PAUL LUKAS writes in the New York Sun: “Which Brooklyn thoroughfare will become the borough’s next restaurant row? I have a hunch it will be Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. All the pieces are in place: a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, a commercial strip with plenty of cheap storefronts, and a paucity of decent dining options. And just as … Al Di La planted the flag on Fifth Avenue, Vanderbilt Avenue has Aliseo, the quirky Italian osteria that opened last year and, like all pioneering eateries, stuck out like a sore thumb in its benighted surroundings.”

BEAST: “Beast is being called a tapas restaurant … (but) It’s more like a pub with hearty, filling fare. The problem, at least for now, is that a lot of it sounds better than it tastes … the Guinness-braised short ribs (are) singularly tasteless … salsa-topped lamb kabobs have a bit more character … But it’s rather telling that Beast’s biggest winner is the burger, a tasty half-pounder served with a potato and blue-cheese salad. And for all of Beast’s arty pretenses (the menu sections are annoyingly labeled, “Earth,” “Ocean,” and “Land and Sky”), the burger shows the place for what it is: a pleasant neighborhood hangout.”

AMORINA (”Cucina Rustica”):“It’s a fun little space … But … Amorina does not have a wood-burning oven … observers have described Amorina as a direct challenge to the much-hyped wood burning pizzeria Franny’s (but) it’s not really a natural rivalry, because the different ovens result in two very distinct kinds of pizza.”

“And, unfortunately, that distinction does not play in Amorina’s favor. The crusts are uniformly leaden - so much so that I literally ended up with a sore jaw after chewing my way through several of Amorina’s pies. Remember the basic rule about pizza crust: It should be good enough to be eaten by itself as bread. Amorina’s crust - dense to the point of being impenetrable - doesn’t come close to meeting that standard. And that’s a shame, because many of the toppings are inspired …”

Link: Next Stop, Prospect Heights [New York Sun]

PHOTOS:BEAST pre-opening glamour shots, posted on The NYC Gay Hockey Association message boards

Did you see this photo on Brownstoner? Taken during the last snowfall in Prospect Park? It was sent in by Stacey Duda. Thanks to an overwhelming backlog over here, BS scooped us on posting the photo, but Stacey promises an exclusive in the future: “you guys are my 2 favorite daily sites!”

And hey, here’s the full-size image, right here for you to click on.

Shelly Freierman writes in the New York Times: “…the spring season of show houses and house and garden tours has begun in New York City. This year’s sampling includes private modern art collections, shiny new kitchens, lush plantings and antiques galore.

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, FORT GREENE AND CLINTON HILL: About 15 private gardens and 6 community gardens will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District’s annual garden walk on June 5.

Freierman says this will include: “… a stone-walled garden with grapevines, blueberries and strawberries; a terraced garden; and a landscape with the plants arranged around a raised pool. Six community gardens will also be included.”

You can get advance tickets for $10 at the Forest Floor (659 Vanderbilt Ave. at Park Place, Prospect Heights) and Hibiscus Garden Center (564 Vanderbilt Avenue at Bergen, Prospect Heights). More information: (718) 707-1277.

Link:
Spring Ambles in, Along With the Curious [New York Times]