Red Hook Summer (the movie, not a lame title for a post)

We went to see Red Hook Summer at BAM. Before I say anything else, let me just take a moment to talk about the coffee. At the concession stand. It's terrible. And for $2.25 for 8oz in a 12oz cup, it's extra bad. I know, I know. You don't expect good coffee at the same place you pay $5.50 for a soda the size of a fishbowl, but my experience before coming to New York was that "art house" theaters tend to offer a higher grade of snacks and beverages. Illy should be the standard, and nobody should drop below a Starbucks level. You've obviously got a more discerning viewer than the person who sees Expendables 2 multiple times and considers it the film of the decade. A more discerning palate wouldn't be a shock. I think we'd all agree that if we have the choice, we'd pay an extra fifty cents or even a dollar for a regular sized and well made cuppa joe while we enjoy a Wes Anderson film or a documentary about a font.

Two please

So the movie... It was good. Some great camera shots. The guy from The Wire is amazing. The big twist halfway through was a shocker. There are a couple "Dawwww" scenes, and some good laughs. Worth watching, but you could wait till it comes to tv or Netflix or something.

Crisp cool morning, warm breakfast

Couleur Cafe is currently offering what might just be the most satisfying little breakfast dish a person could have on a cool September morning.

It's well below 70 before work now, and they open at 7AM, so you'll just have time to sit down and enjoy a delicious but hastily made cappuccino or a latte while they make you an order of baked eggs.

Hot Cap

From the specials menu, you can add any three ingredients from a very short list, and choose a side of either toast, garlicky potatoes, or salad. I felt like I scored a win with Gruyere, bacon, and caramelized onions. Layered in a small ceramic tartine dish with two eggs cracked on top and baked for ten minutes, this was like a little delicious oven in my tummy for the rest of my morning.

Baked Eggs!

The the eggs maintain a mostly runny yolk, at the expense of also having a slightly runny white, but there's enough deliciousness below them to soak it all up, and the potatoes I chose on the side were there to help and be tasty while they were at it. The nest of onions and bacon held together by one of my favorite melting cheeses could have stood on its own, but runny egg yolk always makes a breakfast dish that much better.

If you're up early and can't quite shake the chill, head over and treat yourself.

-SdJ

Roots cafe

We've been venturing south of Prospect Avenue/Parkway lately on 5th Avenue. It's funny how that part of town has always been off of my radar, even though it's certainly closer than some of the other areas we have explored recently. (Until recently, the only reason we would cross Prospect was to get to Eagle Provisions for their unlimited beer selection.)

If it weren't for the sandwich board, you's never know

This week we went to Roots Cafe one morning for coffee and a breakfast pastry from someplace other than our regular haunt at cafe 474. The cafe itself is adorable, but might be trying a little too hard with their plethora of quirky objects on the wall. Some comfy chairs and a bookshelf with a few board games were signs that it's just fine to stay a while.

Comfy Adorable Interior

The baristas are friendly and the patrons were all relatively young and cool and babyless. In the 40 minutes we stayed about a dozen people came and went and they all seemed to know the guys behind the counter, so there's clearly a regular crowd.

Iced coffee isn't the best indicator of a quality cafe, but it's pretty good here. The bagel with cream cheese and tomato I ordered took about 15 minutes to hit the counter, but it was delicious with flavorful fresh tomato slices that could have easily been skimped on. My everything bagel turned out to be whole wheat, which was actually kindof a nice surprise.

Everything bagel, Cream cheese and tomato

I'm not getting all food critic on this place. Just enjoying the little details. I can see why so many people come here, despite the faded storefront that's almost invisible from across the street. If you can find this place, it's a nice comfortable spot to spend an hour or two.

SdJ

Ted and Honey, Cobble Hill

On a very long walk the other day, we found ourselves in Cobble Hill in and thirsty. We had wandered too far north on Columbia street and had to turn east before the expressway. The map app on my iPhone showed Ted & Honey as the closest place to get a casual beverage during that strange afternoon time between 3 and 5 when nobody is open. Like other places I've mentioned, this is a business which has exactly two locations. (The sibling is in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.)

