checking out the new franny’s

I’d been curious to see how the new location of Franny’s would compare to the original, as it’s been one of my Brooklyn favorites. The new spot opened on April 8th, and promised more seating, a larger menu, and even a separate downstairs dining space for private parties. Accustomed to arriving to a group waiting just outside or inside the door, we were amazed to find the new space much more open. The pizza oven space is much more spacious, as is the bar area.

We decided to sit at the bar, happy to have caught them still serving dinner at almost 10pm (their posted hours are actually until 11:30pm). We ordered several appetizers as well as a pizza, which ended up being a perfect amount of food. The first dish to come out was the pea shoots with lemon and pecorino rossellino. The fun ribbons of cheese were a nice balance to the slight bite of the greens.

This freekeh salad was my favorite out of the starters. It included some tasty parsnips, almonds and pecorino ginepro.

I was not sure if it would be too heavy, but this wood-roasted pork sausage with mustard greens was a perfect addition to the line-up, adding just enough protein to the starters we tried. The greens were nicely done – not too bitter with excellent flavor.

And of course, it’s not a visit to Franny’s without a pizza. This time we went with the prosciutto cotto, spring onion, olives, chilies and caciocavallo pizza. The thinly cut proscuitto was flavorful. The chiles added a bit of spice and it was a nice change from the standard mozzarella for them to use the caciocavello (a sheep’s milk cheese).

For dessert, we tried their latte gelato and the salted caramel. The latte was more of just iced milk – made me almost think of making snow ice cream growing up. Put the two together, and the flavor was quite good. Yum. Verdict? New Franny’s still equates to the varied goodness of the original.

Franny’s – 348 Flatbush Avenue (b/w Stirling Place & 8th Ave), Brooklyn – 718.230.0221
No reservations, except  for parties of 8-12

 

valentine’s day at kittery

We were not planning on going out on the actual day of Valentine’s Day. Most places only offer prix fixe menus or find some other way to make it more expensive for that one particular evening. However in the end, we opted to do our Valentine’s plans on the actual day. We started the evening with some paint your own pottery at The Painted Pot before making our way down the street to Kittery.

The restaurant, which has been open since around Christmastime, isn’t crazy crowded. As should be expected for Valentine’s, it was totally different. We got there around 9:30 (my squirrel here was super detailed so I wasn’t exactly the quickest of painters) and found the place completely full, with the hostess telling us it would be another hour before they could seat us. T did not look amused. However, it was only another 10 minutes before they seated us. Perhaps some growing pains of a new-ish restaurant learning how to deal with peak crowds.

We chose to skip their popular “Stuffies” (baked clams with sausage stuffing and lemon) and instead started with their warm spicy crab dip, which was served with bagel chips. We were warned that the portion size was on the larger side and that many people had commented on the dip being pretty spicy. Both made us smile. The appetizer was much needed with the late dinner time and confirmed what I suspected, which is that on a cold night if I needed a bit to eat, this might be something perfect to get and sit at the bar and be content with just that. Quite good.

We also had to start with the clam chowder. Hard to beat a good clam chowder on a cold night. With the seafood focus at Kittery, it was a no-brainer. The balance of flavors was good. Creamy but not overwhelmingly so. It was heavy on the pepper, which I loved but BF found a bit excessive. Portion size was nice for us to share, seeing as we’d ordered an assortment of items.

For our main course, we split the surf & turf, preceded by the simple greens salad. The mustard vinaigrette on the salad was excellent and made the salad for me. The surf and turf was a great combo. The steak was perfectly done and seasoned, and I liked that it was all very reasonable portion sizes, even with us splitting the dish. The hollandaise-esque sauce wasn’t too heavy too. My issue was with the lobster. It was way overdone, making it too chewy and a bit disappointing. I’d like to go back when it’s warmer and feels more seasonally appropriate to instead try their lobster roll. Overall, a nice spot and curious to try their outdoor dining once spring fully kicks in. But overall, a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Kittery – 305 Smith St (btwn Union/President St – Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn – 718.643.3293
Reservations Suggested

 

opening night at nightingale 9

Last night was the official opening for Nightingale 9, a Vietnamese street food spot that sneakily went up under the facade of a curious frame shop that just never seemed to be open. Outta nowhere, there was a name and last week, there was a sign proclaiming Thursday, February 21st to be the day. I really wanted to check it out, being such a big fan of Kerry Diamond’s other spots – Seersucker and Smith Canteen.

