Brooklyn Slob

Basia on Nassau Ave., Greenpoint

2009-04-17T08:22:00.003-04:00

I was looking at an apartment near McGolrick Park the other day and decided that if I were to live in Greenpoint, I would need to come to terms with Polish food. So of course I set about haphazardly choosing a Polish restaurant on Nassau Avenue.

Now I must note that I'm not Polish, that I have no complicated history with Polish cuisine. Neither of my grandmothers made me potato pancakes which forever shaped my preferences as regards the dish. To put it another way: I don't know shit about Polish food. Sure, I have the same vague ideas as anyone (lots of meat, potatoes, and cabbage), but that's about it. I stumbled across and into Basia between Diamond & Jewel St. just before noon. There were posters on the door promoting Polish dance parties in and around the city.

The restaurant itself is a plain cafeteria, a flatscreen television blaring Polish satellite news into a large, shadowy box containing 12 or so modest wooden tables. A counter wraps around one corner of the room, and drink coolers hum nondescriptly in a little nook. There was a pretty young lady at the counter, and one can see through a window in the wall into the kitchen where two oldish ladies were preparing lunch.

"For here or to go?" asked the young lady. For here, of course. Menu items are spelled out in white stickers on an unnatural looking paneled wooden board above the counter. The names of dishes are written in Polish, with a vague description below each one in English.

I was on the spot and ordered potato pancakes before really sizing up the menu. The waitress turned and briskly relayed my order in Polish to the cooks. But then I realized that I wanted something more. I asked the young lady what I should have with my potato pancakes, and she looked at me quizically. "I don't know?"

I suppose that I was that annoying customer who comes in and is all, what's good here? In fact I was simply hoping for a small side of vegetables (really, though: vegetables? in Polish food?), but she did not seem to understand what I was asking.

At this point I began to look at the right half of the menu board and realized that I had ordered prematurely. The "Entrees" section of the board revealed numerous meaty delights (all varieties of pork, really, in addition to various schnitzels, some seafood, etc.), and I regretted my selection of placki kartoflane from the board's "Blintzes" subdivision. Still, the two women in the kitchen had already set about making my pancakes, and I couldn't just ask them to stop.

I took a different tack: "Okay, so if I get the pancakes and the gulasch, will that be too much?" Her face contorted as she strove to answer my likely-stupid question as judiciously as possible. After a pause: "This would be too much."

Oh-kayyy...umm...

Then, unexpectedly, the young lady came to my rescue. "Maybe you get the Hungarian pancakes. This is the potato pancakes with the pork stew."

"Yes, thank you! Excellent! I'll do it."

"Anything to drink?" (I checked my watch, verifying that it was, alas, too early for a beer.)

"Uhh...just some water."

"Okay?" (She gestured toward the drink coolers.)

I tipped her and sat down at one of the long, plain tables. There were some fake tulips adorning one end. I started reading, variably trying to decipher Polish news items on the television. Workers started to filter in for their lunch. I glanced surreptitiously at the counter, to check on the status of both my food and the cute counter lady. She was nowhere to be found, but I noticed a portrait of John Paul II hanging over the counter.

Business in Basia (excepting, of course, dealings with outsiders such as myself) is conducted entirely in Polish. Customers order and then retrieve their own bread, silverware, and napkins from a bin near the counter. After I noticed everyone else doing this, I followed suit.

Some of the other customers' dishes came out before mine: soup, schnitzel. The waitress called each customer by name when his dish was ready, and each in turn went up to the counter to get his lunch. She brought mine out on a tray and told me warmly to enjoy.

The plate contained two massively oblong potato pancakes sandwiching really thick pork gulasch. The top pancake was garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a tomato wedge. The pancakes were browned to perfection and glistened with a greasy sheen.

To the side of the plate were three piles, made up, respectively, of 1) homemade, slightly sweet sauerkraut, 2) carrot salad (aside: what is carrot salad, really, but shredded carrots? If this is the case, why does it magically become a salad when you shred the carrots?), and 3) a dill salad of cucumbers, green cabbage, and green onion.

The gulasch was a thick and savory stew of delicious, slow-cooked pork, some carrots, peas, and corn. The potato pancakes were different from latkes or German Reibekuchen, in size and, more significantly, texture. Basia's placki (pronounced plahts-kee, I think) were deliciously crispy on the outside, but they seemed to be made of very, very finely grated potatoes, almost mashed. There wasn't the familiar latke texture of coarsely grated potato and onion to them.

