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Nectar Smoothies…a little too sweet?
Josh Guttman | July 24, 2008
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I walked over to Nectar on Court Street today and ordered a smoothie – The Hometown Squeeze in this case – as I do once or twice every week. I’ve always assumed this to be a healthy breakfast or snack, made only with natural ingredients and fruits. The menu says The Hometown Squeeze contains “peach, blueberries and banana”. When the man preparing my smoothie grabbed a plastic juice bottle from the shelf, I was confused so asked to see the bottle. It turns out the Peach Nectar that they were using instead of actual peaches, wasn’t even pure juice. The bottle listed high fructose corn syrup among its ingredients and also claimed “contains 32% real juice”. Needless to say, drinking my smoothie took on a very different experience this morning. Why is Nectar using artificial and unhealthy ingredients in their smoothies? How do people feel about this?
JDub Records at Prospect Park Bandshell, Sunday 7/20
Josh Guttman | July 17, 2008
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I just got an email about this exciting group of musicians performing a free show Sunday at Prospect Park Bandshell. This looks to be a great addition to the already stellar Celebrate Brooklyn summer lineup.
Join host Michael Showalter in celebrating JDub Records’ fifth anniversary, with performances from Gypsy folk-rock band Golem, hip-hop and reggae from Tel Aviv’s Soulico, the Ladino-infused Sephardic tunes of DeLeon, and the ritualistic afro-pop and cantorial blues of the Sway Machinery, with special guests Jon Langford of the Mekons, the Hungry March Band, and more!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Prospect Park Bandshell
For more information, visit JDub Records.
Half of Clinton Street blocked off for commercial today?
Josh Guttman | July 15, 2008
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What’s up with the blockage of Clinton Street from Warren to Amity today for a commercial? How do people feel about this inconvenience…. both sides of the street sequestered? It’s great that film producers have discovered the beauty and charm of our neighborhood, but the frequency of filming and street closures is getting to be overkill. Sure, the city and local merchants get paid, but what about us?, you know…the ones who are actually inconvenienced. Please chime in and voice your opinions on this.
Quick and Easy Cooking Class in Carroll Gardens on Saturday, July 26
Josh Guttman | July 15, 2008
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Chefs Dina & Carina of Tall Order are hosting a Brownstone dinner on Saturday, July 26 in Carroll Gardens. These expert chefs promise a delicious and entertaining meal. They’re also hosting a cooking class entitled “Everyday Easy: Four Meals on the Fast Track” on Wednesday evening, July 23, from 6:30 to 10pm at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health (in Manhattan, on 21st Street between 5th & 6th Ave). There are still seats available for both – call the Natural Gourmet directly to enroll at 212-645-5170 ext. 4. Scroll down for a description of the class and the menus we will be preparing.
This month’s BROWNSTONE DINNER on Saturday, July 26 at 8pm.
Enjoy a fabulous 4-course dinner at our Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn brownstone
(corner of President and Smith Streets – Carroll Street stop on F/G line).
This Month’s Menu
Chilled Tomato Tarragon Soup with Croutons
Spinach, Strawberries and Toasted Pecan Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw, Fingerling Potatoes with Chives and Tarragon and Grilled Zucchini
or
Soba Noodles with Summer Vegetables, Crispy Tofu and Toasted Sesame Seeds
Mango Blueberry Pudding with Almond Cookies
Call or email to reserve your seat NOW!!! $55 per person
Email: chefs [at] tallorderonline [dot] com or call: 917-328-6348 www.tallorderonline.com
Bastille Day means Pentanque on Smith – this Sunday
Josh Guttman | July 11, 2008
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One of my very favorite neighborhood weekends of the year is upon us. It’s Bastille Day!! Bar Tabac (128 Smith Street/Dean) and Ricard celebrate Bastille Day on Sunday July 13 with the annual street festival and Petanque tournament. This event, now in its seventh year, closes down Smith Street every year, as the street is covered in sand for the Petangue courts. The event is organized by Bar Tabac, Robin des Bois and the local Community Board.
80 teams participate in what has become the largest Petangue tournament in the U.S. Players from around the world, including France, Italy, Thailand, Australia, the U.S. and Canada, as well as Brooklyn locals, will fight it out for the prize of top team.
