Bark Hot Dogs: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Besides having a pretty killer hot dog, which is locally sourced, Bark Hot Dogs has amazing environmental ethics. Sitting very low on the chain of fast food joints, this hot dog, french fry and hamburger joint prides itself on using compostable and reusable materials as well as farm fresh ingredients in the production of their food and encourages its patrons to join in. They provide compostable cups for free filtered water rather than suggesting you buy a $2 nonperishable water from them.
I'm not a big fan of recycling, i find it time consuming and not economically feasible. We should be moving towards a more sustainable society, eliminating and substituting compostable options. Bark has done just that and it makes paying 5 bucks for a hot dog worth it.
Bark Dog
Disco Fries
Veggie Burger
Bark Dog, Disco Fries, and Peanut Butter Milkshake
Hunan Delight: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Of all the Asian cuisines, Chinese food might be among my least favorites. It tends to be very rich and saucy and so westernized that you wouldn't know the real thing unless you had been to China. The watered down version of Chinese food that we get here is definitely more appetizing. An American traveler perusing the streets of Hong Kong looking for a place with a good General Tsao's Chicken are going to be hard pressed to find anything that doesn't looking disgusting to them. The closest thing I found in Hong Kong to wonton soup was a meaty and bony, fish-broth soup that was really amazing, but was not wonton soup. The harsh critics of a traditional American family would be horribly disappointed.
There are a few places in Brooklyn though that: a.) do pretty good westernized Chinese food and b.) have some great healthy options (including vegetarian options) and c.) also deliver to us. Hunan Delight happens to be my family's favorite Chinese spot. It is mine too. I love wonton soup (especially when I am sick, like I am this week), and this place does it quite well.
Wonton Soup
Bird Nest Seafood crab meat, shrimp and scallops blended with chinese vegetables. served in crunchy nest in white wine sauce.
Vegetarian Beef with Broccoli
Emperor's Shrimp jumbo shrimp lightly fried with fruit Sauce
House Special Shrimp - jumbo shrimp with fresh tomato chunks, sautéed with tomato sauce, with steamed broccoli.
Thanh Da in Sunset Park, Brooklyn (or how I learned to stop eating at subway and embrace the bahn mi)
This will be the cheapest risk you'll ever take. But its not that big of a risk unless you dine at certain places. While I found this place to be a lot cleaner than Ba Xuyen, I do think that the Bahn Mi is not nearly as good. But it is still pretty good. I sampled the meatball while Kathy had the pork. It was her first time sampling the bahn mi and I think she was quite pleased. These are real "5 Dollar Footlongs" - one of the cheapest meals you will find in NYC and also seriously filling and damn tasty! Thanh Da is located in Sunset park on the bustling streets of Brooklyn's own very exciting chinatown.
Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Meatball Bahn Mi
Meatball Bahn Mi
Shredded Pork Bahn Mi, Styled by Kathy Pugh
Avocado Shake
Pie in the Park Part 2 – Prospect Park, Brooklyn
...for part 1 of this series, click here...
Yesterday was the fourth annual Pie in the Park competition. The number of contestants and pie eaters (voters) was quite overwhelming. I am not certain that I got them all but I do have highlights of some of the best and took notes as best as I could amongst the madness that ensued once the pie eaters were unleashed. The event was a lot of fun and I look forward to the 2011 competition.
Here are some of the pies (followed by my favorites):
And here are the favorites:
Salty S'mores
Fayette County Pie - Bourbon Soaked Peaches, shortbread crust, salted pecan brittle, buttermilk vanilla ice cream
Korean Braised Short Ribs Pie
Mixed Berry Pie
Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie
Savory Cuban Pie with stewed beef, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and roasted plaintains
Mexican Pie - Guava and mangos with a queso fresco cream cheese
Better than Snickers Pie
Blackberry Lavender Pie
(won for best presentation) Worms and Dirt - Gowanus Style - Wafer Cookie Crust, Dark Chocolate Cream, Fair Trade espresso, Balinese sea salt, local vermin, candy cigarettes
Peach Turnover
Stars in Your Eyes Whiskey Apple Pie (the baker of this pie has her own blog here)
Bing Cherry Bacon Marmalade pie with a duck fat - thyme pie crust
Pie In the Park…Part 1: Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Today was the fourth annual Pie in the Park Contest held in Prospect park. The event had an amazing turn out - I don't think there was enough pie to go around. Here are two people who presented pies that caught my interest. I didn't catch the second woman's name, but I think we should call her Maria - she looks like a Maria (hopefully she'll see this and comment with her real name for the record).