Cozy Sidewalk out front

The bright red entrance, complete with babyholding couples out front, was welcoming and assured us that a little perspiration wouldn't be frowned upon. Once inside, the Helpyourself water pitcher confirmed that we were in the right pace to quench a thirst. The staff behind the counter, (although the website gives the impression that there is table service during dinner hours,) were friendly and happy, even to the point of singing along a bit with the old jazz playing over the speakers when they weren't helping patrons.

Happy sunflowers

There's a full espresso-bar menu, and iced coffee was my original intention. Something cold and invigorating at the same time. And the coffee here is good and strong. But then I noticed the drink specials. There doesn't seem to be a full liquor license here, but beer and wine are well chosen. The specials are of a variety that I've grown to appreciate lately: lighter summer drinks made with beer or wine rather than hard stuff. These are the kinds of things you can drink all afternoon and keep a nice buzz without blacking out after dark. The Shandy, a mix of pale beer and lemonade, is the perfect summer afternoon beverage. They also had a nice dry soda and red wine cocktail, and the "Sunshine in a glass" which was basically a prosecco-based mimosa with some dry rose mixed in, all for only $6! considering I'd just had a much smaller mimosa for $9 during brunch, this was a bargain. I still went for the Shandy because of some misplaced notion that mimosas are only for breakfast.

The inevitable iced coffee

Drink the Shandy!

There's a little wall of treats you can take home with you, including pre-packaged beverages, branded coffee mugs, local honey, and "Ted's Orange Apricot Jalapeno and Chipotle hot sauce." There's also Wifi, so feel free to stay a while. (Although to be fair, you should probably vamoose around 5 for the dinner setup. But I'm just guessing about that.)

Market shelves

Don't forget to try the Shandy.

-SdJ

Cozy Entrance

Kahawa cafe, park slope

Kahawa just opened less than a week ago on 15th street and 5th avenue. It's a little coffee and pastry shop with a good selection of cold beverages too. A tiny little corner space, cute without trying too hard.

They use Illy coffee, which I haven't seen much of here in Park Slope, but the iced coffee is pretty flavorful. The staff is super friendly but you can tell they are still getting comfortable with the new space.

The pastry selection looks great, with lots of the things you expect to be able to order with a latte or cappuccino, but there are some happy extras like the homemade Twinkie-like-concoctions that come in different flavors like Red Velvet and Almond Cream. Red Velvet was really intensely red with cream cheese filling, while the almond cake was moist and marzipan-y with a lighter cream filling. Both were delicious, and everything was super affordable. Try this place before they start raising prices.

-SdJ

Cafe Regular, 11th Street

You've probably been to one of the two locations here in Park Slope. Cafe Regular and Cafe Regular du Nord are, like a lot of other businesses here in Park Slope, chains of two. Twins wouldn't be accurate, but siblings, certainly. Both are tiny little cafes you can barely squeeze into, yet they are somehow so comfortable that you really don't want to leave. The word "swaddled" comes to mind. The "tables" here are just big enough for two drinks and a small plate, and the window-box seats seem like the most perfect place in the world to hole up on a rainy day and drink a hot beverage. Their website has some links that aren't really current, but there are some much more artistic photos there than what I'm loading up here:

The tiny facade

The more convenient of the two for me is on 11th street, where the usual barista is apparently the most popular guy in the neighborhood. I come here at least once a week, and I don't think I can remember a time when I've been in ordering my coffee where one of the female patrons wasn't openly flirting with him. Well he does make a mean cappuccino, after all.

Goat: "I'm hot from unicycling now"

Unlike a lot of little places around here, they not only take credit cards, but they don't even have a minimum charge. When you're in a hurry to get to the subway and you don't have time to stop at an ATM, it's nice to still be able to enjoy some really good coffee. (They use La Colombe, based in Philadelphia. One of my favorite roasters.) Their cold-brew is amazingly rich. Hands down my favorite iced coffee I've found so far in the neighborhood. Their pastries (From Colson, I've heard,) are delicious, especially the chocolate croissants and raisin danishes.

Also, get a punch card!

Other than basic breakfast pastries, you can sometimes get soft-boiled brown eggs here, and they fresh squeeze the orange juice to order. Their 11th street location doesn't sell coffee beans, though. (No space!) but the slightly larger Berkeley Place du Nord location does sell bagged beans in your choice of grind. If you haven't been, go. And if you can find a seat, take one. And thank me later.

