Lost City reports that Ultimate Burgers and Dogs is set to open in the old Chicory space on Degraw between Court and Clinton Streets. There’s a menu posted in the window featuring many – you guess it – burgers and hotdogs, with customization options like choosing your own sauces, condiments, and toppings. I’m very excited about the tater tots.
Among the dogs: New York Classic, Southern Slaw Dog, Chicago Dog, Korean BBQ Dog, Italian Sausage, etc. There’s also a breakfast menu. Most intriguing from that menu: Bowl of Tots. That’s a bowl of tater tots covered with whatever you want. There’s nothing over $8.
Michelin released its 2010 list of New York’s more affordable Bib Gourmand restaurants, which means that two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert come in at under $40 (not including tax and tip). Of the 18 Brooklyn restaurants on the list, 4 are neighborhood favs: Buttermilk Channel, Char No. 4, Frankies 457 Spuntino, and Prime Meats. Park Slope and Williamsburg spots like Egg and Sette also made the cut.
The Village Voice chatted with Saul Bolton, chef and owner of Saul, about his new ventures and affinity for Brooklyn. Bolton had planned to open The Vanderbilt, an affordable gastropub in Prospect Heights, this summer, but it’s been pushed back to this fall. If all goes well, Bolton plans to open two more places next year. Is Bolton picking up where Harding left off?
One thing Bolton might want to re-think: “late night” at Stinky?
Your relationship with Brooklyn goes way back, is that right?
Hell, yeah! I’ve lived in Brooklyn longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life. In the past 10 years, the number of choices and the quality of places has grown. The customer base has always been here, but now it’s expanded with so many people coming here, even from Manhattan, to go to places like Stinky or Blue Ribbon for late night. The Vanderbilt will be late night, too.
The New York Times has deemed HBO’s new series, “Bored to Death,” as “Brooklyn’s coming-out party to the HBO-watching world,” as “Sex and the City” and “Friends” did for Manhattan. What do you think of the show?
But if Jonathan Ames’s new HBO series, drolly titled “Bored to Death,” heralds a new era of New York in television and in the nation’s imagination, it’s now the era of downtown Brooklyn – or, at least, of Park Slope, Boerum Hill and Fort Greene. Grab your Bugaboo stroller, throw a New Yorker into your WNYC tote bag and let’s take the F.
Improv Everywhere had over 2,000 members walking invisible dogs in Cobble Hill yesterday, and pictures from participants are posted here and here. The leashes were borrowed from the new Invisible Dog Gallery at 51 Bergen Street.
Lost City reports that the Tea Lounge on Court Street, which opened in 2006, will soon close its doors for good. While the closing date isn’t certain (and the news seems to be mostly word of mouth), its last day of service could be as soon as the last day of September. UPDATE: We’ve gotten confirmation that the Court Street Tea Lounge will close after this Wednesday, September 30th. The Tea Lounge on Seventh Avenue and 10th Street in Park Slope was closed last July, making the Tea Lounge on Union Street in Park Slope the last one remaining.
YouTuber aboutmattlaw has a “conversation” with a hate-mongering Westboro “Church” member during their protest in Park Slope yesterday. If you thought “monkeys say the craziest things” watching this video will change your mind. Kudos to aboutmattlaw for asking the question we’ve all been thinking but have been afraid to ask of the WB”C” people – “do you have your own photoshop guy making those signs?”
The WBC 7 hit the Kane Street Synagogue in Cobble Hill as well:
Brooklyn Paper: About two hours after leaving Park Slope, the Westboro demonstrators staged a second protest in front of the Kane Street Synagogue in Cobble Hill, where they used many of the same signs, the same chants and the same tactics to advance their message.
“The Holocaust is going to look like a tea party when God is done with you hard-hearted Jews!” Shirley Phelps-Roper shouted in front of the temple.
She also sang a rendition of the Beatles song “Hey Jude” with the lyrics changed to “God hates Jews.”
There were fewer counter-protesters in Cobble Hill, but at times the exchanges between both sides grew more heated than they did in Park Slope.
But while some Brooklynites traded insults with the Kansans, others found the seven Westboro protesters — including two children — to be more depressing than infuriating.
“It’s just sad to see young children being indoctrinated into hatred,” said Kane Street Synagogue congregant Vicky Vossen.
It ruined whatever career Charles Rocket was planning to have in live TV comedy and local comic/new Saturday Night Live cast member Jenny Slate has now joined him in infamy. Last night the CobbleHillbilly dropped the F-bomb during her first starring sketch on the show. After the slip, Slate looked horrified puffing out her cheeks but soldiering on nevertheless. During the end credits with the full cast and host Megan Fox on stage, head writer/cast member Seth Meyers was seen hugging and comforting Slate.
While the tabloids are having a field day hamming up the “massive” protests planned by the carpetbagging hatemongers from the Westboro “Church”, this YouTube video by “ejballa4life” shows that their “posse” is pretty tiny compared to the army of Brooklyn Tech kids shouting them down yesterday.
Brooklyn, you crazy and beautiful mosaic, we love you!
Out About Brooklyn posted this raw footage on Vimeo which gives you a pretty idea of what went on:
Enrollment at Brooklyn Friends School is at an all-time high, leading the school to look for a new location for their preschool and lower school building outside of their current Pearl Street campus in Downtown Brooklyn. A site being considered at the corner of State and Hoyt Streets has angered a local homeowners group called ”Keep State Street Residential,” who fears that the school would bring more traffic and lower property values.
Brooklyn Eagle: According to a release sent out by the dozen or so homeowners, “IBEC said they’d [build townhouses] and won the project-88,000 square feet of prime New York City real estate for just $3.5 million. They signed a contract specifying an apartment building with a quota of affordable housing on Schermerhorn and townhouses on State. Now they want to flip the property and reverse the thoughtful course set by the community.”
The group acknowledges the excellent reputation of Brooklyn Friends School (BFS) – with its International Baccalaureate Diploma program and emphasis on Quaker values – but just want it to build elsewhere.
“Now, BFS is a fine school, currently undertaking an ambitious improvement plan. We wish BFS success, but think their new school will find a more appropriate home at one of the other nearby sites they’re considering.”
Nabe Chatter