Carroll Gardens: June 2006 Archives

So I have a confession to make: I don't like spumoni. Now wait, all ye olde Brooklynites, hear me out. I've never had spumoni before, and I'm 30. So unlike a lot of people whose introduction to spumoni was at age two on a hot day in Brooklyn, mine was at age 30 on a hot day in Brooklyn.

First, let me describe the iced beast itself. Spumoni, at least the large bonbon sized one we purchased at Court Pastry, is sweet, almost sickeningly sweet. It's like eating a big mouthful of frozen sugared cream.  This particular spumoni also had a rather strong flavor of cinnamon (and not rum as apparently some spumoni contains).

My two tasters and I immediately imagined sugar-cracked-out-children at a birthday party jumping around with glee before and after servings of spumoni. Maybe it was that image alone that caused me to cringe as I dug into the encased candied fruit and nuts. Whatever it was, call me a hipster-yupster-grupster-newbie, but I will take a good neighborhood Italian ice or gelato any day over another serving of spumoni.

You see that little sign in the upper right-hand corner of the photo? "Italian ices," it reads. So small, so unassuming. And yet, this little store at 298 Court Street scoops the best Italian ice I've ever tasted. I would rather eat the chocolate Italian ice here than have gelato or ice cream anywhere else--that is how good this Italian ice is. Also, it's $1.25 for a small, and the smalls are huge. WHY DID I WAIT UNTIL THIS SUMMER TO DISCOVER THIS GEM? I am angry at myself for all of the past two summer's missed opportunities. Highly recommended flavors are chocolate and lemon. You will thank me for it. And you will dream of these ices in your sleep, I promise.

New businesses are popping up on Smith Street like weeds in our backyard garden after the rain. One that's yet to flower is Sapodilla, in the old Village 247 space. All the information we have is taped up to the window (above), but good to hear that the garden will still be accessible.

Of course, the new cheese store Stinky Brooklyn, right next to the yet-to-open Provence en Boite, has been making a splash. My first foray revealed much more than cheese in the tiny space. Bread from Mazzola, sweets from One Girl Cookies, duck fat from Applewood and a nice case of chorizo and cured meats, plus pickled green tomatoes in the cold case. YUM!

Not to be left out is the newly opened French bistro Porchetta at Smith and Douglass, where the old Banania used to be. If you have a chance, grab a business card, which features a pig in a colorful wig and a high-necked shirt. A peek at the brunch menu revealed hangover offerings that are par for the neighborhood (several kinds of eggs, pancakes, etc). I do like what they've done with the front planters (click to enlarge at left).

And to show that I'm not totally partial to food, I stopped in Bird at Smith and Butler. Wasn't super-hot on the jeans selection, but the store was stocking some great summer dresses and tops. If you don't have a high-paying Manhattan job, however, these may be out of your price range (most items I liked were $150 and up).