jennitrixie's Profile
Googa Mooga Food Festival in Prospect Park
My husband and I gave up, too. I guess we're spoiled because we had just gone to Jazz Fest in NOLA a couple of weeks ago and the food vendors there are better at managing the huge crowds. So we took our business to the Monro and Sweet Wolf and a couple other places in the Slope instead.
A neutral bar with great microbrews to watch the UEFA Champion's League final in Brooklyn?
Floyd is a Tottenham bar, but they have a pull-down screen in the back, which they bust out for big games. No food, but you can get delivery or bring food. Chip Shop and WAterfront Ale House have good beers and food and if I recall smallish TVs (unless they do a screen for big games). Brazen Head has a great beer selection, but I can't remember what the TV situation is.
Angry Wade's on Smith usually draws a big crowd for major sports events.
Finding genuine French pastries in Brooklyn
There is also an Almondine on 9th St. near 7th Ave. in Park Slope, if PS is more convenient than DUMBO.
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Almondine
442 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
HELP! Small Wedding ideas in Rockefeller Center for this Christmas!
I had my wedding there last year. The food was great, service was good, everyone had a good time. There are different spaces you can rent and it's the solarium that overlooks Rockefeller Center. It was about $150 per head, a little more to have the ceremony there, plus tips, etc.
Any sources for sushi-sashimi-grade salmon near Park Slope?
I bought salmon at Garden of Eden to make a gravlax and it came out well. It's a small-ish fish counter, but if you explain your intentions with the fish they're very helpful.
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Garden of Eden
180 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
BAM-BAM: Stuck Inside of Fort Greene with the NY Blues again
Thomas Beisl is now Berlyn. Probably a 10-second walk from the Manhattan-to-BAM shuttle bus that I am always amused to see parked practically around the corner from the Atlantic friggin' Terminal.
Rhong Tiam Express
You know, I went back last week and had the drunken man noodles again. This time there was NO spice. None at all. Like they had forgotten a step. So disappointing, especially for an $11 lunch. Boo.
Coney Island: Worth the Trip?
It's been an interesting thread, but I can't help but wonder if the Original Poster—who says s/he's on a short trip and usually goes to places like PL & Babbo—would appreciate someplace that even its boosters admit is dirty & litter-strewn, with sad, broken-down anti-charm, without benefit of context of childhood memories of bygone pleasures?
If one were going out that way for an event like the the Mermaid Parade, or a Cyclones game, or a show at the Cyclones stadium, or for a 'coaster fanatic who wants to experience the Cyclone, yes, CI is worth the trip—get some fried clams, drink on the boardwalk, people-watch, buy a pupusa from the guy with a cooler full of them, go to Totonno's. But outside of memory or context and during a time of year where there's not a lot of people-watching action, I think one would be less inclined to see charm in CI and more likely to think, "Dang, I rode an hour on the subway for this???"
NYC WEDDING RECEPTION VENUE IDEAS NEEDED
You might look into the 3 West Club. It's on 51st between 5th & 6th Aves I had mine there and for $150 per head we had a cocktail hour with hors d'ouvres in a solarium with a terrace overlooking St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Center and then a sit-down 3 course dinner in the ballroom (open bar throughout the reception). Plenty of room in the ballroom to have a DJ/band and dancing. There is another room where one could have the ceremony, too, as well as a library, which made for some fun photo ops.
Everything was included, except for the cake (although there was a dessert course). People loved the food (well-done classic American stuff). The building is decorated like a Gilded Age townhouse. It's actually the Women's National Republican Club--but there's no red or blue when the money's green. ;)
http://www.3westclub.com/index.html
Rhong Tiam Express
This is near my office, so it's a great new lunch addition. Looks like Andy Yang is manning the counter every time I've walked by.
I had the drunken man noodles. Good spiciness and layering of flavors. Looking forward to trying the pork on fire, salads, something from the roti wrap section (coworkers had good things to say about the chick pea and potato roti).
There's the promise of coffee / smoothies in the morning, but they haven't been open before lunch time yet. Andy was giving out samples of the yogurt one day. It's tangy frozen yogurt in the Pinkberry vein.
At our office, the main critique thus far has been the eye-searing menu design.
Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill groceries/markets?
I live around the corner from the Atlantic/Clinton Key Food and it suuuucks so bad. I go there for the most basic staples only. You'll find it to be horribly disorganized. (Like, what is the logic of having similar items in different areas of the store--why do the "fancy hippie" teas have to be on a completely different aisle from the Twinings teas? It makes me irrationally frustrated.) The produce isn't good, there's not much selection of organic stuff—it's like whoever manages it has no idea what the BH/CH demographic wants in a grocery store and is unaware that there is plenty of competition doing it better.
Anyway. Seconding "orange-awning" produce, Staubitz, Fish Tales, Sahadi's and Damascus (Damascus also has good to-go falafel & etc. sandwiches).
