Al Di La

Al Di La
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn 11215
At Carroll St
718-636-8888

We finally made it to Al Di La! Considering how often it is mentioned, particularly in Park Slope foodie-lore, this was one restaurant we needed to check out. Famous for not taking reservations and ages waiting around, we'd decided against it multiple times in the past. This time we decided to go for it. There was an hour and 20 min wait even at 6pm on a Saturday (!), so we put our name in and took a walk, went to Union Hall for a drink (at least Al Di La calls your cell when your table is ready.) Al Di La also has a wine bar around the corner that you can wait in, so after Union Hall we headed there for a glass of Malbec which was very nice. A loud, somewhat cramped space at the wine bar, plus a small dining area too (wasn't sure if the menu there was the same). Eventually it was time, and they brought our wine glasses through to the restaurant since we were still mid-glass, while we walked around the corner outside and back into the restaurant, past the dark, velvet curtain into the loud dining room.

The vibe in the room was convivial and warm, though not as much character as rival Convivium Osteria in my opinion. Seats clustered together, lots going on given the popularity of the place. We waited a bit for our waiter but he was friendly and apologetic. I started with Casumzieei, which was ravioli with beets, ricotta, and poppy seeds, tossed in butter. It was simple, fresh, and richly satisfying. I never would have imagined ravioli with beets being so tasty. Hubby had carpaccio that he enjoyed, topped with capers, anchovies and parmesan.

For the main course I chose the hanger steak, which was tender and moist, served with arugula. It was very nice, though hubby’s pork stole the show—Saltimbocca alla Romana, with prosciutto and really nice golden potatoes. Pounded thin and tasty. For dessert a very memorable treat—vanilla ice cream and “almond prailine” (yum), “drowned” in espresso—different, and great mixture of flavors.

Overall very glad we went, and probably slightly better value than Convivium Osteria (I realize the food is slightly different there but the two do seem very comparable.). It was a nice date night, but may choose other options in the future instead of repeating the long wait. Recommended though!

Blogsoop reviews

Convivium Osteria

Convivium Osteria
68 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 857-1833

On a cold, dreary, drizzly winter night, Convivium Osteria is definitely a warm inviting destination. We did the long walk from South Park Slope to get there, and despite some slightly sore feet, it was well worth it. Hard to believe we waited so long to try it! Hope we get plenty more opportunities in the future...

As all of the online reviews say, this place feels like you are in a rustic restaurant in Europe. There seems to be 3 seating areas or levels, the front/main area where you first walk in, complete with small bar and shelves of wine bottles, the next level after a walk almost through the kitchen that has the feel of an outdoor patio with skylight, in fact, has an even more outdoor seating area for summer time that opens up, and an even lower "wine cellar" seating area. We sat in that second level area, near the glass doors that I'm sure completely open up for warm weather to the patio. The whole place is very warm and cozy, with lanterns and wooden accents and candlelight, and has plenty of character. Right away I knew this would be a great place to take visitors (though not much else in the immediate vicinity, location-wise. But worth the walk).

The food, over all, was the best we've had in months. Italian, but with "spanish & portuguese influences" according to their website. Really really sumptuous and flavorful. Yes a tad bit pricey ($30 for special/entree; $13 for pasta dish), particularly as portion sizes, at least what we saw, were fairly small for American standards. But it encourages you to savor each bite, as you should with such rich ingredients and flavors. We started with the "carciofo alla romana", artichoke marinated in olive oil with mint and garlic. It was delicate and delicious. I then had butternut squash "tortelli" with sage and butter... the plate was very small, almost more of a first course, but divine. I cut up my little pasta pieces into teeny bites to savor the flavors! The sweet and salty juxtaposition was perfect for me. Hubby had that night's special which was RIGHT up his ally-- venison loin with a blueberry & port-wine reduction sauce served with mashed potatoes. Wow was that amazing. The blueberry sauce was so tasty, I sopped up the extra with bread for another tasty treat, and the venison was very tender and well-cooked.

No dessert this time, but definitely hope to be back. I read that their cappucinos are great too, have to check it out.

Blogsoop reviews

Citysearch reviews

Watana Siam-- South Slope Thai

Watana Siam
420 7th Ave (13th/14th st)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718. 832.1611

Our local Thai restaurant really does it right. As a side note, can't believe I haven't written about a thai place yet, as Thai is one of my favorite types of food! Watana Siam is a small place that feels open-air in good weather when they open all the windows/doors and if you sit in the front you are basically on the edge of the street, great for people-watching. The dark wood interior and gold decorative accents make it feel classy and refined, and the byob policy suits the times when you are on a budget. Tables are fairly close together and when it's really crowded can be a bit loud, but otherwise very enjoyable atmosphere.

