noisefootprint writes:

“We really liked it. We sat in the back room and they played old R&B and the Beatles the whole time.”

“I don’t recommend the calamari appetizer — rubbery, hard to bite through. He really liked his shell steak, though. I wasn’t crazy about my catfish, but I’d still return to the place because the menu was better than I expected.”

Discuss: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Is Sushi Tatsu worth it for the free sake? Some days, I vote yes. Others, I say no. It all depends on whether we can get a table at Geido, really.

Soda Bar, Brooklyn

Originally uploaded by urbanshoregirl.

Eating for Brooklyn writes: “Slightly hungover Saturday morning (or was it afternoon?), I was craving a burger to help cure me and a place that wasn’t too bright…”

“For about $6.00 you get a sizable burger that is charred to near perfection. I also opted for the greasy onion rings for $3.50. The dough was fried nice and crispy while the onion was heated up to release just the right amount of sweetness. Most of the draft beers, except some of the pricier imports like Belgium’s Delirium Tremens (overrated if you ask me), are $3.00.”

Link: Eating for Brooklyn

More ideas for burgers in Prospect Heights and Park Slope: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Lucas wrote in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “I just spoke with Fresh Direct’s PR. The story about the CMO handing over his business card was very compelling to me, so I had to get to the bottom of it (I work with a biz mag, thought it might have been a story.)”

“Fresh Direct says the CMO never met with Tessa, the blogger. Fresh Direct says it did send an official to meet with her, though the official was apparently a guy from the Transportation division. And while he did bring photos and leave his business card, the company says he ‘absolutely did not’ tell her to hold it up to the door - or present it to the delivery person.”

“Can’t say who to believe, but I gotta believe it would be pretty audacious for Fresh Direct to lie about all of the above…”

Discuss: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Ben writes in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “For those of you who have not happened down Vanderbilt Avenue recently, Aliseo has finally reopened. As far as I can tell, the main difference is that they renovated the kitchen. It looks like they’re still working on a garden.”

“… ate there last night and it was delicious as always. The menu is slightly larger — there are some more pasta dishes … The amazing bread that comes before the meal is slightly different but still heavenly. As usual, Albano was disappointed that we didn’t want wine.”

“Service was not quite up to the usual high standards — the waitress (who was new to me, but apparently has been working in Albano’s other place across the street) brought oil but no vinegar for the salad and took the bread away (!) before we were done to make room for the salad.”

Read more: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Peralta’s

Originally uploaded by Frank Lynch.

The former Peralta’s supermarket, now home to a restaurant called Sorrel.

sje wrote this review in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “We finally went there Tues. night, and it was delicious. I had the flank steak (well done, and I got no attitude for that), everything on my plate was fresh, beautifully cooked and just the right amount. My dinner companion also had an excellent meal, the giant pork chop. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the smoked mackerel appetizer with pieces of watermelon in it, a little too experimental for me… Nice glass of wine as well (Cote’ de Rhone), and pot-o-chocolat.”

Nebula78
writes in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “Starting this weekend, the organic market on Nostrand btw. Lincoln and Eastern Pkwy. will be serving all sorts of serious raw organic specialties. They had a little impromptu get toether during the late, late night Friday sampling of the new goodies, along with some nice tunes… Included are some fantastic burgers made with raw organics and special dressing… mmmmm…”

“This is the real deal stuff…I highly recommend this place, also for your veggie/health food needs. There’s no other place like this in CH or PH….All you PH’ers, dont be scared to cross franklin and come discover the veggie goodness at this spot…plus they are super nice!”

Delicious Reading:
Best Veggie Burger in PH (or PS or CH … or elsewhere)
[Daily Heights Message Boards]

Atlas

Originally uploaded by Frank Lynch.

Not a day goes by that I don’t regret missing the era of Hot Bird in Brooklyn.

Long discussion yesterday on Brownstoner about Tom’s Restaurant: “When we got to Sterling Place, we couldn’t help but notice the long line outside Tom’s Restaurant. We’ve never been there and are wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe the Prospect Heights residents in the crowd can clue us in.”

Mob Scene at Tom’s [Brownstoner.com]

Read about the alleged Washington Ave. anti-Tom’s conspiracy in the Crown Heights Message Boards.

Exclusively on DAILY SLOPE, a new website for Park Slope Neighborhood, Brooklyn, NY.

Laura B writes: “The Times published an item about Prospect Heights restaurants over the weekend. Probably not a surprising list for readers of this board, but it’s a nice little compendium and good to see the hood getting the attention it deserves.”

From NYT:

“A new basketball arena for the Nets in Brooklyn came closer to reality this month as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to sell development rights to the railyard at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. One way or another, these little gems nearby in Prospect Heights may feel the impact.

