Cool! I'll see you there. (But, do enjoy the grandkids!)

Commonwealth has hosted an annual Derby Day event since it opened. Owner Ray Gish is a native Kentuckian. There's always plenty of mint juleps, "harmless gambling" and, apparently, a new TV this year!

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Commonwealth
497 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

We make a regular pilgrimage for the bacon, egg and cheese on a roll. There's nothing comparable anywhere.

Thanks. H-Mart says 10pm. You think the food court closes earlier?

Thanks! I'm a Korean food partisan. Sounds like a necessary trip, tonight if I'm lucky.

This is awesome Jim, thanks! I'm stuck in Westbury waiting for reno on my house in Bklyn to be completed. We're always searching for something to relieve the doldrums and real Korean food would certainly fit the bill.

I'm sorry to ask, but I'm loathe to call H-Mart and can't get a sense of things from their website. Is this restaurant actually IN the H-Mart food court, is it affiliated and across the street, or just across the street? We're actually closer to the Williston Park H-Mart and I was wondering if they had the same sort of thing.

In case anybody is checking in, he's out here rocking it right now!

I'm frequently puzzled by responses to these sort of inquiries. We should be directing the OP to things that are best in and/or unique to Bklyn (and other boros). I'm happy to see this is mostly the case in this thread.

However, if there's a shortage of true Mexican food in SF, I'd direct the OP to any 5th ave/Sunset Park thread or Taco Truck thread or similar discussions about Queens. I'd also recommend researching Central American chow, and frankly good down home Dominican. That's especially a source of what's become unique NY food kulcha.

I wouldn't recommend any SF/Tex-Mex or Sushi (and probably other Japanese cuisines), and no one has. If various Chinese cuisines are an interest, the OP would need to do some deep research here. I haven't been to SF in over a decade, but I'd hazard to guess what we have in Flushing at least might beat their Chinatown offerings.

Not sure why an SF native would have beer on their list - but, perhaps Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint are different enough to warrant a taste. I'd also recommend checking out tasting schedules at places like Bierkraft and Grab.

I'm always surprised by the Nathan's hate on CH, but I'll again recommend it for my favorite garlicky all beef hot dog, and unique fries, more often done correctly in the winter months. I'd also promote going to Coney for the culture and the view, both quite different than similar venues on the West Coast.

Again, I'll heartily recommend Luigi's for pizza. It's not trendy, precious, or subject to two hour waits and insane pricing. And, the OP would meet actual Brooklyn natives on either side of the counter. Tell Gio, (the big guy) you're visiting Bklyn and came to his place because of CH and you'll make a friend for life. Have a supreme slice and the gramma slice with a root beer in good old fashioned waxy cups (saying "fountain" is redundant, they don't sell bottles or cans).

Finally, I consider the bagel thing quite simple. I personally don't like Montreal bagels, and don't see the point of going to Mile End if you're looking for NY stuff, not that it's not good. (Um, Katz's would be quite appropriate on this visit, but this is the "outer" boros board.) Bagel Hole is the place to go - ask for well done and you'll get it - onion, poppy, sesame, salt, garlic, everything. I joyously eat them dry, especially around 9-10am, fresh from the second round. I agree lox (and any fish) is lackluster at this or any other local joint, in comparison to fancy modern places, or classic places in the city - Russ & Daughters, Greengrass, and the like. I feel butter, or scallion CC (I highly recommend saying "not so much", it's way more than a smear - like most bagels these days, the portions are way, way too huge), lets the flavor and especially and perhaps, more importantly, the texture come through. At this point, I know no other bagel place that makes smaller (though still large by ancient standards), or crustier bagels.

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Bierkraft
191 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Luigi's Pizza
686 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Bagel Hole
400 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Brooklyn Brewery
79 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Mile End
97 Hoyt St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Coney Island is only visited by the most intrepid tourists. An hour out of the city on the train? Witness the OP's inquiry in the first place! And I'd never call it a trap. There's crap to eat and crap to buy. But, those few blocks remaining are an amusements area. For better or worse it's the predecessor to Disney and Six Flags.

