Konditori extends its Swedish Coffee Empire to Greenpoint
Food lovers of Greenpoint! Only three weeks in and 2014 is already looking to be the year of the eatery. A whole host of new cafes and restaurants are popping up on our fine, frosty streets and whilst some are still hanging their awnings and smoothing down the plasterwork, others have already flung open their doors to beckon us in. Continue reading →
If you have any relationship with The Richardson—albeit it a one-nighter, Grand Ferry (229 Kent Ave) will feel strangely, wonderfully, familiar. And that’s because co-founders Jon Derosa and Joel Lee Kulp—as well as the staff, are transplants from Greenpoint’s popular speakeasy. Located on Kent Ave in Williamsburg, this waterfront tavern is inspired by a ferry that docked nearby until 1918.
Dig old stuff? If you are an antique nut like me, you will appreciate that the mirrors, prints, and resident mermaid (who exists as a sculpture and is printed on Grand Ferry’s matchbox) all hail from Kulp’s treks to the Mecca of antique fairs—Brimfield. Lining the walls are early 20th century prints of the East River—including one of the East River bridge, now known as the Williamsburg Bridge. Continue reading →
Greenpoint is blowin’ up, and we all know it. Case in point: Alameda (195 Franklin St,) opened by design gurus the Haslegrave brothers, is their first brick-and-mortar space. Evan and Oliver’s design company Home is responsible for the interiors of The Manhattan Inn and Paulie Gee’s, so we certainly expected the old-school charm of rustic wood accents and loads of exposed brick in this new space.
Upon first glance, Alameda pops in a way that other Greenpoint examples of the Haslegraves’ work doesn’t. Clean white walls adorned with glossy white tile open the space up infinitely, and are accompanied by nautical detailing in both the light fixtures and molding. In fact, a gentleman seated next to me at the bar remarked that the space felt like it should be on Tatooine. It felt like drinking in the below-deck bar of ship from the future that I was absolutely going to sail upon one day. I felt home.
The cocktail list at Alameda is perfectly curated, with several standouts utilizing different liquors in their most elevated incarnations. My personal favorite was the Roberto Burns, a smoky mezcal delight with a generous orange rind strip served over a single ice cube. This drink is like sex below deck.
A friend enjoyed the Pita Amour, a lovely tequila concoction served up with a lime wedge. Petite, clean, and delicious.
The Phil Collins, a gin and Lillet stunner, could’ve nearly been called a salad; it had so many fresh accoutrements, including mint, lemon, and lime. An ideal summertime cocktail, folks, and I trust you won’t forget the name.
The edibles menu pleased us very much, as did the prices. Though a $17 foie gras breakfast sandwich is on offer, most items are more moderately priced around $10. A standout item on the current menu is a roasted fruit and goat cheese sandwich on baguette, the perfect combination of tang, crunch, and tender fruit without the syrupy sweetness of most jams. Along with the $9 cheeseburger (which feels like a grown-up version of In-N-Out,) their killer cocktails, and the spacious bar area and actually comfortable booths we have a winner here. Or, as I have been describing it to all my girlfriends, “our new GPT go-to.”
When we visited Florida we drove up the middle of the state to see some birds at Lake Okeechobee. We got in late and our options were: Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and Black Gold Steakhouse. We obviously ate at Black Gold and enjoyed deep fried green beans. The next day we had breakfast at Ding-A-Ling Deli. Otherwise, the options for shit food were endless.
On a typical Friday night in Greenpoint, while figuring out where to go to eat or get a drink with friends, I always step outside myself and view the conversation from above and we always sound like a bunch of spoiled assholes. It goes like this:
“Five Leaves?”
“Are you crazy? It’s 8pm!”
“Calexico.”
“I just ate there for lunch yesterday.”
“Calyer?”
“I’m a vegan.”
“Manhattan Inn?”
“Not in the mood for piano.”
“Habitat?”
“Kind of far to walk.”
“No Name.”
“Can’t eat the noodles upstairs after 8.”
“Lomzynianka?”
“I can see it, there’s a line.”
“Paulie Gee.”
“I have a gluten allergy.”
“Adelina’s.”
“I want a cocktail.”
This can go on forever, because the list of amazing options we have to chose from is endless in Greenpoint. When we get into this spoiled circle jerk I now say, “At least it’s not Lake Okeechobee!”
As reported by EATER, we can add two more anticipated to be awesome options on our list. Down Greenpoint Ave, near Transmitter Park, the owners of Roebling Tea Room plan to open River Styx in April.
On Manhattan Ave, near Enid’s, a famous Danish Brewer named Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and Daniel Burns of Momofuku are opening a brew pub with Scandanavian food called Tørst.
And don’t forget, Andrew Tarlow’s Achilles Heel is now open on West and Green St.
“Achilles Heel, inspired by the notion of the shipyard dive, probably won’t attract many actual longshoremen, but Tarlow is catering to the community with continuous service (8 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily) and a menu culled from his other establishments: Reynard’s croissants and Marlow & Sons’ scones, American hams and charcuterie from Marlow & Daughters, and breads from the oven at Roman’s. The nautical theme extends to raw shellfish, clam chowder, and plenty of rum.”
Disclaimer: I grew up in Queens on my Nonna’s red sauce, so I am no judge of barbecue. That being said, I was honored to be invited to the Family & Friends Dinner at BrisketTown (359 Bedford Ave) in Williamsburg last night for a preview and I loved every minute of it.
Finally I would try Daniel Delaney’s cooking after many failings on my part to attend his awesome foodie parties. In June, I bailed on a hot dog movie night because I got caught with some illness (that hurt), then I missed his Rooftop Craw Fish Boil because we just needed to get out of town during one of those nasty heat waves. I signed up for a BrisketLab at Little Field and realized at 11pm that night that I forgot, and the worst offense – we made it into his apartment for his Fourth of July party with a 12 pack and a Banana Cream Pie, saw a crowd of people, had an anti-social “we can’t talk to anyone” moment, brought the beer and pie home and ate it all like two fat weirdos while listening to firecrackers on Sutton St.
What a friend I am! (Sounds like something a rotten family member would do.)
When I arrived at the door, flying solo with a bottle of whisky for Daniel and a bottle of wine for me (it’s BYOB), Daniel walked out, looking cool as a cucumber with his white apron on and a confident smile. He got this. Continue reading →
If there is a place in the hood where I have my food pulse tuned into, it’s the stretch of Manhattan Ave. between Greenpoint Ave. and Java St. Quite the small focus, I think of it as the La Taverna/McDonald’s line. Dead center of that line was the restaurant Happy End: an old school Polish spot that drew me in with a 70’s looking brown and orange sign and made me a customer with the curvy counter and the simple menu.
More than that, the owner Martin kept me coming back. Over the years we developed a friendship and discussed the restaurant in it’s old incarnation, at length. A few weeks ago he popped his head from the newly painted roll gates and said with a big smile, “doing some work, but it’s a secret.”
Last week that secret was let out of the bag with the re-opening of Martin’s place under the banner Brooklyn Point Cafe. Of course I was one of the first people to pop in to get the low down (It’s only 23 ft from my front door.)
It has been gutted and turned into a fresh new restaurant with a menu that is anything but Polish. Of course they kept the grilled Polish sausage on the menu to stay tied to their roots. Continue reading →