BEAST; (718) 399-6855; 638 Bergen Street (Vanderbilt Avenue)
FRANNY’S; (718) 230-0221; 295 Flatbush Avenue (Prospect Place)
GARDEN CAFE; (718) 857-8863; 620 Vanderbilt Avenue (Prospect Place)
THE ISLANDS; (718) 398-3575; 803 Washington Avenue (Eastern Parkway)
KOMBIT; (718) 399-2000; 279 Flatbush Avenue (Prospect Place)
RESTAURANT SORREL; (718) 622-1190; 605 Carlton Avenue (St. Marks Avenue)

READ REVIEWS: Ahead of the Bounce [New York Times link in the Prospect Heights Message Boards]

Eating for Brooklyn rumor-mongers: “Word on the street is that Tavern on Dean of Prospect Heights is opening a restaurant on Stuyvesant Avenue (on the corner of Macon) in Bedford Stuyvesant where the McDonald’s Stuyvesant Heights Cafe used to be (no, not the fast food chain)… I haven’t been able to confirm the rumor, but it would most certainly be welcome news.”

Comments: Prospect Heights Message Boards

(This photo is pre-signage… if you have a more recent picture, please send it in or post it to the message boards.)

nikki writes on the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “My husband and I went to Burrito Bar & Kitchen last Saturday … The food was really good. Portions were exactly the size they should be, AND, most important, the food tasted like Southern California Mexican food–something totally missing in NYC and all along the east coast. The chicken was marinated perfectly and– for anyone familiar with southern California–the burrito could have been a high end Alberto’s burrito or from Las Olas. There’s not much that NYC can stand to adopt from so cal EXCEPT good Mexican food… We also had a pitcher of sangria…” Read more…

Munchkin writes: “My smoothie was small and fairly tasteless, but my husband’s chicken wrap was pretty damn tastie. It came with a bit of very good mango salsa and good guac on the side. Fresh, good, a bit pricey. I had fun watching a bartender trying to figure out how to get a frozen margarita out of the blender. Hey, the place is new…”

typograffiti writes: “We vote it is more Bar than Burrito. Food was mediocre. Why spend that much on bland uninspired Mexillence when you can walk a few more block to La Taqueria on 7th ave? …”

MORE: Burrito Bar & Kitchen–Good Review! [Prospect Heights Message Boards]
MORE: Ungodly Ugly Sign on New Burrito Bar [Prospect Heights Message Boards]

A bunch of DAILY HEIGHTS regulars got together and had a bake sale to benefit a food bank in Houston that’s helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Total raised: $613. Thank you Prospect Heights!

Now up at Tales of the Cupcake Mafia: “Stopping by Video Edge … I had just rented Dead Like Me Season One Disc Three when I decided to stop and pick up dinner. Eschewing traditional take-out I decided to take advantage of my new neighborhood and head to a place called ‘The Wing Wagon.’…”

“The wings only came in batches of 10, and I wanted to try at least two different sauces. So I ordered 20 wings, 10 BBQ and 10 Medium and waited for my order. I was repulsed yet giddy with the weight of my wings as I carried them home. Opening the boxes, the potential for mess was so great, I moved the whole operation to the kitchen sink and ate standing up beside it.”

“… I was attacking these wings with a fervor that had not been seen since the days dinosaurs walked the Earth. Sauce was all over my mouth which would generally gross me out but I swear I did not care … I looked up quickly and caught a glance of my reflection of the kitchen window and mistook myself for a feral raccoon.”

Discuss: Wing Wagon

noisefootprint just texted me that there is a new “Healthy Nibbles” awning on Flatbush and Prospect Place. Apparently it looks like a juice place, with organic snacks… appears to be taking over half of a storefront that has some boutiquey, leather-goodsy, framey type place with the art on the wall. Half of it shut down, and it’s reopening as a juice bar.

So this is practically across the street from the Happy Carrot juice/health food place, or whatever that’s called. And isn’t “NY Naturals” nearby? How much health food can one block bear?

Discuss.

Let me see if I can get this straight… Muk reports, that he heard from DeeDee, posting on Chowhound, who heard it from a “reliable source”, that Half Wine Bar is up for sale. “Does anyone know what the proverbial ‘dealio’ is?” Muk asks.

Discuss.

LINK: Half Being Sold?
[Prospect Heights Message Boards]

Half Being Sold?

Looks like Superior Suds, Inc. has given up on the bagel stand fronting their Flatbush Ave. laundromat. Fresh bagels and dirty socks–how could anyone resist?

This was a bit of a shock, given the limited number of decent bagel sources in the immediate area. Maybe someone’s gearing up for Yummy Bagels 2.0? There’s a “space for rent” sign out front, but I should have asked anyway…

Discuss: Yummy Bagels Not So Yummy

…in this week’s NY Metro, spinningpinwheel reports.