I'm a native, too. I understand wanting to avoid tourists. But, it wouldn't be NY w/o the great places and history that attract the crowds. Believe me, there are plenty of places in the US that have next to nothing, or even less, you want to see, experience or even read about.

IMHO you could probably get by never going to the Statue of Liberty. Though I'm surprised you never had the opportunity with visiting friends. But, the Empire State is not nearly tantamount to the WTC. Outside of the horror of 9/11, the latter paled in historical significance and beauty, though it was architecturally interesting.

And I'll heartily agree with bob96. The actual neighborhood of Coney Island has nothing to do with your misconception.

And as of today we're losing Shoot the Freak, and Beer Island, but much more tragically, Ruby's. It's criminal.

Of course, Coney is dirty and weird. It's supposed to be. I suppose plenty of NY will always be dirty, but there's less and less weird. And if it can't be weird at Coney where else can it be weird?

Shake Shack is fine and all. But, it's gonna be a small, expensive, touristy world if all we're left is boutique burgers and shakes. Can't we have Bark, and Shake Shack and Great Adventure and Al Di La and whatever else, but also Ruby's and the original Nathan's and the boardwalk? What the helll?

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Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Shake Shack
Roosevelt Ave 126th St, Queens, NY 11368

Never been to Coney? How does that even happen?

Genius! I wish I thought of that.

It's funny. My family is about as far from Kosher as you can get. We're easily three generations of "non-academic" atheists, as I call it, and nothing gets in the way of us big boned, small stature, cave dwelling Ashekanazi types and our food - especially shellfish, which to my parents is pretty much the peak of culinary delight (the frozen frogs legs not withstanding). But, you'd never see a glass of milk next to a salami sandwich on our table. And you still won't, at their house.
Specifically, however, as someone who's had the pleasure as a musician to travel through and eat in most of our 50 states, I can tell you that cheese and chili/cheese on our junk food is from Chicago, or Wisconsin or Cincinatti or DC and goes with their fries or spaghetti or dogs (or Coneys as they say in Chicago, Coney Islands as they say in Detroit), and it only migrated here over the past two decades or so. NY Jews were gorging on steamed lobsters and oysters without guilt eons before anybody thought of pumping hot orange processed product on a simple crinkle cut.

You probably know it's a literal mom n' pop joint. I've seen it closed a few times and found they unavoidably had to do some business, or parenting, together.

OMG I just mistakenly deleted a poetic and heartfelt tribute to Coney Island. Geez. Ugh....

Go now! Go in the winter! It's quiet and "beautiful" and vast and lonely and seductive. It's the history of Brooklyn, New York and the US. It's the Poor Man's Riviera and it was my dad's poor kid's joy in the 30s. He made us go for his 80th birthday just last summer. The clams were great, Williams Candy is still great (I prefer the marshmallow and nut things in the window!) and Nathan's still makes my favorite snappy, garlicky all beef hot dog. If there are no crowds, get the wonderfully potato flavored fries well done. And, no, up until recently there wasn't anything with which to make "cheese covered childhood memories." These were Jews, after all. You can skip the frozen frogs legs, but my folks always get them, just cuz. I don't think the chow mein on a bun has survived the tiny "Coney Island Delights" menu.

The Cyclone is closed for the season, but the new Luna Park was wonderful last summer - well run and supervised rides (confounding those of us with thirty and forty year old experiences) and is open until this weekend, celebrating Halloween. Deno's Wonder Wheel park is open weekends this month, too. And yes, the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel (and the Parachute Jump) are landmarked.

Go, go, GO to the Coney Island Museum. The burlesque show is better and funnier than ever. The museum is filled with Dick Zigun's hazerai - ride, attraction and midway artifacts, photos, signs and stuff. There's always a film series, as has been noted, and Ken Burns CI doc is usually running (with DVDs for sale in the great and not overpriced gift shop). The bar features Coney Island beers, natch. But, you should go to Ruby's too. Always.

Bundle up and stroll the boardwalk. I almost prefer January to July.

http://www.candytreats.com/
http://www.coneyisland.com/museum.shtml (creepshow at the freakshow!
)http://www.lunaparknyc.com
http://www.wonderwheel.com/information.html
http://www.rubysconeyisland.com/
http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=39
http://www.coneyislandcyclone.com/

I'll see ya there!