Walking in, you can see the small bar bordered by tables mostly in a L shape. There are some 2 person tables in the front but the back is mostly communal style, holding around 6 people each. The menu was divided into 5 sections: salads ($11-12), appetizers ($10-14), rice noodle soups ($10-12), vermicelli bowls ($11-15), and jasmine rice dishes ($10-15). While many of the dishes caught my attention, I did have to read carefully, as there were lots of dishes with mushrooms in them. They have beer and wine on tap, as well as several intriguing sodas (next time, I’m totally trying the tamarind soda) and teas.

To start, we had the Long Island Squid Salad, which was tamarind, peanuts, morning glory (this interesting green you see here, also referred to as “Chinese spinach” or “Swamp cabbage”), and fried garlic. The dish was refreshing and very light. A nice flavorful yet light way to start off the meal. I can’t say I’ve ever had fried garlic but it was kind of an amazing addition.

I opted for the Chao from the jasmine rice dishes. The dish had shredded chicken, cilantro, peanuts, and fried bread. It was a nice portion size – just enough to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed by food. The broth was light and topped with a heaping portion of cilantro (no problem by me).

My BF had the Berkshire pork rice noodle soup, which had roasted pork shoulder, country ham, cracklin, lemongrass, and annatto. I really liked his. It was quite spicy without adding any of their on-table assorted sauces. You could tell it would be as soon as they brought it out from the deep orangey red of the both (which apparently was due in part to the addition of the annatto).

For dessert, I have to confess we never got to see the menu. The party next to us took off, seemingly late for another event. They left behind a lady, who was still paying and, as it turned out, was also waiting for dessert. Since they’d left, she offered us their dessert. They were Popsicles – one a coffee with cream and the other a creamy lemongrass. They were so completely different. The coffee one was more icy than creamy, except for the thin layer of condensed milk running along the bottom. It packed a bit of a bite and was quite good. I think my favorite though was the lemongrass. It was so creamy and flavorful. I really enjoy the flavor of lemongrass but I’m much more accustomed to it in hot noodle dishes.i have to say, it’s a great cold flavor as well.

Wonderful first night here. Can’t wait to go back and try more things at this spot, in particular I’m already eying the cha ca catfish vermicelli bowl and the campanelli checken pho.

Nightingale 9 – 345 Smith Street (btwn 2nd & Carroll Streets)
No Reservations

 

now open: avlee greek kitchen, carroll gardens

After watching this spot go up for a while, I was so excited to see Avlee Greek Kitchen finally open late last week! Curious to see the finished product, I popped in yesterday, expecting the food to be more grab-and-go style (like a Maoz). Boy was I wrong. While there isn’t a ton of seating, there are several small tables for you to eat there with table service. Just beyond the first group of tables in the entry way, there is a long bar-like area which is the kitchen and there are a few more tables int he back. They even have a few wines you can order along with your meal.

Their menu ranges from standard pita wraps and platters to traditional Greek entrees, like pastitsio and mousaka. Usually I have to go into the East Village for some of these favorites, so I’m really excited to be able to try them now instead from Brooklyn! For my first visit, I went standard – chicken souvlaki along with Greek patates tiganites (hand cut russet potatoes fried & topped with EVOO, fresh lemon, and feta cheese). So good! Can’t believe they haven’t even been open for a week yet and are functioning so smoothly.

I was talking with one of the employees and the inside scoop is they wil be starting delivery next week! If you’re in the area (or ordering delivery in the area starting next week) I recommend giving this new tasty spot a proper welcome!

Avlee Greek Kitchen - 349 Smith St (between Carroll St & 2nd St), Brooklyn – 718.243.2641 

 

double-date brunch at buttermilk channel

I’d been meaning for a long time to go check out brunch at Buttermilk Channel. But brunch at Buttermilk Channel is extreme on all levels. Portion sizes? Generous. Wait times? Be ready to just grow roots and stick it out. No reservations with crowds that don’t let that send them away means there will likely be a wait at just about any hour – even if you plan to get there early.