I plodded through my meal, enjoying it thoroughly, and at some point a news bit about the Obamas' new dog came on Polish television. I kind of grinned stupidly at the room, all, "Shucks, I know what they're talkin' about!!!" No one was paying any attention to me, though. Just watchin' Bo frolick on Polish satellite news.

Everything was fantastic, and I left feeling really full. It was a struggle to finish the dish, but only because the portion was huge. The Calorie-to-Dollar Ratio would assuredly smile upon my meal at Basia. At $10.25, it offered a lot of bang for one's buck. I will definitely return. My sense of Polish food as comfort food seems justified after my visit to Basia, and I'll be back next time I'm craving some hearty meat-n-potatoes-type stuff. Also, I'm kind of curious to see what the evening scene is like.

Basia/Basia's Place
167 Nassau Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
718-383-0276

Al di Là (di da di da) -- A new Decemberists song?

2008-07-28T13:29:00.004-04:00

Cait's parents took us to Al di Là on Friday night. Located across from Moutarde at the intersection of 5th Ave. and Carroll St. in Park Slope, this self-proclaimed trattoria is amazing. The service was excellent. The food was better.

Google Al di Là and you'll find numerous glowing (and professionally written) reviews. I'll thus leave the raving to the pros, and only turn your attention to the casunziei (homemade ravioli stuffed with roasted beets and ricotta topped with a poppy seed and butter sauce) that Cait's mom ordered, the simple tortelli in a tomato basil sauce, deliciously rich in citrus, that Cait and I had, and the homemade gelati sampler I had for dessert. The day's flavors were "burnt orange and bitter chocolate," "honey," and "earl grey tea." Portions of everything were small, but filling.

Al di Là is the ultimate restaurant to have your parents take you to when they're in town. Or the ultimate restaurant to go to when you (finally) find a job.

-Sam

As everyone knows, Al di Là doesn't take reservations. We got lucky and walked right in on a Friday night, but this is pretty rare from what I understand. Try going on an off-night, and trust that the wait is worth it.

Things To Do

2008-07-27T19:36:00.002-04:00

This marks the first installment of a new semi-regular feature briefly highlighting some fun things that we have done in the past little while.

-Go to the Boathouse in Prospect Park and take a boat tour for $6. Hear about duckweed, the history of the Prospect Park Lake, and how a cop once drove his prowler into the lake, mistaking the duckweed-covered surface for a lush, meticulously manicured grassy meadow.

-Leave Brooklyn and head to Astoria and its Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. Order a pitcher of Staropramen and enjoy the great atmosphere outside. One of the last bastions of NYC smokerdom, for those that are so inclined. They also have foosball on a great Tornado, but it's overpriced at $1.50/pop.

-Round up your comfiest picnic blanket. Get a cheap bottle of wine, some bread, and some cheese, and head to the Bandshell in Prospect Park on Tuesday 8/12. Bob Dylan will be playing. Don't have the 70+ bucks to get inside? Not a problem--just sit outside on the grassy knoll directly across from the stage. The fence will be covered, so you won't be able to see the performance, but you'll hear everything quite nicely.

Check This Out...

2008-07-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

From Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn:

Brooklyn Blogade Prospect Park Picnic This Sunday
The monthly Brooklyn Blogade, a get-together for bloggers, blog readers, those interested in blogging and their friends, meets this Sunday.
When: Sunday, July 27thTime: 12:00 noon - 3:00pm (walking tour @ 11:00 am see below)
Who: Brooklyn bloggers, prospective bloggers, their family and friends
Brenda of Prospect: A Year in the Park and Dave of Dope on the Slope are co-hosting this month's Brooklyn Blogade Roadshow, which will be held in Prospect Park near the Music Pagoda.
Brenda will be offering a guided walking tour of the park prior to the picnic. Learn why the park serves as an "oasis for the city soul," the title of a recent New York Times article describing Brenda's labor of love.
There is no charge for the event, although we are soliciting volunteers to bring food and will be passing the hat to defray expenses.
Come share Brooklyn's backyard with your fellow bloggers.
Please RSVP at blogade.rsvp@gmail.com.
Here are the 'tails about the walking tour with Brenda
Starting point: the Music Pagoda, same place we hope to have our lunch. (See map link: http://www.prospectpark.org/visit/interactive_map).
We'll retrace the footsteps of the Redcoats and rebels in some of the Revolutionary War ground of the Battle of Brooklyn, and make our way to the wonderful hidden Ravine and waterfall, before returning to our rendez-vous point for lunch. The last time I did this walk, I was challenged to a duel by a killer crayfish, but I cannot guarantee he will be there next time; however, one never knows what other interesting things will pop up. If by any chance there is a very large group, we can do the tour in two shorter shifts, or do a second tour after our lunch and meet-up. Wear comfortable shoes; tour will take place in (light) rain or shine and should run about 45 minutes.

