lazylghtng's Profile
Brooklyn bridge marriott area
There is a Five Guys (tasty In&Out-style burgers; eat-in or take-out) at both MetroTech Center which is just a hop away from the hotel, and Montague St. If you head over to Court Street, beeline it to Queen which is arguably one of the best and most authentic old-school Italian restaurants in Brooklyn. If you cross Atlantic and stay on Court, check out Van Horn for high-end, but low-brow southern-inflected sandwiches including an excellent fried chicken sandwich and grilled pimento cheese, etc.
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Queen
84 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
138 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Van Horn Sandwich Shop
231 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Spiral ham (heated/glazed on Xmas) - how long does it last?
Hi -
Bought a pre-cooked spiral cut ham from Burger's Smokehouse for Xmas. Arrived frozen. Thawed a couple of days in fridge, then cooked low and slow to heat up and glaze. Now it's one week later and still lots of leftovers ! Burger's instructions state ham is good for 28 days in fridge, then freeze. But is that upon arrival only? In other words, since I opened, heated, and glazed it a week ago I am totally paranoid about it still keeping a few weeks (as opposed to just keeping in fridge unopened). Should I just relax? Never heard of cooked meat lasting a month in fridge, although the ham (and the boneless turkey which has same instructions) is cured, etc.
At any rate, it is one week since cooking low and slow and both ham and turkey taste great and don't smell, etc.
THX for advice! And Happy New year!!
Red Velvet Cake Hunt! What's the best bakery for a red velvet wedding cake?
One Girl Cookie on Dean St. nr Smith in Boerum Hil -- best cakemaker in Brooklyn, imo. Use them for every imp. occasion and they always come through with flying colors. The most delicious, moist cakes and, yes, they have a superb creamcheese frosting!
http://www.onegirlcookies.com/cakes/cakes.html
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One Girl Cookies
68 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Oriental Garden, S. China Garden or Amazing 66?
Mother-in-law's 65th b-day with young grandkids in tow. Loves Chinese, but not particularly adventurous -- a big cut above a General Tso's-type, though. She is def a big Peking duck fan, but this is not make-or-break. Clean and not frenzied, however, is a pre-req. Would take her to Peking Duck House, but she has been numerous times. Don't want to go uptown to C'town Brasserie or Shanghai Pavillion, etc., so I am eyeballing C 'town, specifically OG, S. China Garden, and Amazing 66. We will be six (with a five and one yr old) at 6PM on Sat. night -- prefer not to wait too long even if it means compromising quality of meal. Welcome thoughts and alternatives. Thx!
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South China Garden
22 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013
Amazing 66
66 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Oriental Garden
14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013
Alt. to Billy Martin's in GT?
any other casual spots with some DC character worth hitting in Georgetown for a family dinner with little ones in tow? Would love to hit Tackle Box but fearful of walking in with a party of 6 tonight at 6:30 since they don't take reservations. Cafe, pub, bistro all good -- prefer New American or American cuisine. Thx.
Chef Geoff's - mmm or meh?
hi -
Is Chef Geoff's worth a visit? I am in town for 3 nights with a party of 6, including a 1 yr old and 5 yr old as well as my in-laws! Kids are easy in restaurants and used to the drill (we live in NYC). That said, 5 yr old is not adventurous eater so we have to stick to American cuisine more or less. Is Chef Geoff Downtown a fun spot or is it lame? Alternatives besides pizza, etc.? Looking for some good character...Ted's Bulletin? Firefly? THX,,
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Chef Geoff's
3201 New Mexico Avenue, Washington, DC 20016
Dumbo lunch?
For future reference, the General Store is uninspired with spotty service. It's centrally located and a good hang, but the food is just serviceable (and overpriced, imo). The best lunch in the hood can be found at Superfine and reBar (across the street from one another).
Or walk up to Henry St. in the Heights and head to Siggy's for excellent mediterranean food with a super-healthy twist.
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Superfine
126 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Siggy's Good Food
76 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
reBar
147 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Best Italian peppers and eggs sandwich in the city?
Too bad Cono's closed shop. I'd go with DeFonte's, but you might also try Torrisi Italian Specialties 'across the river' -- they do eggs, potatoes, and provolone hero...not the same, but knowing them I'd bet it is excellent. Ditto for Parisi Bakery on Mott St.
Does Caputo's or Esposito's on Court St. do pepper and eggs?
Brooklyn restaurants within walking distance of B'klyn. Bridge
Agree with Noodle Pudding, Henry's End, and Jack the Horse. I also like Bread & Butter although it is hit or miss, still nice folks and a fun if uneven menu.