This particular Saturday, we got there around 11am and only found about a 30 minute wait. Not too bad, in the grander scheme of things. We sat down and ordered right away, having perused the menu while waiting at the bar. Our friends ordered a short-stack to enjoy as they waited for their main dishes. Look at this. Just a taste of what was to come.

Our food came out fairly quickly, though we were missing one dish. As we started to eat what had already come out, they kindly sent out one of their jelly doughnuts for my BF to eat while he waited on his meal.

I was unable to resist the allure of the pecan pie french toast with bourbon, molasses, and toasted pecans. My oh my. Sometimes I’ve found things such as this to be too much for me – even with my significant sweet tooth. Yes, there was definitely some sugar on my plate – but it was just teetering at the line of excess, and worked perfectly for me. Note, I did not need dessert the rest of the day (I was also not complaining).

The fried pork chop with cheddar waffle wasn’t just big – it was massive! The flavors were excellent and paired perfectly with the cheddar waffle – hanging out beneath the pork chop fully dwarfed by its size.

Is this somewhere I’ll indulge to eat at on a weekly basis? No. Is this somewhere I’ll definitely be making a return visit? Why yes.

Buttermilk Channel – 524 Court Street (at Huntington) – Brooklyn – 718.852.8490
Reservations for parties of 5 or more only

 

late night shopping at the brooklyn night bazaar

If you’re like me, these holiday markets have become my obsession. Rather than having to choose a “type” of store, I can casually peruse stalls, booths, or tables with all sorts of items – many of which I had not thought of until I went to their market. I buy so many Christmas presents this way that I’ve lost count. When I heard about the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, a market I’d missed hearing of last year, I had to venture out on Saturday evening to see what it was all about.

Brooklyn Night Bazaar – Williamsburg

I arrived on the early side, agreeing to meet my sister around 7:30pm. Serious shoppers note – early is way better in the case of this spot. Not only is your selection better, but also you’ll be able to walk directly in to the venue (the line snaked over 1/2 a block at 10:30pm when I left), you’ll be able to actually move around the venue and get up close to the merchandise before the crowd thickens, and you’ll be able to actually talk to people (live music in theory is great – but towards the end of the night, it made communicating with vendors a bit tricky).

Oaxaca and Dub Pies

The interior of the space was purely merchandise vendors – art to clothing (new and second hand) to jewelry to lotions and candles. Along the perimeter of the exterior though, you could find just about everything you might want to eat, from the basic (tacos from Oaxaca) to the unexpected (Blueprint Cleanse? Wait what?) to the comforting (all kinds of grilled cheese from Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen).

Ample Hills – One of My All-Time Faves

And don’t forget the sweets! Make sure to visit my favorite, Ample Hills, for a sweet treat to round out your visit. For those of you who think Prospect Heights is oh too far, you’re lucky that it’s coming to you for several weekends. I recommend the Bourbon Street. Delish! For another sweet option, check out Arancini Brothers and their hazelnut balls. Amazing!

Miss out on the first nights of the event’s run? Fear not. There are 10 evenings in total and that means 8 more chances for you to make it out.

And if shopping and eating isn’t your thing, there’s always … ping pong!

45 North 5th Street – Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Running Fri/Sat through December 22nd
Free Admission

 

catching up with battersby

Perhaps it is a new thing. Or maybe I was just oblivious last year? Whichever the case, it seems countless restaurants have deemed this week their official “summer vacation” week. Fret not. They’ll be back up and running in time for the weekend, which I have to agree is smarter than shuttering for a long weekend. I pulled up the menu for Battersby last Friday and was relieved we’d been planning on going that same day, rather than a few days later where we’d have found them on break. My friend M and I were both very curious to try this unassuming place that many publications speak so highly of.

 I got there at 5:15, just a bit ahead of their 5:30 opening, and watched as groups slowly filed in behind me to form a line trailing down Smith Street. Wow. No wonder it usually looks like a sea of faces when I walk by. We sat in the back patio area, which was nice and open and had about 6-7 tables. We enjoyed a bit of their complimentary rosemary bread and ricotta spread and enjoyed some of their fabulous cocktails as we perused the menu. Their red currant infusion, pictured here, was refreshing.

Red Currant Infusion – Battersby

 To start, we had to try the much discussed crispy kale salad. After reading so much about it, I worried I’d be underwhelmed. I find it intriguing though that kale, a winter veggie, is such a staple dish on their menu. The light crunchy preparation of it along with the light citrus vinagrette and crunchy radish slices make it one to cross seasonal borders effectively.

