Brooklyn - Gowanus -Park Slope
I'm visiting Brooklyn, staying at the Super 8 on 3rd. Ave. near Union St.
Recommendations for breakfasts, dinners (within walking distance or transit accessible, I won't have a car.) I'm game for anything, would prefer price range with dinner entrees maxing out in the $20s, preferable a bit less.
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OK, I'm back from my trip. Thanks for all the helpful tips, Here are my impressions:
First night, I got in a bt late, and ended up at the Stone Park, becuase the menu posted outside showed small plates. I sat at the bar, very pleasant service, I got a well-made Manhattan -- with rye, a small plate of the squid ink pasta with shrimp, and a nice white wine reccommended by the barkeep.
Next day, I was at a conference, and they had breakfast and box lunch for us. Decent caterer bagels, but I should hope so, being in Brooklyn.
Dinner 2 was at Littleneck, as I wasn't i the mood to walk too far. Sat at the bar again, they had "Montauk periwinkles" on special for $5, I tried 'em, but they weren't worth the trouble of picking the meat out of the shells. Had another white wine recommended by the bartender, not too bad, plus the lobster roll, which was pretty good., actually better than some I've gotten in Boston. Note: They don't take credit/debit card, bjt they do have an ATM on site.
The n ext morning, no free reakfast at conference, and I was running a bit late, so I ducked into a little yuppie-looking deli on 4th Av. I was alittle concerend, thought it would be overpriced and undistinguished, but the spreads in the deli case looked good, and I got a nice bagel and lox spread for $2.50, which is less than it costs in Baltimore.
That evening, my wife came into town, and we had dinner at Miriam. They were running a "Dine in Brooklyn" Prixe fixe promotion, 2 mezze items, any main course off the menu, and a couple of baklava for $25. I also got their pomegrante cocktail (Gin,pomegrante molasses, cranberry and simple syrup) and a Spanish red by the glass. (For a place run by an Israeli and which offers his vision of secular (i.e. nonkosher) Israeli cuisine, he only had 2 Israeli wines on the list, and they bottle only. My wife isn't a wino, so I needed to order by the glass. The food was excellent, it's one place we'll go back to if we're ever in Brooklyn again. I had meguez sausages and baba ganoush, my wife had hummus and a quinoa salad, all of which were quite good. I had the lamb shank, she had the striped bass. Both were very good. The baklava was one of the better ones I've eaten.
The next morning we had brunch at the Mile End deli on Hoyt St. I had the smoked meat hash and a Montreal bagel, my wife had the brakfast sandwich. They were quite tasty, and Ihope the craze for Montral bagels heads south and we start getting them down our way. New York bagels are good, but they're sure a lot of food, and a little variety is always appreciated.
After that we left Brooklyn and went back to Manhattan inpreparation for out ride home. We went to the Kosher delight on Boradway near 36th to get some schwarma so we wouldn't have to rely on the Amtrak cafe car. Talk about a lot of food.
That was our trip, thanks for the tips.
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--Black Mountain Wine House would be good for a person pf any age. It doesn't look like a bar from the outside (crnr of Hoyt and Union) but it's so cute and the wine and cheese are good.
--Surprised nobody's mentioned Bar Tano on 3rd Ave and 9th st. The food is medium but the vibe is pleasant and the bar would be fun. I like High Dive too.
--Ghenet: the tuna tartare is really good but everything else is just ok. Ethiopian isn't much fun by yourself.
--Sheep Station: second the lamb sandwich and also the coldness of the space.
--Miriam's really does have a good and interesting brunch; the latkes and other Israeli dishes are yummy. But it gets packed after 11. You can eat at the bar if alone.
--Blue Sky Bakery for breakfast goods; 5th Ave near Bergen. Get there early before they run out.-----
Sheep Station
149 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Miriam
79 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Bar Tano
457 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Blue Sky Bakery
53 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Black Mountain Wine House
415 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231Ghenet
348 Douglass St, Brooklyn, NY 11217High Dive
243 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 -
Regarding some of the bars, which ones are friendlier to more mature patronage? I'm in my 50s, and sometimes when I walk into a bar, I wonder whether anybody there is of legal drinking age :). I like to chat up the ladies, but when they look like they're younger than my daughter's age, it's a little weird.
