Brooklyn: Cobble Hill
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM
[Photo: Laren Spirer]
If I lived anywhere near Cobble Hill, Henry Public would be my neighborhood bar. Maybe it's because I've always been a big fan of the vibe at Brooklyn Social in Carroll Gardens, and Henry Public was created by the same team. Maybe it's due to the fact that although they are serving carefully crafted cocktails (with Kold-Draft ice, naturally), it's different from the other speakeasy-type establishments that are popping up everywhere. You'd be just as happy at Henry Public sipping a beer or an egg cream (also on the menu) as you sample the high-end pub fare, including grass-fed burgers, oysters, sinfully delicious marrow bones, and a ridiculously tasty turkey leg sandwich on custom Orwasher bread topped with fried shallots.
The atmosphere at Henry Public is hospitable and cozy, and reminiscent of a bygone era. Partner/Bar Director Matt Dawson and his wife Jen Albano were looking to create a saloon that might exist on the same spot a hundred years ago, patronized by the likes of Walt Whitman (who would have chosen the egg cream over a cocktail) or his compatriots. A photo of the Brooklyn Eagle, where Whitman was once an editor, graces the walls of the back room and brass eagles adorn the sconces flanking the fireplace as well as the top of the beer taps. All of the decorative elements were selected by Jen with meticulous detail—from the photos and letters on the walls to the antique books tucked into the bookshelf, to the faucets and signage in the bathroom. Each detail carries you back in time to an earlier, and simpler Brooklyn.
The recipes, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM
So much for fall. In New York, it feels like we've gone from shorts to winter coats in just a few days. But fortunately, there are plenty of rainy-day eats to warm you up. Ten of our favorite comfort foods, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 6, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Photographs: Robyn Lee
Char No. 4
196 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (b/n Baltic and Warren; map); 718-643-2106; charno4.com
Service: Relaxed but attentive
Setting: Minimally decorated bar and narrow dining room with booths, with a pleasant "garden" in the back
Compare It To: Brooklyn Star, Fette Sau
Must-Haves: Lamb pastrami, house-cured BLT, brisket sandwich
Cost: $20-$25 for lunch, including food, beverage (unless you're drinking hard stuff at lunch), tax, and tip
Grade: B+
Here's how Char No. 4 describes itself: "Char No. 4 is a whiskey bar and restaurant inspired by a passion for bourbon. It features over 150 American whiskeys and serves a menu of American fare with a Southern influence. The American whiskeys are augmented by an extensive list of whiskeys from Europe and beyond as well as a selection of all-bourbon cocktails."
Hmm: "Passion for bourbon." "150 American whiskeys." "All-bourbon cocktails."
I don't drink whiskey or bourbon, no matter what its provenance (yes, I'm a wuss who drinks so little my wife calls me a Mormon). So even though I've always been intrigued by the sound of the bacon and barbecue-centric American southern fare, I've managed to stay away from Char No. 4. Then I found out that the restaurant has started serving lunch, on Fridays only, during the week. That Friday gave me just the opening the Serious Eaters needed to descend on Char No. 4 one particularly lovely fall afternoon.
It's hard to miss the whiskeys. They're lined up ever so carefully on a pretty backlit bar located in the front of the restaurant. We walked past the handsome wooden booths to eat in the small fenced-in outdoor seating area, in what would be the garden if there were any grass or plants to be found.
Char No. 4 is not exactly a barbecue restaurant or joint, but chef Matt Greco brings some legit barbecue bona fides as well as serious classic cooking technique cred to its kitchen. He grew up in Texas, smoking meat side by side with his dad; at the restaurant he uses only white oak, the same wood used in bourbon caskets, in his Backwoods Smoker made in Louisiana. When he was eighteen, he and his dad built a smoker together. (That's my kind of father-son bonding experience.) Add that to his CIA training and his years spent with Andrew Carmellini and Gray Kunz and you get Char No. 4's genuinely barbecue and pork-centric menu, infused with plenty of chef skills and know-how, that is not wed to traditional barbecue and bacon orthodoxy.
