bistro eggs for $5. (Eggs any style, toast, grits, fries or home fries.) I got my eggs over medium, passed on the grits (they get all over everything) and got some Turkey bacon on the side.

Turkey bacon was excellent, home fries were good but my eggs were a little overcooked. Eh. I'll live.

Now while I do have to say the food is just passable I would go back again because I had such a great time eating there. It's usually tough to eat alone in restaurants but I never felt like I was eating alone as the patrons and staff were all really nice and willing to engage in silly conversations.

It's really one of those nice neighborhood type of places that you can see yourself going back to again and again just because it's so friendly and comforting.

I just wish it was closer to me.

---

Bistro Lafayette 338 Franklin Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 230-4728

Cafe Martino

So I had a chance to stop by Cafe Martino for breakfast this morning . I got the Breakfast Burritos (2) for $6.50 which was more like Breakfast soft tacos, but I'm not complaining. It was really good. I ordered mine with bacon -- they seemed to have run out of it and it looked like I got what was left. A discount was taken off my bill for it so it's all good. I would have preferred it being mentioned before hand so I could have switched it to something else that would clog my arteries but, again, I'm not complaining.

I apologize about the flash photography of the food but it's fairly dark inside Cafe Martino as the first picture shows. Oh, and the fresh salsa comes on the side but I was so excited I put it on my eggs before I remembered that I should photograph it...

The ice coffee was, in my opinion, very, very weak. Some people might love it -- everyone's got different preferences when it comes to coffee -- but I'm not a fan. I really like my coffee turbo-charged and this was far from it.

I do have to say that it's Uber-friendly in there. He knows almost all the regular customers by name and what they drink. A nice little touch in my opinion.

I'll be back - there's still more on the menu I want to eat. I'm just going to have to get the hot coffee or drink iced tea unless they amp up the octane on the iced coffee.

Cafe Martino 559 Myrtle Avenue (between Emerson + Classon) 718-636-3966

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

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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

Polish Bar Brooklyn: The Review

The new chi-chi nail salon on Myrtle is OPEN. I had the day off on Friday, so it was the perfect time to check things out

I know I said I'd probably stick to Charming Nail on Waverly, but I may have changed my mind. PBB is absolutely gorgeous inside, complete with antique ceilings. The staff is awesome, and English-speaking. Price-wise, it's very reasonable. Mani-pedi combo is $30, plus an extra dollar for a nail kit that you keep and bring back with you.

The cleanliness is truly astounding. The technician opened a brand-new set of metal tools for cuticle pushing and cutting, and I saw another scrubbing down a pedi tub with bleach.

The atmosphere is relaxed, so don't expect to rush in and out like at a cheapo nail place. Also, make an appointment! Walk-ins are welcome, but you may have to wait awhile.

(Not that I mind a non-English speaking nail person, but I happen to have very ticklish feet, and it's nice to warn the technician before she starts scrubbing your foot and you jerk it away in a fit of giggles, frightening the crap out of her because she had no idea what you were saying.)

The bar offers several fun party packages as well, which include cocktails, snacks and makeup application. Fun! Clean! Go!

Read more about Polish Bar Brooklyn here.

Polish Bar of Brooklyn 470 Myrtle Ave @ Washington Bkln, NY 11205 718.622.5363 www.polishbarbrooklyn.com