I lived in Park Slope for 2 years before I finally tried Al di La. My old apartment was a mere 3 blocks away, and I had heard such great things about it, yet I had always been intimidated by the long lines of people waiting outside for dinner. (Like many restaurants here, they don't take reservations.) My friend Elizabeth said the trick was to get there at 5:30pm and wait for the first seating; otherwise, be prepared to stand outside for a while.
So when I finally tried it, it was for lunch on my 30th birthday last year, a lovely surprise from my friend Barb. The restaurant was calm and relaxing, busy but not overly so. I loved it before we even started eating.
Winter is never my favorite time in Park Slope, but the saving grace is the return of The Soup Bowl by the 7th Ave. F/G stop. (During the warmer months of the year, the location is home to Uncle Louie G's.) Yes, it may be a takeout soup stand, but on weeknights when you've come back from Manhattan only to realize there is nothing in your fridge, this shop is a lifesaver. And the fact that there is a rotating roster of 10 to 15 freshly made soups, and a perpetually friendly staff, makes me a loyal customer.
I've tried practically everything on the menu, but the one I go back to time and time again is the lobster butternut squash bisque. At $4.50 for a small cup, it doesn't have any lobster pieces, but rather a strong lobster aroma from the shells used in the stock. It's rich, creamy, and reliably delicious.
Earlier last year my friends Max and Barb found a great new Mexican restaurant in DUMBO and couldn't stop raving about their Ensenada-style fish tacos. And to be sure, when I finally went with them, the tacos did turn out to be really great, the likes of which are almost impossible to find on the East Coast.
But the tacos aren't the only reason to go to Gran Electrica. They also have amazing cocktails. We tried many over the course of the evening, but the one that stood out was the Mexican 75, modeled after the French 75. Made with Tesoro Reposado tequila instead of gin, the drink also contained Lillet Rose, Cava, lime juice, and agave nectar. It was slightly fizzy, slightly sweet, and surprisingly potent for such a small amount.
It was definitely a new favorite cocktail, and this is coming from someone who is not normally a fan of tequila.
Gran Electrica 5 Front St. Brooklyn, NY 11201 Neighborhood: Dumbo Map
There are few things better than hot pizza right out of a brick oven on a cold January day. When I went to Roberta's for my interview at Let's Eat In on the Heritage Radio Network, whose HQ is in a shipping container in the back of the restaurant, I got to try their margherita pizza for the first time (having tried the Famous Original a few weeks earlier.)
As a purist when it comes to pizza, I like to think that you can judge how great a pie is in its most basic form, in this case, with just tomato, mozzarella, and basil. And the one at Roberta's is pretty great. It's slightly charred around the edges, with just enough tomato sauce for flavor. The mozzarella comes in nice big pieces, as it should.
Thanh Da in Sunset Park is one of my favorite Vietnamese spots in the city. I used to only go for the (delicious) banh mi, neglecting everything else on the menu. Then one day I saw that they offered bun rieu, a Vietnamese crab and tomato noodle soup that I hadn’t seen anywhere else in New York.
And what a shame too. This dish is immensely flavorful, with bright tomato-y broth, bits of crab paste, tender pork, fried tofu puffs, and a hearty amount of rice noodles, all topped with fresh mint and bean sprouts. To compare: the last time I had a bowl of bun rieu was in Hanoi at a street stall. Thanh Da’s version is almost as good, without requiring a plane ride to Vietnam.
As some of you may know, I have an on-going fascination with Chinese food from around the world. When I was living in Asia, I frequently visited Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants in whichever country I was traveling in. Some memorable experiences included eating mapo tofu ramen in Yokohama’s Chinatown, trying jajangmyeon in Seoul, and meeting a family from Yunnan at their Thai-Chinese restaurant in Chiang Mai.
In New York there are also a few notable Indian-Chinese, Cuban-Chinese, and Jamaican-Chinese restaurants. I’m starting a new feature for Brooklyn Galley that highlights great dishes and drinks from around Brooklyn (and some hits from the other four boroughs too). For this inaugural post, let’s take a look at jerk chicken lo mein.
What do you do on a 64°F October day, possibly the last 60-something degree weekend day for the next 6 months? You look for any excuse to eat outdoors, preferably on the grass.
Luckily, on Sundays until Nov. 18th, Smorgasburg is at the Tobacco Warehouse in DUMBO, just a short train ride from me. Also luckily, my friend Elizabeth was also experiencing cabin fever and was up for a trip to Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Taro Sushi may be my favorite sushi restaurant in all of Brooklyn. I had been here for dinner many times before and always order the same appetizer: broiled mackerel with ponzu sauce (first pic above), so crisp and perfect with the slightly tangy sauce. Don't think. Just get it.
The restaurant itself is spacious and serene, but also manages to be a comfortable neighborhood spot. The sushi, while not world-changing, is always reliably fresh and so good. For lunch you can choose between an assortment of sushi roll, noodle, and bento box combos with soup and salad for around $11. If I lived closer I’d come here every other day.