Check out Stinky for cheese. The same people also own Smith & Vine (wine store, duh). The new wine shop next to Trader Joe's (name escapes me) is worth a look. If you like beer, check out American Beer Distributing on Court near Baltic.
Suggestions for a Wedding Venue?
Bubby's quotes around $90 pp; alcohol doubles the price.
Sorry to say under $100 pp with alcohol/beer & wine at a venue that can fit 100+ people is hard if not impossible in NYC. I just did a wedding at $135-145pp at 100-120 people and it was hard to find a good fit. You really do gt to a point where you decide to up the budget, cut the guest list, or go outside of the city, I'm afraid...
Citifield best choices?
The lobster roll is SO not worth it. It was tiny, mediocre, and like $18-$20, fries not included.
The Blue Smoke pulled pork is pretty good; and since that's what everyone tends to get and since the pork is made ahead, the line moves fast. Get that, then turn around and go to the beer kiosk and get something like a Goose Island summer ale.
Best Gelato in Florence
Thirded. We had the ricotta and fig and the hazelnut. Meant to get back to try the Nutella (!) flavor...
What Brooklyn dinner experience (tomorrow night!) will persuade my wife to move there with me?
The food is good at a neighborhood joint level (I live nearby and go about once every 6 weeks or so). It's a lively place though. If you hit the right night there's a jazz band (I know Tuesdays for sure), which makes it a nice place to drop in for a drink.
To give your side the edge, I think it's important to work strategically in choosing a neighborhood. I'm willing to bet the biggest obstacle you face is overcoming the psychological distance of Going To Brooklyn. You'll be more likely to win if you take her to a lively (good foot traffic, lots of bar/restaurant/etc. choice), picturesque neighborhood that is Manhattan-convenient than if you take her to the best foodiegasm of her life in a less-attractive, far-flung neighborhood. Call it playing the yuppie card, but no one said winning was pretty...after your victory, you can pack her up and move her to Sheepshead Bay or wherever. ;)
First customer at Casa Tua on Atlantic
Do they still have brick-over pizza? I mean, it'd be a shame to scrap one that had already been installed! Do they have a liquor license? I remember La Pizzetta didn't have one for ages, which was probably one reason LP lacked customers.
Bueno opening in old Gravy/Trout space
I know this place closed a little while back. It looks like they've got the space boarded up for a heavier overhaul before the next incarnation. (May I also suggest the burning of sage to rid the space of its bad juju?) Any word on what they're up to?
Where should I buy wild salmon?
The wild sockeye at Trader Joe's is pretty good. Good-looking fish, vacuum-sealed. The only possible caveat I might have is if you were looking for a big slab o' fish, because the TJ's sockeye packages are broken down into 2 pieces that make about 2-3 servings. But for 2 servings of an everyday, easy-to-cook cut for about $8, it's not too shabby.
To Prague at end of November
I found the city to be very compact and walkable--but I was there in late summer. =)
I didn't find people to be too cranky, just more or less getting down to business. To that end, as soon you say anything in Czech, people tend to look at you like you're an adorable but slightly dumb dog, and ask if you'd prefer to continue in German or English. So over a week it was hard to pick up much beyond the rudimentary stuff ("Where's the bathroom?" is something like: Prosim, kde je toaleta? [Apologies to Czech speakers.] Lonely Planet has good, compact phrasebooks--including lists of menu items.)
There's no need to go to exchange money, really. I just used ATMs (Prosim, kde je bankomat?), which didn't charge much more than my local deli ATM would to give me cash in koruna at that day's rate. (If you go this route, call your bank/card company first, so they don't freeze your account for unusual activity!)
ANYWAY, food and drink! Beers tend to be around 2 bucks, glasses of wine 4 or 5. Definitely do a brewery tour if you like beer. I went to Staropramen (in Smichov). We threw back a few glasses of beer at the end of it, getting to try a couple beers that they don't distribute worldwide. There's also tons of smaller brewpubs if you want to look those up. I can't remember meal prices, only that the last night for our most expensive dinner we had full-on steak frites/moules frites at a Belgian place with a couple beers/glasses of wine and it was maybe $60 (I know, right? And the staff sounded heavily French & Belgian...fun change of pace... Les Moules, nearish Old Town Sq.)
Since you're going in winter, def. keep an eye out for game meats. I had wild boar tenderloin in some sort of creamy/buttery berry sauce, venison meatballs, seared duck breast, Prague ham, sausages, etc. And pastries! We had various Berliners each morning at the hotel, kolache, sponge cake.
To Prague at end of November
For music, we went to U Maleho Glena (Little Glen's) in Mala Strana. Stan the Man and His Bohemian Blues Band seems to play there pretty regularly--mid-century electric blues is big there, if you like that sort of thing. There's a restaurant that we liked called Gitanes that's pretty much around the corner from U Maleho Glena--it's billed as Mediterranean, but it's more by way of Croatia than Italy. (Get the sac--grilled lamb and potatoes.) It gets a fair amount of tourists, but when we went there were people who were definitely regulars.