-SdJ

This is the whole place

Almondine bakery, Park Slope

There's an adorable little French place tucked away in the first floor of one of those big brownstones on 9th street. Almondine has some little outdoor cafe seating set up sometimes, but if the weather isn't cooperating, there won't be any chairs or tables to give this place away. The door is under the stairs a few houses down from 7th avenue, so go look for it. This place is cash only, and apparently the second of two locations in Brooklyn (the other being in DUMBO,) and their website is a little rough.

Just inside the door under the stairs...

The display of pastries is impressive ranging from beautiful little fruit tarts to financiers and operas and all the other traditional creations you'd expect from a top tier dessert cart in those almost extinct white gloved French restaurants in the old black and white movies. Lucky for you, this place is in color.

Full Color foods

Other than the pastries, everything is super casual. Overstuffed couches and chairs are inviting from the back of the room, and little wooden chairs with tiny marble topped tables are spaced about the front. Food was served on plastic by a very sweet woman behind the counter, and if you parlez a little francaise, so does she.

We stopped in here on a humid and sunny morning, and the cool almost grotto-like feeling of this downstairs cafe was exactly the cure for the slightly uncomfortable weather. Iced coffee was flavorful and bright tasting. Probably not a cold-brew method like a lot of places here, but obviously a good quality bean.

Madeleines were big and cakey. Not super dense, but enough to hold together well, with a slight citrus flavor of lemon zest.

Mmm... Prousty

We finished with quiche. One of the three flavors of the day, a simple French ham and gruyere. I love a good quiche. I can be super picky about all kinds of things when it comes to quiche: the crust, of course, the egg custard, the fillings, etc.

Quiche aux jambon et fromage

This was love at first bite for me. The crust was a basic short paste, respectable but not the center of attention. The filling was perfect, more cream than egg, more custard than omelette. Rare, it seems, When lots of places are content to put what is basically a frittata in a frozen pie shell and call it a day. The ham was tasty but not too salty or smokey. Important so as not to overpower the delicate flavors of nutmeg and white pepper in the custard. This I the kind of quiche you'll eat cold, just because you don't want to wait another minute for the toaster oven to heat it up.

Bakery staples like baguettes and croissants were available as well, so even if you can't stay, there's some delicious things to take home, too. Try this little gem out.

-SdJ

Comfort at Hanoi

The storm changed our plans Sunday night, so my lovely companion and I instead went close to home for some comforting Vietnamese. Hanoi on 9th street above 7th avenue is one of our two main stops for Banh Mi, (the other being Hancos, for their frequent sandwich card and proximity to the subway.)

Tonight we both ordered Vietnamese iced coffees, and split the fried pork dumplings. The iced coffee here is the best kind of too-string instant mixed with sweetened condensed milk. (We've ordered it as delivery, though, and it was too milky.) Pork dumplings were crispy outside and meaty with scallions inside, but a little pink. Still delicious with the sweet soy and rice vinegar dipping sauce.

My lovely companion's usual, the grilled chicken Banh Mi, was too heavy in the spicy mayo this time, but in the past we've thought they nailed it. Shredded carrots, cucumber, and cilantro had a cooling effect on the medium-spicy sandwich. The grilled chicken here has a frozen-and-reheated texture, but lots of grill flavor.

Crispy pan-fried rice noodles with seafood were a new dish for me here, and with the extremely vague menu description, I was curious to see what it entailed.

Some kind of crab or lobster substitute was featured with scallops that had obviously been frozen and were chewy because of it.

The rest of the dish was pretty great though. Perfectly plump shrimp, crisp snap peas, bok choi and savoy cabbage. Carrots and baby corn were even firm and crunchy. The highlight was the salty and addictive broth that all of these were coated in and which soaked the crunchy rice noodles. We couldn't get enough of the noodles and cleaned the plate. A vegetarian version of this dish would be perfect, actually.

-SdJ

Grilled Chicken Banh Mi.