Continue reading »
Posted by Allison Hemler, September 8, 2009 at 9:00 AM
"The macchiato at Cafe Pedlar in Brooklyn could make me a regular."
[Photographs: Allison Hemler]
Grabbing a cup of coffee can be as routine as brushing one's teeth—and like most of us will only go for Aquafresh or Crest, say, coffee fits the same profile. A visit to the bodega will not yield the same results as Gimme or La Colombe. When you've chosen the cafe you'll visit regularly, most people stick with one drink and don't budge. However, I've never been the regular type—my choice of drink varies with the day of the week and my estrogen levels.
Since I write about coffee, I'm constantly doing research on the big independent roasters and the tiny cafes that are popping up across our great city. Thankfully I'm a grad student, too—it's in the job description to drink coffee.
One night, after eating dinner at Frankies 17 on the Lower East Side, I noticed the restaurant's annex had been transformed into a second outpost of the highly regarded Cafe Pedlar in Brooklyn, a collaboration between the Frankies and Duane Sorensen of Stumptown Coffee. Since it had been a while since I'd been to the Brooklyn outpost, I decided the next morning I'd take a visit.
A tale of two Cafe Pedlars, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Tia Kim, August 27, 2009 at 1:30 PM
In "Raising the Bar," author of Bionic Bites Tia Kim will check out the grub at a different New York watering hole each week.
Generic hamburgers can get a little boring—especially in the summer, when every weekend someone else has a generic burger cookout. The pre-formed frozen discs are the worst. (Freezer-burned unseasoned meat, anyone?) So this past Saturday, I headed over to Cobble Hill for something different: a burger of the lamb variety at Clover Club.
Named after an exclusive group of journalists in Philadelphia who convened at the Bellevue Hotel between 1882 and the 1920’s, Clover Club is styled in that period. The pressed-tin ceiling, the soft jazz lilting from the speakers, and the lit candles—when it's still bright out—all add to the feeling of a ghostly bygone era. The food, however, is anything but dated. The few items listed on the bar food menu are all American classics with a modern twist.
Continue reading »
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM
[Photo: Laren Spirer]
If I lived anywhere near Cobble Hill, Henry Public would be my neighborhood bar. Maybe it's because I've always been a big fan of the vibe at Brooklyn Social in Carroll Gardens, and Henry Public was created by the same team. Maybe it's due to the fact that although they are serving carefully crafted cocktails (with Kold-Draft ice, naturally), it's different from the other speakeasy-type establishments that are popping up everywhere. You'd be just as happy at Henry Public sipping a beer or an egg cream (also on the menu) as you sample the high-end pub fare, including grass-fed burgers, oysters, sinfully delicious marrow bones, and a ridiculously tasty turkey leg sandwich on custom Orwasher bread topped with fried shallots.
The atmosphere at Henry Public is hospitable and cozy, and reminiscent of a bygone era. Partner/Bar Director Matt Dawson and his wife Jen Albano were looking to create a saloon that might exist on the same spot a hundred years ago, patronized by the likes of Walt Whitman (who would have chosen the egg cream over a cocktail) or his compatriots. A photo of the Brooklyn Eagle, where Whitman was once an editor, graces the walls of the back room and brass eagles adorn the sconces flanking the fireplace as well as the top of the beer taps. All of the decorative elements were selected by Jen with meticulous detail—from the photos and letters on the walls to the antique books tucked into the bookshelf, to the faucets and signage in the bathroom. Each detail carries you back in time to an earlier, and simpler Brooklyn.
