What are your favorite PS/WT stores and why?

brooklynpotter wrote: [quote=Flexichick]I have the Taqueria D.F. menu in front of me and the only thing on it that I can see you might think is "weird" is the goat meat. I know that Sabor a Mexico" on the next block has lengua (tongue) and some other things and that there are places on 5th that have guinea pig, but D.F is pretty "tame"

it wasn't tongue. while i think tongue is absolutely gross, i grew up with a mother who loved it. as for goat, i have lots of jamaican friends.

seriously, i have to find their menu amist the mess in here, but it was like lung burritos
was it tripe? mondongo?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopa_de_Mondongo

We got ourselves a cheese-curd plan.

Cheese curds are very fresh cheddar battered in beer and deep-fried. Trifecta. It's possible to put hot sauce on them. Quadfecta.

The problem is getting them fresh, if you can stretch yourself and imagine "fresh" applying to something deep-fried. viz wikipedia:

Cheese curds are little-known in locations without cheese factories, because they must be eaten absolutely fresh, within hours of manufacture. After twelve hours, even under refrigeration, they have lost much of their "fresh curd" characteristics, particularly the "squeak." This "squeak" has been described by the New York Times as sounding like "balloons trying to neck"[1]. After twenty-four hours, they have lost the marks of freshness entirely. They have not become unwholesome or distasteful, but they are not fresh cheese curds any more—they are simply insufficiently aged cheese. No ordinary shipping method is sufficiently fast to preserve their flavor intact. If they are purchased locally and need to be kept for a couple of days, room temperature, rather than refrigeration, does something to preserve the flavor and "squeak." Sonically impaired curds can sometimes have the "squeak" restored by no more than a couple of seconds in a microwave oven.

But now it's a mission. I might fly some in when I go.

armchair_warrior wrote: all the thai places!!! i love thai.

I love Thai food too, but I don't think any of the Park Slope places really stands out.

I can't believe the thread has gotten this far without mention of:

1. Bagel Hole- best bagels EVAH!
2. Russo's
3. Tempo
4. The Q train

I'll second (or third, in some cases) Park Slope Barber Shop, Taro, Blue Ribbon, Terrace Bagels (the mini bagels are almost as good as the regular ones at Bagel Hole), Chip Shop, Steinhoffs, Smiling Pizza, Al Di La, Convivium.

I've got to try Lopez bakery. I keep hearing great stuff about them. Maybe we should organize a South Slope Mexican "crawl" to compare some of those places. Anyone interested?

Carnivore wrote:
I can't believe the thread has gotten this far without mention of:

1. Bagel Hole- best bagels EVAH!
2. Russo's
3. Tempo
4. The Q train

What has happened to the Bagel Hole? I've been happily going to that place for 10+ years, used to stop there almost every single morning on my way to the subway. In the last couple of months, every bagel I've gotten there has been horrible -- dry, hard as a rock, and seemingly baked a month or two previously. It is really disturbing.

I don't like the service at Russo's. The guys behind the counter can't be bothered to hide their contempt for the customers. And their prepared food is so expensive that you might as well just go out to dinner.

Flexichick wrote: Ahem...I can't believe that this thread doesn't have stars all over it

Lord.

trixieNYC wrote: [quote=Flexichick]Ahem...I can't believe that this thread doesn't have stars all over it

oh, wait, scratch that darling, it appears TrixieNYC has one.
gotta love that Trix.....


Ah, well, foiled again by the Trix

When I lived 2 blocks away from Naidre's (7th Ave betw 11th & 12th St), I was a huge fan of their FCB sandwich - focaccia with roast chicken breast, roasted peppers and onions, goat cheese, a dab of tarragon mayo, lettuce and tomatoes. Mmmmmmmmm. A little pricey, but so good. I also liked their flavored coffees.

I never was a big fan of Bagel Hole - it was okay, but I liked Terrace Bagel so much more. I love their Western omelette sandwich with a slice of cheese on a bagel.

Kinara, the Indian restaurant on 5th Ave and 10th (11th?) Street. Thank goodness for them - before Kinara, my recommendation for Indian food in PS was: go to Manhattan.

I know I can think of more shops and food options, but it's now lunchtime and all this reading of food places has gotten me hungry!

Flexichick wrote: Thanks, Megan

I'm pathetic

Heh. So am I. I've more lunchtime recs in lower Manhattan than in my own neck of the woods! Such is the working life, I guess. But then again, my employer provides a subsidized cafeteria to its workers, so I usually eat my cheap lunch at work.

