Foodies as the New Gentrifiers
The Brooklyn Paper has an article this morning about the gentrifying effect of upscale food establishments. The artists might get to a new neighborhood first, say the article, but in recent years, a new cafe or thin crust pizza restaurant is the sure sign that a neighborhood has hit its tipping point. “Food is the…
The Brooklyn Paper has an article this morning about the gentrifying effect of upscale food establishments. The artists might get to a new neighborhood first, say the article, but in recent years, a new cafe or thin crust pizza restaurant is the sure sign that a neighborhood has hit its tipping point. “Food is the new art in the urban cultural experience,” said Sharon Zukin, author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Culture. “You used to have artists moving in and opening galleries, now there are foodies moving in and opening up cafes.” The examples are legion: K-Dog in Prospect Lefferts Garden, The Farm on Adderly in Ditmas Park, Northeast Kingdom followed by Roberta’s in Bushwick, Saraghina in Bed Stuy. Even Kensington made it only the foodie map recently with the opening of Brancaccio’s Food Shop. Of course, not all pioneering restaurateurs are met with success: Abigail’s proved too pricey for Crown Heights and Bread Stuy’s recents problems have been well publicized. Another other good examples you can think of? Surely the L Cafe in North Williamsburg and Diner in South Williamsburg deserved mention. Others?
Foodies Now Leading the Gentrification of Brooklyn [Brooklyn Paper]
Eclectic, creative, unique, individual, hand crafted, artisinal = aesthetic movement of our time.
Another thing about these restaurants this article is about.
They ALL have that certain Brooklyn style. I don’t know what you call it, but you know what I mean. Neo-Victorian rustic white subway tile dark wood reclaimed this and that Anthropologie “authentic,” “vintage,” moustaches, beards, deer heads, you know.
I am reading a lovely book about the Aesthetic Movement, which is pretty much exactly the same thing as the Brooklyn design-food-brownstone thing we are talking about, and she notes that hotels often showcased the new “style.”
In our time, it’s restaurants.
Amen, signofthetimes!! “Foodies” profess to have superior knowledge as to ingredients, preparation & taste yet they probably are unable to name the ingredients, let alone ever master the art of making something like wild boar ragout or duck guazzetto.
Montrose, that’s good to read about Saraghina. That’s an interesting case. I think it really is a “destination” restaurant (as is Roberta’s but NEK is not really or at least not until recently). I think that’s cuz the owner already owned a restaurant in Manhattan and got a lot of press. Every time we go there we see tons of people who appear to be European architects in black turtlenecks — LOL, is it a destination for Europeans on vacation? Where are all these Italians coming from? Quite a few of the wait staff are Italian and they live in the neighborhood. I also saw some French girls getting off the subway once. Is Bed Stuy some kind of hot spot for Europeans? We do see a mix of people at Saraghina, but I kind of worry that it isn’t as African American as, say, Peaches. I hope this doesn’t become any kind of issue. Oh, the other thing that’s great about Saraghina is there are always lots of kids there. It’s a real family restaurant.
in my opinion, real foodies are those who cook at home and have dinner parties. eating out is such a waste of money most of the time. what do you get? mediocre food, overpriced wine and an atomosphere where you really don’t like the people next to you? when you eat in, what do you get, terrific company, great food & drinks and a fantastic environment-i am fortunate enough to really love my home and the fireplace that roars on cold evenings.
Rob, I thought you were going to stay away from this thread. Strength, man!!!
And Benson, you just can’t stay away! I hope your trip to Israel is a good one.
Regarding the foodie thing, something very strange has happened to me living in Fort Greene, close to CH border.
When I first moved in, I was so frustrated with no restaurants (really next to nothing) and no groceries or retail. Then I discovered that there was this place called Fairway. Then I started shopping once a week there. And then I started COOKING. All the time. Now I am a pretty good cook. Is that what happens when you move to a place where there are no restaurants and no groceries? Now I seem to need to eat out less, but I would still like a decent restaurant around my house. And even more a decent grocery store.
You may well be right, Slopey. I also don’t get out as much as I used to, since I really can’t afford to eat out as much as I could when I had more money, so I’m probably not the best person to comment. That said, I can see what you are saying, by looking at the only restaurant people have been discussing that I am familiar with, Saraghina. The internet buzz on the place is high, with B’stoner, and B’stoner readers doing a lot of plugging, themselves. I know I’ve recommended the place to many people, and if their hours had been more amenable to my friend’s schedules, even more would have been there. Fortunately, when I am there, which isn’t all that often, really, I do see more and more community people there, and that is a good thing for long time sustainability.
Rob, the portions are big enough. They are the right size. The portionsat the cheap places are oversize.
I won’t go to a place such as White Slab on the lower east side, where a $26 lamb “entree” is three bites, and to feel full you have to order $100 worth of food. I dislike Roberta’s for that reason (don’t want to pay $50 for a meal of white bread).
Oh, and DIBS, we need the Jerusalem LPC to get in gear and keep benson away from the Wailing Wall. That’s some of the world’s primest and most bitterly coveted real estate and it must look like a teardown to benson. ;o)
(Sorry benson, hope your trip is proving safe and successful.)