Support a Local Gay Business (Even if You’re not Gay!)

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When Jessica Wolvek was growing up, she never saw a wedding in her future, because she knew she was gay, and the possibility of a woman marrying another woman was not a possibility in that era. Ironically enough, she now makes the wedding dreams of (mostly) heterosexual women happen as a floral designer, producing the floral arrangements for their weddings and receptions. She gained her expertise in floral design when she was living in Japan in the early ‘90s, teaching English as a Second Language. As it happened, a national floral design champion lived in the same town, and Jessica was given the opportunity to study the art of floral design (ikebana) with her. When she moved to San Francisco after her stint in Japan, she managed to hone her skills working for a highly recognized floral designer there. When she returned to her hometown of Brooklyn, she started experimenting with doing floral design for her friends’ weddings, When she received standing ovations at the weddings for her work, she realized she could make a go of starting her own floral design business. She started her business, FLEURS, three years ago, after many years of working very unhappily in NYC government. She runs Fleurs from her beautiful Bed-Stuy brownstone. Jessica finds it extremely fulfilling to work closely with brides making their special day become a reality. And, her impossible dream has come true for herself – Jessica will be having her own wedding after all. She will be marrying (of course not legally) her long-time partner this June, the ceremony will be taking place at Fire Island. You can see example of Jessica’s work, the press she has received, and get contact information at her website: www.fleursnyc.com.

Recent Filming

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Saw this signage last week on Myrtle near Waverly:

Nothing posted to IMBD (unusual), but did fine this info here:

'IT’S ALL BEEN ARRANGED' traces four intersecting stories, each exploring different aspects of love and companionship, as four friends struggle to find their way through the meanders of Indian matrimony, in a bittersweet attempt to combine their deep-rooted tradition and ‘modern’ New York life in perfect harmony.

Clinton Hill Animal Clinic

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Pet owners have a new option for veterinary care in the 'hood!  The Clinton Hill Animal Clinic is now at 476 Myrtle (at Hall).  After more than 20 years of veterinary practice in Park Slope, Dr Pamella Dendtler had expanded her practice.

Looking in, the new facility looks bright and clean.  They do have Saturday hours but are closed on Sundays.

More from the Myrtle Minutes blog:

Dr. Pamella (yes, 2 els) Dendtler and Dr. Monica Johnson will be opening their doors to cats, large dogs, small dogs, birds and exotic pets. They offer internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, orthopedic surgery, digital x-rays, sonograms, treatment of skin disorders, vaccines, Hill's prescription diets, house calls (yes, house calls!) and more!

I think these are the same vets who provided part-time vet services at KiKi's on DeKaln for awhile.  Has anyone gone yet?  The "Grand Opening" is scheduled for March.

718 623.3999

Office Hours

M-F : 9-7

Sat : 9-5

Places to Eat with Kids: Anima

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As the new blogger on the topic of parenting in and around Clinton Hill, I’m launching a series of reviews of local kid-friendly establishments.  Fortunately for the many families in the neighborhood, most restaurants here are laid-back and welcoming to families with kids.  I should also mention that I’m entirely aware that not everyone wants to dine next to a baby or child, but I think it is possible to do it in a considerate, low-impact way.  So, readers, please be thoughtful when you take your kids out with you—I know you will be! The first restaurant I’d like to cover is a neighborhood favorite of mine, Anima Italian Bistro.  Anima is our go-to place for weekend brunch (love the French toast!), but their dinner and lunch options are also good.  The food can be described as Italian soul food: simple, hearty and well-priced.  In fact, “anima” means “soul” in Italian.  Options include a variety of panini sandwiches, salads, pastas and burgers. Heartier entrees like branzino with a lemon risotto cake, stuffed pork chop with fontina cheese and a braised lamb shank with polenta are available too.  And there’s a kids’ brunch menu, including chicken cutlet, risotto, and “pasta bambini.”