Fried Pork Dumplings

Hanoi

Crispy Pan Fried Noodles

Iced Coffee

7th Ave Donuts

I've heard from locals that this place is kindof a Park Slope institution, and while I've walked past it almost weekly since arriving here in Brooklyn, I was never enticed to go in. I know there's a certain attachment to local favorites, and I hope you'll forgive an outsider's perspective. The exterior decor is on par with your run of the mill Brooklyn deli, diner, or dollar store, and the faded burgundy awning and plastic sign above it easily look their 35 years, though I'm sure they've been renovated at least once in that time. The more time I've spent here, though, and seen store fronts and restaurants close and re-open monthly, the more rare something like this seems though.

We went on a Saturday at 8AM and promptly found a seat. The coffee was, in my opinion, a step up from the worst of diner coffee, but nothing I'd come for over all the coffee options in Park Slope. My lovely companion ordered a sausage egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel and I had over-easy eggs with potatoes, sausage and toast. Basic diner fare. The american cheese was orange (This is something I've only noticed in New York and the surrounding areas... do you realize that most of the east and west coasts use white American cheese? Orange seems to be almost entirely found in the midwest and here in NYC.) The sandwich was passable, nothing special.

My eggs and sausage were great, but my potatoes were under salted, (And I don't like much salt to begin with,) and tasted like chemical grill cleaner. 24 hour grills need to be careful with how they clean things and still meet orders, and someone didn't finish before starting the massive pile of potatoes visible on the grill through the kitchen window. I was unimpressed.

We ordered a bakers dozen of mixed donuts to take home and got the check. Here's where I started to realize why people love this place. Two breakfasts, two coffees, and 13 donuts: $16.77. I can barely get two pastries and two coffees at most coffee shops here for that.

And then we had the donuts. Well, some of them. Much heavier than Dunkin' or Krispy Kreme, there's no way 2 people could eat a baker's dozen after breakfast. We had a couple though, and they were all fantastic renditions of classic donuts. Nothing fancy, and nothing out of the norm, but superb. The marble twist was a standout. Crunchy outside, not too sweet cake inside, sugar glaze, and huge! The classic jelly filled was chewy, sparkly-sugar covered, and with pretty respectable jelly filling. There are going to be donuts around here for a while.

-SdJ

Philadelphia excursion, Part 1, La Colombe and Rittenhouse

Hello readers,

There's so much to write about from the last 48 hours that I'm going I parse it into more manageable bites, so to speak. A trip back to my hometown, lots of great food, friends, two concerts, and some great little random moments in between.

The view of the Philadelphia Skyline from the Mann Center's Skyline Stage

My lovely companion and I booked a room at Rittenhouse 1715, not to be confused with the Rittenhouse Hotel. This is a charming little Bed and Breakfast half a block off of Rittenhouse Square Park in center city Philadelphia. While the desk staff at lunch time are very sweet, they were a little awkward too. Charming? As we were early, the room wasn't ready yet, but we left our bag to go kill an hour while they finished it.

Our choice of beverage while waiting for check-in was La Colombe, across the park. If you haven't seen their dove-in-flight logo at coffeeshops in Brooklyn and Manhattan, or either of their three free-standing locations here in New York now, you just aren't paying attention. This Philly-based roaster has had their cafe on 19th street since the dawn of time, and it's always been pure class.

Standing in line across from the early 1900's style coin operated refrigerating despensor for their house "Pure Black" bottled iced coffee, (put in coins, door unlocks. Grab a 4 pack holder, and fill it with bottles!) we watched a barista in vest and tie work the line. I stepped outside of my normal routine and ordered a coffee granita (house cold brew, ice, sugar, milk,) and my lovely companion ordered a bitter iced mocha. We receive our drinks at the end of the line, near the free water machine, serving super-purified room temperature, cold, or even sparkling water. (eat your heart out, Molecule!)

The mocha was very chocolatey and hardly sweet at all. (just perfect, if you ask me.) My drink was refreshing on the surprisingly sunny day as we wandered through the park, and got to sit and watch swing dancers from Lindy and Blues having a great time on one side of us, while a young couple with a banjo and tiny accordion performed at the other end of the park. Perfect way to kill an hour while your room gets ready.