For starters, the satay is ok. The veggie dumpling with "sweet black garlic sauce" is divine. Their pad thai hits the spot; nice balance of peanut, lime, sprouts. The green curry is also very nice and classic, and chicken basil is decent to mix it up sometimes. If you are looking for good thai in the south slope, look no further.

Notable names: Noodle Pudding

Noodle Pudding
38 Henry St
Brooklyn Heights
(718) 625-3737

Yes, the name is a bit confounding. I read other posters saying they thought the restaurant was Thai because of the name until they got there. Certainly it's rare you hear Italians describing their fare as "noodles" or "pudding". A bit random. But I suppose a memorable name.

We read that you should "get there early", and then we were almost embarrassed as we got close at about 5:45 (does anyone under the age of 75 really go to dinner at 5:45??). Well apparently everyone who knows Noodle Pudding actually gets there at 5:30! The place was packed and there was already a line. It seemed they open at 5:30 and that's when the crowds swoop down. Luckily we were still early enough that we only waited about 5 min for a table.

Noodle Pudding felt like it was slightly in the middle of nowhere, but worth the walk. The ambiance was great, casual but atmospheric, with mottled walls and classy chandeliers and plenty of candlelight, sometimes shared seating with others, a loud vibrant feel, plenty of families, kids & toddlers. (Guess that's part of the answer of the why 5:30 question). Service was great, in fact the water guys were ridiculously attentive (at one point my water was filled, I took a sip, and within 5 min my sip was already re-filled).

Most importantly: the food. This was a winner, one of the best meals we've had in a while. Every dish we sampled was extremely tasty. All tasted fresh, and succulent; simple flavors and dishes, as is often the case in Italy, that come together for amazing meals. The bread and olive oil for dipping they bring is great. I dubbed the dipping oil "bruschetta in a bowl"-- it had finely chopped tomato, onion & basil in the olive oil dish, divine. The mussels with spicy tomato sauce appetizer was excellent. The sauce was almost a rich tomato soup with basil and just a hint of spice. The buffalo mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes with it were juicy and flavorful. The mushroom rissotto had by the hubby hit the spot for him perfectly, and my sage & butter gnocchi dish was simple and perfect. The tiramisu was one of the hubby's "top tiramisu choices", as it's one of his favorite dishes. The lady fingers were soft and moist, all came together very well. And the house wine was not bad for $14 (bottle). If this was in our neighborhood, would be a weekly treat! Worth all of the online praise.

Blogsoop link

Slope sandwiches and such

Naidre's
384 7th Ave (btwn 11th/12th)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718.965.7585

This tiny coffeeshop/cafe on 7th has always been delicious, no matter what we've tried. Personality is showcased on the sidewalk chalkboard sitting outside and updated each day. They sell coffee, sandwiches, salads, a display-case-ful of treats and pastries and cookies. Their sandwiches are perfect when I am craving something tasty but not formal and not from home. The Alamo is my absolute favorite--a chicken wrap with black beans, avocado, and chipotle dressing. The 7th Avenue, with chicken & avo on ciabatta, is very nice, as is the Farmer John with apples & mustard. Their house salad inspired me to put cranberries, goat cheese & walnuts on my own salads at home, though I haven't perfected their tasty balsamic dressing myself. Check it out for sandwiches & snacks!

12th St Grill, the Slope

12th St Grill
1123 8th Ave
(718) 965-9526
Park Slope, Brooklyn

We've lived literally a couple of blocks from the 12th St Grill for 2 years, but had never made it there. Possibly because we are such Magnolia addicts. But looking for somewhere to go on a "date night", we finally made the commitment to stop and eat there.

It's definitely in the market to compete with a Magnolia-type offering, and has fairly nice ambiance with candles at night, there were a few other couples there, as well as a few with kids. The windows are huge, which makes for a different feel than Magnolia somehow--Magnolia feels a bit cozier, 12th St feels almost like you are sitting on the sidewalk even when inside--great for a sunny day, wasn't quite so cozy at night.

The menu definitely tempted our tastebuds with many flavors, though it was slightly higher than we'd like to pay on a regular basis. I started off with a Tuscan tomato bread soup which was hearty & tasty. My butternut squash ravioli was extremely rich and delicious, BUT as often is the case with ravioli, it was a very small dish, 4 small ravioli, not nearly enough for the price. Hubby got the pork tenderloin which was alright, but not super memorable. All in all it was good to have as an option in the neighborhood, but will not make me salivate in the future....

Olive Vine pizza & houmous

Olive Vine
362 15th St
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 499-0555

We got Olive Vine last night, which is a very local spot featuring delicious Greek food. Their breads, pizza & pita are so fresh and delicious, great quality. For such an un-assuming place, the food is always great. Reminds me of spreads of turksish and greek snacks we used to get at a lot of great places in London. We had a plate with fresh houmous, tabouleh, black bean, and grape leaves, with fresh warm pita. And we shared the "olive vine pizza" which was to-die-for. Deliciously fresh veggies, a touch of mozzerella, fresh herbs and hints of cilantro; and great sauce. All must try the Olive Vine pizza. And very reasonable prices too. They have gyros and such that we haven't tried. Again, atmosphere is so-so; BYOB; but great flavors. It's all about the flavors.