The atmosphere is casual—think Italian pop music and farm tables—and the staff are friendly and warm to all their patrons, including kids.  Like typical Mediterraneans, they dote on Jasper the minute we walk through the door, and any stress about being “those people with the kid” quickly melts away.  It also helps that the restaurant is spacious, so it has always been possible for us to sit far enough from other diners that Jasper and his overflowing gear won’t disrupt them.  The food and service are prompt.  The décor is attractive, with brick walls, a tin ceiling and rustic aged wooden bar and wine racks.  All in all, Anima’s a great option for a fun and relaxing meal with the little ones.  Buon appetito!

High chairs—Yes

Space for strollers—Yes

Kids’ menu—Yes

Food delivery—Yes

Baby Changing Area—No, but restrooms are large and clean.

Outdoor space—Maybe (the previous restaurant in this space had a great back garden, but it has not been re-opened yet during Anima’s time there—maybe Summer ’09?)

Potential pitfalls—The wine-bottle curtain—you’ll know it when you see it—is an irresistible temptation to the small and curious.  We found that out the hard way!

Anima Italian Bistro 458 Myrtle Avenue between Waverly and Washington Brooklyn New York 11205 718-422-1122

www.animabistro.com

Local Duo, Sparkly Fin, (sort of) Release First Album! Local Duo, Sparkly Fin, (sort of) Release First Album!

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They are really releasing an album but they are only sort of local.  1/2 of the group Sparkly Fin live in Clinton Hill.  This half of the group is named Emily, who provides the vocals, and she decided to stay in the hood after graduating from Pratt this past May.  The other half is tastefully called Joseph, who lives in Baltimore, and he provides all other instrumentation.  This week (1/27/09) they are releasing their first album, High Pive.

Sparkly Fin fit nicely into the cotillion of contemporary bands who embrace the electro-acoustic spectrum with heart and soul.  Their myspace page used to proclaim that sounded like "Kate Bush kissing a pinball machine."  While I agree with their self-diagnosis, I will offer my own egregious (yet loving) analogy: Otis Redding making out with M. I. A. at a bris hosted for any male offspring of Thom Yorke.  What I'm saying, in lay terms, is that they are very sensitive to their tone, which usually doesn't get such attention in predominantly electronic music.  Also, they have an undeniably eclectic pop sensibility that contains sincerity as well as irony in a seemingly unpretentious way.  This sets them apart from the ideas that usually seem to spring out of the invisible retinues that follow around many a BK band.  Plain and simple, it's electro-pop music that is built to last.  As a final addendum, they encourage dancing.

To celebrate the release they are going to be having an intimate performance this coming Saturday (1/31/09) at Emily's apartment on Atlantic at 10pm.   Email the band for address/directions. If you missed any of the hyperlinks:

www.sparklyfin.com www.myspace.com/adingsparklyfin sparklyfin@gmail.com

The Pratt Steam Whistles

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Even though I moved here over two years ago, I still think of myself as the new kid – and I’m still learning the neighborhood and its history. And that history is in more places than you’d think.  Take the steam whistles at Pratt – this was the first New Year’s Eve I saw them, and I got a huge kick out of sounding a couple of them.  A couple days later, though, I wondered where those whistles had come from.  As it turns out, one of them had quite a history before Pratt’s Chief Engineer Conrad Milster got his hands on it; it was the steam whistle for the ocean liner S.S. Normandie..

In her day, the Normandie was the largest and fastest ship in the world, and still holds the record for the most powerful steam-powered passenger ship ever built.  The French build her to take advantage of American tourism – the financial boom of the 1920’s gave more Americans than ever the money to afford luxury travel, and European countries were building lavish transatlantic cruise ships to cater to the craze.  On her maiden voyage transatlantic voyage in 1935, the Normandie proved sailed from Normandy, France to New York City in only four days, setting a new record for fastest transatlantic voyage.

