I tend to drink beer on its own, but wine with food, which is why wine bars appeal to me so much—that particular blend of restaurant and bar that encourages sampling from small plates. I stopped by Park Slope's Brookvin to sample their vegetarian wares.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
Who would have guessed that "Sal's Favorite" sub ($8.50) at a place called M&S Prime Meats would be a vegetarian sandwich? That's precisely the case, though—this huge sandwich is loaded with slices of fried eggplant, sauteed broccoli rabe, and fresh mozzarella (made in house). You have a few options: hot or cold, extra oil & vinegar? On my server's recommendation I got it warmed up, so that the mozzarella melted all over the place, and I got oil but no vinegar. The eggplant is sliced so thinly it almost dissolves in your mouth; the broccoli rabe is cooked until soft and only slightly bitter; the mozzarella chewy and creamy. The sandwich is so big that it could serve as two meals, if you can restrain yourself from eating the whole thing in one sitting.
312 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map)
718-768-2728
msprimesubs.com
About the author: Howard Walfish is a Virginia native who has been living in New York since 2003. He is, in fact, a vegetarian, and is the co-founder of Eat to Blog and the creator of BrooklynVegetarian.
One of the reasons I love Beer Table in Park Slope is that there was obviously a lot of thought and care put into selecting their beer menu. Although they are not currently serving dinner, they recently launched a new lunch service, and thankfully they have put the same amount of thought into the food as they have into the beer selection. The savory part of the lunch menu is separated into three sections: snacks, small plates, and large plates. Though none of the large plates are vegetarian, enough of the snacks and small plates are that you can put together a delicious meal for very little money.
Editor's note: January is Vegetable Month on Serious Eats: New York! Every day this month we'll introduce you to a different vegetable dish we love. Do you have a veg dish to nominate? Let us know!
Come to Franny's for the pizza but don't leave without trying their non-pizza items, like this plate of sunchokes. The brown, knobbly tubers are cooked until their skins get all shriveled. Just a gentle side-of-the-fork cut gives way to soft, mashy innards. It's easy for your eyes to move onto the bright tangerine segments, and when you put them into your mouth, you realize they're not just tangerines.
They're tangerines that have been dressed in a Franny's concoction of Calabrian chile oil (the same oil that goes into their spicy salami), blended tangerine zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and honey. It's bitter up front in an herbal way, fading into a gently spicy-sweet background; then you actually get to burst into the juicy tangerine itself. Green olive curls are mixed throughout, offering salty, briny bites in between.
Note: Franny's menu is seasonal and changes daily, so we can't guarantee the sunchokes will be there on your visit.
295 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217 (map)
718-230-0221
frannysbrooklyn.com
Barbecue joints in Park Slope, name one. (Scratching head.) I'm coming up short, though have heard recent rumors of a Dinosaur Bar-B-Q in the works. Chef Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo in the Slope also realized this barbecue deficiency when his business partner's pregnant wife was craving brisket. "A few beers later," he explained—and sometimes these stories actually end with a good idea.
Fort Reno—a nod to the park in D.C. where Gautier and his high school cronies used to hang out—is a cozy 25-seat space, softly lit with upside-down colander chandeliers and mason jar lamps. It officially opened Tuesday night on the same block of Union Street as Palo Santo (which you could easily walk past and never notice; it's tucked into the first floor of a brownstone).
"I wanted to fill my menu with things I love to eat," says Dale Talde of the restaurant with his name on the door, which opened in Park Slope last Sunday. In his case, that means a menu with broad-reaching Asian influences—from Thai to Vietnamese to Japanese and Filipino—but with often American sensibilities: brisket nods to Texas, "pretzel dumplings" to New York; an iceberg wedge salad isn't likely to be found anywhere in Asia.
After Talde (best known for two stints on Top Chef and Top Chef All Stars) left Buddakan, he knew he wanted to open his own place but wasn't expecting to leave Manhattan. But he was approached by the two owners of Thistle Hill Tavern in Park Slope, David Massoni and John Bush, and their Brooklyn boosting won him over.
It's a roomy corner restaurant handsomely outfitted in engraved wood, a dominant bar up front (with taps from Hitachino red rice ale and Kirin Ichiban to $3 Miller High Life) with booths in back; several tables at the far end have a view into the open kitchen. It's a great look at the workings of Talde and his crew, who've been running full-tilt in the restaurant's first week. "I've been through three restaurant openings," Dale laughs, exhausted but happy, "but man, is it different when your name's on the door."
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photo: Carey Jones]
You've gotta give points for the name. The "Shawafel" ($7.50) at Park Slope falafel shop Kulushkät combines (wait for it) shawarma and falafel in one sandwich, along with hummus and all the usual fixin's (I'm a fan of their red cabbage salad). The chicken shawarma is sautéed with onions, super-moist and deeply spiced; two or three falafel balls sneak in there as well. Points for creativity, but I think next time I'd stick to the falafel; I'm not sure this sandwich is more than the sum of its parts.
It gets me thinking: does falafel play well with others, aside from the usual condiment-like hummus and tahini, or salads that might ride on top? I can't imagine co-starring ingredients making a falafel pita better. But maybe I'm low on imagination.
446C Dean Street, Brooklyn NY 11217 (map)
347-799-1972
About the author: Carey Jones is the Editor of Serious Eats New York and co-editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. Follow her on Twitter (@careyjones).
