Brooklyn Ink: Food for Occupiers in Zuccotti Park is being cooked in Boerum Hill and East New York, shipped to Lower Manhattan in donated vans and, occasionally, yellow taxi cabs.

The amount of food required to meet demand has reached a peak since the protests began in mid-September, Chef Eric Smith said. The voluntary kitchen staff, constantly shuttling food in from Brooklyn, is now preparing three meals a day for nearly 2,000 people.

Sean Dolan, chief cook at the protest, says one problem organizers face is an inability to “discriminate” between protestors and freeloaders.

“Rich people can come looking like homeless men, protestors can come in suits,” he explained. “We have to serve everyone.”

 

Bococaland: I admit, when I first saw the signage for the now open Mooburger (240 Court St.) back in January, I was skeptical. Organic burgers, snacks, drinks and more is what it was touting. I figured we’d get a small space with plastic tables selling outrageously over-priced burgers to families and the after-school crowd. But when I stopped in Friday night, I was fairly overwhelmed. The restaurant was packed, and the draw of seasonal wine and beers made clear it was open to everyone. The decor was wood and steel, the lighting low and the menu impressive for a burger joint.

Have you checked it out yet?

Everything seemed just dandy for the eatery at 11:45am yesterday according to their Facebook page where this was posted:

Come join us for a bite this evening and watch them film a scene for the new PanAm show on Smith Street. The streets are pretty clear — they didn’t block off all the side streets like they usually do when they film.
Hope to see you later–Jonathan/Sarah

Update: “To be a part of it, you’ll need to pick up a free immersion card at By Brooklyn or Brooklyn Tattoo/Urban Folk Art Gallery starting at noon on June 18. There will only be 500 in circulation, so appoint a responsible friend to pick up yours if you can’t get to Smith St. early. (They go fast!)” There’s a list of participating stores giving discounts here.

Yes folks, the foul-mouthed celebrity chef, disciple of the original culinary bad boy Marco Pierre White and host of Kitchen Nightmares would totally pull Breukelen out of its foodie coma.

We’ve seen every episode – UK and US versions.  This is what we think Gordon would recommend:

photo: Serious Eats

One of CHB’s reliable tipsters has informed us that Breukelen [268 Clinton Street] has served its last meal. We called there during regular business hours tonight and their answering machine was on.

The eatery opened last August in the old Cafe on Clinton space.  Anticipation in the area was high and the joint seemed to be jumpin‘ in its first few opening days.    DEVELOPING…

The Brooklyn Paper: By the summer, the space also may feature some non-reading material — coffee and wine — as general manager Zack Zook hopes to turn the downstairs space into more of a “salon style.”

We’ll keep you posted on developments.

Serious Eats: Jacob’s goal is to deliver Southern food he grew up eating, but “cleaner,” he says. “I want to strip all the crap out of it so you don’t feel debilitated after.” The fried chicken sandwich ($12), for example, is a thick breast of buttermilk-soaked meat (from nearby Paisano’s) with a crisp, cayenne-crusted coat. It’s not wearing a big ol’ parka of greasy breading. Then you have the crunchy, jalapeno-spiked slaw piled inside the round sesame seed roll—which neighborhood bakery Caputo’s bakes just for Van Horn—to add a refreshing touch. It’s one of the few fried chicken sandwiches you’ll eat and think, hey, I’m eating a salad at the same time!

CHB has always known something was “fishy” at that Key Food.  Last year, our EJ Cory filed this report along with a photo (seen here)  that was reblogged everywhere:

When they’re not changing dates on spoiled meat, our local supermarket has decided to have fun with their label maker. Presenting “octopus” – or imitation crab, squid, shrimp, mussels, etc. Barf.

Once again, the New York Times has ventured to the Cobble Hill area to report on one of our many fantastic food establishments.  This time it was none other than Fish Tales Gourmet Seafood Market featured in the March 3, 2011 article entitled “Fish People With Heart. Noses Agree.”

Founded in 1996, nearly 15 years ago, this is one good catch that didn’t get away!

According to the NYTimes: “ONE of the first things you notice when walking into Fish Tales Gourmet Seafood Market is the smell. There is none. But the fish motif is definitely in the air, including walls strung with nets and traps and a whole fish mounted above the stained wainscot. The shotgun layout feels like the well-lighted hull of boat.” 

Brooklyn Paper: The new Van Leeuwen sweet shop is twice the size of the original location and features the same goods as the flagship, including Intelligentsia Coffee, hand-made pastries from Greenpoint pal Chelsea Wilkes and 13 flavors of ice cream.

