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January 7, 2009

Quote of the Day

quotation-icon.jpgI didn't love Patois, but am feeling nostalgic. Boerum Hill Food Company last month; Patois this month. Those two, plus Smith Street Kitchen and Halcyon, are the first places that I remember getting excited about on Smith Street. Oh well, things change -- but its clear that the neighborhood's exciting stage is done.

— by aishling in Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up




Posted by Brownstoner at 3:27 PM | Comments (35)
Categories: QOTD

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Comments

THAT is the QOTD?

Patois is moving not closing.
Boerum Hill Food Co went so far downhill I danced a jig when they closed.
Halcyon moved to DUMBO and is still in business.
Smith St, Kitchen is known by a distinct, minority few who were lucky enough to have experienced it.

As soon as someone says the exciting stage is done is when I REALY start paying attention to the newcomers and the survivors.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 3:34 PM

Agree with you PS.

Firstly, by all accounts from the article and from one of the comments on the NYTimes, Patois is NOT closing, but moving.

And secondly...anyone who would overreact enough to say that a couple things closing up or moving around (on a strip of probably 250 + businesses) signals the end of exciting things to come, doesn't really have a rational grasp of the situation, I don't think.

Smith Street is a wonderful place to stroll, to shop and to eat. I have every confidence it will continue to be so, with or without Patois.

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 3:40 PM

Patois sucks! They have really lost any credibility with their pathetic food.

Chestnut, Po, Grocery, Saul, are you kidding. Smith is doing just fine...

Posted by: Watermellon at January 7, 2009 3:43 PM

Don't forget the zombie hut! AWWWWW YEAAAAH!

Posted by: cwbuecheler at January 7, 2009 3:47 PM

Yeah, I gotta agree - this was a biiiigggggg stretch for QOTD.

Posted by: benson at January 7, 2009 3:47 PM

Don't forget:

Bar Tabac
Robin des Bois
Hanco's
Pacifico

Not necessarily Michelin star worthy, but all good places to eat. I organized a terrific brunch for 20 at Robin des Bois some time ago. Nice place...

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 3:49 PM

Must be that damn jail!

Posted by: denton at January 7, 2009 3:50 PM

Hahah. I do luvs me some Zombie Hut...!

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 3:51 PM

Is Panino'teca still opened...?

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 3:52 PM

Chestnut is terrible. Had my worse meal in a long time there !

Posted by: brownie77 at January 7, 2009 3:53 PM

I very much enjoyed my one experience at Chestnut.

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 3:55 PM

Also "quote of the day" doesn't inherently mean "accurate and insightful quote of the day" -- it's just something to stir up discussion, which this quote accomplished. :)

Posted by: cwbuecheler at January 7, 2009 4:00 PM

for those of us over say, 14, who remember the pathetic, dogpatch-like character of Smith Street, its current character and offerings are nothing short of spectacular. It has become a great street.
A real product of radical reinvention. Long live Smith Street!

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 4:04 PM

I agree, Sam.

Same thing with 5th Avenue. I remember even as early as 2000, 5th Avenue was miserable and depressing.

Now it's one of the finest shopping/dining strips in Brooklyn.

All that in 8 years is nothing short of spectacular as you say. I'd use the same word for the transformation of Smith as you did.

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 4:09 PM

I guess that should say....even as LATE as 2000...

Posted by: 11217 at January 7, 2009 4:11 PM

brownie77- to each his own re: Chestnut. I've probably had 20-30 meals there. All were excellent.

sam- not only do I remember Smith but I remember when Patois was the ONLY restaurant for 20 blocks amidst a blur of bodegas, empty stores and crack dealers. No matter what anyone says about Harding, Smith St OWES its existence to him and in a larger sense, all of Brooklyn's gentrification. Sure, if it wasnt him it would have been someone else. But it was him.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 4:12 PM

sorry ps,

smith owes its existence to the renovation of the street with the attendant streetlamps and to the inheritance taxes when the old guard kicked off and the kids had to run a business, manage a property or sell to cover the inheritance taxes.


they sold.

the new owners, hungry for income gave out good rent deals to more legitimate types. the rest is, as they say, history.

Posted by: bkn4life at January 7, 2009 4:37 PM

bkm4life is right. The reconstruction of Smith Street along with the new historic streetlights and nice sidewalks miraculously accomplished just what it was supposed to: it transformed and reinvigorated the commercial life of the street. For once the public/private thing worked, and how!
Long live Smith Street!