Sushi in the Slope

Oshima sushi
71 7th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn 11217
At Berkeley Pl
718-783-1888

We've relied on Oshima as our go-to sushi delivery in the Slope for over a year now, and we finally decided to get ourselves up there in person. Oshima is up north on 7th Ave, at Berkeley Place. Inside it has wooden panelling and appears to be a typical sushi place, cozy enough. There is a bar to sit and watch the sushi chefs which is always fun. We ended up outside as it was a nice day, in the back garden, with the ivy growing along all of the surrounding buildings. The service was great, and the sushi was tasty as always, so we'll have to remember to come back if/when we want real live sushi outside of our own apartment.

Our staples for ordering are the spicy roll special plus the sunset roll, which is basically a california roll with salmon & avocado on top. Always nice presentation too.

This time we decided we should mix it up a bit. We tried the shrimp gyoza special appetizer which was AMAZING, as was the sauce, wish those were on offer every day!
We tried a special that was different--salmon, coriander, & jalepeno....very unique; now coriander is my favorite herb for sure, but all in all I probably wouldn't order that one again, a bit too bizarre. Also tried the "Fire dragon" with eel and avocado, plus spicy tuna on top of it, which was ok but not as great as the sunset roll favorite.

Overall the quality of sushi at Oshima always makes my tummy happy, but will probably go less into the strange mix-it-up adventure rolls, and stick to my favs which are generally salmon/avocado, tuna, and california, with some eel avocado thrown in for good measure.

Click here for Menupages

F Train to Totonno's

Totonno's

1524 Neptune Ave.
Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
718.372.8606

Keeping up the pizza trend lately, we decided to try out another popular pizza place this weekend, which involved a small journey out to none other than Coney Island-- Totonno Pizzeria, a staple of Coney Island since the 1920's.

This place was very reminiscent of Grimaldi's I must say, with a small, simple interior, the coal pizza oven in the back working away, the two glass windows out front and reviews and pizza/food ratings stickers all over (even the "no slices" standard sign). Also like Grimaldi's, you wait outside in a long line for the opportunity to wait some more inside for the famous pies.

Totonno's is in the opposite direction as the beach from Coney Island/Stillwell Ave subway stop, so at first it feels like you are walking to who-knows-where, but then you see the line outside. We waited 30-40 minutes or so, and then happily sat down, ordered our one pie & 2 cokes and waited another 15 min or so, reading all of the old reviews and news articles posted on the walls. Relatively run-down interior, but was expected. Eventually our pizza came out steaming hot on a big silver tray, and needless to say we were quite starved, so could hardly wait for it to cool down.

It was a decent size, for $16 or so, and like Grimaldi's and the big pie we had at Pino's, it had slices of fresh mozzarella and a fresh crust and tasty tomato sauce, all charred in the coal oven. It was warm and comforting and delicious, for sure. I would have liked some basil on top, like Pino's, and a few bites seemed a bit too charred, but it hit the spot.

It was the first visit to Coney Island, and we took a ride on the Wonder Wheel to check the place out from above. Was a beautiful day so nice to relax a bit on the beach as well. Otherwise about what we expected, nothing to draw us out there very frequently but amusing to see. And no, no Nathan's hot dogs on this visit, despite my love for flavors, hot dogs isn't really one of my faves! Plus the lines were a bit extreme.

Pizza flavors!

Pino's la Forchetta
181 7th Ave, Btwn 1st & 2nd
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-965-40
Recent discussions with visiting family about good local pizza have inspired me to expand my pizza horizons a bit and continue to sample those renowned pizza places! Looking for a new place to get delivery from in Park Slope, we read about Pinos online and decided to try it out. We got delivery a few weeks ago, and this week stopped in for a slice in person.

We've stuck with traditional pizza pies for the most part, ordering fresh mozzarella for delivery and plain cheese slices in person. The fresh mozzarella is more similar to the Grimaldi's style with the slices of mozz spread out and less overall gooey cheese. The plain cheese slices were very comparable to our staple slices from Smiling Pizza on 9th/7th that I really love, and much cheaper than fresh mozzarella. The large mozzarella pizza was $18, much more of an investment for a pizza than a plain large cheese. BUT it is quite tasty. I am definitely a fan.

The crust tastes fresh, no floppy mushy crusts like Anthony's here, and the ends are a bit thicker/breadier than some (yes I made up the word breadier); the sauce was tasty and I loved the fresh basil scattered on the top. It is pretty big so I guess that's part of the $18 price-tag.