For a quiet pub, check out U Neklana in Vysehrad. It's got all the Czech staples, and is a no-nonsense neighborhoody-type place. Bonus: it's in a cool-looking Cubist building. Beer's are def. cheaper as you get away from the busiest squares, but you'll notice that the prices on the Czech menus are lower than on the translated menus--try not to take offense sense it seems to be the accepted way of doing things (a way of offsetting the inflation that tourism brings in a way that dings local pockets a bit less, I suppose).
As for safety, speaking as a New Yorker and a woman traveling with my fiance, we felt safe the whole time we were there. We spent the bulk of our evenings in and around Mala Strana,Stare Mesto, and Nove Mesto because while probably more touristy, they are fairly concentrated areas that we could walk from restaurant to bar to music, etc. Personally, we loved the trams because with the language issue, it's easy to orient yourself. We had good luck with cabs--even hailing them on the street we didn't seemed to get gouged (maybe once, but not too bad) or taken the roundabout way. If you're used to taking cabs and being friendly but seeming aware of what the route should be it's mostly not a problem (the Vltava's prominence in the city helps you stay aware of directions).
Wineries to visit in Mendoza?
I second Achaval-Ferrer. When my fiancé and I went, we were the only people on the tour! They did what I believe is called a "vertical" tasting--where you sample a wine at various stages of maturation to better understand how flavors develop. I wish we'd bought a few more bottles to send back home!
We also did a tour at Ruca Malen. This was a tour that concluded with a leisurely, wine-paired lunch on a covered patio overlooking the vineyards. (This may be how we ended up getting such an intimate tour at Achaval-Ferrer! We may have been feeling a bit drowsy, but we soldiered on--we're tough like that...)
Best Nachos in Brooklyn?
I think Waterfront's can be a little on the dry/over-broiled side, but that may be because I get the chili on the side (to keep things from getting sloppy-soggy too fast). But the chili is really good--plus you can get venison chili and sometimes even wild-boar chili instead of the standard vegetarian or beef choices. I rarely get apps there, because I'm usually too excited about getting right to the sandwiches (pulled pork/chicken, beef au jus, burgers, etc.).
I love Park Slope Ale House's nachos--just sloppy enough, the toppings are pretty well-distributed. Actually, their whole appetizer menu is pretty great for when you're in the mood for cheesy/fried bar food, so that's what I always end up going there for.
atlantic antic this sunday
The food at the "iced tea" church is awesome! Where is that, near 3rd Ave? I'm so spoiled, living around the corner from the Waterfront/La Mancha/Sahadi's/Last Exit bands nexus that it gets hard save room and to push toward the other end.
Papa John's -new Sunnyside
You're kidding, right? Papa John's (the chain) is gross, nasty pizza. I thought that even as a poor college student trapped in the Midwest (back when I thought Domino's or Pizza Hut was klassy--was I ever so young?), and only ever ordered there because they carpet-bombed us with coupons that made it practically free. In New York, and as a grownup, a sharp stick in the eye or a random greasy corner joint would be preferable.
Di Fara Closed due to extreme weather
At $5/slice they should soon be able to afford the most powerful a/c known to humankind!
Bueno opening in old Gravy/Trout space
Sounds like this restaurant compound is turning into Babu's Dream Café.
Bueno opening in old Gravy/Trout space
Huh. Is "since 1963" the BBQ spot gone already? I can hardly keep up with the shifts and turnovers there.
Food Ideas for Brooklyn Budget Wedding
$10–12.50 per person isn't a realistic budget. But just to play ball with the numbers a bit... even going DIY and raiding the appetizers section of Trader Joes (Costco, your grocery of choice, etc.) for 7 different apps to feed 150 people (30 5-serving boxes of Thai spring rolls @ $2.69 = $80.70--six more similarly priced things) you're already up to about $570; add for dessert 1 1/2 CakeMan Raven sheet cakes (160 servings) or 150 CakeMan Raven cupcakes= $300, grand total almost $900.
If you want to have alcohol at all, you'd probably need to do just beer/wine/soda--you can do a bulk order at many liquor stores and return any unopened unchilled bottles for your money back. Your "bar" would have to be self-serve (a bartender costs $35-$100/ hr plus tips) and I dunno if there are any permits involved.
If $1,500 is your limit, I'd suggest slashing your guest list to 50 people or fewer. It's still a wedding even if it's smaller.
Fette Sau vs. Hill Country
The last time I went to Fette Sau, they had duck breast. I normally wouldn't get that, but someone who had just finished recommended it. It was pretty succulent and fab. Definitely try it if they have it when you are there!
I know sides aren't the point of a 'cue joint, but Hill Country wins on that count (I'm a sucker for the bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, and, OK, the crazy margaritas).
Fette Sau has a great bourbon and beer selection, and a cool atmosphere, but I lean Hill Country.