But the Normandie wasn’t just fast – she was gorgeous.  Passengers enjoyed an outdoor and indoor pool, chapel, theater, moviehouse, and even a garden.  Some rooms even came with private dining rooms and music rooms complete with baby grand pianos.  French artist Jean de Brunhoff, creator of Babar the elephant, was personally commissioned for a series of Babar murals in the childrens’ areas.  The first class dining hall – almost the length of a football field – seated 700 diners and was lit with lamps encased in huge glass pillars, earning the Normandie the nickname “Ship of Light”. The luxury attracted passengers like Ernest Hemingway, Noël Coward, Fred Astaire, Walt Disney, James Stewart, and even the von Trapp family Singers.

Sadly, the Normandie’s life on the sea was short –World War II caught her in New York, and the U.S. Navy took her over as a troopship.  While she was being refitted for combat, sparks from a welding torch set fire to a stack of life preservers in the first-class dining hall.  The ship’s sprinkler system had been disconnected, and firefighters were unable to contain the blaze.  She finally capsized and sank onto her side in the Hudson, remaining there until she was sold for salvage in 1946.

Some of the interior décor had been saved and sold at a special auction beforehand, though – the lighted pillars, some of the furniture, and several statues and other art pieces which decorated the ship.  Another bit of the Normandie is elsewhere in Brooklyn; the church doors of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, in Brooklyn Heights, used to be the doors to the first class dining room.

And the whistle ended up here in Clinton Hill, sounding off again every New Year’s Eve.

Bati -- Delicious New Ethiopian Restaurant Open in Fort Greene

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My husband and I just got back from dinner at Bati Ethiopian Restaurant, in Fort Greene, and loved the whole experience – food, ambience, and service. Bati’s atmosphere is inviting and cozy—dark wood, white brick walls, bright Ethiopian-themed artwork, and the service was very friendly, attentive and quick. The menu offers beef, free-range poultry, and a large variety of vegetarian dishes. (Note: All the vegetarian dishes are vegan as well.) We ate the Doro Wett (chicken stew) and a combination of vegetarian dishes, which were all fresh, delicious and hearty, with generous portions.

The Bati Platter

Even though it was busy, owner Hibist Legesse made time to talk with me about her restaurant. (Meseret Kibret is also a partner in the restaurant).

Why “Bati”? Bati, the name of the restaurant, refers to a region in North Central Ethiopia known for its sprawling market, to the famous Ethiopian song “Ere Bati Bati”, and to “bati”, a type of music originating in the highlands of Ethiopia. Why Fort Greene? Hibist, originally from Ethiopia, moved to the US in her teens. Trips to BAM when she was living with her family in Harlem sparked an attraction to the Fort Greene area, and she has dreamed of opening a restaurant here ever since. Can you describe the food? Traditional Ethiopian with a focus on nutrition and health. For example, by adding extra teff (type of flour) to the injera (spongy flatbread), we’re increasing the fiber and iron content of the bread. You can see the difference -- the injera is a darker color. And by featuring healthy ingredients, such as flaxseed. We also plan to expand our vegetarian options. Do you have a signature dish? The Ye Telba Fitfit is a special dish, made with lightly roasted freshly ground flaxseed in house dressing mixed with injera. It is packed with anti-oxidants and very good for you.

Who’s cooking in the kitchen? There are a number of chefs in the kitchen, all Ethiopian, and all, as is traditional in Ethiopia, female. This tradition is changing though, with many young men now learning to cook as well. The basics:

Address: 747 Fulton Street at South Portland (right next to Provisions), Fort Greene Phone: 718-797-9696 Hours: Open every day

Starting this week (week of Jan 26th): Lunch 12-5pm; Dinner 5pm-Midnight

Takeout available; currently no delivery

BYOB until further notice (which is not a problem with Provisions right next door and Greene Grape a few doors down)

Welcome to the neighborhood! We will be coming back very soon!

Welcome, New Contributors!