L&B Spumoni Gardens

2008-07-13T22:18:00.007-04:00

L&B Spumoni Gardens has the best pizza in Brooklyn. Nay, the best pizza in New York.
Nay, the world.
It is fantastic. They specialize in Sicilian pizza or, as they call it, "squares." The dough is just the right thickness, prepared to just the right crispiness. The sauce on this pizza is found atop the cheese, meaning if one was to take a cross-section of a slice it would appear as follows, from bottom to top: crust/dough, mozzarella, sauce, a perfect dash of parmesan.
I don't know what they're putting in that sauce, but it rocks. It's just a little sweet, with a little bit of a spicy bite. The crust is also sprinkled with parmesan cheese, which burns to perfection in the oven.
Oh, and it's really cheap! It's $36 for a 24-slice pizza square. When I went, 6 of us split one of those bad boys. 4 slices each for $6! There were fantastic leftovers.
For dessert, I obviously had their renowned homemade spumoni. L&B's spumoni surely wins the gold medal, and as a native New Yorker and a good Italian, I can say that with confidence. It is creamy, flavorful, and full of real pistachios. The vanilla-chocolate-pistachio medley is wonderful.
There is a large, canopied outdoor seating area and segregated counters at which you can order pizza, pasta and dessert. You can also dine-in in their dining room, which is decorated much like a 1980s mobster's living room.
For those of you further north in Brooklyn, L&B Spumoni Gardens is well worth the travels down to Bensonhurst. If you have no reason to be going down to Bensonhurst, this place warrants a trip in itself.

-Cait

L & B Spumoni Gardens
2725 86th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11223
718.449.1230
Subway: N to Avenue U

Press 195's #13

2008-07-13T14:13:00.003-04:00

Park Slope panini joint Press 195 (5th Ave. between Union and Sackett streets) has something special going with menu item #13 (Sec.: "The Hot Press"). From the menu: "Sliced ripe tomato, fresh basil, fresh Mozzarella cheese and Press 195’s famous pure maple syrup basil pesto." It's the maple syrup pesto that places this sandwich above its tomato-mozz-basil rivals. Really terrific, that famous maple syrup pesto of theirs. Eight bucks for this 'wich, which, by the way, is served on delicious fresh ciabatta. Add prosciutto for an extra dollar if that's your thing. Also, they have Gaffel on draft and great-looking homemade sangria.*

-Sam

Press 195

195 5th Ave. in Park Slope
718-857-1950

Skip to the Beet

2008-07-10T17:09:00.004-04:00

Yeah. Good Thai at Beet Thai on 7th Ave. between 9th and 10th in the Slope. We ordered takeout the other night and it was tasty. Veggies were all very fresh and crisp. Prices were reasonable—I had a great dish of sautéed vegetables and deep-fried tofu in a delicious garlic ginger sauce for $8. 'Nuff Said.

-Sam

Beet Thai Restaurant

344 7th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 832-2338

Smells Like Fish

2008-07-09T17:28:00.008-04:00

Park Slope Fish, on 7th Ave. between 3rd and 4th streets, for all of your fish needs. I've gotten great stuff from them several times now, and they're at least reasonably cheap. They double as an Asian grocery and sell fresh sushi and miso soup.

-Sam

A Cautionary Tale

2008-07-09T10:49:00.013-04:00

No. No! Nooooooo!!! Happy Fresh Tortillas Taco on 7th Ave. between 7th and 8th streets in Park Slope is the worst. This place is the pits. I stumbled in there one night hungry for a veggie burrito. Their sign advertising fresh-made tortillas was perhaps what sold me.

As soon as I walked in, I realized what I'd gotten myself into—one of the Asian-owned Mexican restaurants I had heard about from strangers in dark alleys speaking cryptically in hushed whispers. Photos of many dishes were plastered over the counter, all of which bled the distinctive tint and style of food pictures found in Chinese restaurants. The takeout menu was formatted exactly like a Chinese restaurant takeout card—red text, numbered dishes, etc. Well, I thought, this place deserves a chance as much as any other. Woe! If only I had politely excused myself and left immediately!

I am not a picky eater. Really, I'm not. I am a strong advocate, in fact, of the dining ethics stipulating that one ought eat all of what one pays for. (Perhaps my parents' unflagging promotion of the Clean Plate Club in my early years was formative in this regard). But reader, I relate to you now, the vegetarian burrito I received from HFTT for a price of no less than 5.99 American dollars transcended all gastro-philosophy, contemporary or otherwise. I could only stomach about half of the thing, and even that required a serious effort.

