Need four feet of sandwich for your Super Bowl party this Sunday? Brancaccio’s has you covered. They are once again taking pre-orders for Super Bowl heros, and this year Joe says you can get whatever sandwich you want from his daily menu as a four-foot-long hero. He’s also making chili, so this could truly be your tastiest Super Bowl ever. Be sure to call ahead.
Brancaccio’s Food Shop
3011 Fort Hamilton Pkwy
Between East 2nd & 3rd Streets
718-435-1997
Sasha from the Oak & Iris sent an update about the cafe. They had plans to reopen this morning, but Sasha’s husband, who is she says is the main workforce, got sick. They’re now hoping to reopen on Wednesday and be open from 7am to 4pm, until they get the dinner how they want it. She emails:
The current owners decided to close the cafe and to re-staff most of the employees and to do some renovations. We did not find anyone to rent the cafe to YET, but are still looking.
All of this is done in order to improve 1st quality of food and make it all more delicious, more healthy with a better cook and better ingredients.
Second is to improve service. We will still take orders to go and deliver, but mostly it will be all table service. For dinner we are getting wine license and we will be offering a nice European dinners more upscale with food and service as well.
We are looking for dinner chef and we are hiring waitresses now.
To learn more, contact Sasha at whereissasha@nyc.rr.com or stop into the cafe when it reopens.
The Oak & Iris has signs posted that they’ll be closed through Monday, January 30 due to “operational problems” (thanks to Amber for noticing).
The cafe has been going through some changes recently, as you may have noticed. In the fall signs went up announcing a new chef, and then earlier this month there was talk on the KWT Neighbors Yahoo Group that another new chef would be taking over.
Then recently Craigslist has a listing for the space, saying it was available for sale or rent. I spoke with owner Aleksandra “Sasha” Kameneva about the listing, and she confirmed that she was looking for someone who would take over and give the space the love that the neighborhood deserves.
“Hopefully they wouldn’t want to change it,” she said. “That they keep it for the neighborhood the same way they like it.”
Sasha explained that running the cafe, which she opened about three years ago, was too much for her alone, which is why she tried having the chef take over in the fall. But she is looking for a more suitable replacement, to keep the space to a higher standard.
“I know how important it is to the neighborhood, because I live here as well,” she said.
We’ve been unable to reach Sasha for more information about why the cafe is closed at the moment, but we look forward to seeing it back open on Monday. If you’re interested in learning more about the space, you can contact Sasha at whereissasha@nyc.rr.com.
The second location from the people at Am Thai Kitchen on McDonald Avenue is opening this Friday, January 27 at 1003 Church Ave, just on the other side of Coney Island Avenue. At the new Am Thai Bistro, you can expect much of the same menu, though the Bistro will feature some Caribbean fusion dishes, such as “roti massaman,” or grilled roti served with chicken in massasman curry. Additional details at the Ditmas Park Blog.
After arguing over the best pizza in Kensington, if such a thing exists, it’s only right to start discussing heroes. My father, a 100% blue-collar Brooklyn native, has been going to Carlo’s for decades, and recommends it to everyone (though he adds you should call ahead with your order – they will keep you waiting!)
A large chicken parm hero from Carlo’s does not play around.
Inside:
Large shrimp parmesan plate:
They also make a fantastic chicken francese:
Carlo’s Grocery
1983 52nd Street at 20th Ave
(718) 253-0322
While we wish she was hosting it someplace closer, this still should be a fun event from neighbor Naomi Donabedian, who is responsible for a million cookie (and other) recipes on Cantaloupe Alone, and an organizer of Monday Night Vinyl Club, which will be providing music at this event:
I am hosting a holiday cookie and food swap next Thursday. Make cookies, get cookies, eat cookies. Bring 2-3 dozen homemade cookies, candies, jams, or other favorite holiday treat and then collect 3 or 4 samples from everyone else. Print out copies of your recipes to share.
Please RSVP by Facebook what you plan to bring to avoid repeats.
If you’re looking for a new take-out option, you’re in luck: Piccoli, the tiny Italian take-out and delivery-only spot in Windsor Terrace that specializes in risotto, just extended its delivery area. They’ll now go as far as Beverley Road and Coney Island Ave.