In DUMBO, there is SuperFine and reBar, both of which are a lot of fun. Superfine is an American bistro with market ingredients -- limited choices, but well-executed. reBar is a gastropub with more ambitious fare spanning many cuisines -- they have a great bar and the room is very hip. I also like Ignazios right under the bridge by the water -- doesn't get a lot of love on this board due to high prices, but the pizza is very good, esp. the square, and they make a first-rate calzone.
Stay away from Bubby's, Miso, One Front, and Pub One (and Grimaldi's as mentioned)...
The best restaurant in this neighborhood, however, is in Vinegar Hill -- the Vinegar Hill House. This is exceptional food in an exceptional setting. They are open for brunch and dinner only. No reservations and usually a wait unless you get there at an earlier hour. Lots of press on VHH, just Google them.
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Superfine
126 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Noodle Pudding
38 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Henry's End
44 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Ignazio's Pizza
4 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Vinegar Hill House
72 Hudson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
reBar
147 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Bread and Butter
46 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Henry's End
44 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Recipe for cheese sauce for nachos needed!
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/cheese-sauce-for-cheese-fries-and-nachos.html
This one looks good -- I've heard of the evaporated milk trick before...less soggy chips from a thicker sauce, etc. Check it out -- they toss shredded cheese with 1T corn starch, then melt down with evap milk and Frank's Hot Sauce.
I also like Tyler Florence's sauce which is a basic roux plus cheese, however, he uses chix stock rather than milk:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/roasted-chicken-nachos-with-green-chili-cheese-sauce-recipe/index.html
Good Place for a Surprise Party in Brooklyn?
Second Tommaso's -- we had our rehearsal dinner, here, and they were absolutely wonderfu. Great staff, great food!
Also rec. Aurora in Williamsburg -- they can handle the size of your group and they have excellent food.
Hear good things about River Deli in the Heights. Prob not big enough, though?
In C. Gardens, there's Luna Rossa (never been) and Fragole.
In Ft. Greene, Locanda Vini & Olii
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Aurora
70 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Fragole
394 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Locanda Vini e Olii
129 Gates Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Luna Rossa
552 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Tommaso
1464 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228
River Deli
32 Joralemon St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
BAM-BAM: Stuck Inside of Fort Greene with the NY Blues again
Cafe Lafayette is where you want to go -- cozy, quaint, sweet, close to BAM, and delicious.
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Cafe Lafayette
99 S Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
DUMBO General Store - so frustrating
A) the Caesar was simply an ex. of one of many salads (Waldorf; Cobb; Spinach) they could feature that would both make sense of their menu and be well-received. Sorry it is too pedestrian for you to make sense of it in the broader context.
B) Last I checked, neither McD's nor BK had a chicken salad sandwich.
C) You clearly don't have a toddler, one of the leading constituencies in DUMBO and one well-represented in the DGS on weekends despite the limited and inflated menu offerings.
REALLY GOOD PIZZA
Motorino (W'burg)
Roberta's (B'wick)
Best Pizza (W'burg)
Paule Gee's (G'pt)
Fornino (Slope & 'burg)
South Brooklyn Pizza (Caroll G. ** you can order from adjacent P.J. Hanley's pub)
Ignazio's (DUMBO)
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Roberta's
261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206
P.J. Hanley's
449 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Ignazio's Pizza
4 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
South Brooklyn Pizza
451 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Motorino
319 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Paulie Gee's
60 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Fornino
256 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Best Pizza
33 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
DUMBO General Store - so frustrating
Just curious what it has to do with "what DUMBO has become?" Are you talking about the the influx of kids/families and the greedy price points, or are you taking a generalized shot at affluent 'yuppies?'
DUMBO General Store - so frustrating
I've tried. I've really tried. But visit after visit to the DUMBO General Store confirms that it is simply unable to fulfill its potential.
In the few yrs. that I've lived in DUMBO., I've probably spent over $3k here btw. breakfast, lunch, brunch, and coffee. Early on, it was a perfectly satisfactory neighborhood cafe -- far from great, but still a comfortable spot that was more than serviceable. Congenial staff, cool cafe vibe, good music, and decent menu. Salads were plentiful; panini were tasty, and brunch was solid -- great egg sammies; fluffy pancakes; excellent bacon. But after a while, it just got stale-- a victim of laziness. Lesson #1 -- you gotta keep up.
For example, why no Caesar salad ever? Yes, it is a ubiquitous item, but none the less deserved its place on the straight-up menu. Or even an Iceberg Wedge. Something else. Anything besides the faux Greek, Goat Cheese, and House salad. Something refreshing and healthy w/ cranberries and apples and pecans and a grainy mustard dressing? Whatever! And where was a basic grilled cheese for the multitude of little kids in the nabe who frequent the joint with their parents? And why no chicken salad EVER -- esp. since they had chicken on hand for several other menu items? Where was the soup in winter in past years? Why did the baked breakfast items always stink? And who decided that all the dairy they add to your coffee will be automatically HOT despite no signage indicating that spin? If I want hot milk in my coffee, I will ask for it, thanks. And why didn't they ever fix the hulking air conditioner that leaks all over the entrance steps?