It was a bad rendering of a veggie burrito. No, like this: it was as though someone somewhere had started with this great idea for a tortilla-wrapped brick of deliciousness chock full of vegetables, rice, and various other fillings. He/she whispered this idea to his/her neighbor, who passed it along to his/her neighbor, who passed it along, and so on, until it reached the ear of one of the henchmen at HFTT. But as in an epic game of telephone, the message of goodness relayed from that first purveyor of wonder was terribly distorted by the time it reached this endpoint. What I was left with was a horribly bastardized version of a good thing.

Most burritos feature iceberg lettuce. This might be an American modification on the original Mexican product, but it's one that I've grown accustomed to.* I have had my fair share of burritos wherein said iceberg was supplanted by white cabbage, which has always been fine.

My burrito from HFTT was full of long-grain rice, black beans, carrots, bean sprouts...and enough boiled green cabbage to choke a baby pig. I mistook this abundant green cabbage for shredded lettuce at first, but soon learned the unappetizing truth. There was also a rumor of poorly melted cheddar cheese, and a slice of avocado. Lacking was our old friend and burrito constant, the tomato.

All of the vegetables were boiled and devoid of any seasoning. The strongest taste in any dish will tend to exercise its influence if not held in check by other flavors and ingredients, and in this case, the strongest flavor (i.e. that of DISGUSTING BOILED CABBAGE) ran amok. The overwhelming odor of cabbage was what made this burrito ultimately unbearable.

I later discovered that they had included a tiny side of reddish liquid, which I suppose they wanted me to interpret as salsa. In fact it was just crushed tomato, and, like its buddies, devoid of all flavor. I attempted adding hot sauce, but to no avail. It still tasted unbearably of boiled cabbage. I couldn't get through my burrito, turning my back on my eating ideals and tossing at least half of this awful creation.

Amazingly enough, I always see a reasonable number of patrons in HFTT when I walk by. User reviews across some of the bigger online dining platforms are largely positive. I don’t understand. Maybe everything else on the menu is fantastic. Or perhaps it's a gathering place for the Masochist Club of Brooklyn. I dunno...try it for yourself? I end with a note to HFTT. Are you out there? Listening?

Dear Happy Fresh Tortillas Taco,

Please exclude boiled green cabbage from your vegetarian burritos. Also, (and this applies to all vegetables included in said burritos) consider sautéeing as an alternative to boiling. Finally, invest in some cuisine-appropriate spices. Thanks! Hang in there!

Sincerely,

-Sam

Alright, if you're going to use "Tex," why not go all-out and employ "Mex" as well?

Despite this misleading sign, I can assure you that there is nothing regal about any aspect of HFTT. Also, their website's URL doesn't work. Lame.

* Wikipedia informs us that the most common form of burrito in America, the so-called San Francisco burrito (which commonly features, among other things, iceberg lettuce), is descended from the original Mexican taco de harina, a flour tortilla wrapped small and thin around one or two main ingredients (which can include, but are not limited to, meat, potatoes, beans, cheese, chile rajas, or chile relleno).

Prospect Wine Shop

2008-07-08T23:03:00.005-04:00

Man, Prospect Wine Shop on 7th Ave. between 8th and 9th streets is great. Free tastings every Saturday from 4-6, an incredibly knowledgeable and friendly (and thus helpful) staff, and a great selection. Go there if you need wine or liquor. The owner (? Manager? Owner/manager?) is a short middle aged woman ready to make recommendations at the drop of a hat. I've also heard here chastising customers for allowing themselves to get "boxed into" chardonnays. Her: "Well, just don't let yourself get boxed into a chardonnay." Customer: "No, I know, I just like chardonnay." Her: "Yes, well, I'm just saying, there are so many great whites out there. It's just a shame to see someone confined to chardonnay." Anyway, this place is great. I'm not a connoisseur, but if I had money and plenty of time to spend in this shop, I could become one.

-Sam

Best Mint Chocolate Chip

2008-07-06T00:42:00.009-04:00

Trois Pommes Ice Cream.

Trois Pommes Pâtisserie on 5th Ave. between Carroll and Garfield streets has the best mint chocolate chip ice cream ever. $3.50 for a single scoop, and worth every penny. Owner/baker Emily Isaac makes all of the flavors from scratch, and the "Greenmarket Mint Chocolate Chip" in particular surpasses any of its artificially green rivals by a wide margin. The "Oreo" flavor made with the bakery's homemade cookies is also spectacular. More adventurous patrons might try the Honey Lavendar or Blueberry Buttermilk. Homemade waffle cones are available for a dollar more.

