The famous jumping bridge @ The Rockhouse

One of The Rockhouse’s proprietors, Paul Salmon, teamed up with Serge Becker (La Esquina) and has opened Miss Lily’s in NYC. Miss Lily’s logo says “Miss Lily’s Favourite Cakes”. Well, there is a tiny cafe in Negril called “Jenny’s Favourite Cakes” which besides food is really known for selling ganja cake. Can’t help but wonder if Miss Jenny inspired Miss Lily.

Regardless – we checked it out last Friday and are in love.

The scene: there is a doorman, and you need to make a reservation. We were also lightly “scolded” over taking photos, as they “don’t want any press”. Sadly this is part of the reason we don’t have more pics.

The crowd: hip and trendy with a socialite or clothing designer peppered in here and there (but it’s still relaxed.)

The interior: Retro-Caribbean feeling. 1970′s. Not in a smelly old vintage way, but in a warm and fresh way. The front room has formica topped, diner-esque booths. The back room has walls covered in perfectly lit album art. In typical style (of The Rockhouse and La Esquina) every single detail is thought out from large to small. Every table has a Caribbean hot sauce & Pickapeppa in a little plastic basket. It’s purpose certainly not only to hold the condiments, but to add to the vibe. Behind the bar are much larger plastic baskets filled with fresh fruit. Colorful, colorful, colorful, and they have pulled this off somehow as “smart” rather than “kitch”. The music was spot on. Think Beres Hammond & Johnny Osbourne rather than One Love and Three Little Birds on repeat.

Facing the bar area - notice fruit baskets in the background

beautiful ceramic lights

The food: most importantly, and what you sincerely should come here for. Tony, who used to cook at The Rockhouse pool, is now in charge here, so you know it’s authentic. We enjoyed:

• Cod Fish Fritters with an avocado and curry sour cream. Ok, so we ended up devouring a 2nd order of these they were so delicious. Overall light for something fried and the dip was phenomenal
• Red Snapper Ceviche with coconut, lime and scotch bonnet. When someone says “Its like an explosion in your mouth!” and you think thats so cliche, well, thats what this was. The tart lime, sweet coconut, spicy pepper, and super fresh red snapper paired very well.
• Ackee Dip with Plantain Chips - Ackee is actually a fruit that I’ve only had when it is prepared to resemble scrambled eggs. This was more of a creamed dip that was a more sophisticated take on it.
• Festival – a lightly fried cornmeal based “bread” hinted with vanilla. Order these to eat along with the spicier dishes to give your taste buds a break
• Jerk Chicken (organic) with Rice & Peas – Tasted like being in Jamaica. Some could argue the authenticity since it was mostly white meat, but for us, that is a plus. We both tend to usually order chicken over any other meats in restaurants, and this was the most juiciest, perfectly cooked dish we’ve had in a long, LONG time. Added some extra jerk sauce and was in Caribbean heaven.
• Bushman Bowl with stew peas, ackee & mushrooms, sweet potato. The entree choice for a vegetarian. Heather’s take on it: “warm, hearty, authentic flavors.”
• Side of Calaloo - Calaloo blows away spinach! It was cooked here with a little onion and a little spiciness
• Banana Cream Pudding – comforting, not overly sweet, the way a quality dessert should be

Everything was as delicious as the next and sincerely took us back to laying out in the sun without a care in the world. It’s always amazing how a scent or flavor, will bring your mind, mood, and emotions back to a different place. In this case, it’s a very happy place.

One small thing to note, upon first sitting down and saying “A rum punch please!”, we were told they only have beer, wine and sake right now. They really made the best of it, however, and had a really creative cocktail menu including red and white sangria. Also, they have Ting! Ting blows away any soda you can buy in the states.

drink menu

dinner menu

At most we make it to The Rockhouse once a year (if we’re lucky). In the meantime we’ll be living vicariously through dinners at Miss Lily’s monthly. (or more, if we’re lucky)

No F train is running and most of the subways are crippled, so an extra long weekend it has become! LIRR is also still completely suspended.

Walking around this morning, the sights were beautiful and surprising. Several nyc buses & even police cars were just left deserted. A mini van on our block was abandoned dead center in the road, facing the wrong direction. Huge mounds of snow had cars completely buried underneath. Everyone was walking down the street versus the sidewalks as they were more passable, and car free.

Usually by now the snow loses it’s pristine white shimmer, but thanks to poor plowing and lack of cars, almost 24 hours later it still looks like a winter wonderland. We’ll see how it is tomorrow morning!

If you’re sick of the usual weekend activities (brunch – park – laundry – brunch), you could head to JFK and board the next Aeorflot flight to Moscow. Orrrrr… you can gather your friends, a sheet, your appetite, and hop on the B train till it’s last stop: Brighton Beach.

