According to the MTA, the B is still out of service but the Q is running normally. We'll see how long it lasts this time...
Damn, good coffee. And HOT!
Been meaning to mention this place for a while. Local bakery La Baguette (near the entrance to the 2/5 train at Sterling Street) has been in the hood for about 2 years now. Not only do they have some of the best coffee around, they also sell (gasp!) BAGELS. Sure, it's no H&H, but it's certainly passable if more of the "bagel shaped bread" variety than a true NYC bagel.
Like many neighborhood shops, where La Baguette truly shines is with their Caribbean, specifically Haitian, specialties. They offer a wide variety of meat patties, corn pudding, rolls, doughnuts, etc. most of which is made on the premises.
As a bonus, they also make a pretty decent cheesesteak if you're looking for lunch.
Mama Louisa, That's a Tasty Sandwich!
I don't get out to New York Avenue nearly often enough because Mama Luisa's Hero Shoppe (609 New York Avenue (gmap)) is, by far, my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. And you can't even sit down.
The whole not-sitting-down thing, combined with a four-avenue schlep and the prospect of insane waiting time for a sandwich that you then have to carry home or eat on the sidewalk like a savage pretty much sums up why I go so rarely but when I do...
For about $7 you get a gigantic hero and it is a good goddamn sandwich, providing that rare combination of quantity, quality and value. On my most recent trip I got two heros: an artichoke parmigiana and broccoli rabe and sausage. I would recommend either of them for a convicted murderer seeking advice on a last meal. I don't know why I am inclined to give good advice to a murderer.
I expected the shop to be full of Kings County Hospital employees but it seems like much more of a neighborhood place. It is also quirky in that it is kind of a bodega with a random assortment of crap packing every available inch of wall space. I strongly suggest calling ahead because the lines can be long, the staff is lean and it can take 45 minutes for your sandwich to come out. It will be worth the wait, regardless. You can find a menu below the fold.
New on Nostrand: Clubs Gyro
Hawthorne Street HQ is a few steps from Flatbush Avenue, so we admit to a Flatbush-side bias in our coverage. That said, when we get a tip about something going on in the eastern part of PLG, we try to follow up. Which brings us to Clubs Gyro, a new Halal take-out option at 1026 Nostrand between Empire and Sterling (gmap).
It is, as the name implies, a simple gyro joint. Basic fare like gyros, falafel and kebabs. You can't treat the menu as gospel since they have added items since it was printed. The lone Yelp review says that they have added "Philly Cheese-steaks, white fish sandwiches, and fried white fish plates", when I was there, someone ordered fries and there was a sign on the wall for a couple of biryani dishes.
Clubs Gyro is a sliver of a storefront (pic below) and there is no seating. There is about 4 feet of space between the door and the counter, which is set up for the sandwich fixings, Subway-style.
I stuck with the basics on my first trip: gyro on a pita and falafel on a pita. To start with the good, I really liked the falafel (which, sadly, was Carrie's so I didn't get much). Even after the trip back from Nostrand to HQ in the cold, which really cooled down the fried-to-order falafel balls, it was a tasty, filling sandwich. At $4.50 for a falafel with hummus it is fairly priced.
The gyro didn't fare as well. Even though I've been told by posters that "it tastes better when you say YEE-ros," this isn't a Greek joint and the counterman told me "no heros, only pita." Which is fine, I wanted pita for my JAI-ro anyway. There was no rotisserie going to roast the outside of the lamb; it was already roasted, cubed and in a warming tray. It also did not survive the trip home nearly as well as the falafel. Whether it was already cooling in the warming tray or the December air really punished the sandwich, I don't know. It was pretty cold when I got home, though. These are not ideal reviewing conditions, so take this with a grain of salt, but even after reheating the sandwich in the microwave to get the fat melted again, I didn't love this gyro. Still, at $4 it is a pretty good deal. The portions are fair without enhancement, but by the time the gyro is fully loaded, it is pretty substantial. The sandwich fixings include banana peppers, jalapenos, cucumber, green peppers, raw onion, pickle chips and green olives. I'll try it again under better testing circumstances.
This is a lot of writing for two take-out sandwiches, so I'll cut this short here. The printed, though incomplete, menu is below the fold.
Thanks, Diana!
Who Lives in Pigtown? We Do.
I've heard before that, back in the 1800's when Brooklyn still had a thriving agricultural economy, the Eastern end of our fair neighborhood - and Wingate - was known as Pigtown. Still, it is nice to be reminded, and this post from Ephemeral New York did the trick.
Ephemeral New York has an old news clip and reports that the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of that era was routinely filled with crime reports from Pigtown. They also report that "The New York Times archive contains some gruesome stories of gangster murders in Pigtown, which was populated by Italian immigrants." Which is definitely something I'll have to look into for a future post.
I have to admit, I wish the neighborhood was still called Pigtown. I'd love to be able to say that I lived in Pigtown in the same way that "Hell's Kitchen" and "Gravesend" are awesome neighborhood names.
But Barbara Corcoran simply wouldn't approve.
Image from the Brooklyn Public Library, who report that it was also called "Oaklands," and that there was a short-lived attempt to call the neighborhood "Crown Slope," proving that the Corcoran-like rebranders have always been among us.
Illegal Dumping Reaching Epic Proportions
We've written before about nimrods who illegally dump furniture and other household detritus on Flatbush Avenue corners, but lately the corner at Hawthorne has gotten out of control, with piles of broken furniture pieces stacked precariously on top of one another. Every week, there's a new pile of garbage. Clearly more than a household or two is contributing. If you see anyone dumping, or notice that some buildings along Flatbush never seem to put garbage out, please file a report with the Department of Sanitation. Here's the online form.
Next Sunday: Encore Performances of City of Hamburgers at Maple Street
If you have a young kid and need something to do next Sunday, Alphabet Arts has you covered. City of Hamburgers, the hit puppet play of the 2009 Hawthorne Street block party, is coming back to the neighborhood.
The Maple Street School will be host to the shows this time, with four performances on Sunday, December 12. The first two shows are fundraisers for the school; the last two are fundraisers are to benefit Alphabet Arts.
Four performances on Sunday, 12/12/10
at Maple Street School (21 Lincoln Road - between Ocean & Flatbush)
Showtimes: 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm
$5 tickets sold at the door
For more information see www.alphabetarts.org
or email info-at-alphabetarts-dot-org
Hawthorne Street unreservedly recommends this show and the whole crew at Alphabet Arts. Sidney can't walk past the house where they perform for the block parties without obviously hoping that a puppet show will break out.
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