Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
A Solid Review for Prime Meats & Carroll Gardens New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton gives Prime Meats two stars and also offers a description of its neighborhood scene through the eyes of an outsider: “You can see these people standing on Court Street nightly, staring through the plate-glass windows at a dining room…
A Solid Review for Prime Meats & Carroll Gardens
New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton gives Prime Meats two stars and also offers a description of its neighborhood scene through the eyes of an outsider: “You can see these people standing on Court Street nightly, staring through the plate-glass windows at a dining room packed with brownstone bohemians, third novelists, people with Web sites, with good art at home. They look slightly pained, these visitors from afar wondering about the life choices they made that put them in Chelsea or Park Slope or Montclair, and not down here in Carroll Gardens, this little Italian village off New York Harbor where life is obviously perfect.” (Photo by urbanblitz)
New Brooklyn Openings
The Aviator Sports and Events Center at Floyd Bennett Field is getting a new food vendor, says Grub Street: “The Brooklyn Smoke House, as the set of outdoor tents outside of Hangar 5 will be dubbed, will start by serving pulled pork, Texas-style brisket, Memphis-style ribs, and beer-can chicken.” … Catskill Bagel is supposed to open on Cortelyou sometime in June, says Ditmas Park Blog… Free Williamsburg‘s favorite coffee shop, Second Stop, is opening a juice bar called Get Juiced next door to the cafe on Ainslie Street, and it “will feature organic juices and smoothies made from fresh greens from the rooftop of The Brooklyn Grange.” … And the New York Times notes that Choice Kitchens & Bakery is open at 198 Jay Street (at York Street) in Dumbo: “This sleek buffet-style place, with servers, has a Mediterranean-accented menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
After the jump: New taco stand in Kensington, the word on Traif and Fornino Park Slope, Bay Ridge hookah hoopla, Marlow & Sons new cowhide menu, and Spike Lee’s Brooklyn vodka…
Chowhound Buzz
Kensington has a new taco stand in front of Walgreens on Church at McDonald. Chowhound noisejoke says, “They’re open Tuesday – Sunday, 2 – 9pm… Tortillas were nicely grilled, plenty of onion and cilantro, with lime and cucumber on the side. Tasty red and green salsa on hand. Brought home three good tamales too ($1.25 each).” … Fellow ‘Hound sir chowalot describes his dinner at Traif in Williamsburg as his “best meal in a long time.” … And Marion Morgenthal gives Fornino Park Slope a big thumbs up: “We started with the Pizza Vinny Scotto to share (bel paese, pecorino, fior di latte, cacciatorini al diavolo, roast pepper aioli, ricotta), and loved it… For main courses, winners were arancini, braised short rib ravioli, and chicken sausage.”
Quick Bites
Bay Ridge Community Board members are looking to shut down local hookah bars, says the Brooklyn Paper… The Cut shares a photo of “Marlow & Sons‘ first non-culinary products: plush leather bags and pouches made, in the use-everything spirit, from the skins of house-butchered cows and pigs.” … And, finally, Grub Street reports: “In what might be his weirdest marketing appearance since those Fresh Direct ads (and Absolut’s hippest campaign since they teamed up with Tim & Eric), Spike Lee is collaborating on Absolut Brooklyn, a $24.99 blend of ginger and red apple (after the Big Apple).”
I’m not really sure why it’s particularly desirable to live in a neighborhood with lots of “destination” restaurants?!
Wouldn’t it be better to have a bunch of solid, reasonably priced places??!!
PS – why don’t we write this off as a matter of taste. I lived around the corner from Barbuto before moving to Brookyn a few years ago, and totally miss that place. 🙂
I wasn’t taking anything personally, but it seems you are. Let’s cool off and take this all down a notch, shall we? I was just pointing out that there are already lots of good restaurants in Park Slope — and in fact, the neighborhood is probably oversaturated at this point, and perhaps also has higher rents than Carroll Gardens — so it’s no surprise that the places you mentioned are opening up where they are. (And yes, I get that “oversaturated” and “higher rents” was also your point.) My remark about “newness” was because you seemed to be focusing on the fact that these new places were opening up in other neighborhoods.
I work in Manhattan, and eat in restaurants all over the city. My latest favorite is Barbuto, in the West Village. I also travel frequently in the U.S. and abroad, so yes — I do get out of Park Slope!! Please don’t make assumptions about me, based on where I live. (Oh, wait, you live in Park Slope too, don’t you?)
dirty_hipster: totally agree. I’d rather hang out and have a drink while I wait 45 mins than grovel for a 5:45pm reservation.
It’s not about “NEWNESS” – it’s about competition and forcing the old standbys to up their game.
“Another thing, i don’t want a barfull of loud douchebags when I’m trying to have a nice meal. I can get that anywhere in manhattan…with a reservation.”
Sounds like you should stick to Manhattan then.
Also, places not taking reservations is sorta annoying – but it’s much more democratic.
Have you ever tried to get a “hot” reservation? All the good times magically get taken and you’re left eating at 6pm or 10:30pm.
Atlanta, Vegas: WTF are you talking about? It’s not “NEWNESS”, it’s “GOODNESS.” How often do you get to out of Park Slope, Park_Sloper? I get the sense you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Why the need to make this personal? Did the remark about middle-aged schlubs touch a nerve? Or are you just over-identified with Park Slope? I’m getting a definite mental picture of you now.
Also, just so so you know, Atlanta was new in the ’80s….I’ll defer to you on Vegas, don’t go there.
If Prime Meats were in Park Slope, there would be a petition for a kiddie menu.
Once the hype is over in another few months, they’ll realize that they actually have to “join the modern age of convenience.” But by then the food quality will have likely declined.
Another thing, i don’t want a barfull of loud douchebags when I’m trying to have a nice meal. I can get that anywhere in manhattan…with a reservation.