The recipes, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM
So much for fall. In New York, it feels like we've gone from shorts to winter coats in just a few days. But fortunately, there are plenty of rainy-day eats to warm you up. Ten of our favorite comfort foods, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 6, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Photographs: Robyn Lee
Char No. 4
196 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (b/n Baltic and Warren; map); 718-643-2106; charno4.com
Service: Relaxed but attentive
Setting: Minimally decorated bar and narrow dining room with booths, with a pleasant "garden" in the back
Compare It To: Brooklyn Star, Fette Sau
Must-Haves: Lamb pastrami, house-cured BLT, brisket sandwich
Cost: $20-$25 for lunch, including food, beverage (unless you're drinking hard stuff at lunch), tax, and tip
Grade: B+
Here's how Char No. 4 describes itself: "Char No. 4 is a whiskey bar and restaurant inspired by a passion for bourbon. It features over 150 American whiskeys and serves a menu of American fare with a Southern influence. The American whiskeys are augmented by an extensive list of whiskeys from Europe and beyond as well as a selection of all-bourbon cocktails."
Hmm: "Passion for bourbon." "150 American whiskeys." "All-bourbon cocktails."
I don't drink whiskey or bourbon, no matter what its provenance (yes, I'm a wuss who drinks so little my wife calls me a Mormon). So even though I've always been intrigued by the sound of the bacon and barbecue-centric American southern fare, I've managed to stay away from Char No. 4. Then I found out that the restaurant has started serving lunch, on Fridays only, during the week. That Friday gave me just the opening the Serious Eaters needed to descend on Char No. 4 one particularly lovely fall afternoon.
It's hard to miss the whiskeys. They're lined up ever so carefully on a pretty backlit bar located in the front of the restaurant. We walked past the handsome wooden booths to eat in the small fenced-in outdoor seating area, in what would be the garden if there were any grass or plants to be found.
Char No. 4 is not exactly a barbecue restaurant or joint, but chef Matt Greco brings some legit barbecue bona fides as well as serious classic cooking technique cred to its kitchen. He grew up in Texas, smoking meat side by side with his dad; at the restaurant he uses only white oak, the same wood used in bourbon caskets, in his Backwoods Smoker made in Louisiana. When he was eighteen, he and his dad built a smoker together. (That's my kind of father-son bonding experience.) Add that to his CIA training and his years spent with Andrew Carmellini and Gray Kunz and you get Char No. 4's genuinely barbecue and pork-centric menu, infused with plenty of chef skills and know-how, that is not wed to traditional barbecue and bacon orthodoxy.
Continue reading »
Posted by Allison Hemler, September 8, 2009 at 9:00 AM
"The macchiato at Cafe Pedlar in Brooklyn could make me a regular."
[Photographs: Allison Hemler]
Grabbing a cup of coffee can be as routine as brushing one's teeth—and like most of us will only go for Aquafresh or Crest, say, coffee fits the same profile. A visit to the bodega will not yield the same results as Gimme or La Colombe. When you've chosen the cafe you'll visit regularly, most people stick with one drink and don't budge. However, I've never been the regular type—my choice of drink varies with the day of the week and my estrogen levels.
Since I write about coffee, I'm constantly doing research on the big independent roasters and the tiny cafes that are popping up across our great city. Thankfully I'm a grad student, too—it's in the job description to drink coffee.
One night, after eating dinner at Frankies 17 on the Lower East Side, I noticed the restaurant's annex had been transformed into a second outpost of the highly regarded Cafe Pedlar in Brooklyn, a collaboration between the Frankies and Duane Sorensen of Stumptown Coffee. Since it had been a while since I'd been to the Brooklyn outpost, I decided the next morning I'd take a visit.
A tale of two Cafe Pedlars, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Tia Kim, August 27, 2009 at 1:30 PM
In "Raising the Bar," author of Bionic Bites Tia Kim will check out the grub at a different New York watering hole each week.
Generic hamburgers can get a little boring—especially in the summer, when every weekend someone else has a generic burger cookout. The pre-formed frozen discs are the worst. (Freezer-burned unseasoned meat, anyone?) So this past Saturday, I headed over to Cobble Hill for something different: a burger of the lamb variety at Clover Club.
