Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and this year’s theme is End Plastic Pollution.  Brooklyn has a lot of events to mark the occasion and to help find ways to change attitudes to how we deal with plastics.  Ultimately the hope is to find ways to substantially reduce plastic pollution.

One event – the TNOS Earth Day Fashion Show – is happening today in East Williamsburg at the Legendary Republic between 3 and 7pm.  Here, both local and independent designers and models will be able to show their clothing through the platform on the importance of the preservation of Mother Earth.

Tomorrow, one can join in the Bike to Work event.  Meeting at 8.30 in the morning at Prospect Park (441 Flatbush Avenue, Willink Entrance), this year the annual event is being started by borough President Adams. The idea behind it is the same as it always is – how to promote greener ways to move around Brooklyn and outer areas. 

Celebrating Bengali New Year

Yesterday Brooklyners were privy to celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year right at home.  The Avenue C Plaza was open for revelers who came dressed in red, wearing masks to get their faces painted and enjoy Bangladeshi music, along with an all-female Samba drumline performance.  The event ended with a parade to Church Avenue and back.

The event was organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (which was actually founded exactly 25 years ago in New York).  Jill Reiner helped to organize the event and made some of the dance masks that were used.  She said she really loved it this year and remarked on how “wonderful” it was to “see such a diverse group.”  She added: “People are beginning to introduce themselves to elements of a culture they don’t know about.”

Brooklyn Restaurant Group Gets New Head Chefs

The Brooklyn restaurants owned by Andrew Tarlow are generally regarded as some of the biggest shapers of Brooklyn's local dining climate. They are also responsible for the exposed brick and mortar trend that has since become international. Over recent months, Tarlow's empire has been through some changes, with new chefs entering the kitchens of all of his restaurants, which include Diner, Marlow & Sons, Reynard, Roman's and Achilles Heel.

Aside from the new chefs, whom we'll address soon, former Diner chef Caroline Fidanza is returning to the scene as culinary director for the restaurant group after closing her popular sandwich shop Saltie.

Achilles Heel has appointed former pastry sous chef Desire Tuttle, while Reynard's kitchen will now be run by Christina Lecki. Patch Troffer from San Francisco will manage Marlow & Sons, and Roman's former sous chef Frank Reed was promoted earlier this year. Adam Baumgart will take over Diner.

Tarlow said: "These people have a distinct voice, and we more or less have been in the process of changing menurs every day. I think you can see everybody's own touch- I would hope so. I don't want Patch to be making Ken's food. But, I think there's a stylistic approach that they fit into for those restaurants."

"If I would say where the future should go, the story should be about them (the chefs), because they're doing the hard work. I walk around and get complimented for their hard work. They're not in the dining room, so it's hard for them to get the compliments, but it's interesting," Tarlow added. "It's just not me."

Sake Arrives in Brooklyn

If you're into sake, your day has arrived. Brooklyn now has a sake brewery that has opened in the Industry City called Brooklyn Kura. They are being made with all American ingredients and will even have a taproom soon.

There are about 15 sake breweries in the States right now, most of which are in California. Brooklyn Kura, at 68 34th Street near Fourth Avenue, will be the first one in New York. Founders Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan are certainly hoping it will take off!

Shower Bus for Homeless Underway in Brooklyn

Last week, Brooklyn President Eric Adams announced a new project aimed at restoring dignity and respect to local homeless people. His administration, Brooklyn Community Services, or BCS, is joining forces with Turning Point Brooklyn to build a mobile dual-shower bus for the homeless. 

The project will cost $385,000, $308,000 of which will be funded by Adams’ capital budget for Fiscal Year 2018, and another $77,000 will be donated by the City Council. The converted bus will take a year to complete, and will join Turning Point Brooklyn’s “We Care About You” campaign which provides showers, clean towels, shampoo and soap, shaving kits, socks and underwear, laundry services and other amenities in Sunset Park. 

The shower bus will aim to help those in other locations. 

“We are going to target those locations where homeless are located. We’re going to go to food pantries, hospitals, different locations where we find homeless going to try to find some type of basic shelter,” Adam explained. “You cannot get a job if you can’t walk into a space to deal with your basic hygiene needs. You can’t sit in a classroom, you can’t get on the train, a bus, if you can’t deal with your basic hygiene needs.

“This bus is going to become a symbol where our homeless men and woman will be able to identify a safe space not only to clean themselves, but to also start the process of holding on to their dignity,” he added.

Lower Priced Whole Foods Opening in Brooklyn

For those of you looking for a whole food location that doesn't break the bank, it may be just around the corner. Whole Foods has been opening a slew of budget stores called 365 and one of them is coming to Brooklyn! On January 31 it will open just down the street from the Atlantic Terminal. This location will have 30,000 square feet at the bottom of the Ashland Place high-rise.

They plan to have the first location that isn't on the West Coast of Next Level Burger, a plant based burger location. They also have said they will have a Juice Press and Orwashers bakery. Yum. They plan to have over 100 types of beer, 30 artisan cheeses, lower priced meat and produce and a lot more. It's definitely worth a stop to see how it goes.

Taking the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day

New Yorkers don't get put off by the absolutely frigid temperatures. Or at least that's the message that New York is offering as the annual New Year's Day polar bear plunge comes up tomorrow. Two New Jersey towns have actually canceled their annual plunge due to the incredibly cold temperatures sweeping the East Coast at the moment.

But, the president of the Coney Island club said there is no way they will cancel. As Dennis Thomas said,  “We’ve never canceled a swim due to the weather and we’re not going to start this year. We’re going ahead with it and we expect a huge turnout.”

Thomas explained that the plunge has been taking place for 114 years, and it will take place this year as scheduled.