And then came the revamp v.1 -- they hired a chef who cooked Southern-inflected global food. The lunch menu remained the same, but now they had dinner (to replace Hecho which moved to the LES). A convoluted menu followed, but the locals didn't. The chef got axed and they replaced his menu with a severely limited (as in 3 entrees) dinner menu - steak, roast chicken, soft tacos, and pasta...snore. Then the breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu -- stale, but at least reliable -- got pared down. Uh oh...
The lunch menu overhauled the salads so that there is at least a market salad now, but the old goat cheese salad (greens, candied nuts, red onion -- now w/ pancetta) is priced at $14!!! Umm -- this is not Gramercy Tavern. FYI -- salads at far superior Tazza, for ex., top out at $9 or so, The paninis, meanwhile, remained the same except for turning their Cuban into a Pork panini. As for breakfast, the got around to baking in-house which is great and a big improvement. BUT, they now offer Greek yogurt with pistachios and honey...for $10. No fruit. WTF? What happened to the yogurt, granola, and fruit? Did I mention that you ca no longer order a half-order of pancakes for your toddler at brunch anymore? FYI -- DUMBO is toddlerville and it is seriously sucky that the reigning nabe spot neither offers any kiddie selections at brunc h nor allows for a half-order. I know times are tough, but you are biting the hand that feeds you and losing what were once loyal customers.
This rant can't end w/o mentioning the "specials" which are hardly special unless you think adding blueberries to pancakes (they feature "all day breakfast" 7 days per week) is something that wets the palate. They must have had six straight months where pancakes with some kind of berry was the featured special. Wow. Now, they feature a grilled cheese of the day (still, nothing for kids, though); an omelet of the day (usually lame); and a sammie of the day (which has been meatloaf for the last three months). On the plus side, they are finally cranking out soup. On the minus side, I would like to have Creamy Tomato Soup that a) has cream in it as the menu suggests or an acceptable sub that gives it creamy mouth feel; b) one that has passed through a food mill so I am not crunching on tomato seeds.
Lastly, takeout blows, here. I can't begin to cite the number of times that a key ingredient was omitted from a salad, or the wrong container was used for a menu item (i.e. soup in a coffee cup???), or bread wasn't tucked in the bag, much less a utensil, etc.
Final verdict: nothing inventive, blown opportunity for reasonable change, unreasonable prices.
Hey, DGS -- as you know, this nabe's residents are underserved by the paucity of restaurants. Get your act together! You could be riding the gravy train if you had a better-written menu, considered the kiddies, and offered a more inviting and interesting dinner (we don't need more steak or roast chicken, thx).
Rant over.
Brooklyn Pizza Survey
I strongly encourage you to hit South Brooklyn Pizza in Carroll Gardens for a slice -- truly outstanding.
Second Ignazio's for the square pies and great meatball topping (read MOIST) -- doesn't get the love it deserves around here b/c of inflated prices but blame that on the location (Brooklyn Bridge waterfront).
Also, second Motorino, Roberta's, Franny's, Paulie Gee's, and Totonno's. I thought Luigi's was underwhelming, fwiw.
How about Fornino in the Slope? Heard good things. Ditto for Saraghina in Bed-Stuy.
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Lucali
575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
South Brooklyn Pizza
451 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Motorino
319 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Saraghina
435 Halsey St, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Paulie Gee's
60 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Fornino
256 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
CLOSED: Cono & Sons O'Pescatore
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Say it ain't so.
Arghhhh! Cono's takeout heroes from the kitchen window were one of Brooklyn's greatest treasures, esp. the calamari hero. I am so bummed. And, no, Catene's is no consolation. What a colossal loss.
Suggestions for an anniversary dinner in Brooklyn
This just in...
VINEGAR HILL HOUSE -- awesome, categorically!
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Vinegar Hill House
72 Hudson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Suggestions for 60th Anniversary - Italian - Brooklyn
I would add two less-old school/traditional spots to your list, both excellent contenders in the borough's best Italian category...
Noodle Pudding in the Heights -- not open for lunch, but they are available for private parties during the day. Excellent N. Italian in a classic trattoria setting.
Also, Frankie's Spuntino in Cobble/Carroll. They also can do private parties and have an event space, although they might be able to accommodate you in the main space as well.
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Frankies 457 Spuntino
457 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Noodle Pudding
38 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Brooklyn red sauce restaurant done well
I second Queen!
Also, Frost in Wiliamsburg. Possibly Cono's Pescatore, too, although I prefer them for their takeout-onl heroes off the kitchen side window.