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re: ConsApi
Bob Martinez
Mar 18, 2012 09:11 AM
High Dive attracts a mixed crowd. You wouldn't feel out of place, at least on most nights. The bar at Fornino skews older as well. (The bar is nice, just don't eat the food.) The bar at Blue Ribbon also attracts a range of ages.
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re: jeeg
I was going to say Little Neck for sure.. Also, I went to Draft Barn this weekend.. If you want like the most ridiculously large selection of beers that you have ever seen, then, hit this place up too..
Draft Barn, 530 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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Draft Barn
530 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Littleneck
288 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215-
re: Daniel76
egit
Mar 5, 2012 10:06 AM
Draft Barn is indeed a nice spot. If we're talking nightlife, there's Mission Delores on 4th and Carroll, which also has an interesting beer selection. The Rock Shop right next door to that for usually very good live music. There's The Gate, up on 5th Ave and 3rd Street. And again, Smith Street is just a short walk.
Actually Canal Bar is right across the street from the hotel and it has a really funky vibe (in a good way). It's not nearly as old as it seems... also in a good way. Black Mountain Wine Bar over on Union and Hoyt is another good option. They have good snacks, good wine and actually not bad beers either.
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Black Mountain Wine House
415 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231The Gate
321 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Draft Barn
530 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Canal Bar
270 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Mission Dolores
249 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Rock Shop
249 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215-
re: egit
Big Fan of Black Mountain Wine House and it's owner, Tyler.
So I must be the only person in the world not blown away by Little Neck. I think you're better off spending a buck more per oyster at Blue Ribbon. (and I'm not a huge BR supporter).
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Blue Ribbon Brooklyn
280 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215-
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re: Daniel76
Went to Little Neck the other night for dinner.. We had a really nice dinner. My biggest complaint would be about the plate of steamers we ate there. It was a small bowl of steamers and I believe the cost was something like 14 bucks.
I have rarely eaten steamers out as it's such a fun dish to eat at home. Especially with the great prices of clams in chinatown and the ease of the dish to pull off, it's a fun weeknight dish.. Anyway, we received perhaps 12 or 14 clams for 14 bucks. The dish was good with peppers and everything but, it just seemed very over priced..
I had the fried perch special of the evening. It was chicken fried perch. Served with coleslaw and awesome tarter sauce.
Relaxed and comfortable vibe. Not rushing back but, it's a reliable spot.
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Littleneck
288 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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Miss Needle
Mar 2, 2012 04:22 PM
Nothing says NY like a bagel. There's a very good shop on 7th Ave between 12th and 13th Street called Bagel Hole. Take-out only. Wold probably be perfect for breakfast. If you like pastries, Almondine Bakery on 9th Street between 6th and 7th Ave and Colson Patisserie on 6th Ave and 9th Street are great.
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Colson Patisserie
374 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215Bagel Hole
400 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Almondine
442 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 -
and and while we're at it: for drinks, I second High Dive, and throw out Mission Delores and Rock Shop, both on 4th Ave b/w Pres and Carroll for good fun times too. Rock shop is a music venue downstairs and a sports bar upstairs.
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Mission Dolores
249 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Rock Shop
249 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215High Dive
243 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215›1 Reply -
Bob Martinez
Mar 2, 2012 11:55 AM
Al Di La is great for Northern Italian. It gets jammed so show up by 5:30 or 6 or be prepared to wait. They're open for lunch and it's much less crowded then.
Campo Di Fiore is great for authentic Roman style pizza and cured meats and cheeses. The owners and much of the staff are native Italians. Open for lunch too.
Avoid Fornino like the plague except for the bar.
Bonnie's has good burgers and terrific wings.
On 7th Ave. I'm hearing very good things about Talde (Asian fusion) and Tofu on 7th (Sichuan dishes.)
City Sub, on Bergen near 5th, has outstanding sandwiches. Eat in or take out.
For drinks, High Dive on 5th Ave. is quite pleasant. Free popcorn too.
Avoid Union Hall unless you're 25 or younger.
