Daily Crosshatch photo

Rocketship the 5 year old comic book store at 208 Smith Street closed for good today.  Owner Alex Cox made a simple business decision according to The Daily Crosshatch:

“Our lease came up,” Cox tells me, “and we realized that we were either going to do this another five to 10 years, at which point it becomes a CAREER, in big letters, or not sign on again and do something different. That’s basically it. Of course, there are a thousand variables in there, all of which would be very boring and involved. In the end, the store was great to do for five years, but not something we wanted to be doing until we retired. So it was time to move on.”

Were you a regular at Rocketship? Are comics still relevant?

(via NYP and Brownstoner)

Brooklyn Paper: “This is my dream to do something like this,” said Rabid. “I just got frustrated that a number of my favorite bands were never going to play here unless I made them, and I’m deeply honored they’d come on an occasion like this.”

Indeed, the festival has some acts playing their first U.S. show ever, including New Zealand’s ex-Mutton Birds member Don McGlashan and Newtown Neurotics frontman Steve Drewett (both on July 31). Others are reuniting just for the show, including the post-punk band Flower, playing its first show in 16 years on July 30.

Rabid’s own band, Springhouse, is playing its first show in nearly 10 years with its original lineup, performing its 1993 shoegaze classic, “Postcards From the Arctic” in its entirety on July 31.

Other post-punk acts playing the fest include The Avengers on July 30, and Mark Burgess, For Against and Paul Collins on July 31.

The shows are Friday (7/30) and Saturday (7/31) at the Bell House 149 7th Street.  Tickets available here.

The food was probably in 4-4.5 star territory, but the beer was truly uncommon and remarkable and pushes SP to 5 stars. Allagash Curieux, DFH’s Palo Santo Maron, Sixpoint Gorilla Warfare? These I had sampled at taps only once or twice in my lifetime. Some solid standards were also there including Prohibition Speakeasy, DFH’s 60 Minute, and Allagash White. Of course, I’m also forgetting the other 18 beers, most of which I wasn’t familiar with (no small task!). Bar Great Harry, your neighborhood lockdown on off-the-beaten-path craft beer is over, I’d say. Only minor quibble of the entire experience: Your $5 beer purchase will not be a full pint – 12 ounces, I’d wager.

The owner came by afterward to check in with us and my three buddies got right to it: “We live upstairs. We’ll be here all the time. ALL the time.” I live about 7 blocks away and distance is no object when food & drink this good is involved.

Photo: Keith Olsen/The Brooklyn Ink

Brooklyn Ink dives deep into the story of that corn at the corner of Smith and Bergen created by artist Christina Kelly:

Brooklyn Ink: Nestled just steps away from the Bergen subway stop, across the street from a Dunkin’ Donuts and adjacent to a Domino’s, the raised-bed garden has become home to what Native Americans called the three sisters: corn, beans and squash.   The term is derived from how all three plants grow by complementing one other: the beans fix nitrogen for the corn and soil, and the squash keeps the soil moist.

After participating in similar gardening activities at the Lefferts House in Prospect Park last year, and at P.S. 115 in Canarsie, Kelly crafted a grant proposal to fund the project.  She chose the Smith and Bergen location after the city expanded the sidewalk significantly.   The larger sidewalk would allow for visitors to look at the corn, as well as maintain regular walking traffic.

(via Brooklyn Bugle Around Brooklyn)

Stong Place photo by Drinking Brooklyn

The new effort from the folks at Bocca Lupo, Strong Place (270 Court Street),  opened yesterday at 4pm (CHB tipster “James” broke the news over the weekend).  Drinking Brooklyn bellied up to the bar last night and reports back with photos and:

Drinking Brooklyn: The decor is pleasant and fits the neighborhood’s vibe (exposed brick, hardwood floors, dim lighting). But small, eclectic touches — like tiny placards hanging from clothesline pins in place of large, gaudy beer taps identifying the brews on tap — add a little je ne sais quoi.

And what’s on tap is quite impressive: 24 different beers to choose from, including Captain Lawrence Freshchester, Dog Fish Head Palo Santo Marron, Allagash Curieux, Six Point Gorilla Warfare, Speakeasy Prohibition Ale and Ommegang Rare Vos. (Bar Great Harry, watch out, you have some competition …) Strong Place also has a solid wine menu.

The food menu tilts heavily toward fish and meat. Fish entrees include seared diver scallops, sauteed skate wing and “Ipswich style” fried oysters. Among the meat entrees are steak tartare, porter braised beef brisket and a grilled lamb burger. Prices seem to be very reasonable, but (just speculating here, since Strong Place is reportedly run by the people behind the Italian “small plates” dynamo Bocca Lupo) that could have something to do with small portions.