And, if you’ve tried it before and know how tasty it is and you’ve always wished you could sit down and enjoy it out, they did recently open up a new restaurant called Piccoli Tratorria just over the hill in South Slope, which sounds like it’s worth the trip.
It is difficult to write a review of Thai Tony’s without making comparisons to the neighborhood favorite, AM Thai, so here is the rundown.
The curries we tried, Massamam curry and red curry, were both good. Customers have the option of adding more vegetables or meat to dishes, as well. They offer a greater deal of customization than AM Thai, and are willing to make substitutions. The curry puffs, however, left a lot to be desired–they were soggy, and much more similar to Jamaican beef patties than crispy, flaky curry puffs.
Thai Tony’s currently has a few advantages over AM Thai in other areas. They have a further delivery radius, accept credit cards (AM Thai is cash only), take orders via seamlessweb, and have seating in the actual restaurant on Fort Hamilton Parkway.
Overall, I would say that neither restaurant is better than the other, but that they both have different things to offer. Have you tried both? Which do you prefer? Or do you like To B Thai better than them both?
Pizza, especially in Brooklyn, may be the ultimate quick bite. If you’re hungry, don’t have much cash, and want something satisfying, a plain slice of pizza can really hit the spot. But as neighbor Frank Meuschke noted in an email last week, the price is on the rise:
I was walking home from Church (thanks to the Efferoo) late tonight, planning on stopping into Golden Farms for some milk. A little hungry I thought I might stop into Korner Pizza for a slice. I was shocked by the price of a slice. Three dollars! I’ve never seen that for junky pizza. Certainly not in Brooklyn for a day old slice waiting to be heated up.
He said it’ll go up from there. I complained, and left. Thanks to Golden Farm for holding down the price of things. Here’s what they were selling for $2.99: large Pollyo Ricotta, 16oz Pollyo mozzarella, and three kinds of natural breakfast cereals. All under three dollars.
I bought those instead.
The $3 price tag eventually led Frank to making his own pizza at home. But for those of us who still need the quick fix, how much are you willing to pay for a slice, and where is your favorite (or cheapest) in the neighborhood? Are you the type who will hike to Di Fara for a $5 slice that might be deemed objectionable by the DOH, or do you favor the 2 slices and a soda at Xpress for about $4? Let us know your pizza secrets!
Aside from the option of having a drool-worthy Brancaccio’s catered menu (which has already sold out, unfortunately), there are several other noteworthy choices in the area.
Last year, Gala Apple International sold a turkey with choice of a side dish. The options were lapsha (Russian noodles) with mushrooms, rice with dried fruit, and buckwheat with liver. The sign advises going to the culinary department, which I assume means the deli counter in the back.
There are also many fantastic beverage options–I’ll personally be using Soviet Champagne to cook an unbrined turkey this year, and will probably honestly drink the rest while cooking. Wines and Liquors on Ditmas and East 2nd will recommend decent and economical wines, and STD Liquors on Church Ave is also highly recommended.
Some people love to cook a big Thanksgiving dinner–but for those who would rather kick back and enjoy some family time (or football), why not let Chef Joseph Brancaccio do the work for you? He’s got a limit of how many he’ll be doing though, so if you’re interested, order soon!
BRANCACCIO’S THANKSGIVING DINNER
SERVES UP TO 6 PEOPLE – $150
• 10-13 lb Turkey with Aromatics
• Focaccia Bread Stuffing 1 lb
• Cornbread Sausage Stuffing 1 lb
• Turkey Gravy 1 quart
• Cranberry Sauce 1 pint
• String Beans 2 lbs
• Maple Glazed Baked Apple and Sweet Potato 2 lbs
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 2 quarts
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes 2 lbs
• 1 dozen Caputo Bakery Dinner Rolls
• Apple or Pumpkin Pie
All orders need to be placed by November 18 for November 23 pick up. Call 718-435-1997 for more information or to place your order.
A new restaurant popped up practically overnight on Cortelyou Road, just west of Coney Island Avenue. Bistro 915 opened on Friday, and the little spot (which used to be a coffee shop) is already doing a pretty steady business made up largely of deliveries. There is space to dine in as well, but just a couple of tables.
