Carroll Gardens: March 2007 Archives

One of the best things about spring is the crop of new restaurants that pop up. First, an update on one we've waiting for awhile: Time Out says Italian restaturant Po is set to open next week and that it'll have the same $50 six-course prix fixe. Further west, Chowhounders have word on a new Cuban place, the rather lamely titled Mucho Gusto, over on Columbia by the BQE entrance (exact address anyone?). Finally, those same folks seem to be buzzing over the three-month old Brooklyn Heights spot, Petite Marche, though admittedly, that neighborhood's lack of great, enduring restaurants tends to stir up a whole lot of extra optimism.

Brooklyn Record already posted about the Carroll Gardens CSA and asked other Brooklynites what their experience with Garden of Eve farm had been. According to the Just Food website, that same farm services CSAs in Brooklyn Heights, Kensington/Windsor Terrace and Williamsburg. No one on Brooklyn Record really addressed whether or not they thought the veggie and fruit shares were good. I did find one naysayer blog, WilliamsburgCSA, but oddly that blog also promotes this year's CSA from the farm, so I guess they got over the bad delivery. Does anyone have any info to provide?

Last year we did the Cobble Hill CSA, which we found to be moderate in bounty but overachieving in freshness. Added bonus: A guy comes by the church drop-off every week and sells farm-fresh eggs and meat. Previously, we spent two years with the West Village CSA, which was organized by some of the nicest people in New York, and while the food was slightly less fresh feeling, the bounty was overwhelming, even for three big eaters.

If anyone reading is on the fence about signing up for a CSA, I highly recommend reading the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen. It's one of the most competent, compelling cognitive arguments for supporting CSAs and local farmers markets out there. I will add this: One of the most compelling gut-level arguments for supporting CSAs and local farmers markets is how amazing the food tastes and how good you feel about supporting a local farmer instead of an industrial cog in our current petroleum-fueled food chain.

Scene: Lucali's, on a balmy Friday night in March
Time: 9:12pm
Outside: A couple lingering
Inside: A mostly full pizzeria, with two empty two-tops. Wooden tables, the scent of pizza smoke
Pizza lover 1: Hi. How long for a table for two.
Hostess: Oh, I don't know. We're, well, we're doing our last seating now.
Pizza lover 1: Well if it's a matter of space, we could wait and take it to go.
Hostess: Let me check with the chef.
<time elapse>
Hostess: Yeah. We still have people to seat, and we're running out of dough.
Pizza lover 1: Sighs, as she walks to Vinny's for a slice.

While I'm sure there's not going to be another mid-March snow, I'd like to take this moment to call out various neighbors who deem it not necessary to shovel their sidewalks until several days after it snows.

For whatever reason, the corner ones irk me most:

• Corner of Luquer Street and Court Street
• Corner of 4th Place and Court Street
• Corner of Union Street and Court Street (ironically the Long Island College Hospital, Donald and Mildred Othmer Ambulatory Care Center)
• Also, the Law Offices of Romeo & Baratta at 411 Court Street made a very half-assed rabbit trail in front of its building.

Please add your own!

While at Naidre's picking up my bacon, egg and cheese breakfast croissant this morning, I saw a flyer for a benefit tonight (3/4/07) at 6 p.m. at Lido Bar. I'm not at Naidre's enough to know the employees, but one of them, Emily, was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, and tonight's benefit goes to help her pay medical bills and expenses. There's free food and live music starting at 8pm with Mollie King, Jessica Rose, Sandy Cleary and DJ Johnny Pal. There's also an art auction with photographs, prints and original pieces by Emily's friends. $10 suggested donation at the door.

ABrooklynLife loves to love on P.J. Hanleys. And it appears that the Carroll Gardens neighborhood pub is taking a siesta while work is done. Where are the neighborhood regulars to fill us in on all the gory details?