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Need a drink? Try Abilene…
Zach Feldman | August 17, 2007
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Last week, I stumbled upon a cool neighborhood dive bar called Abilene, an unassuming place on the corner of Court and 3rd Place. The main room is long and narrow with a large wooden bar situated against the back wall. The rest of the space is dotted with tables and chairs and on the night I visited, we were treated to a cool breeze from large bay windows that open out to the street. Drinks at Abilene are poured generously by the two bartenders, both of whom I found friendly. There’s a nice selection of 10 or so beers on tap and though they were $8, the shots are well-sized. Though I didn’t partake, I’m told Abilene also has good food - in particular, a beer, burger and fries deal for $10. Nice!! My favorite part about Abilene is their fun selection of board games. If you’re looking to expand your imbibing horizons, this is a good place to start.
Daycare Update: New Playgroup in Red Hook!
Rachel Markowitz | August 16, 2007
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My last post gave rise to a few questions. How will the community respond to the daycare shortage? What is being done to combat the stroller mafia turf wars? Who is the father of my imaginary children? An alarmed ex-boyfriend called me immediately to ask if they were his. I’m going to be discrete on that last answer for now.
Good news for Red Hook folks! While you may have to walk across the BQE to get to the subway, you no longer have to travel for daycare. I recently spoke with Stephanie Cherry, one of the five founding families of the brand new Red Hook Playgroup.
Stephanie’s search for local daycare began in late 2004. Like other Red Hook parents, she was frustrated that all the good daycare centers were in the
“We wanted more of a learning environment,” says Stephanie, “one that was for kids
The Red Hook Playgroup will open
Red Hook Playgroup will have an open house August 28th for interested families. There are still spots left for the fall, and currently there is no waitlist.
Red Hook Playgroup is located
Carroll Gardens resident turns her love of dogs into art
Marie Carter | August 15, 2007
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Carroll Gardens resident, Lisa Futterman, got the idea for her unusual silk-screened dog apparel when she lived near Portobello, London. “There was a store that sold silk-screen pillows and T-shirts on brightly colored fabric in black ink. I’m dog-obsessed and when I moved back to New York was enchanted by the cute dog culture here so I decided to do something similar with dog images, ” she explains.
The name of her business, Alfie & Rex, is based on the name of her first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Alfie and her sister’s dog, Rex, a Jack Russell Terrier.
Futterman studied photography and silk-screening at college and also took a class at the Lower East Side Print Shop on how to put images onto fabric. “Photo silk-screening is very involved. You have to use special photo chemicals. I bought a book that recommended using a thermal fax printer so I bought one on eBay which broke. I had to take it to the only man on the East Coast who knows how to fix it and he lives in Coney Island!”
Once the printer was working again she began designing the dog faces based on old dog books from the 60s and 70s. “The older books are better because they do portraits of dogs.” Her bestselling images are of a Boston Terrier, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Chihuahua and Dachshund. Futterman has close to fifty different breeds in her collection of T-shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, shoulder bags and watercolors.
To view or buy Futterman’s products, visit her shop on etsy.
Welcome to the Neighborhood Lili Taylor!
Rachel Markowitz | August 14, 2007
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According to New York Magazine, Lili Taylor, star of the Lifetime series State of Mind, just closed on a three-bedroom apartment in Cobble Hill for $950,000. Apparently this was 6% over the asking price. Just goes to show that while Lifetime may be crap TV, they must pay their actors semi-decently. I, for one, prefer to think of Lili Taylor as Corey Flood, the guitar-wielding companion of a love-sick John Cusak in Say Anything. It’s possible stereotypical “chick rock” was invented when Corey played an ode to her ex-boyfriend at a graduation party. The song goes: “Joe lies! Joe lies! Joe lies! when he criiiiies!” Perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to hear her playing similar tunes on her stoop one day.
Reportedly Taylor sold her apartment on Bethune Street for $1.1 million last month. Hopefully this indicates that she plans to stay with us for awhile. Let’s keep an eye out for her, and any other celebrities who are thinking of moving to the lovely BergenCarroll-land.
Cobble Hill Park goes dark?
Josh Guttman | August 13, 2007
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For the past two nights, the lights have been off in Cobble Hill Park. Anybody know the scoop? This is a photo shot at 11:30pm tonight.
