I Like Brooklyn – Page 3

Fresh Fanatic Opens August 4th

PS this store actually had their grand opening on August 18th. I am sorry if this post inconvenienced anybody.

Long, long time the dark side of Park Ave in Fort Greene, BKLYN has decidedly not been a happening part of town. Oh sure you could hike it to Myrtle or Jay st and find all sorts of nice things like restaurants,bars and shops and you could always get your nails done. But the rainy,icy,blazing hot days when you could not face the walk you were stuck with whatever you could scrounge up closer to home. Washington Ave (only 10 blocks from my house) seemed like the only side street interested in providing to the amenity starved residents. Although these always fell a bit short. The dubious worth of RePop lurking a few doors beyond the tastiness of Mojitoes(Kitchen Nightmares recently filmed there,though so the tastiness must have dropped off somewhat. ) And Il Porto. Pizza. A bit of a yawn.

So apart from booking a massage or eating or buying a Vespa this is just one of those areas you find yourself walking past while going somewhere else.

Then TA DA! Fresh Fanatic. I first spotted their sign in May or June-ish. My BF’s bro who lives across the st., said it was going to be a Fresh Direct supermarket. But we take whatever he says with a grain of salt. Turns out it is going to be some sort of supermarket something this drugfront bodega laden (a couple of 40’s and a strawberry flavored blunt and a pack of chips are not groceries) area could use. Maybe I can soon buy a green pepper and a carton of eggs without inconveniencing the mustachioed lady proprietor of my corner store? Yes, August 4th, the Grand Opening of Fresh Fanatic! Lets just hope the store will have more in it than its website does.
Fingers crossed.

A Brooklyn Mystery

One early weekend morning not too long ago, I forced the mans to walk with me to Trader Joe’s. Upon approaching the former bank building we saw a horrifying sight! Masses of people were lined up all the way to the new (ish) Urban Outfitters! And here I thought I had been so clever making an early run to the usually afternoon-thronged store as most TJ shoppers are lazy curs who all seem to want to shop the same times as I do. How dare they. TJs should sell memberships for private shopping hours so that the very very delicate should not have to suffer the propinquity of the hoi polloi.

Getting across the street we noticed that the long line of patient wait-ers were not interested in gaining access to Trader Joe’s at all. What they wanted was in the middle of the street, down a manhole. What was down there? I’d heard of urban spelunking, perhaps that was what it was all about? But the people in the line did not look especially rugged or risk-takey and the urban spelunkers crowd I’d seen a photograph of seem intensely rugged and risk-takey.

A Mystery no longer.
What they all wanted was a tour of the old Atlantic Avenue Subway.
If you want to know more go here.
And if you do not want to have to get in a small hole to see something old go here

I have done my job.

140 Year Old 20 lb Lobster

Craig!

See the video
Thank you Brooklyn Paper!

Who: Craig the lobster & the owners of the restaurant.
What: A 20 pound lobster gets returned to the sea by PETA.
Where: The Halu Japanese restaurant on 13th Avenue, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
When: Today, Tuesday February 17th.

Why: Because if you make it to 140 years you don’t deserve to be boiled alive and eaten with clarified butter and garlic…or do you?
I wonder how much a 20 pound lobster would cost? I’d settle for a 1 pounder. Already cooked by someone else, of-hypocritically-course.

Would you like a cocktail before dinner?

Yes,thanks!
I’ve been on a Bloody Mary kick for a while. Liking a cocktail again gives me more options at restaurants other than asking for a glass of red wine.Always ordering the same thing gets very boring.

I’d gone off cocktails for ages,preferring wine. But there are drawbacks:ordering wine at a bar or restaurant can be disappointing. Wines at the bars I used to patronize tended to be the cheapest jug of sludge they could get away with selling. If you are watching the tab at the restaurant you might go for the cheapest per glass price which might be thin and vinegary but it only cost 5 bucks! You compromise quite a lot when ordering wine at a restaurant if you mainly watch the pricelist–which I cannot help but do. Restaurants double or triple the original price of the bottle. And if you have just been at the wine store you will see a bottle selling for 42 dollars that you know you can get for 10.I know there is a solid reason that they do this.I know they must cover their food costs and alcohol is the best way to do this.But I will still know that bottle of Cab costs 8 bucks in the liquor store around the corner.

Cocktails at restaurants aren’t cheap,either. But now that I no longer carouse like a sailor on leave, when I do go out it is usually with the mans for dinner. So I can justify an expensive cocktail every now and then.

The establishments I’ve been to in the last few months that are mixing decent Bloody Marys, some more decent than others:
I judge based on heat(spice) and garnishments.I like olives in my Bloody Mary.I like it even better if I don’t have to ask for them.I don’t mind paying 8,9 even 10 dollars for this cocktail.I also noticed the drink tastes better if I ask for top shelf.Perhaps I am a snob after all?

In Brooklyn

Mojitos (Cuban-On Washington between Park and Flushing in Brooklyn)
Least successful Bloody Mary probably for obvious reasons. Mojitos is better known for their um, Mojitos but they can mix a Bloody Mary depending on who is bartending and whether or not they have any tomato juice. They tend to skip the horseradish and the heat and you don’t get any olives.Tall glass.No celery stalk, mild flavor.

Chez Oskar (French-Dekalb, corner of Aldephi in Fort Greene)
Their Bloody Mary is strong and hot (spicy hot) and served in a short glass with a lemon slice and sometimes they remember the olives. No celery stalk.

Chez Lola (French-Myrtle corner of Vanderbilt)
Wins the prize for most unique! I really like the Chez Lola Bloody Mary.The cocktail came in a salt and hot pepper or chile powder rimmed tall glass. It was strong and hot and had a stalk of celery.The hot salty rim had a beauty side effect:lip plumping! On the second round I felt like Angelina.

In Hell’s Kitchen
The Delta Bar and Grill (Cajun-47th and 9th)
Delicious! Hot and strong, olives(asked for) and no celery stalk but loads of horseradish,in a tall glass.Expensive as hell if you choose top shelf vodka. Ketel 1 Vodka:$9.00. But worth it.

Marseille (French-630 9th Ave.)
Another pricey but absolutely delicious concoction.The olives were huge and crisp on a toothpick balanced across the rim(neat!). Not much noticeable heat and subtle use of horseradish, served in a tall glass. Add Top shelf vodka (I chose Ketel 1 Vodka again) $10.00.