DeKalb Market – Hidden Treasure in Brooklyn

September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Friendship has to be mutually beneficial. You add something to the relationship and the other person adds something. Otherwise…what’s the point? If that’s the rule of a good friendship, Justin and I have a great one. I send him crazy British potato chips from when I go abroad, and he shows me one of the coolest markets in the NYC area.

DeKalb Market, ongoing 7 days a week through September 30, is an outdoor market with artisanal clothing, tchotchkes, and food. The weekends are supposedly packed, but on a weekday afternoon, the place was pretty empty. Perfect for  either a quick lunch or a delightful afternoon sampling treats from many different establishments.

Mahrlinka Longganisa with Spicy Chiles, Pickled Vegetables, and Mayo

Hello, garlic breath. The first bite of this is extremely garlicky – that spicy, punchy hit of raw garlic that some people love and some hate. I love it. It avoids being overwheming here because the next taste is that of sticky, sweet, pork. The chunks are big and moist, more of a loosely packed sausage than a hot dog. There is a very umami, salty hit that has to be fish sauce.  This sausage is funky, powerful, and definitely not for those who are shy about strong garlicky flavors. The tangy pickled vegetables, creamy mayo, and the heat of green chiles finishes what is one incredible sandwich.

I let Justin have a bite because he led me to this wonderful place. But just one.

Dubpies Curry Chicken Pie

This was one of Justin’s picks. A flaky, crisp curst surrounds a lightly curry flavored filling with moist chicken and tender vegetables. It was incredibly humid out, so I didn’t have more than one bite, but the one I had was quite good, if rather subtle.

I like a curry that kicks me in the face.

Cheeky Sandwiches Shortrib Sandwich with Horseradish

This place also has a location on Manhattan’s LES, and is known for its New Orleans style sandwiches. Though Justin swears by the chicken biscuit, we both decided to branch out this time.

Soft, savory beef layered with wilted arugula, sweet tomatoes, and an almost unholy amount of horseradish. The horseradish is nasal clearing, counteracting with the fruity tomatoes and buttery toasted challah. The sandwich is fantastic in every way – run, don’t walk, to get one.

Cuzin’s Duzin Donuts

These handmade mini donuts, made to order, were good, but not great. Justin and his girlfriend loved them, but I prefer a lighter, yeastier doughnut. These are cake donuts, and thus heartier with a denser texture. They were quite good, just not to my taste.

 I still ate them, of course…

Get yourself to DeKalb Market before it closes! The food is delicious and varied, the weekdays are not crowded, and there are so many more food stalls to try that I didn’t even cover here.

Thanks, Justin, for bringing me here!

Sausage sandwiches – improving friendship, one link at a time.

Cheeky Sandwiches on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Brooklyn, Miscellaneous, review Tagged With: , , , ,

The Fat Goose – A Neighborhood Haunt

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I had read only good things about Fat Goose, a seasonally inspired restaurant in Williamsburg, so when my girlfriends wanted to take the train to Brooklyn for an early brunch, I was only too willing to join.
The restaurant was dead empty, but we were brunching insanely early, at 11 AM.  The room is casual with polished wood floors, a roomy bar, and tables next to large plate glass windows. It isn’t big, but it is laid out well and manages to feel spacious. 

Coffee
The coffee is worth a special mention. Brought in individual French presses, it is rich and deep, with butterscotch undertones and no scorched notes of lesser coffees. Too many places around town serve sub par coffee, and this is a delightful way to start the day.
Spaghetti Squash Bruschetta with Sundried Tomatoes
I had never had spaghetti squash, and this was a delight! Airy, charred bread is topped with thin strands of squash, bright vinegar, and soft, salty sundried tomatoes. A variety of textures and an overriding light, fresh flavor adds versatility to brunch, which is often a heavy meal. 
Case in point:

Huevos Rancheros
This is a good rendition of huevos rancheros, but nothing more than that. Runny eggs, fluffy rice, garlicky black beans. The tortilla chips are thick and freshly fried, but there is no hot sauce offered with the eggs. When asked for hot sauce, I got Sriracha. Really?
I mean I love Sriracha – would bathe in it if I could – but with huevos rancheros, I want some Cholula or something. A Mexican hot sauce.
Does that make me racist?
That’s what she said?
(guess that last one doesn’t really apply here)
This dish was good but not memorable. Luckily, the next dish changed all that.