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Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Bonnie's Grill
278 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Union Hall
702 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215City Sub
450 Bergen St, Brooklyn, NY 11217Tofu on 7th
226 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Fornino
256 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Campo de' Fiori
187 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Talde
369 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215High Dive
243 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215›8 Replies-
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re: jen kalb
Bob Martinez
Mar 2, 2012 12:34 PM
I haven't been to either. I'm somewhat leery of restaurants that open up in areas that didn't have that many restaurants previous to that time. They tend to be overpraised. "Decent" become "great."
Jen, you go back on these boards a long time. Remember Beast in Prospect Heights? It was a prime example.
That doesn't mean that Sheep Station and the ramen place aren't worth checking out.
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re: Bob Martinez
jon
Mar 2, 2012 01:02 PM
the ramen place (zuzu) happens to be pretty decent. their buns and dumplings are great. sheep station is just ok, unless of course you like pineapple and beets on your burger and then maybe you'd like it.
one suggestion that was left out for someone staying at the super 8: four and twenty blackbirds. you're basically right next to it. do yourself a favor and make it a priority to get a slice of salted caramel apple pie.
also, pizza cotte on 3rd and carroll makes a real great slice, along with good sandwiches and pastas. it's fairly standard italian-american food, but it tastes a lot better than your corner pizza place should.
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Sheep Station
149 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Zuzu Ramen
173 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Cotta Bene
291 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 -
re: Bob Martinez
jen kalb
Mar 2, 2012 01:16 PM
you are right, arrivals in underserved areas can get overpraised. Beast is/was an example of that as you note, not very good. One try there too, just as with Miriam but covering a fair amount of the menu - they did not deliver on a relatively ambitious small plates menu, crude cooking, underflavoring etc. especially for the price. IMy daughter likes Sheep Station but we havent been down there yet. Maybe next time I want a burger its worth a try.
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re: jen kalb
I actually like Sheep Station a lot because of their POUTINE! real poutine (i.e. owner is from Montreal, wrote the BOOK on poutine - literally, ask to see her book).
Definitely forgot about Campo di Fiore - I've had quite a few outstanding meals there as well.
Someone at my pediatrician's mentioned the Crooked Tail for sandwiches - anyone have a review on that?
BTW I'm so sad Perch is closed.
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Sheep Station
149 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Crooked Tail Cafe
272 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Campo de' Fiori
187 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215-
re: secondbecky
egit
Mar 2, 2012 02:29 PM
I think Sheep Station is inconsistent. Either that or they're actually on the *upswing*. For about two years I've been mostly disappointed with it. But I went there recently with a bunch of friends and had some pretty good food. We had a bunch of apps, and I had the fish and chips. I enjoyed it. It's not transcendent. But it's pretty solid pub food. At least during our last visit we all thought it was better than it had been.
Maybe they were having an "ON" night.
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re: egit
missmasala
Mar 5, 2012 03:55 PM
I ate there once and was so underwhelmed, I never went back. Also didn't like the space--I found it cold.
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re: jen kalb
pitu
Mar 16, 2012 08:53 AM
I'm very close-by so have enjoyed several hundred lamb sandwiches at Sheep Station... Once or twice it came out cold, but other than that it's been very consistent. The lamb sandwich, the moules frites, or the steak sandwich are the ticket there. They used to have a great lamb chop plate w minted peas and mashed potato for $19, but it got priced off their menu. I really really miss those lamb chops.
Love the green curry ramen at ZuZu, and they package the broth apart from the rest of it for delivery, excellent. Have not made it to the newer ramen place on 5th by Bonnie's.
The place on that strip that I've been wondering about is Ghenet. It's Ethiopian - seemed to go mild on its move from downtown Manhattan. It's a very pretty room but I was bored with the food the couple of times I went in their first year. What's it like now?
I like Brooklyn Fish Camp, now curious about LittleNeck. Hadn't even heard of it...been off Chowhound for awhile...just posted about how much I like the room and ribs at Fort Reno, just opened where Maria's was, in a much smaller space.
I think the best sandwich around here is at Bierkraft. Their food is GREAT, and a $10 sandwich feeds two, or at least two of me. Yes, they have a whole lot of beer too. Backyard and inside w picnic tables. I love that place. Start with the Italian or a bratwurst. They actually cook the food there, pickle stuff, make the mustard and kraut. Lovely.