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Each contributor will be posting under his or her handle.  Here's a quick roundup of our new contributors, with bios.  There's at least one more to come, but I didn't want to delay. Hats off to them for helping out!

adamreadwrite, our new eyes and ears on the neighborhood's East Side: Long story short: grew up in Baltimore and went to school at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.  After graduating in May, (that would put me at 22 fragile years young) he accepted a job at Young Audiences New York, based in Midtown Manhattan, where he schedules arts programming for NYC public schools.  His entrance into the working world started on July 1st, 2008 and he punctually arrived at his Clinton Hill residence on June 30th.  Adam's musical tastes run from Charles Ives to Arthur Russell to Flying Lotus and he's having trouble tearing himself away from Roberto Bolaño's new book 2666.  He's said too much.  Brevity should not be expected from him, in a good way.

mayven, writing on local politics and the G+L scene: lived in CH since 2003 (in brooklyn since 1992 and in NYC since 1983)

Suzanne, covering restaurants and other local happenings: Suzanne has lived in Clinton Hill since early 2007. She is a curriculum developer and painter.

Kim on Clinton, writing about neighborhood history: After 12 years on the Lower East Side, Kim moved to Clinton Hill in September of 2006 – and within two weeks was wondering why in the hell she waited so long.  In addition to being an armchair history buff, she is also madly in love with the Farmer’s Market and the knitting group that meets every Wednesday, and is looking forward to digging up more nuggets about the past.

Waverly Mama, covering the local parenting beat: Waverly Mama has lived in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill for the past five years, and has been mother to a little boy since New Year's Day 2008.  She is a doula and licensed massage therapist, and editor of The New York Guide to a Healthy Birth, published by Choices in Childbirth.

Stephanie, writing neighbor profiles, covering local politics and discovering unusual bits of history: She’s lived in Ft. Greene and Clinton Hill for over five years and loves the area. She has a day job at a German bank in Midtown and spends her free time volunteering, pursuing a path towards Anusara yoga teaching, serving on the boards of two nonprofits, and working on freelance writing and translation projects.

Notorious

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Notorious, the movie based on the life of the Notorious BIG / Biggie Small and filmed in the neighborhood, opened last Friday.  The Times offers an interesting article on the film, with some rich history about Biggie's life and the neighborhood. Biggie grew up on St. James Place, and there is some differences of opinion on whether or not the area was called Clinton Hill back then.  (The Times seems to think it wasn't.)  My research suggests that Clinton Hill is NOT a new-fangled real estate broker creation, and St. James Place is firmly within the borders of Clinton Hill. Long-time residents, please chime in!  Did you refer to the area as Bed-Stuy?

I was in college when Biggie was killed, and had no idea he was just 24 when he died.

Has anyone seen the movie yet?  I hope to this weekend.

Celebrate the New Prez

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In addition to the exciting deals on DeKalb, other area merchants are having sales and special events to celebrate our new president:

  • Greene Grape: we're sampling an inauguration cocktail from 5-7 pm at the wine store (765 Fulton) inauguration night (tues, jan 20).  The recipe is Inspired by the rumor Obama likes margaritas.  It incorporates lime, Tito's Vodka (an All-American spirit made in Texas as a nod to the outgoing President), pineapple juice (in tribute to Obama's Hawaii connection), a dash of bitters (recognition of the bitter economic pill we are taking) and triple sec (because just a spoonful of sugary orange liqueur will make the economic medicine go down, medicine go doooooown, medicine go down).
  • Le Grand Dakar: YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND AN  INAUGURAL BALL AT LE GRAND DAKAR ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, FROM 7 PM TO 3 AM.  Join the celebration which will herald in a new era of conscientious social & environmental awareness and humanistic considerations ­ a.k.a Our Wish for Change.  DJ Ayo will support a cast of live drummers with 70s social consciousness funk with Aniyikaye Yoruba Talking drummers and singers ­ Fuji, Juju, Apala, waka, and Jojo Kuo afro-beat trap drummer duo.  It will be fantastic. Le Grand Dakar Restaurant, 285 GRAND AVE, FORT GREENE (Lafayette Ave/Clifton, BROOKLYN, NY 718 398 8900 www.dakarcafe.net
  • Tamboril: January 20, 2009 Doors open at 5:30.  Couldn't make it to washington?...then don't miss the inauguration day celebration at Tamboril!  Obama slama $6 cocktail special the whole night and our famous food sampler at reduced price of $12.99.  2 for 1s happy hour 5:30 to 7:30pm.  Watch inauguration coverage on any of our three flat screens.  Still time to reserve the lounge area but it won't last!  RSVP info@tamborilnyc.com, 527 Myrtle Ave.
  • Bar Olivino: Inauguration celebration @ Bar Olivino!  Tuesday, January 20th - Yes we did!!!!!! Complimentary bar snacks all night long!  Bar Olivino, 899 Fulton Street (Between Clinton & Vanderbilt)