The atmosphere isn't memorable in terms of going in-person, so I think I'll stick with take out or delivery (very neon-lights, felt like the type of place only worth stopping in on later drunken nights or something). But I'll keep Pinos on my speed-dial list for delivery for sure!

Sweets in the Slope

Sweet Melissa's Patisserie
175 7th Ave (between 1st/2nd)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-502-9153

Is there anyone who does NOT love Patisseries?? To me the Patisserie is the ultimate in decadent sweet shop, many steps up from the average cafe/coffee shop or bakery in the intricacy, colors, sheer beauty of the treats they have in the gorgeous glass cases. One of my favorite parts of visiting Paris is always the joy of Patisseries around nearly every corner. Just "browsing" in these sweet shops is an awesome activity, with the fruit tarts and éclairs and colorful treats never before seen. There are a fair number of places around NYC that call themselves patisseries, but Melissa's hits the nail on the head. It feels like you are in a cafe in Paris, very cozy and European. They have table service or takeaway, and the gorgeous glass display of European-looking treats and tarts, souffles & florentines & truffles, plus a great pie and cake selection. They do have an outdoor courtyard/garden that we haven't tried yet as well. They also have a lunch menu and an afternoon tea that I'm dying to try.

It's hard not to walk by and not stop in for a treat. (Especially with the beautiful cakes in the window!) We've become particularly fond of the delicious fruit pies! We had a slice of sour cherry & rhubarb that was to die for (by the way is rhubarb a northern thing?? I'd never even heard of it growing up in Florida; not til I lived in England. But hubby loves it and used to grow it in his back yard in Wisconsin!). Oh and it had--get this-- Pistachio crumbles on top! Yum. This week I tried the "Jumbleberry Crumble pie" or something to that effect, with a great berry mix and yummy crumbles on top, it was heaven. You can tell I must have a thing for crumbles. Their cafe au laits are quite nice too. When you are craving a sweet and a coffee in Paris, stop by Sweet Melissa's and forget about the rest of NYC outside.

Nov, 2007 update-- just a quick post-blog note: had lunch at Sweet Melissa's and it was so tasty! So even beyond sweets, check them out. A lentil soup with roasted garlic & tomato was fabulous, and the salad with roasted pears and stilton cheese was so tasty too... :)

Red Horse Cafe

Red Horse Cafe
Corner of 12th St/6th Ave
Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 499-4973

When I started this blog, I mentioned how Magnolia is one of our favorite local restaurant options. During the course of the first year we lived here, we noticed a new coffee shop going up across the street from Magnolia, which ultimately opened up as "Red Horse Cafe." The entrance was done up very nicely and it looked very inviting. It took a while before we began to stop in, and usually we just got coffees to go. I really enjoyed their iced mochas, though they did vary tremendously depending on who made them. They always had a small selection of treats in the glass case and on the counter to choose from, and the dark cozy interior had various wooden tables & chairs and usually people on their laptops there. I like the bar by the windows, and the couches. There are also a few seats/tables outside often. I do remember a couple of delicious scones we had once-- blueberry and pumpkin spice, they were heavenly. We've also seen signs recently that they've started selling alcohol, and are staying open later on weekends.

This week we decided to stop by on a hot summer afternoon and get lunch here. It was hot and sunny but not too humid so we decided to see if we could bear it outside under a small touch of shade. (I always enjoy soaking up sun, being from the sunshine state and all!) We ordered a chicken and grape sandwich and gazpacho. The sandwich was decent, though probably overpriced, but the gazpacho was delicious, very tasty and refreshing, perfect for summer. It's definitely a nice local place for a coffee and a quiet hangout.

Italian & Cajun combo-- brunch at Two Boots

Two Boots Brooklyn
514 2nd St (between 7th & 8th Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 499-3253

Lazy Sunday...hazy heat....zzzzzz! Oh yeah, wake up, it's blog time! What's with this heat anyway? Ok, yes I may be orig from Miami, but that does NOT make me immune to this sleepy heat-- where I come from, air conditioning follows you around like a personal-sized bubble-- a/c house (24 hours a day, always central), a/c car, a/c office, a/c stores & restaurants, none of this walking in the heat for miles to do anything with your day, no sir.

So this lazy Sunday we wandered to Two Boots on 2nd street. They obviously have pizza chains around Manhattan, and the once or twice I tried the pizza I wasn't in love, I admit. Something about the extra "cajun" spices in the sauce, wasn't for me.

But this location in Brooklyn is a full restaurant with many enticing-sounding cajun foods, plus the pizza selection. We've walked by when it's packed to the seams sometimes, and seems to be popular with the kids-- with alligators painted on the walls and a ride-the-alligator rocking-horse style attraction outside, you can see why. Very mardi-gras decor inside, we preferred the cute outside courtyard. It was slow this hot sunday afternoon.