Strong Place, the new restaurant at 270 Court Street from the owners of Bocca Lupo will open Monday at 4pm according to CHB reader “James”.  He got the scoop the old fashioned way – he asked.

The owners had hoped to open on May 1.   What can we expect? Co-owner Kenny Tufo filled in the Village Voice back in March:

Village Voice: When Strong Place, named for a nearby street that Tufo calls “one of the prettiest streets in Brooklyn,” opens at 270 Court Street, customers can expect what the chef describes as a “modern American bistro” menu, with “medium-sized plates” all priced under $20. “I hate the term ‘gastropub,’ but you could kind of put it in that term,” Tufo says. “It’s upscale from pub food but definitely casual as far as the style of the food. I love re-working Betty Crocker-style recipes.” His market-driven food will include brisket and savory bread pudding, as well as a raw bar. Although his style is “definitely heavy Mediterranean in general” and his background is in French and Italian fine-dining, doing a modern American menu, Tufo explains, “just means I can use soy sauce.”

We will provide free wine as a thank you for your generous ongoing support.  You are invited to bring anything you please!  Food to grill in our newly opened garden, instruments to play and sing for our friends (yes, singers and musicians are more than welcome!), whatever you would like. The building will be open to all, including the exhibition space on the 3rd floor as well as the 1st floor space and the garden.

Additionally, as a very special one-day-event, the Recession Art Show will inaugurate their new program of solo shows by presenting a piece by Recession Art Alumni Alison Wilder.  To be performed in The Invisible Dog’s elevator shaft, Wilder’s piece “Why neutral” conflates kitchen implements and celebration signage while doppelgangers provoke each other in the back yard. The installation includes sculpture by Alison Wilder, and video by Rachel Schragis and Alison Wilder.

Emmanuel Bernardoux, recent artist-in-residence at the Invisible Dog, just finished his experimental film thE cagE (E), shot entirely on location at the art center. Check it out!

Hanco’s Park Slope location was featured this week on hipster haven This American Life, which tells the story of the identical menus at Hanco’s and Henry’s, a banh mi shop just blocks away. The Brooklyn Paper reported last year on the similarities between the two sandwich shops, calling it a “war” in which “the collateral damage is delicious.”

This American Life’s newest episode is available for streaming here.

Flickr Photo by consumedithis

Reader photo by Steve Julie

What’s on your mind? Have an event to plug? News tip? Something on your chest that needs to jump off? Comment away!

Alan Harding Cooks: So after three inspections and mucho dinero I, Alan Harding, am a fully licensed mobile food vendor. The hardest part of the whole process was the waiting, every time you fail an inspection you have a two week wait to get a new appointment. I passed on July 13 2010, let the games begin
Food Truck Menu version 1.0
Smashed Burger ( small Scoop) 4.00

Smashed Burger ( Lg. Scoop) 6.00

Schwag Dog 2.00

Good Dog 3.00

” Snappy” 4.00

Bratwurst 5.00

Hippie-wurst 5.00

Falafel dog 5.00 (deep fried)

Other things

Rice balls (4, deep fried) 5.00

Panelle Sandwich with roasted eggplant, peppers and basil ricotta 6.00

Soft Tacos with chili du jour and pico 5.00

Lobster “Summer Roll” with kimchee, mango and mint 9.00

Things that go with the above menu:

Juniper scented Kraut

Kimhee/kirby relish

Eddies pickles

Pico de Gallo

Cheese du jour

Nancy’s slaw

Potato salad , Chefs whim.

Really good bacon

All the other stuff, ya’ know

During the past several hours, several “booming” noises have been heard throughout Carroll Gardens and parts of Red Hook.  We have heard them here at the station house as well. Obviously, this has concerned many residents of the area, as 911 and the Precinct switchboard quickly become inundated with caller reporting explosions, fireworks and gunshots.  We have been informed that the booming noises are caused by the electrical transformers, something to do with the heat and the demand for power.  We have surveyed the precinct along with the Fire Department.  None of the transformers or manholes have actually “exploded”, or gone on fire, and there are no reports of power outages within the precinct, and the noises heard are definitely not caused by gunshots or fireworks.

CHB reader “James” alerts us (along with photo above) that:

Paper is off the windows on 270 Court.  Opening imminent?

As previously reported, the restaurant opening there is from the owners of Bocca Lupo.  Neighbors told CHB two weeks ago that the owners were waiting for “approvals from the city”.