Pupusas and Agua Frescas at Red Hook Ballfields
Josh Guttman | August 13, 2007
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I wandered over to Red Hook yesterday to check out the Sunday soccer games and the authentic South American fare. Unexpectedly nestled on the corner of Clinton and Bay is an extremely well-manicured soccer pitch, that would provoke envy from the most adept golf course greens-keeper. Surrounding the fields are tents serving home-grown Ecuadoran delicacies, including the famed pupusas and agua frescas. After sampling each of the five agua fresca flavors, a friend and I shared one bean/cheese and one loroco/cheese pupusa….delish! In case you were wondering (and I know you were), loroco is an exotic flower, indigenous to El Salvador, and a natural aphrodisiac containing vitamins A, B and C, calcium and iron. No comment on its effectiveness:) During half-time of the most 
competitive soccer game I’d seen since the World Cup (complete with refs and line judges), we ventured across the street to take a look at the Red Hook Community Pool, a hidden gem of the neighborhood. Despite the 88 degree temperatures, the pool was sparsely attended and quite inviting, though our lack of swim-wear preparedness prevented our indulging. All in all, these events made for a splendid Sunday adventure, especially since they required so little travel. Word on the street is that the NYC government is campaigning to take over the fields and require vendors to obtain official permits to sell goods. While this was only my first time, the authentic family vibe made the experience what it was. The thought of licensed, regulated vendors surrounding the fields conjures up images of the bland and generic 2nd Avenue Street Fair. In any case, I recommend spending a Sunday at the Red Hook Ballfields, a true Brooklyn treasure.
Ask Mario Podcast - stoop sales and BTU testosterone
Sobeit Union | August 10, 2007
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In episode three of Ask Mario, he rants and raves about stoop sales in the neighborhood before engaging in a testosterone-fueled battle over A/C BTU levels. Warning - podcast contains expletives, not for the faint of heart.
Send your questions to askmario [at] bergencarroll [dot] com.
Gin Tasting at LeNell’s Wine and Spirit Boutique
Jessica Clegg | August 9, 2007
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The opportunity to taste a variety of free gins at LeNell’s, a Red Hook Wine and Spirit Boutique, presented a two-fold benefit: a way to expand my Brooklyn range outside of the reaches of the F-train and to discover what gin actually tastes like when not drowned in Schweppes tonic water.
LeNell’s is a charming, homey shop with bottles arranged on antique bathtubs and barrels. I thought I might have to fight against my usual impulse at free wine store tastings: grab and gulp the little plastic cup while trying not to feel self-conscious about the fact that I’m only buying the bargain white in the counter bucket for sangria. Colby, a friendly staff member, was there to lead us through the tasting. During the tutorial, I discovered the reason that I prefer gin so much to vodka: juniper berries. Gin starts out basically as vodka, a neutral spirit, which is then re-distilled with flavorings. A common flavoring or botanical to nearly all gins is juniper berries, originally valued for their medicinal properties, which I guess makes gin the healthy spirit of choice.
We tasted three gins: Desert Juniper and No. 209, both of which keep their recipes tightly shrouded in secrecy, but would well liven up a gin martini, and DH Krahn, which is distilled with botanicals including Italian juniper berries, Moroccan coriander seed, various citrus, and a touch of Thai ginger. All three happily lacked the medicinal tinge of my usual bottom-shelf choices.
I had wanted to find a higher quality gin to add to my tonic. Turns out I discovered a finer tonic too. Q Tonic is made with natural ingredients, for example organic agave syrup rather than corn syrup. Another plus is that the sleek bottles look sexy in an ice bucket.
Our tasting session ended with a cocktail using DH Krahn gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a few pieces of fresh crushed basil. It was incredibly refreshing and steeled us for long journey back to Smith, at which point we were so overheated that only a Frozen Zombie at the Zombie Hut could revive us, but that’s another story for another time.
Here’s a cocktail recipe LeNell’s provided:
Gimlet (adapted from The Savoy Cocktail Book [1930])
· ½ gin
· ½ Rose’s Lime Juice (a brand of sweetened lime juice )
Stir, and serve in the same glass. Can be iced if desired.