Named after an exclusive group of journalists in Philadelphia who convened at the Bellevue Hotel between 1882 and the 1920’s, Clover Club is styled in that period. The pressed-tin ceiling, the soft jazz lilting from the speakers, and the lit candles—when it's still bright out—all add to the feeling of a ghostly bygone era. The food, however, is anything but dated. The few items listed on the bar food menu are all American classics with a modern twist.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM
The Trader Joe's on Court Street in Brooklyn just extended closing time by an hour, now staying open until 10 p.m. That's a whole extra sixty minutes to shop for pita chips and soy chorizo! The Union Square branch is also open until 10 p.m., as are many of the urban locations.
Trader Joe's
130 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (map)
718-246-8460
Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Related: Photos of the Brooklyn Trader Joe's
Posted by Erin Zimmer, June 4, 2009 at 6:30 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Watty and Meg
248 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11201; map); 718-643-0007; wattyandmeg.com
Service: The host fellow who's pretty much always manning the front is super nice; the rest of the staff is attentive and friendly, but less memorable.
Setting: A comforting worn-in feel with tin ceilings, vintage wallpaper and a chandelier in the backroom.
Compare to: Buttermilk Channel, Frankies 457, No.7
Must Haves: Merguez with lentils, seared diver scallops, garlic shrimp with cheese grits
Cost: $7 to $11 for appetizers; $12 to $24 for mains; $8 for desserts
Grade: B
Watty and Meg, which opened in Cobble Hill in early May, joins a smattering of others in the neighborhood that all share a few trademarks: a retro feel that's throwing back to some era, maybe colonial (or another one we probably weren't around for), a rustic cooking emphasis with at least a couple "hand-made," artisanal, or pickled things, and a casual, denim-friendly dress code. People inside look happy, the menu sounds interesting, and most likely there's exposed brick involved. Others in this same category include: Frankies 457, Char No 4., and Buttermilk Channel.
Granted, they all have slightly different priorities (for Char No. 4, it's bourbon, and for Frankies 457, Italy), but it can be hard to distinguish one from the other underneath all that vintage wallpaper.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 30, 2009 at 1:30 PM
You still have until this Thursday, April 2, to hit up Dine in Brooklyn, Brooklyn's annual Restaurant Week. With over 175 eateries [PDF] offering the $23 prix fixe deal, choosing can be a tad overwhelming.
Who better to dish out advice on where to go than the Brooklyn blogosphere. What the locals have to say:
Dumbo NYC: "One of our favorites is Hibino in Cobble Hill. They are run by chefs Hirohisa and Masaru, who provide a truly authentic Kyoto style obanzai (daily specials). Try their fresh tofu and delicate sashimi. Being at Hibino brings us back to where we're from, Japan." 333 Henry Street, Cobble Hill (map); 718-260-8052
Blondie and Brownie: "I defintitely have Miriam on my list. I love their brunch and I've been curious to try their dinner and at $23 for 3 mezes, an entree, and baklava the price is definitely right. 79 5th Avenue, Park Slope (map); 718-622-2250. Blue Ribbon is also a worthwhile pick—just be sure to go later in the evening because dinner tends to attract the stroller crowd. 280 5th Avenue, Park Slope (map); 718-840-0404 —Brownie
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Posted by Carey Jones, February 13, 2009 at 10:00 AM
What is it that makes fondue so inherently romantic? Perhaps it’s that fondue is meant to share between two. Perhaps it’s the slow, methodical process, spearing, and dipping, and swirling, and eating, draws out the meal, inviting conversation and laughter. Perhaps it’s the decadence of cheese and chocolate, or the simple suggestion of anything French, or the wine that should accompany such a bounty of cheese. (And Freud probably has an answer, involving long sticks and warm vessels, that we should ignore.)
But whatever the reason, fondue is the food of romance, and Valentine’s Day weekend is the perfect time to order a pot of your own at any of these prime New York spots.
The Jakewalk
This low-lit Carroll Gardens drinking den revolves around pre-prohibition cocktails and first-class fromage. The Jakewalk sources its impressive cheese collection from Stinky Bklyn just across the street, with more than thirty cheeses helpfully classified under headings like “Soft, Bloomy & Creamy” and “Firm, Old & Bold.”