From the tipster:

Photo of Con Ed’s interminable street work on Congress St between Court and Clinton Streets (since at least July 6th, but I forget the actual start date, which I think was before July 4th) doing who knows what.  In addition to blocking street parking with orange cones, and signs warning of no parking, there is also a person present at all times (sometimes in a car, sometimes out as shown in one photo) watching the street.  There are big electrical cables on the north side of Congress St that protrude out of one person-hole cover and into another down the street.  Someday it will end, but it also seems that no work is going on.  Has Con Ed forgotten to finish this project?

Well? Have they? Con Ed, what’s the story?

“Brooklyn isn’t as transient as other parts of the city; it reminds me of home. Most people wouldn’t put Brooklyn and Birmingham in the same sentence, but they both have a sense of community and warmth. This lack of pretense – what I call “soul” – is the essence of our brand.”

For the uninitiated, pétanque is a French version of bocce played on a sand court with metallic boules – check out a how-to video here. One slightly inebriated participant, Matias Chiota, described pétanque as “the hottest game in the universe.”

More pictures after the jump.

Local businesses and Francophone suppliers from points further afield took advantage of the street closure to promote special sales and French food items. Homage, Smith Street’s skate shop, also played host for their 4th Annual Skate Tournament.

Dawn Casale of One Girl Cookies

Members of the New York Pétanque Club

All Photos by the author

Seersucker at 329 Smith St was recently featured on CHB – and this weekend, they’ll continue the neighborhood’s rich tradition of weekend brunch. Your friendly correspondent is most excited about the confirmed-as-delicious biscuits and sausage gravy, but the menu will also feature fried green tomatoes in a number of different forms, as well as a country style pork hash and a number of beer and wine-based beverages – Seersucker doesn’t have a full liquor license yet, so Bloody Mary enthusiasts will have to try to the Red Hook Red Eye, a potent mix of Sixpoint Sweet Action and spicy tomato juice.

Village Voice: The pasta comes from Caputo’s, the old Italian shop down the street. It’s sauced in a rich slurry of brown butter and corn milk, which pools at the bottom of the plate and makes the linguine pleasantly sodden. The mushrooms are a mix of types, with sweet, feathery chanterelles the most prominent, soaking in the sauce like beige sponges. Sharp Pecorino goes on top to counteract all that vegetable sweetness. The flavors go whiz-bang, the linguine is all silk and chew. It’s a dish to make you love summer even when the whole city seems like a basketball player’s armpit.

NY Daily News: Walking along Court St. between Degraw and President Sts. in Carroll Gardens is a feast for the senses, in all the right ways.

“The whole street smells of brewing coffee, the smell of croissants, of freshly made dough. It’s an amazing mix,” said Maria Vasquez, 73. “But there’s one problem: It makes me hungry!”

With D’Amico’s coffee shop, Sal’s Pizzeria and Caputos Bake Shop, folks never seem to be in a rush as they amble by.

“This block is one of the best-smelling places in the city,” said UPS delivery man Matty Ianelli, 24. “This place smells homey. Like your mom just made a fresh pot of sauce.”

Ideal’s human resources director Henry Tsaur announced that the Cobble Hill office will start serving the area with 20 brokers and salespeople. Built on solid technological grounds, and with an enduring commitment to research and design, Ideal’s highly developed infrastructure could support — according to the company’s business development team — in excess of 1,000 agents in the area.

“With our passion for the area, and with our clients’ interest and needs in mind, the opening of the Cobble Hill office seems like an intuitive fit,” Ideal’s CEO concluded.

meet KT from sejan on Vimeo.

Bedford Corners Historic Meeting Saturday [BedStuy Blog]
Creep Central: Warhol at BK Museum [FIPS]
Work: KT the Bike Mechanic [BushwickBK.com]
Jamsterdam @Asser Levy Complete Lineup [Sheepshead Bites]

Brooklyn Paper: The proposed renovations to the Clinton Street crib echo the controversial seven windows that singer Norah Jones’s had punched into a blank wall on the side of her Amity Street house, which is only one block away.

Jones managed to get city approval for her renovations without presenting them to the local community board late last year — and, as a result, many Cobble Hill preservationists feared that the neighborhood’s aesthetic would soon be under assault. “Jones’s windows established a precedent,” said Roy Sloane, the president of the Cobble Hill association and a passionate preservationist. “Our fears have been realized.”

The Landmark Preservation Commission will review the application on July 13.

The church was built in 1894 and rebuilt in 1917.   It is on the National Register of Historic Places (added 1995 - Building – #95001334).

Owner of the property Abelardo Argibay said he did not know when the restaurant will open, but said it will likely be “soon.” The delay remains a mystery, but stay tuned for more updates!