The rest of Emily's stuff is spectacular as well. All pastries and ice creams are made with local fruit (where applicable), and the bakery also offers tasty Gorilla Coffee, homemade lemonade, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and fresh-brewed iced tea. The key lime pie comes highly recommended. As an aside, fellow contributor Cait works at Trois Pommes. This entry, however, was inspired exclusively by my love for the aforementioned ice cream.

-Sam
Trois Pommes Pâtisserie

Mon 7:00 - 6:00 pm
Tue/Wed 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Thur/Fri 7:00 -10:00 pm
Sat 8:00 -10:00 pm
Sun 8:00 - 6:00 pm

Dizzy's Brunch

2008-06-30T17:30:00.002-04:00

As one of Park Slope's most popular brunch spots, Dizzy's is by no means an obscure find, but one has to start somewhere. I've been twice for brunch. To start off with, it's a pretty vibrant place—lots of bright colors, a lunch counter, nice little terrace. For weekend brunch, it's always bustling with Park Slopers, and, as with everywhere, it's best to go early if you'd prefer not to wait.

The first time I went, I was in a party of seven, it was Sunday, it was around noon, and you can probably guess that we waited around 45 minutes for a table. This would have been fine, even expected, but for the fact that we were told it wouldn't be more than 10-15. When we finally did get our table, we waited another 15 minutes for someone to even come around with a carafe of water for us, let alone take our drink orders. This seems to have been an exception to the rule, though. I returned last weekend with my girlfriend and Mr. D*n P*********g, and we were treated to very nice, and prompt, service.

Each time I've been, the food has been great. I've had the huevos rancheros both times, and I don't have anything to complain about. Dizzy's take differs from what one might expect of huevos rancheros in its addition of really great vegetarian chili, guacamole, and cilantro sour cream. This past weekend, the dish looked a little thrown together, with unmelted cheddar cheese and one of my poached eggs pretty overcooked. It was still delicious. Each time I've been, they've had numerous brunch specials, often pretty creative and delicious sounding—french toast stuffed with bananas and topped with strawberries, Italian eggs (two poached eggs served over fresh focaccia cubes and grated parmesan, drizzled with olive oil), and so on. (The Italian eggs are now listed on the standard takeout menu as "Teo's Italian Eggs.")

Dizzy's failings are minor, but present nonetheless. Sometimes they just miss the little things. The "muffins and biscuits" included with brunch—"their own!!!!"—have come out both times looking like leftover scraps. We didn't get any biscuits at all this past weekend. Still, scraps or not, they've been tasty each time. Cranberry nut and corn muffins from Dizzy's have yet to let me down in taste. The coffee is fine, not great, but when I'm spending $15 for brunch, I expect at least good coffee. The first time I went there, the coffee tasted vaguely of pot. Jus' sayin'. Their juice is from concentrate. It made me sad. They leave their cream in open metal pitchers on the tables, and I've notice some little swimmy-things in them. Not bugs or anything, but specks. Lids would solve this problem.

Dizzy's ultimately wins on the merit of its food. The little shortcomings aside, they do a damn good brunch menu. The price hike for brunch items on the regular breakfast menu is just kind of irksome because of the mediocre coffee, juice, and muffins. The place has a good feel, everyone I've encountered has been friendly, if not a tad negligent, and I'll definitely be back next time I have fifteen bucks to spend on brunch. If we were working on a ten-star scale here—and why not, really?—I would give Dizzy's 7 stars for their brunch.

-Sam

Dizzy's—A Finer Diner

9th St. & 8th Ave (511 9th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215)
718-499-1966
Monday-Friday 7AM to 10PM
Saturday & Sunday Brunch 9AM-4PM, Dinner 6PM-10PM

Brunches range in price from $11.95 to $13.95, and include muffins, biscuits, coffee, and juice.

Welcome to Brooklyn Slob!

2008-06-24T19:14:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

Brooklyn Slob is a resource for learning about Brooklyn restaurants, bars, retail outlets, neighborhoods, parks, pickup games, and so on as viewed from the perspective of a group of 20-something-unemployed-recent-college-grads. We don't offer any good reason as to why our (humble) opinions on these places should be valued over anyone else's, but hope merely that this blog will provide at least some insight into life in Brooklyn on a budget.

Thanks!

-BklynSlob Team