We drank the "arnold palmer" iced-tea/lemonade combo which was sweet and refreshing. I had 2 eggs scrambled, which were average, though tasty with the hot sauce on the table, served with grits and homemade biscuits. The biscuits in particular were de-lish. Hubby had the Bananas Foster French Toast (ok so I also voted for him to get that one!), which was decadent and tasted like dessert! I do make a mean french-toast-with-bananas myself (if I do say so myself!), but this was heaven- the bananas are sauteed in Cointreau, orange juice, butter & brown sugar--yum! We are excited to come back and try the cobb salad, sandwiches, and dinner treats like jumbalaya. They also have happy hour 4-6 weekdays.
Stay cool!

Mexican in the Slope

Rancho Alegre
204 Garfield Place, at 7th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-369-2681
Menupages here

Oye, donde esta comida mexicana buena en la barrio de Park Slope?? Or some other attempt at a spanish search for good Mexican food round here! Mezcal is ok, Miracle Grill has good food but not exactly Mexican, and pricey. We'd walked past this upstairs place(Rancho Alegre) on 7th Ave many times and shrugged; looked kinda cheesey-tacky Mexican. On a recommendation we decided to check it out when a particular craving for margaritas and chips and salsa came on strong. A decent walk for us, but we made it and climbed the stairs, not very busy yet around 7:30 on a Saturday, got more so later on, and apparently a place many people bring their kids to. The cliche NY Mexican place in terms of style, and yes a bit cheesey-tacky in decor. But overall we enjoyed it and will be back.

We ordered a half-pitcher of frozen margaritas for $18, which filled our small margarita glasses multiple times. At first I was skeptical (which was a bit of a theme for this restaurant experience) because I'd never seen margaritas quite that color of green before, sort Nickelodeon slime-green or something, but they were actually very tasty, no complaints there once consumed. Then chips and salsa. Bit skeptical on the salsa at first because it looked so watery, but great cilantro flavor, we quickly consumed.

The highlight of our experience was the mole sauce. We had noticed a sign when we walked in--Award-Winning Mole Sauce. Now I'm not usually a big fan, despite being a lover of food in general, but my husband really likes a good mole sauce. He got the chicken burrito with the mole poblano sauce, and can I tell you we were both swooning over his plate. Possibly just a touch sweeter than other mole sauce I've had, and I was won-over by the rich flavor. My own dish was less exceptional, chicken fajitas that appeared orange in color from a flavoring that did not quite go with traditional mexican food in my opinion, and strangely-cut pieces that looked more like a chinese stir-fry than good grilled fajitas.

So skip the fajitas, enjoy the rich and decadent mole sauce, and bring on the margaritas and chips and salsa!

Cafe Steinhof

Cafe Steinhof
422 7th Ave, btwn 13th/14th
718-369-7776

Very nearby, we turn to Cafe Steinhof for a good German beer or some hot mulled wine on a winter evening. Have had brunch there a few times, hearty meals with meat and potatoes and eggs. We decided to take the visiting relatives there on a warm summer night, and most of the table ordered Jever pilsner. I admit it's not my favorite, a bit Heinken-like, but many others liked it. I had the meatloaf which was very good with a thick tomato sauce. Other favorites at the table were the Sauerbraughten-- I thought this was something "sour" but it's some kind of really good roast beef apparently (btw--huge portion, be warned!). And then the Cheese Spaetzle was like an elegant macaroni and cheese with great flavor, I have a feeling I'll be getting that next time I am craving comfort food.

2 "Bests" in Brooklyn: Pizza & Ice Cream

Yay for a 3-day weekend! Happy Memorial Day. For our memorial day, we thought we'd take this opportunity to check out a few flavor-favorites of New Yorkers that we had not yet experienced. Specifically Grimaldi's Pizza and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. We'd heard of these favorite flavors, somewhere in the area of the "DUMBO" part of Brooklyn we hadn't really been to yet, so we decided to check it out.

Took F train to York St, walked a few blocks, East towards the water and then South past the Manhattan Bridge. Along Water Street, we stopped in at Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop, as we heard that's a place to check out. Tiny compared to say those Max Brenner chocolate shops in the city, but lots of yummy-sounding things, and many chocolate-dipped things such as corn flakes, cheerios, marshmellows, fruits and more. We wanted to try some of their fancy drinks but as we already had two treats in mind we held off. Bought small pieces of chocolate to try later.

We made our way to Grimaldi's and found that the lines we'd heard of were very true indeed. The outside doesn't strike you as a place you'd think hosts the "best pizza in NYC" according to some, but the crowds are up on this fact, and wait patiently. It was a hot day and we stood outside for 30-40 minutes, now wishing we had gone ahead with the frozen hot-chocolate idea at Jacques Torres after all. We read the stories in the window while we waited, and observed the sign letting us know that even for take-out we must wait. Finally we were able to order our pizza and go; you can only order whole pies here, no slices. It was $13 for a small mozzarella pizza, and we carried it to the "park" along the river at DUMBO, between the Manhattan & Brooklyn bridges. Thankfully it was worth the wait....