It is quite literally it’s own little country. About an hour subway ride from the city, you won’t feel like you’re in the U.S. anymore, let alone Brooklyn. When you get off the subway you’re immediate reaction is “where on earth…???” as most signs are not in the English alphabet and you see a lot of artificially colored bright red hair. Just go with the flow, and follow the scent of salty air a couple blocks until you hit the water.

The Beach itself: The actual Brighton Beach is amazingly wide and uncrowded. Considering you are at an NYC beach, it’s also pretty spotless. If you visit in the Summer, take advantage and swim. There are no waves, soft sand, and clear water. We’ve both been in the water and to this day have not broken out in any strange rashes and still have all of our limbs. Be prepared for Speedos everywhere. If you’re visiting in the Spring or Fall, just sit out on a sheet and enjoy the view. Side note: The to-go section on the side of Tatiana (look for the old men playing chess) sells wine in plastic cups to enjoy while sitting on the sand (or vodka if you really want to get in the spirit)

Tatiana Restaurant: Wait till just before sunset, go back to the boardwalk and grab a table outside @ Tatiana Restaurant. It is one of our favorite places hands down and for good reason:

• beachfront eating in nyc
• everyone is speaking Russian
• a menu bigger than Gorbachev’s birthmark
• delicious Russian / Ukraine food presented beautifully
• amazing spot to people watch – you are guaranteed to see something you have never seen in your life. Last time a man was riding his bike back and forth with an advertisement for $399 divorce. Later on, he dismounted, and danced to an accordian playing Rhianna. If that’s not life changing, we don’t know what is!
• staff that feels very cliche U.S.S.R. (they will take your order, walk 5 feet away and light up a cigarette) They don’t give a ———, and it’s pretty refreshing.
• kitsch, kitsch and more kitsch (do not miss the human mannequin / lampshade “piece” near the bathrooms)

Tatiana is not cheap per se – but you do feel like you are getting what you pay for when you factor in all of the above. It’s an experience. Take note there is a “10% Service Charge” added to all bills. Like we said, you really do feel like you are in another country. But for as kitschy as it looks, the food is top notch quality.

Favorite Orders:

• Greek Salad (at a Russian restaurant, you ask? Yes!)  Incredibly fresh. Olives, cucumber, peppers, onion, tomato and a very different type of shredded Feta, sprinkled with dill.
• Potato Vareniki – what we would call pierogies. Sooooo good. Don’t leave here without trying them. Served in an adorable little casserole dish with lightly fried onions and sour cream.
• Ukrainian Borscht – Super flavorful, comforting traditional beet and cabbage soup with dill. Doily included.
• Also have enjoyed the calamari, mussels with lemongrass, and bean song salad.

So order one thing at a time, sip your wine, and just enjoy the experience slowly as the sun sets. You’ll feel like you’re on a mini vacation.

P.S. Я тебя люблю = i love you

Brighton Beach from the edge of the Boardwalk

Tatiana's boardwalk seating

Don't worry - it's translated on the other side

Best seats are on the edge!

Greek Salad

Ukranian Borscht

Calamari

Vareniki - get these!!!

View from our table

Last night Athena Mediterranean officially opened for business and it was quite the family affair. Spiro’s sister Helen introduced herself, showed us the space & offered us a glass of wine. We had just met, yet magically she knew the way to our hearts! The perfect start!

Although the restaurant is narrow, they handled it well. A few small black leather mini booths (very comfy!) are across from the bar. About six more booths are in the back, as well as the ‘vip’ area. This lounge section has white banquet seating with crisp blue walls, it feels like a little piece of Santorini. Although pretty and and a welcome concept, it honestly had us a little perplexed until Helen told us some fabulous news: on weekends they will be open until 4am and serving food until 1am. Aha! That explains why WKTU & Mediterranean house music were coming from the speakers! (note to Spiro: we much prefer the Mediterranean house music)

thank you!

Usually the thought of Greek and open till 4am stirs up bad memories of a Long Island diner – chicken fingers, a guy with spiked hair hiccuping somewhere, pastel mints near the register. Not here. Everything was phenomenal.

It started off with a basket of warm pita & hummus. Next up:

• Horiatiki Salata – traditional dish of tomato, red onion, cucumber, kalamata olives, feta, grape leaves, and olive oil. Fresh & light.
• Spanakopita – Obviously we had to try this. Its one of those staples – if they make a good spinach pie – you are good to go! It was an appetizer but large enough to be a dinner, with a small side of perfectly dressed mixed greens. We appreciated that the greens weren’t an after thought or garnish. It was such a good plate we ordered round 2 to take home.
• Greek Fries – these seemingly homemade fries gave Bar Tabac a run for their euro. Topped with fresh oregano, feta & olive oil. If ordered late at night, we can see these being the new Disco Fries of Smith Street.
• Rum Raisin Bread Pudding – YES PLEASE! Brought over compliments of Helen. We love you Helen <3

We can’t wait to go back, try some entrees and enjoy a long dinner. Or sit in the lounge area, do a shot of ouzo and pick on some greek fries. Or … both?

www.athenacuisine.com

exterior

a sight for sore eyes!

inside towards the back

looking straight back

lounge section

so pretty!

decisions... decisions...

