Brunching in Brooklyn

For those looking for the perfect place to Brunch, Brooklyn seems to have it all. According to Anna Gustafson, who has been authoring the series ‘Brooklyn Staycation’ for Sheepshead Bites, there are some great places in the Kensington area to go grab a bite.

Steeplechase, located at Fort Hamilton Parkway has actually be named one of the top 10 coffee shops by Gothamist so it’s really worth checking out.  There is also Hot Bagels, Elk Café and Lark Café that bring in a bunch of happy Kensingtoners.

In general, Kensington is a great place for food, and international cuisine at that.   There are many expats living in the area so the neighborhood caters to that. But for those looking for some real traditional food, check out El Mirador’s karaoke nights, tacos, cold beer and other classical Mexican eats.

Of course, one mustn’t forget Hunger Pang. Named the fourth hottest restaurants in Kensington by New York Eater last year, both the grilled hanger steak with miso butter fries, and the frisee shiitake salad are something out of this world. 

There’s lots to eat from brunch to midnight in Kensington.  And many of them have received international acclaim.

Small Town Feel in this Brooklyn ‘Hood

Remy's (Formerly Hummus Garden)

Isolated somewhat by some hills and highways, the section of Windsor Heights close to the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop of the G train can have a village feel for residents and visitors. A short stroll down the main thoroughfare will reveal several local shops whose numbers have been steadily growing.

Take for instance the five-month-old kosher vegetarian restaurant called Remy’s. Opened by Avi and Julie Atiae not far from their own home in Kensington, they just began with a simple café similar to the eatery Avi already runs in Moningside Heights. Things started to get a bit more interesting, however, after the couple hired Ori Guri, an Israeli-Yemeni chef who likes to do things creatively. Yes, there are falafel sandwiches on the menu alongside a choice of four types of hummus, but that is not why people will be coming from near and far to see what’s new here.

In the pint-sized kitchen Guri is concocting dishes with so much flavor that even the most dedicated carnivores: will fall in love with thick-crusted, buttery quiches that come with salad and thrice-cooked salted potatoes; will salivate over main-course salads overflowing with spinach, sliced dates, sumac-powdered onions accompanied by crispy pita chips and zaatar flavored olive oil; and will practically cry when they taste a generous serving of tilapia layered with garlic, stewed tomatoes and smooth-as-silk eggplant in a combination that Guri has named “fish moussaka.”

Remy’s is located at 3021 Fort Hamilton Parkway, at East Second Street, 718-686-1011.
(Previously named Hummus Garden) Stay-tuned for more visits to up and coming shops along the Parkway.

Kensington Resident Cleans Up Flooded Passageway

After days of waiting for city officials to alleviate the flooding and subsequent mess caused by the recent rains along the passageway to the Fort Hamilton Parkway F/G subway station in Kensington, one neighbor took the initiative of cleaning up the refuse. The neighbor borrowed a shovel from Sasco tools on Coney Island Avenue and a broom from Sean Casey Animal Rescue to get the job done, carefully placing the debris and trash in a neat pile for the powers-that-be to haul away as per their jobs.

The difference is huge and the entire neighborhood sends kudos to the good neighbor who made it his responsibility when no one else did to make the time and effort to help his neighbors despite there being no other reward than the satisfaction of helping out.

YouthMarket Baby Step on Way to Full Kensington GreenMarket

The community of Kensington, Brooklyn is beginning to make headway on the proposal to have a farmer’s market in the neighborhood.

Discussions have commenced with GrowNYC, the organization which oversees the largest group of farmer’s markets in the City, to see what it would take to get a farmer’s market running in Kensington.

After preliminary discussions GrowNYC has said that they will be happy to work with the community to get a Kensington greenmarket organized sometime this coming year, but they want to begin on a smaller scale. The proposal suggests starting with a limited greenmarket run by youth, or a YouthMarket.  GrowNYC describes YouthMarkets as “a network of urban farm stands operated by neighborhood youth, supplied by local farmers, and designed to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to communities throughout New York City.”

Community representative Jessica Turner is excited by the idea of the YouthMarket, especially as a first step towards a full scale greenmarket. The location which is now being considered, at least to begin with, is Fort Hamilton Parkway between East 4^th and East 5^th Streets.