Neighborhood: December 2004 Archives

Enjoy the holiday! Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Posting resumes Jan. 3.

Spurred by word-of-mouth and NewYorkMetro's latest pizza spotlight, I tried Park Slope's Peperoncino last night with some friends. While the pizza was good--excellent even--I must dispell one myth, Peperoncino is not a pizza restaurant, or at least it doesn't want to be one. We picked up on this cue after being handed four menus but only one pizza menu. Our request for a second pizza menu was met with a raised eyebrow. The regular menu lists lots of yummy sounding Italian pasta and antipasto, but we stuck with pizza.

Of the pizzas sampled, the margherita best showcased the circles of rich di latte cheese and subtly sweet tomato sauce lavished on the pie.  No doubt the beautiful, gigantic wood-burning oven (probably about four times the size of my kitchen) plays a big role in the lightly charred thick crusts and paper-thin undercarriage. Each pizza (one with spicy sausage, one with clams, mussels and calamari, and one with ham, artichoke hearts and olives) had very distinct flavors, a feat considering the artful sparcity of ingredients. Probably one of the best pies of its type I've had in a while, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were breaking an unwritten rule by only ordering pizza.

The cesar salad was an unexpectedly pleasant starter, due to what tasted like a touch of lemon in its light dressing. We also sampled a brushetta topped in a heavy layer of goat cheese, caramelized onions and a smattering of olives, but the onion and olives were overpowered by the cheese. Best to stick with table bread.

Our biggest disappointment was the service.  Though the staff was friendly enough, our experience was peppered with odd occurences. Early in the meal, a bus boy came and rearranged everyone's silverwear, moving two table settings around, removing an extra one and taking away one person's napkin but leaving his silverwear.  When the appetizers arrived, we asked the same bus boy for a napkin, and he looked genuinely confused.  When the bill arrived, we all sat around silently contemplating how four people who ordered four $10-$14 pizzas could have spent $100 (it's BYOB at the moment).  Turns out we had been presented someone else's bill. No apology came with the new bill.  And then our request for two take-home pizza boxes for two separate households was met with another confused look. After much explaining that two pieces go in one box and the extra was to be boxed separately, all arrived in one box.  When we again asked for a second box, a metal tin with a plastic top was returned. Peperoncino is not letting those boxes leave without a fight!

Peperoncino is at 72 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. The phone is (718) 638-4760 and according to a posted sign, a liquor license is close at hand.

Although the only sign of the soon-to-be Thai place is a banner across the old  Josie's Java storefront, the message is clear: The northern end of Carroll Gardens, the old-school, old-timer, heavily Italian end of the neighborhood, is inching towards change. 

I only went into Josie's Java once before it closed, to get a bagel when Le Petit Cafe inexplicably ran out. When I walked in, no one was behind the counter, and an angry old woman from a dark corner asked me what I wanted.  My request for a bagel was not greeted kindly as it meant Josie had to rise from her chair and get it for me.  My lack of exact change also created a stir. However, as I was leaving, I detected a flash of warmth from the neighborhood legend that must account for her business lasting as long as it did.  Still I never went back, and I was saddened when I learned she died in late May of 2004. The New York Times wrote a great posthumous piece on her and her business. Unfortunately, it's only available for purchase on the paper's website.

The folks who own Banania Cafe and LULUc Cafe on Smith Street and Cubana Cafe in Soho have opened a Cubana Cafe in Carroll Gardens. Though the place was totally empty when I poked my head in this afternoon, it was bright and clean, and I got the super friendly  welcome one only receives from new employees in a new restaurant. Beyond the Cuban sandwich, the menu lists pulled pork with yucca, stuffed poblano chile with shrimp and calamari, and the ubiquitous roasted corn topped with chipotle mayo, cheese and chili pepper on a stick ($2). Almost everything's under $10. Perhaps this will give Pacifico a run for its money, and it'll start turning out $5 burritos that can rouse the taste buds. Though I will give Pacifico props for its margaritas, its budget menu leaves much to be desired--as do many of its slightly pricier entrees. For real Latin flavor, Maria's Mexican Bistro in Park Slope is divine.

You can find Cubana Cafe at 272 Smith Street, between Sackett and Degraw. Phone (718) 858-3980. Delivery. Takeout. Cash only.

In other restaurant news, Amy Langfield reported a fire at Zaytoons. I walked by today and saw a sad pile of charred tin pieces sitting outside the restaurant. Loved those pitzas.