breaking news

We Love Biggie Brunch @ Frank White: TODAY

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In conjunction with the opening of the film, NOTORIOUS, Frank White will host the 'WE LOVE BIGGIE BRUNCH' - an afternoon of waffles and the freshest BIG music tributes EVER, featuring music by: REGGIEMENT J. PERIOD DJ MISTER CEE

$5 waffle specicals + complimentary lil' kim size coffee all day!

This week has been the NOTORIOUS @ FRANK WHITE week.

-Actor/MC Gravy who plays BIG in NOTORIOUS did his NY Times photo shoot + interview @ Frank White (Thanks Jon Caramanica!)

-Frank White featured in Time OUT NY feature on Brooklyn BIG walk

frank white 936 atlantic avenue @ st. james brooklyn, ny 11238 718.622.0840 www.frankwhitenyc.com frankwhite@frankwhitenyc.com

Tonight: SCH Meeting

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General Meeting Thursday, January 15, 2009, 7-9 pm

Saint Joseph's College, Saint Angela Hall, 267 Waverly Ave. (DeKalb/Willoughby)

AGENDA 7-7:30              Appetizers by KIF, located on DeKalb Ave.

Wine from Olivino, located on Clinton/Fulton

Presentation by the Hempstead Select Chorale from Hempstead High                             School under the directorship of Rachel Blackburn.  Introduction by Brett Truitt, SCH board member.

7:30                 Welcome and announcements -  Jim Barnes, President

7:40                 Update on Atlantic Yards - Daniel Goldstein from DDDB

Find out what is happening on the legal, construction, and PR fronts.

8:00                 Real Estate Tax – NYC Tax Commission

Myrna Hall, Director of Operations

Carlo Silvestri, Director of Appraisal and Hearings

R/E tax increases, appraisals, appeals, and other issues of interest to you.

8:30                 What's Up with Fulton Street?  The Fulton Street BID

Get an update on street construction, retail vacancies, marketing activities,  how the current tenants are doing, and what we can look forward to.

8:50                 Steffon Isacc, SCH VP - Comments from the Audience

If you want to make an announcement of up to 1 minute, sign up at the                           sign-in table when you arrive.  As many people as time allows can                                                 participate.

HOLD THE DATE:  SCH Annual New Comer's Party, Thursday, February 19, 7:30 pm.  315 Washington Avenue, near DeKalb.  New Comers are guests, everyone else please bring a tasty vegetarian dish.  (Remember last year?  We did vegetarian and had the most interesting and marvelous food.)  So, give the animals a break and our bodies a benefit!  SCH will provide the liquids, entertainment, and babysitters.

House Tour 2009: Sunday, May 3, noon to 5 pm.  Sign-up with Linda Scher and Brett Truitt to help. Wash308@aol.com.  There are many needs and lots of important things to do.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 19th, Saint Angela Hall, 7-9 pm.

Membership:

Check your mailing label for the date of your membership expiration. If there is no date, your membership needs to be renewed.  Remember, we are all volunteers, and sometimes we make mistakes. So, if you know you have paid, and we are not reflecting it, let us know and we will correct the error.

Also, we think we are still sending multiple mailings to the same addresses.  If you are still getting duplicate mailings to the same, different or incorrectly spelled names, let us know, and we will correct that as well.