Special cocktails made with Ricard and sandwiches from Bar Tabac’s outdoor grill, including the popular merguez sandwich with frites ($6), will be served. Neighboring restaurants join in as well, serving food and drink to the spectators.
Music will be provided by Baby Blue Orchids, an American big band, and the Francois Wiss Ensemble, playing French gypsy music.
When: Sunday July 13, 2008 – Noon – 8pm
Where: Smith Street between Bergen and Pacific
Music at the Bridge kicks off in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Josh Guttman | July 10, 2008
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Brooklyn Vegan tipped us off to an exciting music series happening in Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer. This is a cool collaboration by city government and local music venues. Keep stuff like this coming!!
The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation have announced Wednesday, July 9, as the start date for Music At The Bridge, a new free summer music series being presented in the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park. For each of five consecutive Wednesday nights, starting at 6:30pm, a different Brooklyn music venue will curate a three-hour jewel of a program, taking direct aim at the musically adventurous.
Music At The Bridge line-up at a glance:
Wednesday, July 9: An evening curated by Barbès, featuring:
Las Rubias Del Norte
The Parker String Quartet
The Mandingo Ambassadors
Wednesday, July 16: An evening curated by Zebulon, featuring:
Stuart Bogie/Superhuman Happiness
Charles Gayle Trio
Colin Stetson
Sharon Van Etten
Wednesday, July 23: An evening curated by Jalopy, featuring:
The Wiyos
Rob Reddy’s Tenfold
The Otis Brothers
Al Duvall
Wednesday, July 30: An evening curated by ISSUE Project Room, featuring:
John Zorn’s COBRA
Theremin Society
Jonathan Kane’s FEBRUARY
Wednesday, August 6: An evening curated by Union Hall, featuring:
French Kicks
Headlights
Tiny Masters of Today
Secret Science Club
Dave Hill
All concerts are free, but capacity is limited. The Tobacco Warehouse gates open at 6:00 pm, with performances beginning at 6:30pm. See www.BrooklynBridgePark.org for more information.
Cobble Hill Summer Concert Series in Full Swing
Josh Guttman | July 9, 2008
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The Cobble Hill Park Concert Series is in full swing this year. The third concert in the series will take place Thursday evening with Linda Ipanema and the Dixie Cats playing New Orleans Jazz. This year’s series will feature four more Thursday evening concerts in Cobble Hill Park (on Clinton Street between Verandah Place and Congress Streets). All concerts are free, open to the public and start at 7:00PM and are on Thursdays. In the event of rain, the concerts will be held on Friday evenings. The summer concert series is sponsored with the generous support of Long Island College Hospital, the Brooklyn Heights Press and Ridgewood Savings Bank.
Remaining Schedule
July 10 – Linda Ipanema And the Dixie Cats
The Best of New Orleans Jazz
July 17 – Bobby Harden New York City Soul Trio
Singing the Blues
July 24 – Bustmenti
Mexican Music
July 31 – So-Nu
Klezmer and Balkan Music
August 7 – Lara Ewen, Story-Telling Songs
and Jeff Jacobsen, Singer Songwriter
Alternate side parking suspended July 7-Sept 7 (Carroll Gardens)
Josh Guttman | July 1, 2008
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As the Brooklyn Paper reported this morning, the suspension of alternate parking that Park Slope has been enjoying much of the summer is coming our way. Starting July 7th, alternate side parking rules will take a hiatus to allow the city to replace nearly 2,000 parking signs. Why do the signs need replaced? It turns out that the current 3-hour window for street cleaning (typically 8a-11a, during which time the cars shift into double-parked mode) is being reduced to a 90-minute window as the city has improved street cleaning scheduling and efficiency.
While The Brooklyn Paper reported that round two will affect most streets within Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and Gowanus, it actually focuses primarily on Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill (see map). The east and west borders are from Court Street east to Fourth Avenue and the northern border is Wyckoff Street and St. Marks Place south to the Gowanus Expressway and 15th Street. Cobble Hill, typically considered north of DeGraw and west of Smith, will only partially benefit. Of course, that means that we’ll enjoy the benefit during round 3 later which will begin later in August. Those living on the edges may even get to double dip!