As might be expected, these masters of cheese serve a formidable fondue. The starring cheese rotates—sometimes mild, sometimes blue—and appears in a bubbling cauldron. The Pleasant Ridge Reserve cow’s milk fondue pictured here was creamy and tangy, nicely cut with wine, and served with crusty bread, mild salami, and crisp green apple alongside. At $16, it’s a fair amount of food for two. And with dozens of reds and whites by the glass (and many more by the bottle), there’s a perfect wine to pair with whatever cheese appears before you.
The Jakewalk
282 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (map)
347-599-0294
thejakewalk.com
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 12, 2008 at 6:05 PM
It's rarely an easy feat to pick and choose among desserts at Brooklyn's Sweet Melissa. With a dessert case oozing picturesque possibilities of Sour Cherry Clafoutis, Sweet Almond Bread Pudding, and Banana Cream Pie, I've oft found myself hovering in front of the glass case for a solid fifteen minutes pondering over which to call my own. Cookies and madeleines have disappointed in the past, but you cannot go wrong with the Lemon Meringue Tart, a butter-rich pate sucrée crust filled with curd hovering a lush balance between puckery tart and sweet. Whimsical dollops of soft meringue finish it off, adding a little creamy sweetness to bring the tart to full closure. For those who opt to stay, the dine-in sweets menu may tempt with a plethora of house made sundae creations, but stick with the baked desserts—they're a better deal for the dollar and immensely more satisfying to the tongue.
Sweet Melissa Patisserie
276 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11231 (b/n Butler and Douglass Street; map)
718-855-3410
sweetmelissapatisserie.com
Posted by Erin Zimmer, September 26, 2008 at 1:30 PM
At 9:30 this morning, the old Independence Bank at Atlantic Avenue and Court Street was covered in balloons and shoppers armed with canvas bags, ready to stuff them with soy crisps and frozen enchiladas. A greeter at the door convinced anyone who thought they were going somewhere else to come here instead.
Inside, a Caribbean-themed tapped drums. Everyone was feeling the Trader Joe's high.
This is by far the least claustrophobic Trader Joe's I have ever visited. Tall ceilings, wide freezer section aisles, and hardly any head-on shopping cart collisions. Though the check-out line looked scary, a crewmember was dutifully holding up her "end of the line" sign, reminding shoppers that 18 cashiers were on duty. A quick, painless process—and one that involved snacks. One staffer was on waitressing duty, asking people in line: "Can I get you a sample of coffee? Oatmeal cranberry cookie?"
Ah, Joe. You're a good man with a great store. Photos, after the jump.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, June 24, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Editor's note: In 2006 New York magazine published an indispensable guide to ice cream sandwiches in New York City. While that guide set a solid bar, much has changed in the last two years. To update that list for the summer of 2008, we sent Sugar Rush correspondent Kathy YL Chan out to find the best ice cream sandwiches in New York City. Here is her report. —Zach
In the last seven days I've eaten more ice cream sandwiches than I care to confess, all in an attempt to find our city's ten best ice cream sandwiches. I searched and I ate—from the Lower East Side to the West Village, from DUMBO to Park Slope, from market to restaurant to ice cream shop, even at a department store. Oh man, did I eat. Chocolate-flecked vanilla sandwiched between brownies, crisp chocolate chip cookies packed with strawberry ice cream, creamy scoops of gelato tucked into brioche buns: Nothing was left untouched. Some were bigger than my fist, while others were just about the size of a silver dollar. This city offers ice cream sandwiches in more forms than you dare imagine, but it's for the best—there's something for everyone. After the jump, our ten favorites, in no particular order.
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Posted by Ed Levine, November 4, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Seth Kugel plugs into New York's best coffee bars. Add this to Peter Meehan's picks from a year ago (the first four of the following guide) and you have a pretty comprehensive list of where to get a serious cup of joe in New York. Notice I said pretty comprehensive. Add your own favorites to the list and we'll try to put them on the map.
View Larger Map
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