Membership:  Individual: $20,  Family: $30,   business: $40,   Supporting Group: $30,  Angel: $You decide

Celebrate Inauguration on DeKalb

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I received this amazing press release a few days ago.  Neary every vendor on DeKalb Avenue will be offering a special discount or deal to celebrate Obama's swearing in from Friday through Tuesday.  What a cool way to create unity in the neighborhood, give people a lot of great reasons to celebrate locally, and give discounts at a much needed time!  I can't believe the day is almost here. FORT GREENE'S DEKALB AVENUE MERCHANTS CELEBRATE HISTORIC INAUGURATION WITH PROMOTIONS ALL WEEKEND LONG Obama-inspired special menus, drinks, discounts and other offers. Friday, January 16-Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Brooklyn, NY-January 8, 2009  Twenty-eight restaurants, cafes, boutiques and retail stores of the Dekalb Avenue Merchants' Association in Fort Greene, (a Brooklyn neighborhood long known for its multi-cultural diversity) invite you to "Celebrate the Inauguration on Dekalb" and continue the electrifying celebration that began in the streets on election night and continues right through Inauguration Weekend, Friday, January 16-Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

Participating Dekalb Avenue businesses will be offering discounts, coupons, reduced-price prix-fixe menus, drink specials, vouchers for discounts on return visits or 2-for-1 specials all weekend long. Plus on the day of the Inauguration, locations with big screen TVs will be opening early to broadcast the ceremony and will have live music, DJs and even more specials throughout the day.

The list of participating merchants and their offers include... 20% discounts to celebrate the 20th of January, 2009... 44% discounts to celebrate the Inauguration of our 44th President... special menu creations reflecting President-elect Obama's multi-cultural background... plus coupons, vouchers and other special offers.

ALSO:  "Obama" posters created by students at Dekalb Avenue's Ronald Edmonds Learning Center, Middle School 113, will be exhibited in windows up and down Dekalb during the celebration weekend. Come see the work of these young artists who have been so profoundly inspired. Plus students from the school's Academy of Performing Arts Choir and Band will be performing at select locations on Inauguration Day.

This event re-launches the Dekalb Avenue Merchants' Association (DAMA). The Association covers Dekalb Avenue from Washington Avenue to Ashland Place, plus businesses on intersecting side streets. The association is about businesses working together on issues of mutual interest, connecting with the community and promoting this vibrant strip in the heart of one of Brooklyn's great neighborhoods.

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES AND OFFERS

CELEBRATE THE INAUGUATION ON DEKALB AVENUE Friday, January 16-Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (unless otherwise noted below)

NORTH SIDE OF DEKALB FROM VANDERBILT TO FORT GREENE PARK * Indicates locations also showing the live broadcast of the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

BONITA (243 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-622-5300) Special Menu Item: Tacos Al Pastor with a shot of tequila and blood orange juice, $12.00.

BROOKLYN SPORTING GOODS (241 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-638-2537) 10% off all baseball caps and other gear (Sat and Tues only)

KIKI?S PET SPA (239 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-857-7272) 25% off grooming Fri-Mon. 44% off grooming on Inauguration Day.

IMPRESSIONS SALON (233 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 917-704-9237) 10% discount on all Salons Enhancement Services offered (Fri and Sat). Monday: Beauty in the Body Belly Dancing, 6:30pm-9:00pm (participation a must). Inauguration Day: 20% off Haircuts, Regularly $40. Appointments recommended (selected stylist only). Call 917-704-9237 for information.

THE GENERAL GREENE (229 Dekalb @ Clermont / 718-222-1510) Inaugural Luau - January 20, 2009 $20.09 Suckling Pig Dinner: Suckling Pig, Sweet Potato Mash, Grilled Pineapple, Coconut Banana Cream Pie. $5 Mai Tai?s all weekend.

MALCHIJAH HATS (225 Dekalb @ Clermont / 718-643-3269) 10% off in-stock items. Free T-Shirts to first purchasing customers, Fri-Mon (while supplies last). Inauguration Day: 20% discounts.