Rose wrote: also Slope Cellars, also the other wine shop, um, Big Nose, Full Body?

Never felt a good vibe in Slope Cellars. Love Big Nose, Full Body (from when it first opened with Christy and Charles, through the Pat era, and now with Aaron running the place). Prospect Wine is OK (I buy liqour there sometimes since BNFB doesn't sell anything hard) - who remembers Prospect when it used to be Shachers (sp?) - oh boy the two old ladies who ran it were a trip, especially the really rude one (I'll get "the boy" to get it). 7th Avenue Wine & Liquor also has an interesting selection of liquor (trying to remember the previous name of that place).

Cheapest wine I've found in Brooklyn is the place next to Costco (you don't have to be a member). Not a great selection but stuff is as much as $2 less than any of the 7th Avenue places.

Hmmm... how come I've only written about wine shops? :oops:

BrooklynJack wrote: [quote=meganlibrarian]

Heh. So am I. I've more lunchtime recs in lower Manhattan

Say, has Alens Falafel returned to Liberty Park? I always liked his better than the other guy, less tendanccy to repeat on me.

Never even been to a falafel cart in NYC, sad to say. Where exactly in the park should I look for this guy?

SouthSlopeSuit wrote: Best Pizza: Ben's of Soho, corner of 3rd Street and 7th Ave. Killer deep dish onion, garlic and tomato pizza.

Cheese shop on the corner of 7th Ave and 9th Street. Great cheese, great baguettes, great location (although... staff from outer space).

Holy Cow record shop - a browser's paradise.

Too bad they're all long closed.

I miss Holy Cow. What a great place. I guess the used record store concept is pretty much obsolete at this point. Has anyone ever been to the yoga studio that replaced it?

well, i *don't* miss the raw food place on 15th. i like my food to be cooked.

Anonymous wrote: [quote=Flexichick]For cheap wine & booze for parties, I go to that store on 5th btw. 14/15th with the yellow sign. No idea what it's called.

Is it called Pearl River? It's a step up from a plexiglass place, but the selection is pretty good. I have found some decent, inexpensive wines there. Not bad, if you don't mind the chatty borachos who frequent the place.

I'm still looking for a good, hardcore wine shop, someplace that knows it's wines, has great $15 bottles as well as decent stock of some rarities and vintages. AND, isn't more expensive than fricken Manhattan. I feel like I've hit every single one (I really think I HAVE) from 9th all the way to St Marks, and crossing between 5th and 7th avenues. I still prefer to either go to Sherry Lehmann or Buy Rite on 3rd avenue....in manhattan! argh!
am I missing somewhere? or is it that it just gets my goat to have to pay a premium on certain bottles that I know go for a couple of bucks cheaper (yea, ok, I confess, quite the wino)
in the meantime, when I don't want to schlep the brown paper bag on the train like a drunk, I hit "Best Cellars" in, where else, Fresh Direct (swear I don't own stock in the company)
There are some really, really nice $9 and some killer $30 bottles.

btw, Bierkraft on 5th Avenue, god I love that place, not for beers (only because I don't drink beer but the variety astounds me!) but for cheeeeeeeeeese. they are so passionate about their offerings and they truly know their stuff, I mean, cheese. I've gotten quite the edumacation from them as well. Such a wonderful little shop. I dig 'em.

Subject: this is tuesday night

Bierkraft
presents a Synott/Granger Tasting
with Special Guest Bill Synott
from Southern Tier Brewing Company
Tuesday, August 8th at 7PM

Sampling five Southern Tier beers:
Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale
Hop Sun
Triple
Big Red
Unearthly Imperial IPA

Paired with five Spanish cheeses:
Cana de Cabra
Zamorano
La Yerbera
Mahon Curado
Peral

(All refreshments are complimentary.)
Please arrive before 7pm, seating is first come, first seated.
191 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn
(718) 230-7600
www.bierkraft.com

yea, and what Quiji said (can I call you Quiji?) about Bierkraft. again, while I'm not the beer drinker (I can't even stand the smell of it and that's all the wife drinks, lol) I think it's such a great shop. And I think it's wondeful they offer that Tuesday night tasting deal (free) very wise of them, great way to connect w/ customer. I'd love to check it out one night, yet, I'd hate to take a seat away from a deserving kegger. (what do you call beer drinkers, I know I'm a "wino")