The latest word on the street (according to this Village Voice article) is that LeNell’s is searching for a new space and plans to open a bar on the side. I personally would be willing, even eager, to actually pay for any of the drinks I sampled, so I hope they stick around our neighborhood. More information about the shop and a calendar of future boozy, yet educational, events can be found on their site.
Daycare Shortage and the Rise of the Stroller Mafia
Rachel Markowitz | August 8, 2007
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Most deadly gangs can be identified by their colors. The Bloods are red. The Crips are blue. But the Park Slope Stroller Mafia can be easily identified by – that’s right – their strollers. I’ve heard tales of hip young parents bringing their babies to bars, parking strollers up front while they kick back with a beer. Ever been to the Tea Lounge on Union Street? Good luck not spilling your coffee as you maneuver around the assorted strollers on your way to find a seat. Once a defining trait of Park Slope, the stroller mafia has moved west. But is the neighborhood ready for them?
I spoke recently with a local parent and long time resident of the community. While he loves the neighborhood, he’s recently been looking at Connecticut real estate. Why? Simply because he can no longer get his kids into daycare. Bergen Carroll-land daycare centers are overcrowded, and their waitlists are long.
I decided to do some investigative work, so I called Choo Choo Train Daycare on Court Street. The heavily accented woman I spoke with informed me that their class of 22 has two spots available, but they already have two families coming to look at the school. If these families decide to enroll their kids, Choo Choo Train Daycare will be booked up for the school year. Choo Choo is a very international place, I was told, and the class is run by three certified teachers.
Next on the list was Cobble Hill Playgroup. The director, Carol Troha, was very nice and called me back right away. She asked if I would be interested in putting my three year old daughter on a waitlist (my five year old is too old, as they only accept children 2-4) for the afternoon session. Everything else was completely booked. In fact, when I first called, she asked if I was calling about fall 2008. Troha told me that they try to keep an even mix of girls and boys, thus waitlists are separated by gender and age. While my three year old had a good chance of getting into the afternoon session, all other waitlists were closed.
My last call was made to Linden Tree Preschool and Playspace at Christ Church. Linden Tree takes children ages 2-4, but I was told that they were already booked up for two and three year olds. I asked the man I spoke with if he’s noticed a higher demand for preschool and daycare in recent years. He said that demand has risen considerably, particularly in the last two years. Several new preschools and daycare centers have opened recently, but it seems supply is far from meeting demand. Any entrepreneurs out there interested in the kiddie biz?
We’ll keep you posted on the daycare status in weeks to come.
Black MTN Wine Bar adds a new flavor to the neighborhood
Rachel Markowitz | August 7, 2007
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It was almost a year ago when I first saw a sign on the corner of Hoyt and Union announcing Wine Bar Coming Soon. After much anticipation, Black Mountain Wine Bar (spelled Black MTN) opened 10 days ago, a mid-summer treat for all the neighborhood wine lovers. At first glance, you may think that developers planning to open a ski lodge made a wrong turn, mistaking Boerum Hill for Vermont. The “front porch” looks like a log cabin, filled with oversized Adirondack chairs and tables. The night we visited, a few groups of friends were on the deck enjoying the mild evening and their bottles of vino.
By the time we arrived, around 10pm on a Thursday night, the place was emptying out. Still, our waiter was lively and knowledgeable, flawlessly reciting the wine specials for the evening with impressive insight and detail. I ordered what seemed to be the most exotic of the bunch – a glass of the chilled red granoche. It was the first time I tried a chilled red, but this is exactly what it was, a dry, tart, cranberry-ish red. Which is good, ‘cause rosé has always reminded me of that “jug of love” stuff we used to drink in college, which also reminds me of mornings, sometimes waking up in strange locations.
The menu also features small plates, including cheeses specially selected to match the menus. The manager, a shaggy hipster wine aficionado named Shane, sat down with us for a little bit to talk about the place. He’s done his best to hire people with a real knowledge of wine, and tries to stock the menu with selections that would be hard to find at your local corner store. His vision for the wine bar is more of a “wine house,” a homey, log cabin in the woods where you can come in any time and share a bottle with friends. While the location is removed from Smith Street, Black MTN hopes to draw customers from Park Slope as well as prime Bergen Carroll-land.
Black MTN Wine Bar is located at the corner of Union and Hoyt. Their phone number is (718) 395-2614.