THISTLE & CLOVER (221 Dekalb @ Clermont / 718-855-5577) 10% off all non-sale items

KIF* (219 Dekalb @ Adelphi / 718-852-7273) Lunch: $15 Prix-fixe menu with Free Mimosa or Bloody Mary - 11am to 5:30pm. Dinner: Prix-fixe 3-courses $20.09. On Inauguration evening:  $5 Special B'amatini

CHEZ OSKAR (211 Dekalb @ Adelphi / 718-852-6250) Prix-fixe for Peace:  3-courses prix fix menu Monday to Friday from 11-5:30 pm - $20.09 plus a very special cocktail menu consisting of: Rotten Republicans, Dirty Democrats and Yes-we-can-ohitos... all at $5 each

HIDE OUT LOUNGE* (266 Adelphi @ Dekalb / 718-855-3010) 10% off all drinks 7pm-9pm on Friday/Saturday, 7pm til closing Sunday. Closed on Monday. On Inauguration Day: 10am-4pm, complimentary coffee, tea, juices, and sandwiches. 10% off all drinks 7pm til closing.

SUSHI D (207 Dekalb @ Adelphi /  718-858-0058) Special $4 Hawaiian and Indonesian appetizer menu. Free glass of sake w/entrees.

MADIBA RESTAURANT * (195 Dekalb @ Carlton Avenue / 718-855-9190) Free Obama Mama Cocktails, Bloody Mary or Mimosa with lunch or dinner. Inauguration Day: Open at 11am, live music and drink and lunch specials.

SMOOCH* (264 Carlton @ Dekalb / 718-624-4075) 20% discount on all items

THIRST WINE MERCHANTS (187 Dekalb @ Carlton /  718-596-7643) 20% off Champagne, to celebrate the 20th.

URBAN SPRING (185 Dekalb @ Carlton / 718-237-0797) Free cup of "Brownstone Beans" coffee with the purchase of a homemade muffin.

SOUTH SIDE OF DEKALB FROM VANDERBILT TO ASHLAND PLACE * Indicates locations also showing the live broadcast of the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

TILLIES OF BROOKLYN (248 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-783-6140) 15% discount on everything.

ICI (246 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-789-2778) Diners receive a voucher for 30% of their check total to use on next visit.

ALIBI (242 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-783-8519) $4 Pints of Stella (20% off) Sat-Tues

TWO STEPS DOWN (240 Dekalb @ Vanderbilt / 718-399-2020) 2 for 1 drinks (Fri-Mon, excluding private party times). Inauguration evening: music, dancing and light buffet for customers, free.

BLACK IRIS (226 Dekalb @ Clermont / 718-852-9800) Complimentary Loomi citrus drink (Sat-Tues)

MARIOS PIZZA (224 Dekalb @ Clermont / 718-260-9520) 20% off

RED BAMBOO* (271 Adelphi @ Dekalb / 718-643-4352) $10 coupon for your next visit. $5 drink specials. Inauguration day: complimentary hors dourves, DJ.

CATHERINE?S CAFÉ (184 Dekalb @ Carlton / 718-858-3712) Breakfast: 44% off small coffee/tea with a koblihy pastry. Lunch: Brooklyn Omelet for only $5 (reg. 7.50) plus free soda or bottled water.

BITTERSWEET (180 Dekalb @ Carlton / 718-852-2556) Free 10 oz. latte or cappuccino coupon when you spend $10 (good for next visit)

RICE (166 Dekalb @ Cumberland / 718-858-2700) $11 pre-fixe brunch special (Sat-Tues). Wine, sake and beer specials at dinner and free drink coupon for next visit.

SPECIAL GIFT OCCASSIONS (114 Dekalb @ St. Felix / 718-855-5870) Purchase one custom-made hat at regular price, get 2nd hat at 44% off.

CAFFE e VINO (112 Dekalb @ St. Felix / 718-855-6222) Free bottle of wine for tables of 3-4 people. Free glass of wine or beer for each person at tables of 1-2 people.

GREEN APPLE CAFE (110 Dekalb @ St. Felix / 718-625-1248) 2 for 1 "Black & White" Cookies. 2 for 1 "Obama Latte" (Chocolate & Vanilla)