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Sheep Station
149 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Bierkraft
191 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Brooklyn Fish Camp
162 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Ghenet
348 Douglass St, Brooklyn, NY 11217Zuzu Ramen
173 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Fort Reno Provisions
669 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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egit
Mar 2, 2012 11:16 AM
secondbecky has a pretty comprehensive list of places to go in Park Slope. There's the wine bar for Al Di La, which is right on union about 30 feet from 5th avenue... they have incredible food. There's also Littleneck practically right across the street from your hotel at 3rd and Carroll.
You could also walk in the opposite direction of Park Slope, and go wander up and down Smith Street. Unfortunately there isn't much immediately around where your hotel is. It will probably feel like a post-industrial moonscape to you at first. But both smith street and 5th avenue are just a couple of minutes' walk, and that's where all the action is.
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Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Littleneck
288 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 -
You'll find plenty in that price range close to you. I live close by so I got a lot of suggestions. Just check out menupages or yelp to see if you would like the atmosphere
Quick Bites:
You're near a great taco stand - Oaxaco (sp?) on 4th Ave between Pres and Carroll. The new bbq joint on the east side of 4th Ave and Union (Fort Defiance I think) is decent. If you like frozen yogurt, go to Culture on 5th ave and 4th st. by the school. It's heavenly.
Sandwiches: S'Nice on 5th ave and 3rd st for vegetarian sandwiches that make carnivores like me happy. M&S for awesome carnivore sandwiches. Press on 5th and Union for fancier sanwiches, and Bierkraft next door for beers, cheese, and sandwiches. If you're into vietnamese sandwiches, try Lotus on 5th and President.Sit-down/ not fancy:
Sushi at JPan on 5th between 1st and 2nd. La Villa (5th and Garfield) for delicious comfort italian food, Aperitivo (5th and 1st) for a bit more refined italian. 200 5th (5th and Union) is a sports bar with an OK restaurant if you want that. There's Little Neck on 3rd ave and Carrol - seafood joint. I didn't particularly love it, but it was decent. Bonnie's has great burgers if you like 'em grilled (on 5th and Garfield), but if you walk further south and head east on 9th St, you'll come to Dram Shop which has the best burger in Park Slope hands down. Also a great bar.Sit-down/ more fancy (might be out of your price range):
Fornino on 5th and Carroll. I haven't been in a while and some say it's gone downhill, but when I went about a year ago, it was delicious. I think it changed owners or something. Benchmark - will probably be out of your price range, but it's interesting "farm-to-table" type stuff. On 2nd st just west of 5th ave. Stone Park on 5th ave and 3rd st. is pretty good, you can get a great burger, or try for brunch. Same thing with Juventino on 5th ave and 5th st (I hear brunch is amazing). If you're willing to walk further up the slope, on 7th avenue and 12th St is Talde, Dale from Top Chef's new restaurant. It was quite good but beware long waits!Brunch: For the best brunch in new york city, IMHO of course, go to Miriam on 5th Avenue and (I want to say Dean but I know that's not right; it's across from Beacon's Closet). Seriously heavenly. As suggested above, Stone Park and Juventino are fancier options for brunch.
For pizza, you're close to Tomato & Basil (on 4th and Union), which is my fave slice in the hood.
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La Villa
261 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Bierkraft
191 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Bonnie's Grill
278 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Press 195
195 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Stone Park Cafe
324 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215JPan
287 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Miriam
79 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217Dram Shop
339 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215Tomato and Basil
226 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Aperitivo
279 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215M&S Prime Meats
312 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Snice
315 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Benchmark
339A 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215Fornino
256 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Oaxaca
250 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Lotus Vietnamese Sandwiches
229 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Culture
331 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Talde
369 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Littleneck
288 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215Juventino
370 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215›3 Replies-
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re: secondbecky
Pedr0
Mar 5, 2012 10:00 AM
Stone Park is indeed very good. Damn easy to run up a big bill there though.
Stay away from the coffee at Colson btw. Expensive, nasty bitter stuff. Almondine is the better choice if you're heading up the hill to the F train. Also, the bread at at Almondine is amazing.
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Colson Patisserie
374 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215Stone Park Cafe
324 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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