Have a friend that finally decided to make the move over the bridge? Show her your support (and excitement) with this Brooklyn Wine Bottle Stopper from DaisyMaeDesignsShop on Etsy. It features a colorful map of Brooklyn and the surrounding area from a vintage atlas. Get your here for $28.
Tags: Brooklyn, housewarming gift, map, wine bottle stopper
photo via Zagat Blog
I ate at new-ish restaurant Isa in Williamsburg last week, and if you haven’t been there yet, I suggest you recommend making a reservation there soon. Need a reason? Here’s five.
1. Orange Wine
I read that Isa was serving up orange wine, along with the more traditional red, white, and rose options, so I had to go for it. What’s orange wine? It’s a dry wine made from white wine grape varieties that have spent some maceration time in contact with the grape skins. It’s not actually made from oranges, but it adds to the dining experience.
2. Uber-Seasonal Menu
The menu at Isa changes everyday, so you never really know what to expect when you arrive for dinner. Be ready to try some unique flavor combinations that you wouldn’t normally see on other menus.
3. It’s that cabin feel
As a New Yorker, you probably don’t get to spend much time in a cabin. Isa has a rustic woodsy look. It’s cozy and warm that makes you feel like you’re camping…. camping in a really beautiful and expensive cabin. Maybe more like an expensive ski lodge then?
4. The bread service
Sure, the bread is not the star of the meal– the appetizers, entrees, and desserts have a leg up on the bread. On the other hand, the bread at Isa is definitely a bonus. It’s baked in house, warm, and addictive. No bread bowl will go empty.
5. The experience
There’s no doubt that Isa is unique. It’s quirky and a little odd– with a menu full of peculiar combinations, like “sardine, skeleton, and olives,” or “spotted prawn with black garlic aioli.” It’s worth giving it a try and checking out the unique menu choices of the day.
Tags: dinner, Isa, review, Williamsburg
Are you still looking for the nerd of your life? Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo is coming to the rescue with Nerd Nite: Speed Dating, the place to find that special nerd, or at least someone you can spend some time with, bonding over your nerdy interests. The evening of February 3rd will kick off with fellas seeking lasses, followed by lasses seeking fellas, then finally a presentation from the staff. Get your tickets here.
Tags: Galapagos Art Space, Nerd Nite, speed dating
In a food rut? Awaken your taste buds and try something new with my favorite CSA, Local Roots NYC. The group holds a supper club spotlighting chefs and local ingredients. On Wednesday February 1st, the group will host their third supper club with guest chef Matthew Leif of Landhaus. Held in the beautiful exposed brick mezzanine at 61 Local, this dinner sits 30 and will feature a four course menu with ingredients from the CSA’s farms and other neighboring farms.
The star of the show will be the apple. Each dish will show the versatility and wide range of flavors of apples, one of the few fruits that are available in the winter season. The meal will include a starter, a first course, a main course, and a dessert. Get your tickets here for an amazing meal with some good company.
Tags: 61Local, CSA, Local Roots, NYC, supper club
crispy pork belly, cauliflower, peperoncini, romesco, parsley-garlic
I listed Traif as one of my top 5 restaurants to try in 2012 (a foodie new years resolution), and last night I finally trekked to Williamsburg to try the much-raved-about eatery. Becoming Brooklyn twitter friends told me it would be “porkgasmic,” and to “try EVERYTHING,” so I was mentally prepared to drool publicly. The waitress suggested that with a group of four people, 8-10 dishes would be a good dinner portion, as the entire menu is small plates to share.
Although I wanted to take the advice of 27 and Frugal and order everything, we chose:
1. bacon-wrapped blue cheese–stuffed dates, spinach a la catalana (thanks for the advice secondstrokeny)
2. roasted brussels’ sprouts, grapes, puffed rice, tomatoes, herbs, chile vin.