And this is not normal ice cream, but a hand-crafted mix of milk and cream from grass-fed cows, plus eggs to lend a custardy smoothness. Classic flavors of chocolate (Michel Cluziel, naturally) and vanilla (Tahitian beans, of course) share menu space with ginger and red currant

.

via Grub Street

Brooklyn Daily Eagle: An employee at the Taco Bell in Cobble Hill, which is somewhat hidden inside the main entrance of the Long Island College Hospital (LICH) on Hicks Street, said that he was not aware of the lawsuit. However, he was confident that the “beef” filling that they use in their tacos, burritos and other Mexican-style food is, in fact, beef.

Does he eat the beef tacos? Yes, he said. Does he give the beef tacos to his family? Yes, he said.

The Eagle article also notes the odd anonymity of the Cobble Hill Taco Bell, hidden as it is in the LICH lobby. A LICH security guard, it observes, used to block entry to the restaurant to anyone other than a LICH employee, patient, or visitor. Now, however, it’s no problem for anyone craving “seasoned beef [that] contains 88 percent USDA-inspected beef and the rest is water, spices and a mixture of oats, starch and other ingredients that contribute to the ‘quality of [the] product.’”

Photo: Janice Pullicino

The storefront that formerly housed Naidre’s (502 Henry Street at Sackett) has transformed into Maybelle’s Cafe. Maybelle’s food offerings are vegetarian-focused, and the cafe will offer Intelligentsia coffee, daily specials and free Wi-Fi. For now, the signage and decor definitely feel like a work-in-progress.

The class ran drop-in style. From 2pm to 7pm, participants could stop by and tune in to presentations every 30 to 60 minutes. All ingredients were provided, but if you wanted to bring your kimchi home, you had to BYOC (bring your own container).

Missed today’s class but want to learn from Brooklyn Brainery too? Sign up for the next class– “Bee Night,” complete with a movie, Q&A session, and honey tasting on January 25th at 7pm. For more details, visit this link.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 7-8pm : The ABC’s of Mixing Drinks

Saturday, February 5, 2011 4-5pm : American Whiskey

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 7-8pm : Gin and the Winter

Saturday, February 12, 2011 4-5pm : Cocktails and Love Potions

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 7-8pm : Rum, X2

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 7-8pm: PUNCH

Saturday, February 26, 2011 4-5pm: TBD

Village Voice: The menu reminds me a lot of Veselka’s, the East Village stalwart equally popular with Ukrainian émigrés and kielbasa-loving club kids. The food at Karloff isn’t fancy but has that cooked-by-an-Eastern-European-grandmother-once-she-made-it-to-America taste. Vareniki ($7 to $8) are small dumplings stuffed with your choice of meat, potatoes, or sour cherries. The potato ones were my favorite, and unlike pierogi, which I often find too dense and heavy, these are light and toothsome. Accompanied by a dollop of sour cream, 20 pieces come per order, large enough for a whole meal even though they’re listed as an appetizer.

image via Remodelista.com

Boreum Hill delicatessen Mile End is offering customers holiday specials on their shipped-from-Montreal bagels. Regular pricing is $25 for the first dozen and $15 for each additional dozen. During the holiday season, bagels will be available at $36 for two dozen, $60 for four dozen and $85 for six dozen.

All gift orders will be shipped with a customizable holiday greeting, directions for freezing and a history of Montreal bagels. Or if you’d prefer to pick them up in person, use the promo code GO HABS GO and get a third dozen free when ordering two for pick up on December 10th or 17th. The promotion is in part a thank you to customers on Mile End’s first anniversary.

Full details and a list of vendors can be found here.

Serious Eats: It wasn’t a meal without its imperfections, but it was food that disappeared in a flurry of forks and happy mouths, dishes you’d ask to be passed back around, food meant for the chill November night. As I walked around the back of the restaurant, the maître d’ came up to ask me how I was enjoying my meal. “This is our tenth week,” he told me. “We’re trying to figure things out.” It did seem that way—one didn’t get the sense the kitchen had quite hit a rhythm—but they’ve already created a restaurant that’s recommendable.

Photo: Serious Eats
via South Brooklyn Post

And just to rub it in if you missed out , here’s the full list of offerings:

Our Famous Apple Pie
With a Buttery Cinnamon Crumble (9″)

Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake
With Ganache & Fresh Berries (flourless) (6″)

Fresh Ginger Custard Pumpkin Pie
Our Twist on the Classic (9″)

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Roasted Pecans, Pure Maple Syrup, Browned Butter,
& Semi-Sweet Chocolate (9″)

Traditional Pecan Pie
With Pure Maple Syrup and Browned Butter (9″)

Coconut Custard Pie
Just the Right Balance of Creamy Custard and Sweet Coconut (9″)

Pear Cranberry Pie
With Our Very Own Gingersnap Crumble (9″)