Fiorentino's (never been -- mixed reviews)
Da Tommaso
Ferdinando's (not so much red-sauce, but Sicilian and old-fashioned and delicious.
Colandrea New Corner
How about going to Queens: in LIC, Manducati's and in Astoria, Piccola Venezia.
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Piccola Venezia
42-01 28th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Fiorentino's
311 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11223
Manducatis
13-27 Jackson Ave, Queens, NY 11101
Colandrea New Corner
7201 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228
Tommaso
1464 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228
Suggestions for an anniversary dinner in Brooklyn
Dressler (Williamsburg)
Saul (Cobble Hill)
Breukelen (Cobble Hill)
The Good Fork (Red Hook)
Al di La (Park Slope)
Traif (Williamsburg) - less formal, but phenomenal food
Marlow and Sons (Williamsburg)
Hear Stone Park is good, but have never been.
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Saul
140 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Dressler
149 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Stone Park Cafe
324 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
The Good Fork
391 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Traif
229 S 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Best Fried Clams/Calamari in Brooklyn?
In my experience, Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights has the best fried calamari by a far stretch -- light, crispy, fresh, and juicy.
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Noodle Pudding
38 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Italian Restaurant with Hearty Servings?
Here's the thread you need to consult:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/479194
In Manhattan, John's of 12th St. would work as would Piccolo Angelo, and, of course, Carmines if you want to go downmarket.
Salted caramel ice cream
My local gourmet store in DUMBO, Forrager's Market, sells a killer brand of premium ice cream called Jeni's which is hand-crafter artisanal ice cream made in Ohio. They have a phenomenal Salted Caramel. I think that Brooklyn Fare on Schermerhorn also carries Jeni's...
http://jenisicecreams.com/flavors-sig...
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Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Salted caramel ice cream
My local gourmet store in DUMBO, Forager's Market, sells a killer brand of premium ice cream called Jen's which is hand-crafter artisanal ice cream made in Ohio. They have a phenomenal Salted Caramel. I think that Brooklyn Fare on Schermerhorn also carries Jeni's...
http://jenisicecreams.com/flavors-sig...
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Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Bachelor dinner in w'burg
Marlow is by far the best on your list, however, I think you will do better by either Dressler or Walter Fine Foods!
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Dressler
149 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
O'Barone in Red Hook
Well, we returned last night for a 2nd visit. My oh my, how much things can change in a week. In short, we had a terrible experience. The lentil salad (as was the case last week with the beets/potato, and also the faro salad) was excellent - bright and clean. But the grilled scamorza with pancetta and radicchio was horrendous -- terribly plated, and undressed. For mains, the bread gnocchi with squash tasted like Thansgiving stuffing -- really stock-y and herb-y upon first bite, then boring thereafter. It would be a fun side with a meat entree, but falls flat on its own. Its beige color and 5" length were also wholly unappetizing. We tried some of the Austrian dishes tonight as well -- the pork schnitzel and the spaetzle. The pork was perfectly fried, but tough. It could have used less time cooking or better yet the juicy benefit of brining. Made me wish it were veal from the first bite. The spaetzle with pancetta and cheese was gummy and dry -- basically, a bad Austrian mac & cheese. We didn't try the specials, but were let down that out of the two specials one was the same as last week -- goulash, a curious choice on such a warm spring night. The other was tagliatelle with mushrooms -- not very special.
Last week, the Italian waiter -- who was sweet and charming -- was very attentive and welcoming. He also played Italian music on the stereo which befit the surroundings. The lone server last night was a different guy, and pretty much on another planet all evening. He colored the ambience with the stereo tuned to classic rock from --wait for it -- a radio station. Not very atmospheric and I am a lover of classic rock, just not in italian restaurants unless it is Babbo! Out of the 4 red wines by the glass, they were out of the best which is a supertuscan and weren't substituting anything comparable. We were then informed that he hadn't chilled the rose or prosecco which were still sitting in their delivery boxes by the bar so those were out, too. This on a Friday. When he brought olive oil with the bread, he forgot to put it on the table and walked away with it. When he came back, we asked for the oil and he realized his mistake, saying "classic" to us before returning to pour the oil into the bowl as well as dripping it onto my mother-in-law's menu (he was oblivious). He also told us that they were out of fagotini despite it being only 6:30 at night. Lame (although not his fault). When he brought the apps, he asked who got what despite his having personally taken our order and our party being only two couples and a toddler. Even though there were only a handful of tables occupied in an already small setting, he was not very conscious of his guests and it was challenging to get his attention. IHe just didn't seem to be trying very hard and was very aloof. Not a jerk, just not altogether there nor charming in that manner. In sum, the food was disappointing, but the service and ambience were even more inexplicable.
