Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Brooklyn Dinin'

Last month I read in the paper about Dine In Brooklyn and got totally excited. I truly enjoy eating and eating out is a nice break from prepping on my own. The big city (Manhattan) has it's own. Restaurant Week, but I'd just moved into a new hood of Brooklyn and needed a new list of spots to try. Another crazy thing is the restaurants are getting hit bad during the recession, so what a great way to support businesses and my belly at the same time, eh? 
I made reservations at a few spots, but one day I had a hard time finding a place participating in Dine In Brooklyn that was also open for lunch. One of the few available restaurants with the special menu for the event was the Stone Park Cafe. They didn't have a special menu set up for lunch like the others, but it was in an easy area to get to, plus supporting is about supporting, right? So, special menu or not, I was out to give my Brooklyn crew some biz. Cool thing is I had a business meeting planned and when possible I like to have them in Brooklyn, that's right ... I made someone come to Brooklyn for biz teeheehee! It's hard to get people over the bridge or through the tunnel - and it's just 5 to 10 minutes sometimes, it was that way when I lived in New Jersey. I'm sure they'll be back to Brooklyn after the meal. Boy, was this food bangin'! The service was cool and reminded me of my favorite place in the city ... they'll let you sit there all day if you want and never try to turn the table. It's small and totally good for dates and business and the bar drinks are yummy. Over the next weeks, I revisited to try the full menu, which is small and I have my theories about the small menu/seasonal spots, so I was pleased with the outcome. One time we went and had the most amazing scallops for an app. We talked about them throughout the entree course so much that we skipped dessert and decided to order the scallops again to finish the meal ... I know, crazy, but that's how good they were. I'm now accustomed to calling in advance to see if they are on the menu, thing is even if they are not I still make a reservation. I just want my brain and tummy to be ready for the scallops. This is one of my plates post-scallop ...
If you look close my dude's plate is clean too. One time they were sprinkled and crusted with bone marrow. OOOOOOOOWWWWWEEEEEEEEEE! So anyway, I wanted to spread the news to my Brooklynites or anyone planning a visit. Yes, Manhattan has some great spots, but there's nothing like Brooklyn Dinin' :-). Give us a visit for a meal! Again, this isn't an ad ... just a friend, telling a friend about a great meal! P.S. ... they have a kitchen with a view from the street, it's small and congested and they are turning out some banging food ... you don't need space and bells and whistles to make great stuff, remember ... it all started with a fire and some cave dudes ... 

9 comments:

The Duo Dishes said...

3 courses at that price is a steal! LA is really working hard to do the same...3 course meals for $20, half off all food nights, etc. It's a foodie's paradise. Unless you're broke. Can't eat out regardless. ha!

Darius T. Williams said...

Okay - so when I come to NYC - I'll be dining at this place!

Theory about small/seasonal menus? What's the theory?

Austin Wilcox said...

Hey. Great post, thanks for the advice! I'm heading down to New York next weekend and my friends and I are always up for a great place to eat. I gotta give you some props and say that you always have great recipes on tv. My girl and I cooked some of your food last week and it was dynomite and trust me I'm far from a cook! Thanks again for your foodie knowledge (lol) and I look forward to checking out your blog.

Anonymous said...

Oh . .that is so funny about ordering the scallops twice! That sounds like something I'd do.

I'm glad I ran across your blog. I love watching your show on Food Network. My husband and I made your wings recipe for the Superbowl and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Keep the spicy comfort food coming girl!

Sunny Anderson said...

the duo dishes, i know right? good deal. i miss dinin' in elay, plenty of avocado slices!

dtdub, yeah man, totally worth the trip. rsvp or walk-ins are cool. & my lil theory is; a small menu means concetration and perfection on the few and seasonal menus to me, are the way to go. just feels like the chef isn't phonin' it in, they are constantly thinking and changing with the times.

austin wilcox, thank you for watching and finding my blog! plus, it's really great you tried out some recipes! hope you guys do get a chance to dine in brooklyn. there are so many amazing chefs here!
cooking mama, i must admit i am a pig sometimes ... actually, many times i choose to over indulge in food. glad you guys liked the wings! the honey bbq is my fave along with the traditional hot sauce ... thanks for watching and welcome to the blog!

Nkoyo said...

Hey Sunny, are their any chefs that you've been following in particular these days? You know who really inspires me? Mario Batali. And it's not really because of his Italian cooking (although great), it's really his knowledge of food and culture in general that amazes me. What about you? BTW, have you checked out that Pink album I mentioned in the earlier post? I'm still interested in your thoughts.

Sunny Anderson said...

nkoyo, ummmmm i don't really follow and chefs cuz i'm not a cheffy person teeheehee, but i will say funny you mention mario because i love this place he co-owns in the city that's called the spotted pig. april, the chef there is a killa when it comes to liver. she is really cooking, ahem cheffin' up some flavor. they have a new spot they are opening and for sure, i'd follow her there. i'm really a hole in the wall or small spot person. now, for the pink question i think i may have missed it in your comment, sorry ... but to be general about her, i love her. only thing i didn't like was her 2nd lp cuz i think they were trying to make her do r&b and although the girl can sing, it felt like a stretch for her personality, but who am i to judge ya know? just felt like the label was puttin her in a corner and talent like that can't be categorized, you know? anyway, i like her spunk and she has pretty face freckles lol ...

Nkoyo said...

Sunny, it's so funny you should mention that b/c when Pink first came out, her R&B thang seemed like a natural to me. But then, when she became a rock chick I was like, uh oh, my bad. I guess this is your niche. Now it's like I can't imagine her doing anything else. In regards to the liver . . . Being a foodie and all, You usually can't miss me on most foods, but that texture is just so hard for me to get used to. Something like suede comes to mind. How do you liver lovers do it? LOL

Sunny Anderson said...

nkoyo, i think you gotta try this liver ... she cooks it lightly and it has no trace of leather or suede lol ... i know what you mean though. if done wrong, it can be really wrong.