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 4:44 PM

One place I miss was Carlito's Way, the bar that occupied the spot where Wades is now. THey use to have a hot tub where the pool table was and they sold blow out the back window.

now that was quality smith street!!!

Posted by: Watermellon at January 7, 2009 4:53 PM

PS;

While I don't doubt that Harding made a big contribution to Smith St, it is a stretch to say that Smith St.owes its gentrification to him, and it is WAY out there to say that Brooklyn's gentrification is also due to him. Cobble Hill and Carrol gardens have been in the process of residential gentrification for more than 30 years, well before he showed up on the scene. Commercial gentrification always lags behind the residential scene but it inevitably catches up.

If I had to name one entity that was a key player in the gentrification of these areas, it is one whose contribution is all but forgotten: the Brooklyn Union Gas company and their "Cinderella" program. Back in the depths of the 70's, when Brooklyn was at low tide, it was BUG who saw the value in the then-abandoned brownstone areas, and embarked on the Cinderella program to buy them, fix them up, and resell them to private owners.

Posted by: benson at January 7, 2009 4:54 PM

Smith St Kitchen was really really good.

Patois is ok but more important for historical significance than food.

Posted by: slick at January 7, 2009 5:53 PM

benson and bk4life-

pardon my hyperbole.

Of course Harding is not singlehandedly responsible for Smith St and Brooklyn's gentrification. But on a commercial and cultural level, he is certainly in the pantheon.
It could have been Mickey Mouse or Adolf Hitler. The point is no one set up shop in this area before him with an outreach to new customers who eventually brought new people, and higher property values to the neighborhood. His influence brought followers and imitators.

Is he a savior? The point is, HE brought it, if only on a commercial level.

I've been here since 1983, Am I enough of a "native" to have an opinion?

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 7:15 PM

Is it me or has today been a really pissy-post day?

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 7:23 PM

sam-

Its you. Who are you to talk about being pissy? Seriously...

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 7:25 PM

pacifico while their margs are great, food is total sloopy cheesy gooey greasy dreck. NEXT!

Posted by: bowl of dicks at January 7, 2009 7:27 PM

prodigal son, you have been known to be a little holier than thou in your posts but I'm not referring to you, it's just been a snarly pissy day on this thread and others.
I guess the recession is beginning to bite ass.

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 7:29 PM

sam-

I don't know whats worse, holier than thou or being someone who suggests we throw people into the Gowanus propellors.

and the depression isn't affecting me that much.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 7:41 PM

HA!
human sacrifice to atone for our American sins of liking cars and heated houses. I liked that post!

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 8:16 PM

PS to PS, if the depression (actually it is a recession) has not affected you too much you obviously do not have two quarters to rub together.


Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 8:20 PM

Sam, theres more to life than money. But I guess thats where we differ.

And I have -plenty- of money.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 8:44 PM

The revitalization of Smith was a result of street rebuilding, signage reimbursement from the city and the city organization (forget the name) that promoted business. Patois was one of the first along with Sur. Harding just got in on the ground floor with a cheap rent and yes, for a long time didn't have much competition.

The Cinderella program was very influential in Park Slope, not Carroll Gardens or Cobble Hill. Like it or not (and it seems popular here to diss the old Italians), in CC and CH it was the middle class Italians who didn't move to the suburbs after WWII who made those places desirable, clean, stable and who supported the mom-and-pop businesses on Court St. Just waiting to be 'gentrified' by the children of the suburbs and midwest transplants.

In 1983 when PS and I moved here it was a desirable neighborhood. The gentrification has not been a wholesale improvement.

Posted by: jfss at January 7, 2009 9:13 PM

Prodigal son: if you have plenty of money you probably own a carriqage house and an SUV and you are being a hypocrite. If you don't really have a lot of money then you are being mendacious, which you know, is a sin.

Posted by: sam at January 7, 2009 10:13 PM

Ultimately Smith St. will end up with real estate brokerages, cell phone stores, and some chains. Enjoy it while it lasts, people.

Posted by: DavidA at January 7, 2009 11:10 PM

"Prodigal son: if you have plenty of money you probably own a carriqage house and an SUV and you are being a hypocrite. If you don't really have a lot of money then you are being mendacious, which you know, is a sin."

I have plenty of money. Whats plenty to you? A carriage house? Don't need one. An SUV? Ugh.

Mendacious? Sin?

I've told you before I don't care if I'm a sinner as I'm as nonreligious as they come.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at January 7, 2009 11:14 PM

I would like to mention the original owners of Sur to those who helped transform Smith Street -- it was great place when it first opened.

Posted by: BH76 at January 8, 2009 11:14 AM

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