3. salt & pepper spicy white shrimp, golden pineapple, sweet potatoes
4. crispy pork belly, cauliflower, peperoncini, romesco, parsley-garlic
5. bbq, braised short rib sliders, sweet potato fries, smoked paprika aioli
6. sauteed broccoli rabe, roasted portobella-truffle toast, fried egg
7. seared scallops, butternut squash, huckleberries, pistachios, sage
8. “Chinese hot pot” of shrimp and mussels
roasted brussels’ sprouts, grapes, puffed rice, tomatoes, herbs, chile vin.
The dishes came out in waves, making the dinner more exciting, since it was always a surprise to see which would come out next. Our verdict? We loved the spicy shrimp, crispy pork belly, sauteed broccoli rabe, and seared scallops (my fave) the most. We followed up the dinner with two desserts: the bacon doughnuts, dulche de leche, with coffee ice cream and nutella mousse with pear, chocolate bark, & peanut brittle. I struggled to share the nutella mousse with the rest of the table, but luckily the group allowed me to eat more mousse because I was going sans bacon doughnuts.
seared scallops, butternut squash, huckleberries, pistachios, sage
I think the most unexpected part about Traif is the atmosphere. It’s casual and relaxed despite it’s mature menu. We sat on the back enclosed patio with space heaters, and while some may not appreciate that esthetic, we liked feeling as comfy as possible as we gathered around our brussels sprouts. As my friend and fellow Traif diner Leslie said, “It works in Brooklyn.” Add Traif to your must-try list in 2012, and check out the full menu here.
Tags: bacon doughnuts, dinner, tapas, Traif, Williamsburg
Already have Baked‘s cookbook? The New Brooklyn Cookbook? You’ll want to get your hands on a copy of One Girl Cookies’ new book filled with recipes like Chocolate Chip Pistachio Pound Cake and Sicilian Frozen Truffle. It’s convenient for those days that are too cold to trek down to the shop for a sugar fix. The desserts are elegant and classic, making for pretty cookbook pages. Check out the video for the trailer of the book below.
Tags: cookbook, One Girl cookies
Park Slope dweller Jessica Caramico created a screen printed tee and tote company, Brooklyn Bits. With her own Etsy shop, she’s showcasing and selling her Brooklyn-centric illustrations. I just discovered this design, “Survival of the Hippest” for $16. Get yours here.
Tags: Brooklyn, survival of the hippest, tee
What was Brooklyn like in the mid-1800′s? Step back in time on Wednesday January 25th at 7:30pm with The Farm on Adderley for a meal inspired by the food eaten by the people who worked on the Brooklyn farms in that time period. Chef Tom Kearney is creating a four-course meal showcasing food preservation techniques, and historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman will provide a historical context for the food and how Brooklyn – and specifically Flatbush – fit into the larger network of farms and food distribution in New York in the 1800s.
What did they do before electricity and refrigerators anyway? The dinner is $69 per person, gratuity and drinks not included. To sign-up, send an e-mail to thefarmonadderleyevents@gmail.com.
Tags: dinner, Flatbush, pre-industrial, The Farm on Adderley
If you haven’t noticed, like most New Yorkers, I eat a lot of brunch. I often recommend brunch spots to my friends, tweeps, co-workers, or complete strangers, and I take a lot of recos too. What’s lacking from our conversations? Olea in Fort Greene. Sure we’re chatting up Buttermilk Channel, Egg, and Cafe Luluc, but no mentions of the fabulous Mediterranean spot on Lafayette Ave. SO here I am to vent about how much I love it.
Three words. The Turkish Breakfast. Order it. It’s pretty much the only thing I get there because it’s so good I would feel bad if I got anything else. It’s eggs scrambled with cilantro, tomato and red onion, fattoush, eggplant salad, herbed yogurt, and grilled pita bread. I also always pair it with a bloody mary, which I have already dubbed the best bloody mary in Brooklyn. It’s not too tomatoey and has just the right amount of horseradish.
I tend to head to Olea during the summer because it’s near the outdoor BK flea, but the winter is a great time to stop by too. When it’s 13 degrees outside, it’s nice to feel like you’ve been transported to a Greek isle for a couple hours. Check out Olea’s full menu here, and add it to your brunch to do list.
Tags: bloody mary, Brooklyn, brunch, Fort Greene, mediterranean, Olea, turkish breakfast
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