Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
[nggallery id=”25202″ template=galleryview] Going Nuts on Smith Street 163 Smith Street, Boerum Hill In the old Brooklyn Camo space on Smith between Wyckoff and Bergen, the Nutbox has opened up shop. They’re selling not only nuts, but also trail mixes, spices, grains, lentils, cereal, coffee, and gelato. When we stopped by, an employee told us…
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Going Nuts on Smith Street
163 Smith Street, Boerum Hill
In the old Brooklyn Camo space on Smith between Wyckoff and Bergen, the Nutbox has opened up shop. They’re selling not only nuts, but also trail mixes, spices, grains, lentils, cereal, coffee, and gelato. When we stopped by, an employee told us that they’ll be showing morning cartoons on the store’s flat-screen TV so kids can tune in while their parents shop. They owners seem well-intentioned — and we really like what they’ve done with the space — but are they nuts to think that this business will survive on Smith Street?
Two Reviews for No. 7
7 Greene Avenue, Fort Greene; (718) 522-6372
The New Yorker says: “The chef, Tyler Kord, who most recently cooked at Perry St., has referred to his kitchen style as ‘casual badass.’ That, presumably, means complicated dishes executed with an effortless air. It works.” And the New York Times recommends the appetizer of fried broccoli, dill, grapefruit, black beans, which costs $7: “Do these ingredients belong on the same plate? They do. The broccoli is fried tempura-style, then set to rest on an inky hummus of black beans. This earthy pairing gets a refreshing lift from the glossy grapefruit shards in a small frisée salad.”
After the jump: A rave review for Char No. 4, a new restaurant for Fort Greene, a day trip to Red Hook, new pizza in Williamsburg, and Brooklyn’s 4th annual casserole competition…
Andrea Strong Checks Out Char No. 4
196 Smith Street, Boerum Hill; (718) 643-2106
“Pork shoulder is turned into a fantastic chopped pork sandwich ($14) that’s tender, smoky and just saucy enough, served inside a big fluffy bun with his house-made pickled onions, slivered sweet red peppers, and a side of terrific smoky baked beans heavily laden with bacon… A half-chicken ($20), shellacked with honey, also spends some time in that smoker, to great effect. The mustard greens it’s served with are spicy and bitter, and that sharpness plays well off the sweetness of the meat. While I think the brine may make the bird a little too salty, it was the most tender and juicy chicken I’ve eaten in recent memory.” [The Strong Buzz]
Quick Bites
Clinton Hill Blog spots a new restaurant opening at 247 DeKalb in Fort Greene… Brooklyn Based shares their plan for a fun-filled day in Red Hook… Motorino, a pizzeria with a Belgian accent opens in Williamsburg… And registration is open for Brooklyn’s 4th annual casserole cook-off, hosted by Casserole Crazy author Emily Farris.
Just saw this post. I must say I love this new addition to Smith. It’s refreshing and they have such great prices and selection. I noticed that they’re bringing in new stuff almost every week. I’m all for fresh “uncorporate” stores that make our neighborhood more eclectic and unique.
Perhaps it might be worth the time to try it, rather than assume that it is automatically better at the older places. They just buy it from some supplier. You may be right, but until I try it, I’m not going to decide.
anybody in the vicinity of court street or carroll gardens who goes into NUTBOX for their gelato is just an idiot. end of story.
They could make it work since, as mentioned, Sahadi’s is closed Sundays and after 7, and there’s a long wait for nuts n such at peek hours. Also, their gelato/sorbet prices are reasonable. Sometimes I think there is a competition in the neighborhood for most overpriced ice cream: The Chocolate Room is winning but Sweet Melissa’s is close behind.
Sahadi’s is also closed on Sundays (one of two days off a week I don’t work) and closes INSANELY early on weeknights…7pm??!! Can not make it there after work ever. So that leaves Saturday. Not very good business plan for the “city that never sleeps” if you ask me. I don’t go there anymore, because their hours no longer suit my schedule, nor do their hours suit most people I know. That place will suffer tremendously at the hands of Trader Joes with the professional, working crowd.
If this place is open Sunday and stays open past sundown, I expect they’ll do ok.
As with any mom-and-pop, perhaps they got a break on the monthly nut from the landlord. Not likely. Failing that, or their willingness to take a monthly loss leader to better expose their main, wholesale product, I don’t see how they survive this downturn in consumer spending.
Charlie Sahadi has 1) An extremely loyal clientele and 2) Prices that can’t be beat and 3) Helpful, friendly staff. So, unless you’ve just moved into the neighborhood and don’t know any better, or can’t be bothered to schlep down to Atlantic every so often, this makes no intrinsic sense. I’d like to see their business plan. Or, maybe it’s seat of the pants stuff.
its tough competition with Trader joes, Sahadies, etc. But I went in last weekend I had a brief chat with them. They said their prices would be competitive. They also said that this was not their main business — Wholesale nuts are what they do. They were also very generous with their Gelato samples for which the kids were greatful.
Sounds like a nice addition to Smith. When you leave with a purchase, will you be carrying a ‘nut sack’?
whoa! 3 dollars for a bowl of plain ol’ kelloggs when the entire box off the shelf is 5 dollars? gross.
agree 100% with stonergut on this one, place is doomed and not just bc of sahadi’s.