Pita & Hummus

Horiatiki Salata

Spanakopita

Greek Fries

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding - served warm with possibly a vanilla anglaise

Sidewalk projection

We caught a peek, aka pic, through the torn newspaper covering the front windows. The interior feels much more bright & sunny Mykonos vs. the earlier rustic dark-wood Mexican predecessor.

Looking forward to trying it out. Praying to the Greek Gods we won’t have to trek to Astoria for some decent Spanakopita.

Exterior - "greek" relief & newspapered windows

Peeking through the covered windows

They know that we prefer the seeded bread over the regular italian bread (served hot & crispy) and that we like a bowl of marinara sauce with it. (Nothing as comforting as warm bread with butter and sauce.) They know to start us off with a big Pellegrino and some lemon. For some reason even though it’s just a Pellegrino, we swear it will taste like the freshest sparkling water your mouth has ever encountered. These are the small details that make you happy.

Make sure to start with this!

Vinny’s has a large steam table / counter area with dishes already prepared, but they also have a full menu and kitchen in the back. Don’t be put off by the steam table, everything is still fresh and it just helps them feed hungry people, fast. Vinny’s can get crowded, not just in the dining room, people coming in to place orders to-go are a constant. It’s always a bonus when a Ladder Company engine pulls up, hot firemen spill into the restaurant, and then leave 5 minutes later with blue to-go bags dangling in hand next to their rescue gear. (yum and yum)

Plates are huge, we mean huge. Pasta dishes are more than enough for 2 people – or – eat some for dinner there and then bring home the rest to enjoy tomorrow. We promise you will never, ever finish an entire dish on your own – its impossible.

Our favorites:

• seeded bread with a side of marinara
• house salad (no-frills crunchy iceberg, red onion, tomato, vinaigrette)
• arugula salad (same treatment as house)
• chicken parm with broccoli (ask for it light on the cheese, they tend to be heavy handed)
• sicilian eggplant – thin sliced eggplant, dusting of parmigiano cheese, slightly oily in a good way
• chicken spedini – not on the menu, ask for it with spinach inside, not the prosciutto & cheese
• rigatoni vodka extra sauce (obviously)
• side of broccoli rabe
• chicken soup – homemade and great when under the weather
• house wine, of course! (yummy & inexpensive)

An order of Chicken Parm with a side runs around $13, considering it will feed you for 2 nights, it’s understandable why we eat here so often. You can rely on the quality being top notch every visit – thanks to Vinny keeping his eye on everyone while his daughter serves tables. Oh and keep in mind, it is a local, low-key spot which means they are not open very late. Weekdays, the kitchen probably closes around 9:30 and Sundays around 8:30. Go early and go hungry!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/vinnys-of-carroll-gardens-brooklyn

Chicken Spedini with Spinach inside

Yes - this is chicken parm, light on the cheese, believe it or not

enjoying some warm food on a cold night - winter 2010

Kitchen A Trattoria is in the space formerly occupied by Kitchen A Bistro (which has since relocated to a much larger space up the road). While Kitchen A Bistro is French inspired food (delicious but missing that comfort factor), the Trattoria refers to themselves as an “Italian American Bistro”. When we hear that description, plates of ravioli smothered in cheap mozzarella come to mind, but it is much more refined and special than that.

Ricotta & Sundried Tomato Tapenade for Bread

Located in a random strip mall, it is not viewable from the main road and across from a beer distributor. Who knew?! You would never in a hundred years think that such thoughtful food would come out of that building. It is a tiny space (about 10 tables), with an open kitchen and casual but saavy staff. They do 4 seatings a night on the weekends, 6pm, 6:30pm, 8:15 and 8:45. So calling ahead to make a reservation is an absolute must.

