Wet Towel's Profile
Walking around Bensonhurst
I second most of these recommendations. Surprised noone has mentioned Villabate, the area's best Italian pastry and gelato spot, on 18th ave and about 70th st.
Also, Spicy Bampa, for oustanding Sichuan across the street.
And Da Tommaso, on 86th for perhaps city's best Osso Bucco.
And Cherry Hill, sort of a Russian Zabar's, on 86th as well.
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Spicy Bampa
6920 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204
Tommaso
1464 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228
Raw Kibbe in Brooklyn
First Oasis, a Syrian place on 4th ave and 92nd or so, in bay ridge, has excellent raw kibbe.
also, the stuffed lamb.
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First Oasis
9218 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Top 5 restaurants to try in Brooklyn (or 10)
In response to a similar thread in this vein for Queens, I'd be curious to get folks lists for Brooklyn. Here are my top ten, in rough order (doing 5 was difficult):
1 Al di La
2 Grand Sichuan House of Bay Ridge
3 Bab al Yemen
4 Kashkar Cafe
5 Tanoreen
6 Pirosmani
7 Cafe Glechik
8 Saratoga Country Kitchen
9 DiFara
10 Yun Nan Flavour Snack
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Yunnan Flavour Snack Shop
775 49th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Cafe Kashkar
1141 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235
Tanoreen
7523 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Di Fara Pizza
1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Cafe Glechik
3159 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235
Pirosmani
2222 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Grand Sichuan House
8701 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
The Country Kitchen
1991 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Bab al Yemen
413 Bay Ridge Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
M&T or Fu Run?
Headed to one of these next week. Any strong feelings on vs the other? And any favorite dishes?
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Fu Run
40-09 Prince St, Queens, NY 11354
SN New Restaurant
44-09 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11355
Top 5 Restaurants to try in Queens?
1. Golden Mall - the xian famous foods and sichuan stalls are my two favorites (Flushing)
2 (tie) Buhkarian Tandoori or Cheburechnaya - Uzbek in Rego Park. The lamb fat kebabs at the latter are a must get
4 Hunan House - Hunan in Flushing - Chairman Mao's pork.
5 Sripraphai - Thai - Woodside
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Cheburechnaya
92-09 63rd Dr, Queens, NY 11374
Hunan House
137-40 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11354
Tblisi
Has anyone been to the new branch of this restaurant, in Bensonhurst on 86th? If so, how is it?
Alternatively, any recommendations for good Central Asian places in Brooklyn. I have been to Kashkar Cafe, Pirosmani, Cafe Sim Sim ... Any others?
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Cafe Kashkar
1141 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235
Pirosmani
2222 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Sim-Sim Cafe
312 Ditmas Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218
Tbilisi
1871 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11214
Lebanese Bay Ridge (plus Paneantico)
The pastries at Paneantico aren't great, yes. But the food from the steam tables and the giant sandwiches are consistently excellent. And its sister establishment a block south, Piazza Mercato, has great prepared food, butcher, pasta, cheese, cold cuts, olive oil, etc. And terrific lard bread.
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Piazza Mercato
9204 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Best dim sum in Sunset Park?
Pacificana is great, but prepared for a long wait.
On 60th off of 8th might be East Harbour, which is a little less discovered. But only a little. A block away or so from there is Spring Garden, on 60th and 9th or so, which Ive never been to, but looks like the real deal.
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Pacificana
813 55th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
East Harbor
714 65th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
New Spring Garden
912 65th St, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Lebanese Bay Ridge (plus Paneantico)
Speaking of Lebanese, there is a great new Lebanese pastry shop in Bay Ridge, on 5th ave, between 72nd and 73rd, called Cedars -- baklava, etc. Good ice cream there too.
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Cedars
7204 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Sunset Park Chinese/Asian
There are literally dozens of Asian food places along 8th Ave (and a few on 7th) in Sunset Park. But these boards and the food blogosphere really only talk about a relative handful -- Yun Nan Flavour Snack, Pacificana, Lucky Eight, Prosperity Dumpling, the three Vietnamese sandwich shops, and the three Viet restaurants. Anyone been to any of the newer full-service Chinese restaurants along 8th?
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Pacificana
813 55th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Lucky Eight
5204 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Great Taste Dumpling
4317 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Chao Thai vs Ayada
Which is better?
(And which is bigger/better with kids?)