Funny how these things go. I've marveled at Bagel Hole for years. I've treasured the fact that though they're not as small as my parents always said bagels were a very long time ago, they've never gotten any bigger in any attempt to accommodate fashion or massive sandwich needs. I've enjoyed the classic "flavors" with only perhaps whole wheat a concession to modern tastes. I've absolutely reveled in the crunchy, chewy hide, sometimes as deep as 1/8", that only gave way to a dense, still toothsome and traditional tasting inside.

I've always expected the other shoe to drop: they go out of business, they sell the business and it goes to pot, or they make a dreadful change of their own volition, perhaps altering their boiling and baking techniques. Yet, they've chugged along like the little shop that could, and did, and does. They keep it to the basics - outsourced bialys, no dreaded pastries or muffins, certainly no blueberries or sun-dried tomatoes making any headway, and absolutely no shortcuts.

I always, always, ask for well done bagels. Sometimes, I think the kids there must consider me a pain in the ass. But, I know I'm not the only one asking for well done. So, other times I fantasize they think I'm a connoisseur of the classic bagel, a rotund gourmand of the simple things that can be so gastronomically and emotionally complex. And I hope when the boss is around he hears me asking for my everything bagels well done with scallion, or on special days, whitefish, and he smiles and he pats himself on the back in confidence that he has always been, and remains, on the righteous path.

Maybe the oven is different lately, maybe the owner's been away (though I saw him a couple days ago), maybe they're not so busy, and don't have to pull them out of the oven as fast as usual. But I've been ecstatic with the bagels the last week or so. I fully expect them to soon revert to their thinner skin likeness and I'll have to request those searches for my dark brown friends with my usual brio. Alas, I guess it's in the tooth of the beholder.

@bklynkat, I don't think tex thought you were lying. Why would you need to lie? I think he/she was simply questioning your perception of "stale" versus what he/she might consider a correctly done, or even a "well" done, bagel.

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Bagel Hole
400 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Hello? Luigi's!

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Luigi's Pizza
686 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Thanks for the expert 'houndin! Nice rundown. But, the ribs, frogs legs and especially Jellyfish are making my eyes roll up and tongue loll a la Homer Simpson. D'oh!

Oh geez - confusing the various Chinese restaurant outcroppings whilst ranting. No!!! Bamboo Pavilion is on 18th ave, of course, wherefore my mention of the Italian Bensonhurst places. I fixed it, thanks Jen.

Speaking of Avenue U, let's hear it for Pho Hoai!

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Spicy Bampa
6920 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204

Pho Hoai
1906 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229

I find this a really weird conversation. Years ago (I guess) if you were from the boros, or Jersey, or the Island, the city was a special place. It had special things to see, to do, to buy and certainly to eat. Maybe you could even live there! It was about aspirations big and small.

It's cool that Brooklyn's become it's own cool place, and to some degree, a destination. But, I don't think you'll never not have to go to the city for certain things i.e. the best sushi, or the best French place. So, to me if we're somewhat reversing the trend, and there's a greater variety of all sorts of food, including luxury level stuff, why not focus on what we have that's unique?
Jen beat me to it, but as I followed this thread I kept on thinking "5th ave in Sunset." Up until recently we hardly had a Mexican population to create and sustain such a thing. But, of course, times change. In this case I think for the better.
We certainly have some reasonably good or great Chinese in Sunset Park, but as has been discussed here by some blindingly knowledgeable and urbane gourmands, some who are in fact Asian, the depth and breadth of the Chinese (and Korean and Thai) offerings in Flushing beats the pants off what's in Brooklyn, not to mention Manhattan - which but for a few standbys hardly merits that mention IMHO.