The menu changes often which makes it hard to say what our favorites are. This past Saturday we went and every single dish was divine – as usual. We started with:

• For the bread – which is served warm: Seasoned Fresh Ricotta (get it, trust us!) & Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
• Romaine with homemade garlic croutons and a pecorino dressing (best.ceasar.ever)
• Meatballs Braised with Tomato (these might have surpassed Frankies)
• Small order of Bucatini Carbonara (all Primi dishes can be ordered small $12 or large $20) You would only need a large if you are sharing with someone or incredibly hungover
• Roasted Organic Chicken with Feta Polenta (we both can agree its worth $19 JUST for that polenta)
• Summer Garden Vegetable Caponata

We’ve never had anything here that we didn’t love. The menu is so interesting it can be fun to get a few items from Antipasti, some small Primis, a side or two and share. Our bill was about $45 each including tip. There is no corkage fee for the BYOB policy, so don’t forget to bring your wine!

http://kitchenabistro.com/kat/index.asp

Please excuse the quality of these pics – we had to rely on the iphone this time!

Romaine with Garlic Croutons & Pecorino Dressing

Bucatini Carbonara

Meatballs braised in Tomato

Organic Chicken with Feta Polenta

Summer Vegetable Caponata

Ok, that’s an exageration. But when we are waiting the actual one to two hours (usual wait time for a table @ Frankies 457) there is a game we play to pass the time. It’s called: Watch people go from excited to suicidal in under 10 seconds. Over, and over, and over again. The new patron walks in, eyes wide, hungry, excited, enjoying the smells from the open kitchen. They ask the host for a table, and he proceeds with his routine “We’re looking at about… (insert any absurd amount of wait time here)”. The insane ones like us, sigh, give their name, and agree to the wait. Others, stare at him in disbelief, turn to the date / parent / friend, scoff and walk out. Left with nothing to do but roam around Carroll Gardens finding somewhere mediocre with no wait.

The atmosphere is homey, classic, slightly hip. A good combo. White tin ceilings, exposed brick, wooden tables. In the front window there is an old gas powered light. They have a beautiful garden area for seating with oversized christmas lights strung above. Adjacent to that is the Stable, according to their site it was constructed in the early 1900′s. Some nights you may be seated in there, others it is closed for private events. (How often in Brooklyn can you eat dinner in a old stable?!)

pic courtesy of frankiesspuntino.com

Menu is not small, but not big either. The kitchen is open, about the size of a twin bed, and has 3 people squished in it, so you can understand the menu restrictions.

Our usuals:

• Frankies’ Greens with Cipollini Onion Cider Vinaigrette
• Arugula and Pecorino
• House-Made Gnocchi Marinara & Fresh Ricotta
• House-Made Cavatelli with Faiccos Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter
• Meatballs with Pine Nuts & Raisins
• Hot Pine Nut Polenta
• Ricotta w/ Local Honey & Black Pepper Crostini (if you have a brain – order this)

The pastas aren’t huge but we share sometimes, dependent on hunger level… Salads are so fresh and delicious you want your own. Vegetables are always room temperature. Their house red is about $12 for a small carafe and really good. There is no house white, which is annoying. (aka $$$)

Another cash only spot! You can leave full, tipsy, very happy for about $30-$40 a person. If going during peak times – just put your name in, give your phone number, and go hang somewhere else till they call you. They set up a small bar area in the garden (pending no private parties back there) where you can also wait it out. (and smoke, not that we would encourage that)

Even though the host has a strange way about him – just be polite, try to hang around, and the wait most probably won’t be as long as he stated. People often will agree to the crazy wait then never show up – which means you will be eating your ricotta & honey crostini much sooner than anticipated.

frankiesspuntino.com

We started coming here when we were in our 2nd year of Parsons & living a few blocks away on Willow Street and continue to till this day. Some Noodle Numbers:

• thousands: calories consumed (maybe hundreds of thousands?)
• hundreds: friday night / post work week venting dinners
• dozens: birthdays celebrated
• one: gallery show (jasmin’s!)

Our love for noodle is for the simple reasons: incredible food (local ingredients when possible: i.e. Jersey tomatoes), inexpensive house wine, olive oil (with garlic, tomatoes and a touch of hot pepper), sweet & sincere staff that we now count as friends, and to seal the deal: kitchy Christmas lights that change seasonally.

Our usuals include:

• Caesar hold the anchovies
• Zucchini blossoms (a special when in season)
• Fried calamari
• Gnocchi in sage & butter (pillows of buttery heaven)
• Hand rolled whole wheat penne with vodka sauce (not on the menu but ask anyway, make sure to say extra sauce!)
• 1/2 roasted chicken with leeks & pancetta

Oh, and anything else on the menu. Especially their specials. They make a beautiful veggie plate for those not wanting to be fat.

Two things to note so you don’t get annoyed: it’s cash only, after a bottle of wine & 3 desserts you won’t want to walk to the ATM. On weekends it gets very crowded with little waiting room. Avoid going between 7 & 9, if you do, then be patient, it’s worth it we promise!

http://www.brownstoner.com/restaurants/2008/09/noodle_pudding.php

another girls' dinner @ noodle