Crispy Kale Salad – Battersby

We were tempted to try the tasting menu but ended up just going with an assortment of dishes instead. The tasting menu looked good (we seemed to be the only table in the back who didn’t opt in). The only drawback is you don’t really know what you’re signing on for. It’s a “spontaneous tasting menu”, which is flowery code for “surprise!”.

We did a couple of pasta starters for our second course. The pork tortellini was good, but the flavor of the pork was so subtle you almost couldn’t taste it at all. It was served with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and a pesto sauce. The flavors were great. I think a bit more pork inside the tortellini would have done it.

Pork Tortellini – Battersby

Our other first course was the fettuccine, which had a short rib ragu, Parmesan and tomato. This was so good. The noodles were wider than you typically find with fettuccine. The short rib was noticeable in flavor but the dish wasn’t heavy at all. Recommend this one!

Fettucine – Battersby

Finally for the main course, we did the Berkshire pork belly parmigiana, prepared with ricotta gnudi and artichoke. I didn’t think it would – but this dish tasted exactly how you’d think it would. It was eggplant or chicken parmigiana but with pork belly. It’s very different from other pork belly dishes I’ve had. It was nicely cooked so that the pork belly was not too charred. The cheese layer was nice and generous. Warning – this is on the heavy side. Tasty, but be prepared!

Berkshire Pork Belly Parmigiana – Battersby

We didn’t get a chance to try dessert, so in my mind there’s no option of whether I’m headed back. Though will have to wait until at least next week…

Battersby – 255 Smith Street (b/w Douglass and Degraw) – 718.852.8321
No Reservations / Closed Mondays

 

breakfast changes at smith canteen and seersucker

Customer service is part of my job, so it can’t help but warm my heart to see restaurants making major changes in service to better accommodate their customers. I really enjoy breakfast at Smith Canteen. The coffee is probably my favorite so far in Brooklyn and I’m positively obsessed with their homemade Pop-Tarts. However, the waits in the morning during the workweek had gotten so long that I’d almost stopped going. Just too much time – a treat better saved for the weekend. If I was running too late, I knew that there would possibly be a sea of strollers to greet me along with a long line.

Everything Croissant Sandwich – now available at Seersucker

I walked in a few weeks back though to see a note on the door as well as a stack of a printed letter to customers explaining some upcoming changes. I’ve been in places I really like to find major changes but can’t say I’ve ever seen any be so transparent and detailed in communicating what was going on and why and with a whole week’s notice to boot. Coffee service would remain the same, as would the fabulous grab and go pastries. However, it also noted that their sister restaurant a few doors up, Seersucker, would start opening for breakfast and would be carrying some of the more invovled breakfast items they used to serve at Smith Canteen as well as some new additions.

Market Sour Cherry Pop-Tart – Smith Canteen

I popped into each after the change to see how things worked. The line at Smith Canteen definitely moves more quickly, and I like that you can still get most of the basic food to go there. Seasonal muffins, basic croissants and such.

Breakfast Baked Goods – Smith Canteen

It was interesting to pop into Seersucker, having only been there before to eat meals on-site (great brunch here). I was a bit worried about how long it would take. Should I have called in? Would it be crazy busy with people dining in? Neither were a problem. There were some people at one table and there was a father with his little boy, no more than 2, propped up at the bar. I ordered at the bar and had my food and was heading back out in no more than 10 minutes.

I was able to get the same iced coffee as I usually get at Smith Canteen and I had to try the breakfast tacos while I was there. They were quite good and deceptively light. I noticed the reality when I wasn’t hungry later come lunchtime. They’re scrambled eggs, house chorizo, potatoes, and I went for salsa verde.

Breakfast Tacos – Seersucker

Overall, wonderful change for both Smith Canteen and Seersucker. If you haven’t visited either, highly recommend checking them out.

Smith Canteen – 343 Smith Street (at Carroll Street) – 347.294.0292
Seersucker – 329 Smith Street (between President & Carroll) – 718.422.0444

 

outdoor dinner at beast

Sunday’s weather made for a perfect night to finally try out Beast in Prospect Heights. Their outdoor seating isn’t plentiful, but we managed to catch it at just the right time – the brunch crowd having finished and the dinner crowd just starting to trickle in.