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Chao Thai
85-03 Whitney Ave, Queens, NY 11373
Ayada
77-08 Woodside Ave, Queens, NY 11373
Bab al Yemen in Bay Ridge
Today's New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/tables/2011/03/14/110314gota_GOAT_tables_paumgarten
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Bab al Yemen
413 Bay Ridge Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Best 5 restaurants in Jackson Heights?
HI, i would like to reopen this thread. As of Feb 2011, what are the five best restaurants in Jackson Heights?
Best Trini/Jamaican/Roti shop in NYC?
Preferably Bklyn or Queens. Nominees? Looking for a place that can accommodate 12 people. Annie's? Singh's? Other?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Nothern Chinese in Flushing
to reopen this thread, which of these is best?
m&t
golden palace
fa run
hong yi shun
northeast taste
other?
Best Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Pasta for purchase in Bensonhurst or nearby
Lioni's, far and away.
Frank and Sal's is pretty good, but Lioni's is another level. A&S Pork Store in Bay Ridge also makes good fresh mozz. In Manhattan, Joe's on Sullivan Street and DiPalo are also excellent. But I think Lioni is the best. (I agree with you about Coluccio's cheese, although they have plenty of other great things.)
For fresh pasta, Pastosa is your best bet.
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Lioni Fresh Mozzarella
7803 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228
Coluccio and Sons
1214 60th St, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Frank & Sal
8008 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11214
Pastosa Ravioli
5223 Ave N, Brooklyn, NY 11234
A&S Pork Store
8614 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Great new Yemen place in Bay Ridge
Now the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/dining/06under.html
Great new Yemen place in Bay Ridge
Sietsema weighs in:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-09-15/restaurants/bab-al-yemen-wields-daggers-and-cauldrons/
Brooklyn-Casual place for Sat lunch near 18th Ave Station
if you're willing to venture south, il colosseo on 18th and about 77th is a nice old school italian place. good pizzas, pastas, fish ...
Nothern Chinese in Flushing
Which is the best? I've read about:
m&t
golden palace
fa run
hong yi shun
northeast taste
any recommendations would be much appreciated.
Great new Yemen place in Bay Ridge
Yep, thats the space. Its the third restaurant in three years there. Not a great location, because it off on a side street, but I'd encourage folks to come try this place. Its great.
Great new Yemen place in Bay Ridge
Bab al Yemen, at 413 Bay Ridge Ave, just opened a few weeks ago and its pretty awesome. Just off of 4th ave.
We got the roast lamb haneez, which nearly rivaled the Yemen Cafe's version. The glabah lamb -- minced,curried lamb served over hummus -- was also great. Salad and baba ganoush were solid. Foule was not so good. But overall, this place is excellent.
Desserts/Bakeries/Sweets in/around Sunset Park (Bay Ridge, Boro Park, etc)
Brian, a few thoughts:
Villabate -- on 18th ave and 70th street in Bensonhurst is excellent Siciian pastry shop. On mornings, get the Inis, a rare treat. But all of it is great.
Sweet Delights -- Bay Ridge Ave, betwen Colonial and Ridge has probably the best Baklava in the neighborhood. They also have an outlet on 5th between 72nd and 73rd called Hookahnuts. (believe it or not.)
Leske's -- Norwegian bakery on 5th and about 77th Street or so. Their best thing is the Scotch nut cake, but its all pretty great.
Paneantico on 3rd and 93rd is best Italian bread in the area. They also have a few branches in Dyker Heights called royal crown.
Mona Lisa -- 86th and 15th ave. Lots of good stuff, but their lard bread may be the best around.
Family Store - 3rd and Bay Ridge Ave -- not primarily a bakery, but they make an incredible middle eastern cheesecake. Awesome.
Good luck!
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Family Store
6905 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Sweet Delights
6818 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Looking for specialty foods & bakeries in Brooklyn
I second nearly all of these recommendations, but in the interest of convenience, would especially recommend the ones relatively near coluccio (which is itself one of brooklyn's greatest specialty food stores, and make sure to get the lard bread):
- villabate (esp the gelato and cannoli, ricotta cheese cake, lobster tails, inis.)
- pastosa (homemade pasta and other specialtes on 75th and new utrecht ave)
- frank and sal's
- lioni latticini, possibly the city's best mozzarella, on 15th ave and 75th. theyve got several stores on the same block, a butcher, a sandwich shop and a cheese shop. be sure to check out all three , especially the cheese shop.
-royal crown/piazza mercato/paneantico (different stores but same owner), for best italian bread in city, although pastries aren't on the level of villabate.