Back at the hotel, our room was large, with a couple of requisite antiques, but a modern and super comfortable bed, substantial modern bathroom (rain spout shower head and wand, teak bench, etc.) and a much larger than necessary flat screen TV. The only drawback was our view of the alley behind the building, but we were really using the room as a base of operations and not as a place to hole up for the weekend. Free chocolate chip cookies in the lobby were a cute perk, and the basement cafe was as adorable as one could probably make it.

More to come in part 2

-SdJ

Mexican brunch at Fonda

We've been walking by this place for weeks now and saying we need to try it. Fonda on 7th avenue between 14th and 15th is apparently the second location of this restaurant by Roberto Santibanez. (the other being on avenue B in the East Village, and not to be confused with "Fonda Nolita" on Elizabeth street.) Its a pretty little space that looks like a lot of money went into making it look really simple.

At 11:05, we were the second table there, and it didn't pick up too much by the time we left around noon. (does everyone in Brooklyn sleep really late on weekends? Or are there just too many options for great brunch here?)

Coffee only comes in a French press for two at $5 and was superb, despite a hairline fracture in the carafe that caused a slow leak throughout our breakfast. Both of our spoons and one of our mugs being delivered with dried bits of food stuck to them could have ruined what turned out to be an excellent meal.

Most of the food options were what you'd expect to see on a Mexican inspired brunch menu, and I ordered Huevos Rancheros ($12, made with organic eggs) while my lovely companion chose the Burrito Texano (ditto.)

The huevos were perfectly cooked and stacked on a nice pair of crispy tortillas sandwiching refried black beans, (the beans here!) chorizo, (which was bright red and a little too timid for my taste,) and diced onions, and topped with queso fresco, crema, and cilantro. This was all smothered in a very red salsa ranchera which was a little too tomato-y at first bite, but turned out to be rather complex with cumin and then chile with each bite building heat. By the end I had finished everything but a plate of sauce, and resorted to using the complimentary rice and beans to soak up every last drop.

Let's talk about rice and beans. Every time I see a combination platter on a Mexican menu that includes rice and beans, I flee to the a la carte section. Almost every mexican place I've eaten presents the same pale orange rice with some flecks of red pepper (or worse, the obviously frozen peas and cubed carrots!) and some taupe colored refried bean paste. The equivalent of fries and a crappy soda in your fast food combo meal which aren't actually worth the extra you pay over the price of your Baconator or whatever, but they offer "perceived value." There are exceptions to this rule, and this place was one of them. In the bean category, at least.

Fonda's rice is bright sunset red, frozen vegetable-free, but still pretty mild. I get the feeling that a lot of chefs in Brooklyn balk at a little heat for fear of scaring off their guests, but maybe I've just missed the spicy food here so far. (Please, send me any comments or recommendations about spicy food in general!)

Fonda's beans were transcendent. That's a word I don't throw around lightly. When I first learned the meaning during my art school days, I understood it to define something that surpasses the medium in which it is created. The Last Supper, (to stick with the food topic,) did to wet plaster what most people couldn't have done to a canvas and oil. These beans, purple-black, still somewhat chunky, but wet enough to be a sauce or a salsa or a stew or whatever else you might want, are so much more than beans. They are smokey and full of earthy flavors like wood and spice and cocoa. I'm sure there's chocolate in there, which would be a beautiful way to play with the variations of bean in Mexican cooking. I could eat them straight, dip tortillas in them, or put them on every bite of my entree. Which I did.

My companions burrito was big and full of scrambled egg, chihuahua cheese, that same timid chorizo, and roasted potatoes, and covered in a delicious avocado colored tomatillo sauce. A few dollops of a spicy brick red chile sauce offered some longed-for heat.

Both entrees were perfect and filling and we wouldn't have had room for an appetizer or a dessert. Tables near us ordered the Chilaquiles Rojos, and the made to order guacamole for two (served in a lava-rock bear bowl, it's on the main menu, so don't forget that there's more than just the brunch menu they hand you.) Both are on my to-eat list. Come with more friends so you can share an try more dishes, or sit at the small but well stocked bar.

Deal alert: While the menu promises a free mimosa, rosalita, or Fonda bloody "mery" with each entree, our server never mentioned them. (Just as well since we weren't planning on turning this into an all day brunch.) Still, $12 for a large entree and a nice beverage to start the day right is not a bad deal.

-SdJ