July 23, 2008

Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

The Skinny on 5 New Neighborhood Haunts
Brooklyn Based shares their early impressions of the General Greene, Peaches Market Café, Abigail Café and Wine Bar, James, and Annabelle's. We're intrigued by their recommended cocktail at the General Greene: "We loveloveloved the Clermont Bubbly (a refreshing combo of St. Germaine, pear and Prosecco)." And the photo of Annabelle's backyard (at right, by Melissa Sands) looks so inviting, but Brooklyn Based notes that "the pond, flower garden and multi-level patio out back has potential, but is still a work in progress."

The Times on Peaches Market Cafe
393 Lewis Avenue (MacDonough Street), Bedford-Stuyvesant; (718) 942-4162
"Peaches is Southern with a difference. Smoked country ham is finished with dried plums and arugula, and fried grits are polished with sun-dried tomato marmalade. There’s fried whiting as well as fried Greenmarket vegetables and fried calamari with aioli. Barbecue, like baby back ribs and pulled pork sandwiches, make it here, too. The menu tops out at $18 for a grass-fed ribeye steak." [NY Times]

Underrated Pizza: Sam's and Italia
"Sam's on Court Street is one of those old-school neighborhood perennials that Chowhounds rarely mention, but guttergourmet thinks it belongs in New York's never-ending pizza conversation, right up there with the most celebrated places in Brooklyn and beyond. 'Beautiful pizza, precious place,' guttergourmet writes... Meanwhile, down in Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Brklynbobby puts in a word for another sleeper, the Sicilian pie at Italia on Kings Highway. 'The crust is lighter than air and the sauce is heaven,' says Brklynbobby." [CHOW]

After the jump: A new coal-oven pizzeria for Red Hook, cheap tapas on Columbia Street, a new burger joint and vegetarian eats in Park Slope, news on the Red Hook vendors' schedule, and a Williamsburg bar gets a taco truck right in their backyard...

Continue reading "Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up"

Posted by Kara at 11:00 AM | Comments (7)
Categories: Bedford Stuyvesant, Bensonhurst, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street Waterfront, Food and Drink, Fort Greene, Gravesend, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook, Williamsburg

April 17, 2007

Dyker Heights Moves Closer to Downzoning

Best known to outsiders for its over-the-top display of Christmas lights every year, Dyker Heights is now in the news for being one of the many Brooklyn nabes trying to protect its character and heritage through down-zoning. According to City Planning,

The lower-density and contextual zoning districts proposed – R3X, R3A, R4-1, R4B and R5B -- would preserve the existing scale and character of Dyker Heights' and Ft. Hamilton's low-rise blocks. New, moderate-density residential development would be directed to commercial corridors already defined by three-to four-story row houses with ground floor retail uses – 86th Street, Ft. Hamilton Parkway, 11th and 13th Avenues. Along these corridors, the mid-density contextual zoning districts proposed – C4-2A and R6B – would establish height limits consistent with neighboring apartment houses and would deter development of overly large community facility and mixed residential/community facility buildings.

The Brooklyn Paper reports that the Dyker Heights Civic Association signed off on the plan last week in preparation for last night's meeting of Community Board 16. And there's definitely political support: “This rezoning plan will help protect the unique character of the neighborhood for future generations,” said Bay Ridge Rep. Vito Fossella. Did any readers attend the meeting?
Dyker Downzone Moves Ahead [The Brooklyn Paper]
Dyker Heights/Ft. Hamilton Rezoning [NYC.gov]
Photo by gkjarvis

Posted by Brownstoner at 9:31 AM | Comments (2)
Categories: Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Zoning