Buckwheat Crepe filled with Swiss Cheese and Ham, garnished with Sriracha
Now, this is where Sriracha works. The buckwheat crepe is crispy and thin, filled with lakes of gooey Swiss cheese and thick nuggets of meaty, salty ham. The Sriracha balances out the saline, unctuous elements of the crepe, cutting though it with vinegar and chiles. This is highly recommended. 

I now know what the hype is all about. It isn’t about the mind blowing Kobe beef or the gorgeous waitstaff. It’s about a great neighborhood restaurant. The kind of place where you can bring a book, grab a satisfying meal, and get out of there for under $15. Nicer than a diner, not as stuffy or expensive as many other brunch places. I wish this were in my hood, but until it is, I can thoroughly recommend you check out Fat Goose.

Fat Goose on Urbanspoon
Popbar on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Brooklyn, NYC Tagged With: , ,

Trophy Summer Tuesdays with Nate Smith

July 21, 2011 By 4 Comments
When McKenzie and Sarah wrangled me into Brooklyn for dinner, I had my doubts. I mean, we were schlepping to Williamsburg for dinner at a bar? 
They were touting Trophy Summer Tuesdays, held at Trophy Bar’s outside patio. Every Tuesday evening this summer, chef Nate Smith(formerly of The Spotted Pig) makes a different sandwich, side and pie for $17.
When I got to Trophy, I was immediately impressed. It had the low key, unpretentious vibe I love and a wonderful cocktail list.
When we ventured to the backyard, we were greeted with plenty of seating and a relaxed crowd that was part young people drinking beers and part families letting their kids run around the space while they enjoyed beers.
Lots of beers here. Always a good thing.
Cabbage Salad. Shreds of white cabbage, celery carrots and cucumbers were dressed in a sweet and spicy vinaigrette that had a kick from thinly sliced Serrano chiles. It had a slightly Asian taste from the cilantro and rice wine vinegar.  Fresh, crunchy and zesty, it was the perfect accompaniment to…
Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches. Damn. These sandwiches redefined chicken for me. This chicken was so tender, flavorful and sweet that I could have sworn that it was pork. I tasted soy and sugar in the marinade, but beyond that…I was lost. It was a little tangy, a little spicy and only salty enough to bring out the natural flavor of the meat. And it as dark meat – the much maligned part of that bird. Dark meat is moist, robustly flavored and kicks dry and generally sawdust-y white meat’s ass. Placed on a soft, squishy bun with a hit of Sriracha, a leaf of butter lettuce and a gloriously crisp shard of fried chicken skin, this was everything I want in a sandwich. Satisfying but not heavy, flavorful but not salty and left me with enough room for this:
Peach Pie. Flaky, buttery crust topped with crunchy gains of sugar. Soft peaches, tasting both fresh with summer and slow cooked the way that your Southern Grandma would have cooked them, The juices mingled with warming cinnamon, creating a gelatinous pool of pure peach essence that softened the bottom crust, rendering it soft but not soggy. It only wanted for a scoop of really rich vanilla ice cream. 
And that was all this was missing – the vanilla ice cream. There was booze. There was food. There was the charming and talented Nate Smith (unpictured) making the rounds and chatting with patrons in between assembling totally delicious sandwiches. There was the chance that I would be returning next week to try the new sandwich. 
Hell, that isn’t a chance. That’s a fact. 
Filed Under: Brooklyn, NYC Tagged With: ,