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Is the mystique of Brooklyn finally getting squelched? Not long after Brian Williams poked fun at the New York Time’s obsession with Brooklyn, food writer Mimi Sheraton shares these choice words with Capital New York:

I’m from Brooklyn, but it would take a lot to get me there for dinner. When Lundy’s was Lundy’s, I’d be there. When Gargiulo’s was Gargiulo’s, I went. I certainly went to Gage and Tollner. There were one-of-a-kind things there, but so far anywhere I’ve been to there has not been worth the trip from Manhattan. I haven’t been to Al di la, because you have to wait on line, and I’m not going to Brooklyn to wait on line. Not when there are 10 good Italian restaurants in Greenwich Village. The Times has certainly been very exaggerated in its Brooklyn coverage, because most of them live there. They begin to see it as being better than it is because it’s so close to them. I would go to Brooklyn if it were exceptional.

Chow Time: Mimi Sheraton on What’s Changed Since Lutece [Capital via Eater NY]
Photo by kathyylchan


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  1. A couple of other comments I agree with..

    Yes, the service is far more pleasant and almost 100% without attitude in Brooklyn.
    Yes, Brooklyn restaurants are not loud like most inManhattan adnthat’s a good thing.
    No, you are not likely to be stuck sitting next to some loud Wall St douchebags in Brooklyn

    I’ve found some incredible meals in brooklyn that are not done as well as ALMOSTanywhere else..

    The steak tartare at Jolie (only Les Halles is better)…plus the $1.00 oysters on Wednesdays
    The short rib at Scopello
    Blue fish ragout with pasta at Saraghina
    Meatloaf at Peaches Hot House

    Something no brooklyn restaurant will spend the money on to get top quality….Toro at a sushi place.

  2. The reason for the Times to cover a lot of Brooklyn restaurants is not just that its writers live there, it’s that a lot of its readers now live there. If I lived in Manhattan, I probably would not travel to Brooklyn for many (if any) restaurants, but living in Brooklyn, there are only a handful of restaurants I would travel to Manhattan for. So it makes sense for the NYT to cover Manhattan and Brooklyn extensively.

    Sheraton is guilty of the assumption that the Times is written for a certain class of almost exclusively Manhattan residents, which is as dated as her ’70s references.

  3. Of course it’s not (or seldom) worthwhile for a Manhattan resident to go to Brooklyn specifically for a restaurant, especially if they have to wait on line (a perfectly acceptable regional variation DIBS). The big change, in recent years, is that the same thing is now true for us Brooklyn residents regarding Manhattan restaurants. That change is something I really like.

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BFC Partners, the developer of the new building at 150 Myrtle Avenue (and a Brownstoner advertiser as of today), is courting Apple to locate its first Brooklyn store on the ground floor, said partner Joseph Ferrara. The tower is expected to be finished Spring 2009. “Aesthetically, I think our building really does fit their design guidelines,” he said, adding that he just put a call out to the company but hasn’t heard a response. Otherwise, Ferrara is thinking some type of organic market and deli. CRES Chief Executive Chris Havens said Apple is having a hard time finding the perfect Brooklyn location, not wanting to make its grand entrance in the average shopping mall cubby. What do you think, would Toren (rendered out the wazoo above) make a suitable throne?
SOM-designed Toren About to Hit the Market [Brownstoner]


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  1. Why would Apple put a store in this location? I’m sure Apple wants to put a store in a location that maximizes exposure and foot traffic and Toren sure aint it. The most logical locations would be either One Hanson Place (right across from the largest transit hub in the borough), or the City Point building on Fulton Mall.

  2. Location, location, location; and this has none of the above. Show me the clientele that would be drawn to this location.

    PS Chris – if you knew anything about Apple, you’d know that most of their successful stores are in MALLS – that’s where the people are. I’m sure Steve will be calling back any second.

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