The small menu is made up mostly of soups, sandwiches, and pasta, and it’s pretty creative–and affordable, with an $8 burger that comes with a large portion of garlic and herb fries.
I tried a steak panini, which came mushrooms, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and a port wine sauce, and it was very tasty. Maybe it’s not technically a panini, but it’s a very good sandwich that I’m looking forward to having again. And the fries are killer.
Free delivery with a $10 minimum, and they say they’ll deliver to a large area, between McDonald and Flatbush, Caton to Avenue H (but ask ahead to make sure they’ll come to your area).
A big thanks to reader Jill for noticing it had opened! Has anyone else tried it yet?
Bistro 915
915 Cortelyou Road, near CIA
347-915-0377
Hours: 11am to 11pm
Yummy Taco has the dubious distinction of being the first restaurant I tried in Kensington – even before officially signing our lease! They are not authentic tacos like El Pollo Rancherito has, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you will be disappointed like many yelpers were.
If you take it for the cheap comfort food it is, however, you’ll be pleased. Their taco salads, black bean tacos, steak tacos, and apple sticks are consistently good, and they deliver later than most restaurants in Kensington. (They also have a decent bathroom for customers, which is very welcome on that stretch of Church Ave).
Where is your favorite place to purchase peppers in Kensington? Progoti grocery on McDonald Ave sells these chili peppers, and $1.50 will get you a pound of them (sidenote: hypothetically, what does one do with a pound of chili peppers? A, uhh, friend wants to know.)
5 de Mayo Plaza at Church Ave and East 5th sells a variety of bulk dried peppers, including serranos, guajilos, and chipotles. Prices start at $8/lb, but again, a pound is a lot of peppers.
Despite the fact that some children woke up certain anonymous hyperlocal bloggers with premature yet enthusiastic shofar blowing, Rosh Hashanah is a day of celebration – the Jewish year 5772 begins at sundown tonight.
In addition to shofar sounding, Rosh Hashanah is traditionally celebrated with apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, round challah bread to symbolize the circle of life, and sometimes pomegranates in hopes of having a productive year.
Korn’s bakery at 4106 18th Avenue at East 3rd St has excellent challah, and the gluten-free shoppe at 3918 16th Avenue has several gluten-free challah options, all of which are dairy free and some of which are egg free. L’Shana Tova!
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s resource center responded!
We are not clear what kind of apple tree this is, but the fruit is very possibly tart like a greening apple–good for pies and/or other kinds of recipes. If the apple tree was a cultivar and had been taken care of properly, some of the fruit would have been removed early on to produce a better size apple. Additionally, since the apple tree has not been well tended, you may have to cut around a great many worms. Take care also to wash the fruit.
Commenter Jen tried them: “I ate one of the apples from the tree on the corner of 4th street and Albermarle. (It had fallen on the sidewalk, so I decided it was mine for the taking.) Not the best apple I’ve ever had, but impressive for a sidewalk apple!”
So there you have it! Will anyone else be trying these guys?
Thamer’s Deli and Grocery, at 111 Church Ave, sells a variety of Toreadas chips, which put Hot Cheetos to shame. If you like spicy and hot snacks, this fits both.
The commercial for the habanero variety, which is somewhat accurate:
The chipotle lime flavor has a much milder kick. Anyone brave enough to try the A La Diabla bag?
Denny’s has everything you could want in a venue for a football game: beer, a wide range of colorful characters, and, of course, “menace.” So says Brent Cox of his trip to the bar on Beverley and Church for a Jets game. The energy was high at the start of the game:
Every few minutes [the Jets Fan] hopped out of his stool and pranced, “J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!” The bartender, a shop-class-teacher-looking fellow in dad jeans, started to lose his patience, amiably. “Don’t make me cut you off.” “I’m not yelling, I’m rooting,” Jets Fan responded.
Excitement waned toward the final quarter, when patrons began falling asleep in their stools.
Anyplace else good for watching football games? Shenanigans, 773 Lounge, what’s your favorite?