Great thin crust, the right balance between being thin but not crunchy-cracker crust; the sauce tasted like actual fresh tomatoes chopped up just for our pizza, great fresh mozzarella, bits of basil. Can you say happiness in pizza form??

We enjoyed our pizza in the park, observing everyone who had brought their kids or family out for Memorial Day weekend, and the people walking across Brooklyn Bridge. It was nice to relax, and though I'm usually a big fan of travel, it was nice to not travel this Memorial Day.

Soon it was time for dessert, our other "fav flav". We walked back over to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, facing the pier where the ferry comes in. Yet another long line to test the patience of those looking for some yummy Brooklyn treats, and it doesn't help that every tour bus or circle line boat that goes by points out the place to all of the eager tourists!

We had heard that the Ice Cream factory uses all natural ingredients and is made right there in small batches. They are not trying to overwhelm with endless flavors, but offer a limited range of very good quality flavors, and amazing chocolate sauce. After another agonizing 30 min wait, during which every person who walked out with an ice cream was given evil eyes of jealousy by all who still continued to wait, we were able to get our treats. The strawberry shake tested fresh and subtle. The vanilla ice cream and chocolate-chocolate chunk rich and decadent, and the hot fudge amazing. Delicious end to the day, and you can count these in with our favorite flavors too!

Bar Toto

Bar Toto
Park Slope, Brooklyn
411 11th St
718-768-4698

Back in Brooklyn, for a 2nd try at the local Bar Toto. Italian food, dive-bar appearance from the outside. We avoided this one for quite sometime after moving to the neighborhood, despite its proximity to our apartment. Something about the hazy, rusty windows you couldn't quite see in and the beer signs out front, just figured it was another local bar, nothing special. Finally one day last year we went for their brunch, and it was actually quite good, and when you can sit outside along 6th Avenue there it can be a nice relaxing place for a weekend afternoon.

Well we hadn't been there since, so we decided it would be worth a Fri-night post-work try back in our neighborhood after a week of work. Convinced the hubby though he seemed skeptical, had to remind him that we did in fact enjoy brunch there before. Managed to get an outside table after a brief wait and got a couple of cold beers that were much needed. We started with the houmous plate with crisp warm pita (actually sort of grilled, different, very good). I really liked the houmous, with a nice drizzle of olive oil on it. Big plate, we were worried we would get too full from pita! Then ordered 2 pizzas to share. The plain I guess margarita was delicious. Thick gooey cheese, lots of tomato sauce (almost too much sauce if you don't like that, but I forgave that aspect), great flavor and strips of fresh basil. The other pizza was the vegetarian pizza, and we hadn't realized that there was no mozzarella on that one, only parmagian. Had lots of egglplant and zucchini, among other veggies. I liked that one as well, though the hubby was less thrilled, mostly because he doesn't really like eggplant and it wasn't quite "pizza" without mozzarella, if you thought of it as veggie flatbread it made more sense. The 2 pizzas were a lot for 2, we could have shared one. Leftovers for lunch the next day!

Miracle Grill, Park Slope

Miracle Grill (Click here for menupages)
(Southwestern)
222 7th Ave,
Btwn 3rd & 4th St
Brooklyn 11215
718-369-4541

It's so hard to be inspired to cook after work, right? Or is it just me? The other day after a drink with workmates, I figured my ambitions of going for a jog in Prospect Park were doomed, even though it was a gorgeous spring day. So I grabbed the hubby and we went for a "stroll" which wasn't much of a substitute for exercise given that the main purpose was to choose a delicious place for dinner! We decided to stop at Miracle Grill on 7th Ave between 3rd & 4th, as we had walked by before but never stopped in, and hey who's not a fan of southwestern or tex-mex or whatever exact variation this place serves (by the way is it truly a Bobby Flay creation??)

The atmosphere of the restaurant was fairly plain and un-memorable though the outside patio area was great for a nice day. The menu had a lot of great-sounding choices, though maybe slightly over-priced for what we wanted. Service was fine. We'd read something about great margaritas, so I tried the strawberry one. It wasn't the best; it was a lime margarita that looked like some kind of strawberry sauce was poured on top of. The lime part tasted good, but the strawberry didn't quite blend. Hubby's sangria was good.

I had the Barbequed pork & cheese empanadas, which I had interpreted to be different than it was (I thought it meant BBQ pork, plus a cheese empanada, but it was actually 2 empanadas, one with each filling). In any case they were EXCELLENT, really liked the flavors of the empanadas. There was a side of spinach that was ok, and a nice tomato sauce. Hubby got the shrimp & pinto bean burrito with rice and green salsa, which was tasy and his salad on the side had great dressing.