See, in Brooklyn, we never didn't travel for the special things. And frankly, if you're in the Slope, besides some good or better or at least unique places like Al Di La, Beer Table, or Bonnie's (yes, those are only a few examples), you're going to have to venture out. And isn't that ultimately the point of the whole Chowhound thing? It's about as easy to get to Flushing from here as it is to Williamsburg, so you might as well get used to it! Regarding the latter you'll be able to enjoy Marlow and Sons, and some other swank new places I know less about. So do that. And go down CIA and go to Nathan's and Luger's and DiFara (at least once, and I'll always put in for Luigi's at 5th ave and 22nd). FWIW I'll give a big ups to Spicy Bampa (the former Bamboo Pavilion) on 18th Ave in Bensonhurst. But again, as long as you're going there, why not sample more of the best of what Brooklyn has long offered like L&B Spumoni Gardens and Savarese? Find YOUR fave Middle Eastern on Atlantic Avenue or in Bay Ridge. Then finish up at NYC ICY.
Now, you've tasted a tiny bit of Brooklyn and hardly overlapped with anything you could do better, or even do, in the city. That only means you'll have to go back into the EV or wherever to enjoy those things you obviously do, and should continue doing so. I'm sure those proprietors will appreciate your business and never give you a hard time about being from Brooklyn! Welcome!

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Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

L&B Spumoni Gardens
2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223

Spicy Bampa
6920 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204

Beer Table
427 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Bay Ridge Cafe
1548 Bay Ridge Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Savarese
5922 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Right in front of Walgreens (RIP Silver Rod) on Church at McDonald. Run by a very friendly, English speaking couple. They say they're open Tuesday - Sunday, 2 - 9pm.

I had a chorizo taco, and a cecina taco, $2 each. Both not the best I ever had but generally moist, and just really good. I overheard after the fact that they have lengua, though it's not listed as a choice. They do not have cabeza. But I can't be blamed for asking! Tortillas were nicely grilled, plenty of onion and cilantro, with lime and cucumber on the side. Tasty red and green salsa on hand.

Brought home three good tamales too ($1.25 each), rojo pollo, mole pollo and dulce for desert! Shared with my wife. We both thought they were way tastier and more moist than some of those coming out of local stores.

I look forward to tearing through the surprisingly extensive menu including tortas, huaraches and tostadas. It's certainly a great addition to the neighborhood. If you find yourself anywhere near here I implore you to give it a try. I believe they deserve to be around for a while!

I give a hearty second to Shayna's. Ration dictates taking a pint home from NYC ICY for after a hearty Shayna's meal, but it's more fun to precede with ices in your sweaty paw!

Stopped by Ba Xuyen tonight after work, for the first time in a long time. Had half of the wonderful slurry of the #3 bbq pork. Bread was crisp, moist and flavorful. Pork was chewy, slimy and salty, veggies were fresh, crunchy and fragrant. Unfortunately, half was the entirety to which I was destined to enjoy. I left my apartment for a minute, with the remainder of my sandwich on the kitchen counter, and returned to discover one of my dogs got it.

Still hungry, I indulged in my awesomely not too sweet and not too gummy coconut cake that I was saving for later.

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Ba Xuyen
4222 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Hi Jen,

Went there last night. It's now called Spicy Bampa (if we remember correctly). We got there around 8:30 and got the last table.

It was great as always. We had cold cucumbers in red oil, sweet potato noodles, twice cooked pork (very thinly sliced!), fish with pickles, chicken in clay pot, house special tofu, dried sauteed string beans. Nothing particularly spicy (to me at least), none of the dishes featured peppercorns. And in general nothing particularly adventurous - we were with new friends enjoying their first exposure to more authentic Sichuan cooking. But, it was all extremely yummy and well done.

Thanks, Bob, for the ace reportage... again! I probably haven't said it enough. However, while we've certainly seen some great new beers recently, doesn't mean we're getting rid of the old. There's just more to love! Same goes with the music. I'm old like beer, but I can tell you there's some decent new stuff, certainly within the past 30 years (which would put us back to 1980, not 1966 btw)!

Oh my! At this point it's absolutely worth the shlep! Thanks for the recon!!!

Do searches on this board for extended conversations on Grand Sichuan House in Bay Ridge, Bamboo Pavillion in Bensonhurst, and Metro Cafe in Sunset Park.

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Grand Sichuan House
8701 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Thanks, everybody. Sounds like I'll have to at least stop by both Baked and Betty Bakery. I'll check out prices and perhaps a cupcake.

That seems like a strategy! It does seem less special when he's not there.

Anybody have anything to say? I need a cake for 16 for my parents' 50th anniversary. Thanks!