Neighborhood: January 2007 Archives

Smith and Vine outgrew its space on 246 Smith Street a long time ago, but the good news is that the fab wine store is moving down the block to 268 Smith (across from Chestnut and Zombie Hut). They'll make the move the first week of February. Here's to more space for more wines on the $10 and under table!

Leo's at Court and Nelson streets (the former Sparky's) appears to be planning a comeback. The interior looks cleaned up and there's now a big "classy" white sign outside re-affirming the name. Do I smell an opening soon?

One of the things I love about living in Carroll Gardens is that you can experience the past while still enjoying the comforts of the current century (like, say TWO nights of double "24" action!). I give you Bob's Grinding Service, whose van I caught driving up Clinton Street yesterday. Bob has a bell that he rings when he stops and parks for a bit to alert customers, and then he moves on. Warms my heart; almost makes me want to leave my empty milk jugs outside tonight.

Just a friendly reminder that the Mulchfest is happening this weekend at Amazing Garden and Cobble Hill Park. Time to take any residual holiday angst and toss it in the chipper! Or, you could follow chef Josh DeChellis' lead and cook a steak on it.

So Brooklyn Yoga finally canceled its 7:30 a.m. classes, which makes me sad because I loved those classes. The only other nearby early morning option I know of is Area Yoga, but they're currently not on my best list because I had a spa treatment there the other day, and the spa couldn't provide me a receipt for my insurance. Normally, I go to Cornerstone Healing (hands down the best massage in the neighborhood), but Cornerstone was booked, so I decided to try Area. Not the best massage I've ever gotten, though not the worst, but when I asked for a receipt, they claimed the only receipt they could possibly give me was a credit card receipt. So I asked, "You can't handwrite me a receipt on an invoice?" Nope. They don't have them. And they've never been asked for a receipt before, ever. I am the only crazy person who ever needed a receipt. Uhuh. Hard to believe that a company that owns no less than eight locations in Brooklyn can't scare up a receipt that someone needs for their insurance.

OK, now I've got that off my chest ... is their yoga any good?

UPDATE: The owner of Area contacted me and offered a printed, itemized receipt. She also offered several free yoga classes to make up for the inconvenience. I'll report back on the classes!

Beatsme already supplied us with at atmospheric night-time shot of Layla Jones and a favorable review of the new Cobble Hill restaurant's pizza. After two pies there over the weekend, we're going to have to agree to politely disagree with his assessment. It's not that the pizza is tasteless or the ingredients are of low-quality, because neither off those things are true. It's that the pizza tastes like something my mom would make from Pillsbury Ready Crust Pizza dough (and maybe that's OK for this obviously kid-friendly joint).

The crust was moderately thin, although it didn't come near the thinness of other famed neighborhood joints, and, unfortunately, it was a soggy mess. We decided the problem was the pan. It appears that they cook the pizza in a baking pan, instead of directly on the hot oven surface (in home cook's parlance, on a pizza stone). We did really like the sweet sausage topping (skip the red peppers as they increase the sogginess), but left feeling like we'd paid $16 bucks (plus tip) for something that was less tasty than a homemade Boboli.

I feel bad disliking a place with a cutesy little story (they named the joint after their kids). And kudos to our waiter who was pretty much the nicest person to ever walk a pizza to a table. Sorry, Layla, but I'd rather have a $3 slice from Vinny's.

January:

• I missed the idiots of the Idiotorod but managed to find ping-pong in Williamsburg and a burger place I'd visit again and again.
• A doppleganger finds Sebastian; Sebastian doesn't seem to mind.
• Abilene opens, and ABL gets drunk more often.
• A Dunkin' Donuts banner appears on Court Street.
• A gigantic American Apparel store appears on Smith Street.
• Schnack raises its prices--the neighborhood gasps.
• Winston likes squirrels on TV just as much as he likes squirrels outside his windows.

February:

• We finally try Caserta Vecchia's pizza and the pizza debate continues.
• Key Food closes on Court--we now have to walk too far for groceries.
• The Costas statue travels to Switzerland.
• The neighborhood debates building size and aesthetics.

March:

• Zipper turns to Hasker.
• Neighborhood friendliness takes a new turn with free shredded cheese.
• Our first ever podcast (we did 47 total for 2006).
• How "no parking" signs are done in Bklyn.

April:

• The Good Fork media explosion (and our dinner).
• We do our civic blogging duty and hit up Taste of Chinatown, again.
• The re-emergence of Subway Reads series thanks to La Penguina.
• Shopsin's briefly flirts with Brooklyn (and is now closed).
• Spring comes to Brooklyn in the form of flowers.
• Yet another Sebastian doppleganger.

May:

• ABL checks out City Island right before Mooncurser closes.
• We rent a car, drive to Spumoni Gardens, dislike the pizza and endure verbal mud slinging from the old neighborhoodies.
• We checked out Greenwood Cemetery and get a good look at the Brooklyn parrots.
• BoCoCa sounds as lame as ever.
• Pathmark fails to impress.

June:

• We tried spumoni and didn't like it; another failure in our test of Brooklyn worthiness.
• The Brooklynite magazine ends its short run.
• Brooklyn bloggers go crazy at the first ever Brooklyn Blog Fest.
• We discover the best Italian ice on the planet--happily it's on Court Street.
• Strawberry-rhubard pie is delicious! (click for the recipe)
• Harry's at Water Taxi Beach opens.

July:

• DiFara's blows our pizza-loving socks off.
• We check out Fire Island and leave thinking it would be much better to, say, own a house there than stay in an overpriced motel.
• Italy (and Carroll Gardens) had a lot to celebrate--Go Italia!

August:

• The space that used to be Sparky's adds flagstone (and it's still not open).
• The stink plant blooms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
• The Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky.
• We try pie on a stick for the first time.

September:

• What we liked about Atlantic Antic.
• Park Slope's Tea Lounge comes to Cobble Hill.
• We ate a Dunkin Donuts ice cream cake (whoops!).

October:

• Henry Street is hot with Lucali's pizza.
• DUMBO Arts Fest rocks.
• We go apple picking in Long Island.
• Petite Crevette wows with the best crab cakes around.

November:

• Whole Foods breaks toxic ground.
• A giant sock monkey is seen roaming the Carroll Gardens streets.

December:

• BeatsMe gets a fuckin' haircut.
• Everyone photographs 11 Spring.
• Heights Players impress with "Into the Woods."