We ordered several things to share – the first no-brainer being their fried manchego cheese. When it came out it was just perfect – not too heavily breaded, nicely seasoned, warm, and gooey in the center. They source their cheeses from Stinky Bklyn and this selection did not disappoint.

Fried Manchego Cheese – Beast

We also went with their beet carpaccio – thinly sliced oven roasted beets, hearts of palm, and a goat cheese dressing. Fresh and simple, this dish was a perfect spring appetizer. The hearts of palm weren’t super flavorful, but they managed to add a nice crunch to the dish.

Beet Carpaccio – Beast

One of the daily specials was broccolini, prepared with crushed red pepper and pecorino cheese. Spicy broccoli is one of my favorites and the cheese sprinkled on top was a nice complement.

Broccolini – Beast

For our main, we had the marinated skirt steak with corn fritters, baby arugula, and a chipotle aioli. The steak was perfect – nice and pink at the center and nicely sliced into thin slices. The corn fritters were great and paired nicely with the steak. Only improvement would be if they were a bit thinner. I thought the aioli brought a nice flavor to the mix, but there was a lot of it on the meat. A little less and that fabulous steak would have been able to shine through even more!!

Citrus-Marinated Skirt Steak – Beast

I’ve heard great things about their sticky toffee pudding, which I didn’t get to try. I’ve read people say they come here just to get this dessert, so it’s high on my must try list at the moment. Service was super attentive and the food fresh. They change up the menu often so I’ll definitely be returning back to this spot in the future!

Beast – 638 Bergen Street (at Vanderbilt Avenue) – 718.399.6855

 

double ice cream day at ample hills

While we’ve had a few days here and there that have been nice, yesterday was one of the first truly nice days where I was out and about on the weekend. As I mentioned earlier today, on Sunday I went to brunch with the gang of Google Places Power Users at Cafecito Bogota. left craving a little something sweet. Blame it on my having eggs and not french toast.

It was nice that from there my boyfriend and I decided to go on a walk. We continued on through the rest of Greenpoint into and through Williamsburg, winding back into Bushwick, making sure to stay on the sunny side of the street since it’s the time of year where that makes all of the difference.

Blame it on the weather, but along the way that dessert craving became more focused. Ice cream. Only ice cream. We passed some ok looking places, but why settle for ice cream dispensed from the corner of a convenience store when you can keep going a bit more for the real thing – Ample Hills.

Ample Hills Creamery opened last summer on Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights. I didn’t get to try it for a bit -scared off by the likes of them selling out of all of their ice cream during their first four days they were open, causing them to have to close and replenish their stock. That’s no joke!

I finally got to try their ice cream, but never on-site. One cold, gross day my boyfriend surprised me with a pint for us of their Black Cow Float - root beer ice cream with a swirl of milk chocolate. So good. Root beer ice cream? Yes please. And for a friend, we had one of their ice cream cakes – tasty but heavier than other ice cream cakes I’ve had.

Fun with seasonal flavors

Yesterday though? I went inside. Ok. I may have gotten ice cream not only once but two times in the same – once before dinner and another time after dinner. Both at Ample Hills. That’s okay though. Being able to do things like that make all the downside of being an adult a bit more bearable.

First, I had their PB&J ice cream. I sampled it first as I thought that sounded like it could be amazing or disgusting (note after sampling a few flavors here, I think even the most extreme flavors here end up working). It was really good – not overwhelming peanut butter ice cream base with a grape jelly-esque ribbon running through. Unique and so good.

Oh hey hey, PB&J

The other flavor I’d been eyeing was Nona D’s Oatmeal Lace – brown sugar and cinnamon ice cream with bits of oatmeal cookies sprinkled throughout.

They’re about to start ice cream classes and they also often accommodate parties. Have an idea for a flavor? Tack it up to their flavor board and maybe you’ll get your wish. Let’s just say I’m thankful I don’t live around the corner from this place or else I know where you’d find me all summer long!

Ice cream doodles from the suggestion board

Next visit? Shake time. Yes, that’s happening.

Ample Hills Creamery – 623 Vanderbilt Avenue (at St. Marks Avenue) – Prospect Heights, Brooklyn – 347.240.3926