[wpsqt name="Best Bar for Watching Football" type="poll"]
A new neighbor emailed us looking for suggestions on where to eat in her new area. Since she’s near Church Avenue, here’s a list of almost every single place to eat on the stretch between Dahill and Coney Island Avenue:
403 Restaurant (Chinese and Mexican) 403 Church Ave at E 4th St, 718-851-0403
Friendly’s (Chinese) 125 Church Ave, between E 2nd St & Beverly Rd, 718-854-8500
Kabir’s Bakery (Bakery/samosas) 97 Church Ave, between Dahill & McDonald, 718-853-7907
Korner Pizzeria (Pizza) 226 Church Ave at E 3rd St, 718-633-9828
Xpress Pizzeria (Pizza) 709 Church Ave, between E 7th & E8th Sts, 718-854-5557
Wing Hua II (Chinese) 223 Church Ave at E 3rd St, 718-436-8833
Yen Yen (Chinese) 404 Church Ave at E 4th St, 718-633-8711
Yummy Taco (Mexican) 129 Church Ave at E 2nd St, 718-431-8062
I added these to the Food & Drink page, which has some other places to eat in the neighborhood, but needs some updating–that’s on the way. Did I miss anything on Church Ave, or do you have any opinions on the places we haven’t reviewed yet? Or do you have some favorites that aren’t on Church that you think a new neighbor should know about? Tell it all in the comments.
Arguing bagels in Brooklyn can be dangerous. Everybody has their favorite, and there’s usually no point in convincing them otherwise. Here in Kensington, I’m not sure we’ve got what anyone calls their favorite bagel, but we do have some good options, and they’re just down the street from each other.
Bagels & Deli (aka Bagels R Bakin, 410 Church Ave, between E 4th & E 5th Sts, 718-851-1735) has small, light bagels, which are passable, but they’re not going to win any awards. They have some sandwiches and drinks, but the selection is pretty small. The store closes up in the afternoon, and they run out of bagels before that, so this is really a morning-only stop.
Hot Bagel (127 Church Ave, between McDonald & E 2nd St, 718-438-5650) is the winner on Church. The bagels are bigger and have more chew to them, and they are, in fact, usually hot. There’s more of a selection for sandwiches, and plenty of drinks and other snacks and stuff you’d find in a deli. But the kicker is that they’re open 24 hours, so you can grab a good bagel any time of day or night.
There are a few other bagel options in the area–Steeplechase probably wins with their supply of Terrace Bagels, and the Oak & Iris and Soho Cafe offer bagels as well, though I haven’t tried them. Anyone have a local favorite? Or do you trek into Borough Park or Ditmas Park for your bagel fix?
[wpsqt name="What Is Your Favorite Bagel in Kensington?" type="poll"]
It appears that we have one or two mini apple trees on Beverley Road, between East 3rd and East 4th:
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Gardener’s Resource Center should be getting back to us shortly to let us know what chances there are that these are edible and what precautions foragers should take if they eat these, but does anyone know anything about these trees? Have you eaten the fruit and lived to tell about it?
Labor Day, the beginning of a new school year, the sun setting sooner–sigh, it seems that summer is on its way out. One way to get the best out of what’s left of the season is with an ice cream cone, which the Carvel on Church Ave offers on Wednesdays as a buy one, get one free. So bring a friend and savor the last bits of summer over some soft serve (since hard ice cream, cakes, and iced drinks are not included in the deal).
Carvel Ice Cream
203 Church Avenue at East 2nd
718-438-9501
The responses to last week’s za’atar post got me thinking: what are we going to do with it once we’ve bought it?
Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to prepare a dish using za’atar by Wednesday, October 5, 2011. You can email us a photo with the recipe you used, or link us to a blog post you’ve authored with a recipe and photo. If we get more than 5 entries, I will see about getting a prize for next time. Good luck!
Where do you buy your favorite Za’atar mix? Za’atar is a Middle Eastern dried spice mix that uses sesame seeds and sumac, among other versatile ingreients, and is often used on breads or in savory dishes.
With the public transit system about to shut down, people who run businesses in the neighborhood are worried more about that right now than how strong Hurricane Irene will be when it gets here.