Not a bad place to check out from time to time in the slope. On the way back we ducked into the Cocoa Bar nearby for a chocolate cloud cookie, divine! Cocoa Bar has a garden area out back which looks like a nice place to hang out sometime.

Just found out, another parent visit is coming soon!! They've already said they're not so into shows and stuff, they'd rather save their show money for good food, so look out!

Second flavor: Suzie's sweet caramelized garlic chicken

Aunt Suzie restaurant
Park Slope, Brooklyn
247 5th Ave
(718) 788-2868

So recently for St Patrick's Day, my husband and I wandered up 5th Ave in Brooklyn to a few fun bars we hadn't been to before, one of which was the Lighthouse. When I looked it up online, it said something about "all you Park Slopers will know Aunt Suzie's; we're right next door..." which made me say, hmmm, take mental note to check out Aunt Suzie's! I looked it up online later, and sure enough it got rave reviews as an Italian home-cooking, affordable Brooklyn establishment.

As it is still restaurant week (see my previous post), actually, last night was the FINAL night of restaurant week, we wanted to be sure and take part one more time. 3 courses for less than $22, at tons of Brooklyn restaurants, you can't go wrong! So we again wandered up 5th avenue. We passed Blue Ribbon, which had people pouring out onto the streets waiting, and went up to Aunt Suzie to check it out. We walked in and right away I said "ooh, this is very cute. Why haven't we come here yet?". It's not a huge place, not that many Brooklyn OR NY restaurants are, but it felt very comfortable. There were tables in a variety of different shapes, some square, some round, some rectangular, with different types of chairs and antique-looking benches. There actually were a lot of bigger tables, so I'd say it's a good place to bring 4 or more. Unique chandeliers, and walls covered with old black and white pictures of things such as "Coney Island in the 30's".

We waited only about 5 minutes or so and then were seated at a round table that would seat 4, even though there were just 2 of us. As we sat down, I had a flashback of staying at a cute B&B in Warwick, NY, where there are antiques and cozy grandmother-style elements all around. There were paper doilies under each place-setting and crystal-style glasses that looked like they were from an older time period, plus different cloth napkins that looked like they were from someone's home instead of a 5th Ave restaurant.

We checked out the menu, and were excited by the different Italian options with many flavors included, and at the very reasonable prices. I proclaimed that this was "my new favorite restaurant", despite the fact that we hadn't eaten anything yet! We definitely planned to come back again sometime to sample different things. The menu includes appetizers such as mussels, pasta fagioli, seafood salad, and egglplant caponata. The salads sound fabulous, such as one with "honey roasted pear, goat cheese, & walnuts over mixed greens." There is a HUGE pasta list, and all the pasta dishes are 10.90. Like literally over 20 different options. The entree list is where the sweet-spot is, with things like Chicken Vagabond (with mozzarella, onions, mushrooms, & prosciutto in a marsala sauce) and shrimp fortunata (with fresh tomatoes, prosciutto, and mozzarella in a white wine sauce). They have pork, veal, duck and steak options, plus shrimp, mussels, salmon and tuna. They over a few pizzas, as well as a "really cheap menu" with things like chicken parm if you like.

Well last night was the restaurant week as I said, so for $22 each, we got a decent sized salad to share, a pasta dish each, a main dish each, and a dessert and coffee each. Pretty great value. The salad was amazing, topped with roasted red peppers, a mixture of beans and chickpeas, some carrots and salami, it was a virtual antipasti platter atop a salad, with a great olive oil dressing.

OH-- almost forgot, before the salad, they bring everyone a bread basket AND a plate of red pepper pesto and bruschetta toppings....divine! The pesto was amazing, we definitely wanted to lick the plate. Aunt Suzie, you should sell that stuff in bottles!

Back to the meal. The pasta was well-prepared, and the feature of the evening was my main course--- Chicken Garlissimo. I've never had anything like it--- caramelized garlic atop butterflied boneless chicken breast. The caramelized garlic was prepared in a rich, sweet sauce, and there literally must have been a whole HEAD of garlic on my plate. Each clove of garlic was dark, sweet, soft, and succulent. It literally melted in your mouth. I had basically one clove with every bite of my chicken. I've never eaten whole cloves of garlic like that before, definitely never had caramalized garlic, and never eaten so MUCH at one sitting! I believe I am still reeking of garlic today. ;) Apparently garlic is great for you cholesterol and blood pressure, not to mention immune system, though, so hey rock on. The dish was excellent, I highly recommend it.

My husband had the grilled tuna, which was fresh and well-cooked, with a nice subtle flavor, if a bit plain. For dessert with the set menu I had a hot fudge sundae with EXCELLENT fudge (mmmm), and the husband got the chocolate mousse which was good if you like mousse (I'm more of an ice cream chick myself!). We had a bottle of Montepulciano de Abruzzo wine which was excellent and only $15 a bottle, as well as coffee.

