Mob Scene at Tom's
We decided to walk over to Prospect Park on Saturday from our place in Clinton Hill, so we pointed the enormous double stroller up Washington Avenue and started pushing. When we got to Sterling Place, we couldn’t help but notice the long line outside Tom’s Restaurant. We’ve never been there and are wondering what all…
We decided to walk over to Prospect Park on Saturday from our place in Clinton Hill, so we pointed the enormous double stroller up Washington Avenue and started pushing. When we got to Sterling Place, we couldn’t help but notice the long line outside Tom’s Restaurant. We’ve never been there and are wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe the Prospect Heights residents in the crowd can clue us in.
Anon 11:33 I totally agree with you. I’m sure Tom’s is nice. I’m not sure what’s up with Dizzy’s the food is good but nothing special and you can walk in and eat there without waiting any other time except brunch. Its NYC and if I’m gonna wait in line for something it better be really good because you can often get the same meal at the diner or some other place around the corner without the wait.
Sterling Place and Washington?
Tom’s is the greatest.
Gus Vlahavas(son of Tom) is a mensch. His wife Nonni, too.
Orange slices, cookies … always have to save a little room after. Serves a great breakfast, excellent lunch. Try to sit at the counter or in the main room when you can. And yes, Gus is great for two more things. His day off is Sunday, to be with his family … the store is closed. And he’s with his family in a brownstone just around the corner. Stayed in the neighborhood through very tough times. A true New York treasure. Made even better around Christmas time .. the decor and food are over the top!
The vibe is cool and the food is cheap. Last time I went there for brunch I had a cheeseburger followed by an order of french toast.
Fat and getting fatter!
Don’t worry. We weren’t offended. It’s all good!
Sorry cat, didn’t mean to be rude, just thought your post was being critical of Brownstoner for not knowing about a diner. Clearly that wasn’t your intent so I apologize. That’s the problem with blogs, emails etc… tone of voice and intent sometimes get confused.
Every neighborhood I have ever lived in NYC has one of these “wait in line forever” brunch places. On the Upper West Side it was Sarabeths, in Park Slope, it is Dizzy’s, in Prospect Heights, it appears to be Tom’s, and my friends in different neighborhoods are always directing me to similar places. I’ve never been to Tom’s but the one thing that all the other “wait in line forever” brunch spots have had in common for me is a level of disappointment. They have generally been pretty decent, but not worth the hour standing on the sidewalk. This is especially true when I have often found equal or better places half empty within a block. Am I the only one who has had these experiences with “wait in line forever” brunch spots, or are many of them really somewhere special?
Please know that by “shocking” I am not casting aspersions in any manner! Not at all. Brownstoner knows a lot more than I do about a hell of a lot of Brooklyn, and I’ve been living here 8 years! I was just surprised. What I *love* about the site is that he posted the photo and the blurb and just outright asked– and of course comes the flurry of replies (including the S. Vega song rumors, which never seem to be settled for certain).
That said… I don’t think you had to be so rude. But it’s easy to talk like that to a computer, as opposed to a live person.
Give Brownstoner a break. He just moved to Clinton Hill, hasn’t been actually living there very long, and Tom’s is in Prospect Heights. If you live in Prospect Heights and didn’t know about some old Clinton Hill or Fort Greene diner, I wouldn’t give you sh*t and say it is “shocking” you’re not up on the old diner institutions in Clinton Hill or Fort Greene. As Brownstoner said, he, wife and kiddies went for a walk in an adjacent neighborhood to explore and found Tom’s. He was asking those who are more familiar with the place and the neighborhood what the buzz was about.