Just a couple of examples, Brancaccio’s is closed today and tomorrow, and though Steeplechase is open right now, they are thinking they’ll be done before the regular 7pm closing time. And it seems like everyone I’ve spoken to will be closed tomorrow, no matter what.
The inimitable Ben Lermanonce said that the last thing this area needed was another fruit store. That may be true, but I humbly submit that Y & F is the best of them on Ditmas Ave.
Check out the cultural diversity of the condiments:
They sell all sorts of international prepackaged foods – this includes rice flour, potato dumpling mix (this was $.99 here, and $2.99 in a grocery store in Park Slope), falafel mix, and yes, Stove Top.
For the size of the store, they have a large selection of dairy, including organic and vegan options. Last winter, they were one of the few local stores to stock soy nog.
They sell a wide variety of tomato products, including San Marzanos.
They have a lot of other offerings, including low sugar fruit juices, nuts by the pound, and Turkish coffee.
Y & F Produce
424 Ditmas Ave, at East 5th St.
(718) 686-2666
Taqueria Los Poblanos on Church Ave has wildly inconsistent yelp reviews, giving it an average of three stars out of five, but even a negative reviewer mentioned that the food is very fresh.
My dining companion said that the tacos weren’t the best in the area, but they’re not the worst by far, either.
The tostadas were excellent with a generous amount of Tapatio, and they left the cilantro off as I asked. They also sell Mexican Sprite in addition to the Coca-Cola, which is also made from real sugar and harder to find.
The wall decorations were pretty sweet, too.
Overall, it’s not a restaurant I’d go out of my way to hit up, but it’s worth a stop if you’re on Church Ave.
Doing some research on rooftop farming and I came across this Times article about rooftop greenhouses. Given how capital-intensive growing on rooftops is, is it too hard to imagine a future where we are complaining about corporate rooftop farms? One venture capitalist involved projects a billion dollars of sales by 2020. Imagine feeding the entirety of NYC w […]
I was raised in Suffolk county, mostly, in the nowhere city of Centereach. As soon as I could drive I began heading out to the North Fork to photograph (my Minolta x-370 and black and white film) the old barns, decaying farmhouses, rusting implements, and the sea. There was, then, hardly a place to eat and no one on the roads. Sometimes I would go with a cou […]
I receive a number of hits for soil testing services and I think that's great. It's an important part of growing in urban areas. I would like to include more information on soil testing, and link to the Cornell's labs, but I find their website absolutely cryptic -I cannot figure it out! I would also use their services, but I cannot find my way […]
I shopped at a grocer on Long Island this weekend after going out to the North Fork. When I was a kid, this same store was oriented toward working class Italians, and today it is still that, but also reorienting toward Asian and Central and South American food products. It is where I saw my first sheep head in cellophane for sale, complete with eyeballs and […]
Recently I began using a mobile device and that has made me much more conscious of the look of my blog via mobile. Today's stats show that 48% of my page views have been on an iphone or ipad. That's high, it's usually closer to 5%, but even that has grown in the last few months from only 1%. I've been communicating with Marie of 66squaref […]
A few thought people having sex in the garden was unlikely, but, finally the evidence is in - condoms and napkins in proximity. I gotta get me one of those pickers we use in the park. On a good note, the crocus are blooming. […]
...Is the way to lose that and not gain this. :Yoshida Kenko, no. 188, Essays in Idleness Some of you may know that I've taken up garlic growing this past year. My plot upstate is a borrowed one, and as such requires less commitment than one for which I could be paying. In other words, in Kenko's words, I get to take this and keep that. This weeken […]
Dear KWT CSA members, It’s that time again – 2012 CSA sign-up is now open!The Kensington Windsor Terrace CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) offers two pick-up options:Wednesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the East 4th Street Community Garden. Members are asked to commit to one volunteer shift during the season; Wednesday shifts are from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m. Pick-ups […]
Last autumn I was on a garlic seed production research tear. I came across a company in china called Pretty Garlic. Log onto their website to read the mythical origins of pretty garlic -something about a sick girl saved by garlic. In reading their how-to-grow garlic page, I was a little surprised by the frank use of the term "human wastes" as suppl […]
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