We will be back at Aunt Suzie's I'm sure! AND they deliver in Park Slope, come on!
My parents are coming to town this weekend coming up, for Easter, and I think they'd really enjoy the character of it and the food, so we'll try and take them. They're actually staying on our floor (!) for 5 (yes 5) nights, it will be an adventure! But it is also an excuse to go on a culinary tour of NYC (not like I wasn't already doing that), so I'll keep you posted on our food delights.

June, 2007 addendum-- we have since gone to Aunt Suzie's for brunch, and it was great-- about $16 each, includes champagne mimosas and breakfast buffet-- they had 3 different kinds of sausages, bacon, eggs, omelettes made-to-order, crepes, waffles & pancakes, several kinds of pasta and salads, chicken piccata, and a whole dessert spread including rice puddings, chocolate mousse, peach cobbler & brownies. All felt very home-made and delicious, and the group we were with enjoyed the atmosphere.

The First Flavor... Magnolia, our local favorite

I decided to start my 52 flavor experience with the restaurant nearest and dearest to my heart (and to my apartment-- it's right around the corner!), in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Yes I've been there before, and most of my 52 flavors will be new ones for me, but it's always nice to start off with something special, and Magnolia is definitely that.

Magnolia is located on the corner of 12th Street and 6th Aveneue in Park Slope, in a residential area not too far from Prospect Park. When we first moved to the neighborhood, we spotted it quickly when taking a walk, and noticed that its candlelight and white lights outside at night just seemed to emanate the word "cozy." However we first tried it for their Sunday brunch that they advertise on chalkboard signs when you walk by the outside (not for the candlelit dinners) . For a set price of $8.95 (or $11.95 including a brunch cocktail-- mimosa or bloody mary), you get one of their brunch or lunch specials, their signature "breakfast bread" that I can never get enough of, juice and coffee. We thought that was a great deal for NYC brunch, and became regulars for Sunday brunch here, especially when guests came to town. I particularly enjoy the eggs florentine, and my husband adores their french toast. One day I got "crazy" and DIDN'T order breakfast food but chose a lunch option, the chicken sandwich, and it was DIVINE, with a pesto dressing and delicious focacia... so we decided to try it out for dinner as well!

Once we tried one dinner at Magnolia, we were hooked. And given the proximity to our house, it becomes the standard delicious option to stumble over to time and again! Who needs to go up 5th avenue when you've got Magnolia nearby. They do have a prix fixe weekdays which is a great value, $22 for 3 awesome courses! Whether we do prix fixe or not, we've found that we love almost every dish we try there. For appetizers, their mozzerella and tomato tastes extra fresh and with just the right touch of basil. The cornmeal-crusted calamari, served with "slow-roasted marinara" and "buttermilk tziki" (how can you not order it when you read that) is great, and tastes nice and lighter than other fried calamari. Even the spinach dip is excellent. And the magnolia salad, with the candied pecans, apple and ranch dressing is hard to resist.

How many of their dishes am I allowed to rave about before you get tired of reading??
They have great pizzas, very thin-crusted so a little lighter but great flavor (and pizza and pint specials on Monday nights). Their steaks are extremely memorable, love the hanger steak and the cowboy steak. They often have fabulous specials as well as special occasions. We were there for a great New Year's eve dinner as well as an autumn 7-course dinner and wine tasting that was out of this world. It is the restaurant we ate at the night my husband proposed to me (later on that night), and we decided to pay our respects again last night on our 1-month wedding anniversary.

This is actually restaurant week in Brooklyn, so there was a special prix-fixe last night which I partook in. I had the calamari, which as I said above, was great (I gave my husband the tentacle pieces though I admit.) For my main I had the Penne Romano, which amazed me with its simplicity yet wow-factor! It is what I picture true italian cooking to be like-- simple fresh flavors coming together to make memorable meals. Penne pasta with just a light olive oil sauce tossed with chopped tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzerella, basil leaves, and toasted pine nuts, with some shredded parmesan on top-- yum!! My husband had a pasta special with shrimp that he enjoyed. For dessert the lemon cake, which was almost more reminiscent of french toast than cake, very good with rich berry sauce. (Next time-- the famous warm chocolate mocha cake!! Had it on our engagement night ages ago, it was amazing.)

Magnolia will always have a special place in our hearts (and tummys!), and I'm sure we'll continue to go there often. In the summer they set tables outside for a nice Sunday brunch along 6th Ave. I still like it best at night with the candlelight going, it strikes the right balance between charming and cozy but not over-the-top or cheesy. The staff are very friendly and most important, the flavors are fresh and fabulous!!! Check out their website at www.magnoliabrooklyn.com.