Read the full review and see pictures after the jump.

We were warmly welcomed into the crowded dining room at Seersucker, and it turns out the warmth is especially important to Kerry Diamond, co-owner:

What we’re trying to do is cuisine with a southern twist, very inspired by the south. And we’re also very obsessed with hospitality – we really want everyone who walks in here to feel taken care of. It’s not always easy, but it’s really something that’s important to us, and we hope that people notice that when they walk in. Because we hate when you walk into a restaurant and it takes forever to get anyone to notice you, and no one says thank you, and welcome, things like that. We felt that the word seersucker conjured up so many of the things that are important to us – the traditions of the south, both in terms of food and hospitality.

The crudite plate pictured above was a wonderful example of the merging of the restaurant’s southern roots with their desire to take advantage of local markets and fresh produce. A pimento cheese accompanied creamy deviled farmhouse eggs, house-smoked ham and homemade potato chips, along with a selection of house-pickled specialities – the fiddlehead ferns and okra were especially delicious. Our second appetizer, a small cut of lightly breaded catfish, was moist and light and paired with a subtle roumelade.

The shrimp and grits was a standout, full of rich, umami flavor, and the sausage gravy that accompanied our warm biscuits may be the best gravy in all of New York City (and I’ve searched, but if you know a place that makes a mean sausage gravy, I’m all ears).

The highlight of the meal were the house-made pickles and preserves: the apricots that topped the duck breast entree, the ramps, okra and fiddlehead ferns of the crudite – anything that resides in the shelves that separate the open kitchen from the dining room should be sampled with gusto.

Says head chef and co-owner Rob Newton:

The preserves [are] something that I think is really important. And it’s the right thing to do, because you can be in control of all the best products while they’re seasonal, while they’re at their best. You can be in control of it, and as long as you’re in collaboration with Mother Nature and she cooperates, like she’s doing this year. I think it’s a good way to utilize products when they’re at their best, and it’s also something that my family did every summer – not to this extent, obviously, but we picked green beans, and we canned green beans, and we canned tomatoes, we made pickled beets, and we had bacon grease on the stove all the time – not that that’s a preserve… This is just an extension of my culinary experience.

Newton, a native of Arkansas, has cooked at Aquavit, Tabla and the Four Seasons, but he says it’s a natural progression to end up back with his roots.

There’s this circle that takes place, and you come back around to what feels most right to you. Not even most right, just… something you could make a contribution in. It makes sense for me to make some kind of contribution to Southern food, because i’m from the South. It just feels natural and right.

Seersucker will start offering brunch soon, which will give all of us ample opportunity to experience the warmth of Southern hospitality, a perfect complement to a belly full of biscuits, sausage gravy and home-made preserves.

Have you been to Seersucker yet? Tell us what you think!

All Photos by the Author

It was even hotter inside this parked car. And at 4:30 even!

Joey Chestnut, as we say in Brooklyn, is a putz.  After winning this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest with a paltry 54 dogs and buns in his belly he trash talked 6 time champ Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi.  Chestnut told ESPN that if “he were a real man” Kobayashi would have been in the contest today.  However, Kobayashi is in a dispute with the promoters of the event – Major League Eating – over his ability to compete in other, non-MLE events. Worse still, MLE wants to limit Kobayashi’s endorsement options.  Think Prince and the record industry.   While there’s no word on whether Kobayashi will be scrawling “SLAVE” across his face anytime soon, it’s clear to us that Chestnut is a chump.

The Dean of Hot Dog Eating Contest reporters Gersh Kuntman takes it from here:

Brooklyn Paper: As Chestnut basked in the victory, there was a minor disturbance on the left side of the table as Kobayashi rushed the stage and actually had to be detained by officers from the 60th Precinct stationhouse, where he was spirited away.

At press time, he was awaiting charges on trespassing and resisting arrest, though it is unclear whether Major League Eating will formally press charges.

“What I saw was not criminal but desperation,” said MLE Executive Director George Shea. “He doesn’t want to be a Major League Eater and then he shows up here? Why?”

That answer will await a comment from Kobayashi, who was still being detained as our deadline and heartburn merged at 3 pm.

Brooklyn Paper:  The Sicilian Float ($3.50) is one part Teany peach iced tea and one part exquisite fruit sorbet sourced from Il Laboratorio del Gelato in Manhattan.
“It really is a Sicilian float,” said bakery owner Dawn Casale. “My mom was born in Sicily and they drink it literally all day. I came home from a trip from Sicily and decided it needed to be on the menu. It makes the hot weather totally bearable.”