“Depending on how you look at it, Beast is either a not-strictly-Spanish tapas bar, an American bistro with a dark, pubby vibe, or a casual place to grab a burger and a beer over a spirited game of Tapper at the bar…” Read more…

Comments (104)

“Last weekend I went to Total Wine Bar on 5th Ave between St. Marks and Prospect (or right near there). It looked a bit pretentious at first, but the guy at the bar was really nice, he let us sample our wines before we decided to “commit” (his word), and both of the wines I tried were great. They had an interesting snack & cheese menu too… which I intend to sample soon. So for those of you who are looking for a good place for a glass of wine, I would recommend Total Wine Bar.”

Discuss: Total Wine Bar

From the New York Sun via Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn: “The Park Slope Food Co-Op is thought by many to be a terrifying place, a netherworld of rules and suspensions and withering stares if you forget to bring your own biodegradable shopping bag. The one time I’d gone there, as somebody’s guest, when I reached out to pick up a persimmon only to be scolded by a dutiful member, who must have been following me through the aisles the whole time. “Excuse me,” she said. “Guests aren’t allowed to handle the produce.”

Richard, leader of a recent Sunday afternoon orientation session, was so determined to present the Co-Op’s gentler side that he had set up a table with organic treats such as carrots and humus and peach nectar for 30 prospective members. Before getting into anything as off-putting as regulations or free-range ethics, he started off the meeting by telling us how much the Co-Op has improved his life. “My ingestion has really changed,” he said. “I’m juicing now!” Read the full text of this article…

Comments [here]

People of Prospect Heights: What is it that unites us as a neighborhood? Our sense of community? Our desire for racial harmony and sensible development? Or the fact that we all, at one time or another, are subjected to the mighty, meaty wind emanating from El Castillo de Jagua outside of the Q station on Flatbush Avenue?

Public opinion is deeply divided on the merits of the meat vent. According to a recent Daily Heights poll, 32% of Prospect Heights residents find the greasy blast “disgusting” (sample quote: “I hate walking around that corner and getting a blast in the face of The Fried Wind….”). However, 27% “love it”, and another 27% “actually kind of like it.” Muk says: “Sometimes I stand directly in front of the meat fan for 10 minutes and then run around the neighborhood being chased by stray dogs… I am very lonely man.”

Muk also proposes that this meat wind should get its own proper noun: “As a nod to the cuisine and the people of El Gran Castillo, I think it should be called (drum roll)… El Carneviento - crudely translates to The Meatwind. Pronounced ‘Car-nay-bee-yen-toe’.”

USAGE: “I thought El Ni�o was bad until I moved to Prospect Heights and was blown down Flatbush Ave. by El Carneviento.”

If you’ve never experienced it firsthand, the thick and greasy impact of El Carneviento may be hard to imagine. But since a picture is worth a thousand whiffs, you can click the thumbnail below for a gigantic image showing the congealed grease that has accumulated over years of continuous blowing.

Daily Heights regular Carnivore comments: “That is truly a glorious sight… The combined essence of thousands of pork shoulders and chickens… It’s almost religious!”

[Click here] for a lengthy discussion of The mighty, meaty wind emanating from El Castillo de Jagua

About that new Mexican place “coming soon” on Flatbush (chronically “3 to 4 weeks” from completion, if you ask the construction crew), Medusa asks:

“I live right near what was once City Lighting and we’ve all discussed how it’s allegedly going to be a mexican place and that we’re dubious about its ability to succeed but I’d like to open the topic up to what bits of decor are currently available for viewing. From what I see, there’s a neon ‘open’ sign with a peace sign in the ‘o’ and some pictures of Jimi Hendrix on the walls and some pink lighting fixtures that look tacky. Also, some primary color things on the back door ramp.”

“I was kind of hopeful when the new windows went in that the place might at least look good, but now I’m losing hope. It looks tacky. 80’s-esque maybe. It’s looking like it’s going to be yet another San Francisco-summer-of-love burrito joint. Is it going to try to compete with the Taqueria?”

lovemynabe2 says: “Too much money is being spent on this place for it to look cheesy. I think this place is going to be one cool joint. Spoke to the owner, Gregory, who owns a restaurant in the City. He appeared to be a sophisticated guy. Can’t wait for the place to open.”

Read more…

Carnivore writes: “My wife and I tried it Friday night. The place is called Sorrel. The menu is all prix fixe- 3 courses for $25. Mostly inexpensive but fresh seasonal ingredients. My wife got the spaetzle with snails appetizer and a chicken with Israeli couscous main dish. I got the cold mussel soup with saffron appetizer and the roast cod with potato entree. We both had the orange-rosemary pannacotta for dessert.”

“Most of the dishes were undersalted, especially the mashed potatoes (obviously not the desserts). The mussel soup needed more saffron. The skin on the cod could have been crisper. But overall, very good for $25. They definitely have potential, and I plan to give them another try when the kitchen has had longer to iron things out. The snails/spaetzle dish was the best thing we tried. The pannacotta was richer than I usually expect from that dish, but that wasn’t a bad thing- very tasty actually.

READ MORE: Restaurant Open at Carlton and St. Marks [Prospect Heights message boards]