Food and Drink: May 2006 Archives

We rented a car for the weekend with the intention of going places we wouldn't normally go. Friday night that meant a trip to Bensonhurst's L&B Spumoni Gardens, which holds a special place in many people's hearts for its square Sicilian-style pies (even Slice liked it).

I can, without reservation, say it's not very good and is definitely not worth the trip unless you are taking that trip soley for nostalgia purposes only. It's certainly quaint, has  a large outdoor patio, and the servers and pizza makers are full of charm, but the food didn't cut it. We  had the most uninspiring fried zucchini strips I've ever put in my mouth, and the pizza was unbelievably bland.

I always like to judge a pizzeria by how they cook a whole pie. A slice could have been sitting there for a while, or it could have been not warmed through, but when you order a whole fresh pizza,  you're really expecting something great. We ordered ours with sausage and mushrooms; the mushrooms were canned. And while the bottom and sides of the crust were burnt, the middle of the rather thick square pie was uncooked dough. I have had better pizza at Sbarro. I think what burned us was spending more than $20 bucks on a poor pie. If you were to spend a couple dollars on a slice, the quality would not be so bothersome. We were so disappointed, in fact, that we skipped the spumoni.

Next up, our adventures at City Island!

So, sometimes things just fall in your lap. One moment, you're thinking about all of brownstone Brooklyn being painted Dunkin' Donuts orange and pink, the next moment, you're considering the merits of a "rockuccino" over the "rockiato." Has it been done before? Probably. But has it been done before by the band members of KISS? Not until June 27 when the band opens its first-ever KISS Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach (do peek at the menu).

Question for the neighborhood, which would you prefer, a new Dunkin' Donuts or your very own KISS Coffeehouse (because of course they want to franchise ...)?

Press release quotes after the jump.

According to an unamed neighborhoodite and reader, there's a very Dunkin' Donuts looking building going in on the SW corner of Smith Street near Bergen Street. It's right across from what appears to be a new organic market and natural foods store (and near the new bahn mi sandwich place Hanco's). I've enlarged the photo to show what appears to be the Dunkin' Donuts steaming coffee cup logo inside. Is Boerum Hill copying its Carroll Gardens neighbors with a DD? As the tipster opines, "A Domino's and a Dunkin Donuts on the same corner. Just great. Keeping it local, the Ratner way."

Dear Patois,
    The first time I had dinner with you, I was impressed. Your waitstaff were personable yet professional, the timing spot-on, the food the perfect example of what Americans want in their French bistros, and a warmth flowed from the dining room that I equate with restaurants to which I would like to return.
    The second time I passed through your doors, it was for brunch. You left me feeling like I had done something wrong and you were punishing me by leaving my water glass unfilled, my bread basket empty, my order untaken. But it was weekend; it was brunch; we all have those moments.
    The third time, I am sad to tell you, was not the charm. Your oysters were overpriced and not that tasty. Your mussels had sand in them (and not just a few, almost every one that I ate was grainy, and I heard that tell-tell crunch ring round the table). My three scallops, which I had previously been OK spending $20ish dollars on, did not live up to expectations. Lacking flavor, lacking zing, they sat upon a lukewarm bed of orzo and tomato that too was lacking. The steak was not cooked-too-order and was tough; the fries weren't hot. I have never been so happy to say no to dessert.
    So, Patois, what I want to know is, Are you slipping, or have I just been unfortunate enough to dine twice now when the better chef had the night off? You're making Bouillabaisse 126's cramped seating feel downright neighborly.

The other day a coworker ordered a Blackberry Green Tea Frappuccino® Blended Crème from Starbucks. I had a coffee. When said coworker received his glowing green concoction, ribboned with lines of dark berry syrup and topped with a very healthy dose of whipped cream, my interest was piqued; I asked for a sip. It's certainly possible that I've sucked up a more sugar-filled beverage in my day, but I can't remember doing so. On top of that, it was not a tasty beverage. And so I set out to compare the nutitional value of the BGTF®BC to a Big Mac. The info comes directly from the Starbucks' nutitional value portion of its website and from McDonald's. I'm using the Grande size Frap® with whipped cream.

Purple=about the same as a Big Mac
Blue=less than Big Mac if that makes it more healthy
Red=the same as, more than Big Mac, or less than if that makes it less healthy (see fiber* and protein* categories)