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photo: Carey Jones]
I'm going to have to try the falafel at Chick-P on Bergen Street a few more times before I decide if I prefer it to neighbor and fellow newcomer Kulushkät, but so far, I'm quite happy with Chick-P's sabich ($8). Thick, fluffy pita is stuffed with hard-boiled egg, fresh and crunchy Israeli salad, super-salty pickles, and their excellent hummus and tahini. The tahini is the strongest flavor here, which I don't mind at all, both through the quantity of the sauce itself and through its presence in the hummus. But my favorite part is the cooked-down eggplant, sweet and oily and incredibly concentrated in flavor. I wish there was a little more of it, and that it didn't all cluster at the bottom. Still, there are worse problems than slightly too little of a very good thing.
490 Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 11217 (map)
718-783-1525
chick-p.com
[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]
We can feast on apple desserts all year round, but they seem especially appropriate during the colder months. From classic tarte tatins to fancier versions found at restaurants, from apple milkshakes to apple butter-laced sundaes, pastry chefs in the city do all sorts of things. Check out ten apple desserts we love this holiday season.
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.
[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]
The holiday season brings with it all sorts of rich tastes and smells: eggnog and warm apple cider; the scent of baking cookies and gingerbread; cozy spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. But then there's peppermint, and the million different ways restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops in this city incorporate it into desserts. From housemade peppermint patties to candy cane ice cream, deciding where to start is the hardest part. Check our ten of our favorites.
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.
[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]
The season for Concord grapes has long come and gone, but the flavors of these sweet candy-like grapes are preserved in jars of concord grape jelly by Ace Jams. These jams are a creation of Chris Austin, a cook at Franny's, who turns out multiple flavors, each one clear and true to taste. Ingredients are simple - in the grape jam you'll find only Concord grapes, apples, sugar, lemon, and salt. Not a touch of pectin. Smother on buttered toast, or do as I do and eat it by the spoonful.
In addition to the concord grape, expect to find Apricot-Lavender and Blueberry-Shiso jam among many others. The jams are $8 a jar, exclusively at BKLYN Larder. Available flavors rotate and change frequently, so make sure to call ahead if you're looking for a specific flavor.
228 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217 (map)
718-783-1250
bklynlarder.com
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photograph: Lauren Sloss]
I'll eat Brussels sprouts most ways you'll serve them to me, but the Thanksgiving Leftovers sandwich ($8.75) at the Park Slope outpost of 'sNice was the first time I've eaten them between bread. Considering 'sNice's vegetarian and vegan leanings, the sprouts make for a solid sandwich centerpiece. They're nicely nutty and roasted, and piled on a soft, crusty baguette along with thin, slightly caramelized slices of sweet potato. These vegetables are two of my favorite fall flavors and they make for a delicious combination of tastes and texture.
The sandwich also includes pieces of tofurkey, some form of vegan gravy, and a suggestion of cranberry jam. The first two did little more than add salt to the sandwich, but I really could have gone for more of that sweet, tangy cranberry. I was also surprised by the side of the day ($4.50 for a small box), an ample serving of mixed vegetables (more Brussels sprouts, squash, and carrots) and pasta lightly coated in olive oil. Some of the vegetables were a little undercooked, but the "small" was a pretty serious serving, definitely enough for a meal on its own.
315 5th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (map)
718-788-2121; snicecafe.com
About the author: Lauren Sloss is a bicoastal food-lover who splits her time between New York (where she is finishing graduate school) and San Francisco (where she does most other things). She writes about food, music, travel, and everything in between. Some of her favorite things include The Black Keys, goat gouda, and guacamole. You can follow her on Twitter @laurensloss.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photo: Carey Jones]
If you eat buffalo wings for the sloppy mouthfuls of hot sauce and blue cheese, the Crispy Chicken Tender sandwich ($8.50) at Luscious Foods is for you. While the chicken is a little over-breaded for our taste, it's smothered in blue cheese dressing, with the fresh crunch of spicy coleslaw to keep it from getting too gooey. Chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese all mingle in every bite, kept in line by a griddled ciabatta. Refined? Not exactly. Tasty? We'd say so.
59 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217 (map)
718-398-5800
lusciousbrooklyn.com
Editor's note: We write about restaurants all over the city. But sometimes, you don't want to travel for food; you want the best eats right in your neighborhood. So we're having the Serious Eats staff share where they eat around their own 'hoods. Today? A Hamburger Today editor Robyn Lee!
View Robyn's Neighborhood Recs in a larger map
In my roughly seven years of living in New York City, I've had a tendency to never eat that often in the neighborhood I lived in, partially because I didn't live in the most food-centric neighborhoods, but also because during the last four years I've been getting 500 percent more calories than I need per day just by working in the Serious Eats office. Add to that that I've only been living in the Greenwood Heights/Sunset Park/South Slope/Windsor Terrace/whatever-this-area-is-called neighborhood for three months, and it's more likely you'll giving me recommendations than vice versa. (This isn't a guide as much as me talking about what I've eaten, whether or not I highly recommend it.)
Here's what I've tried so far; feel free to give me suggestions!
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
Devout praise of the breakfast menu at Park Slope's Bark has found its way onto this blog before. That praise still rings true. While a-la-carte prices for Bark's breakfast seem high when compared to their fast-food counterparts, they're reasonable when compared more aptly to those of a typical brunch platter.
Those who can get over the sticker shock of an $8 breakfast sandwich should make a point of trying the breakfast special, a grilled English muffin stuffed with house-made chorizo and slow-cooked egg. The grilled chorizo patty making up 1/3 of the sandwich's weight is mildly seasoned, intensely porky, and naturally sweet. The silky, custard-like disc of egg beneath does more than well by the notion of an upscale Egg McMuffin. A dab of creamy avocado sauce and pickled jalapeños splashed with lime juice add an extra dimension of flavor, showcasing Bark's attention to detail.
It might cost a pretty penny, but this sticker is right—it's just good food.
474 Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 11217 (map)
718-789-1939
barkhotdogs.com