(ed. note: Her name is Carol Roman and she was the winner of the Best Filling and the 1st place winner for best pie. I guess I know how to pick 'em)
Please bear with me as I attempt to make a little video (sorry about the dust spots). Photographs come tomorrow.
Pie in The Park Tomorrow
Tomorrow is the 4th annual Pie in the Park Contest. I'll be there photographing the festivities. It should have a pretty interesting turnout with more than 150 people who have already RSVP'd. Should make for a very fun and appetizing afternoon. So anyone in NYC who is around, head out to brooklyn for some pie in the sun in Prospect Park from 1pm to 5pm.
deets here
Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Pie is good. Pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds is better. The simple and rustic interior of this place suits it just perfectly. You have a choice of pie and coffee and a few other things. The Pie is the bomb and the coffee is strong. Can't wait to take my kids, but first I have to have them.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215-3119
(718) 499-2917
Blue & Blackberry Pie
Peach Pie
Blue & Blackberry Pie
DuMont Burger: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
In NYC, there is a "Best of" everything. Pizza, Bahn Mi, fries, shakes and a best burger. Of course its all up for debate but somewhere near the top of that list is DuMont Burger. For lunch they have a very casual garden area which is great in the summer to enjoy a relaxing beer and have a tasty burger. Their burger is up there on the list and I highly recommend it
DuMont Burger
314 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Cool Cucumber and Melon Soup
DuMont Burger with Gruyere Cheese and Salad (I've found that Salad looks prettier next to a burger than fries!)
DuMont Burger with Gruyere Cheese
Luigi’s Pizza: Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
I'll be honest. I wasn't trying to go to this place. I was trying to pickup a few pies to take home from Lucali's in Carroll Gardens. But as it turns out, they were closed due to a "staffing issue" which sounds to me like everyone walked out on the manager. Who knows? Anyways, I was turned away so I scouted a bit and found that this place, Luigi's Pizza is known in their neighborhood as having a pretty decent pie and they've been doing it since 1973. Not quite as long as our friends at Di Fara's, but pretty long indeed.
The pie is good. No its better than good. Its a great pie. The fresh mozzeralla pie is amazing, the grandma pie, while thin and crackery is a welcome change to the gooey goodness of Joe's grandma pie in my neighborhood. The place is small and clean and family run so there's always friends and family hanging out. Works for me. I'll be stopping back again real soon.
Making the Fresh Mozzarella pie
A free slice of the grandma pie as I wait
The finished Fresh Mozzarella pie
The finished Fresh Mozzarella pie
Dub Pies: Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
An Australian meat pie is an iconic part of Australian cuisine, right up there with Shrimp the barbie (sorry, bad joke). A few shops have popped up in the NYC area including DUB (Down Under Bakery) Pies in Windsor Terrace.
I was greeted at this little shop by a couple of quirky and funny girls who liked to crack little jokes. It was quite amusing. The pies, were warm, flaky and tasted pretty good.
DUB Pies
The Pie Shop
211 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Steak and Cheese Pie
Sausage Roll
Flat White - sort of like a cappuccino but with less frothy milk and more of a dense smooth and velvety froth.
Recent Articles
- Bark Hot Dogs: Park Slope, Brooklyn
- Hunan Delight: Park Slope, Brooklyn
- Thanh Da in Sunset Park, Brooklyn (or how I learned to stop eating at subway and embrace the bahn mi)
- Pie in the Park Part 2 – Prospect Park, Brooklyn
- Pie In the Park…Part 1: Prospect Park, Brooklyn
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