A Bracciole in Kielbasa Land

We all know Greenpoint is home to many Polish families. Maybe you don’t, but if you have ever walked down Manhattan Ave. north of Greenpoint Ave it takes but a block to realize. Three butcher shops and 2 bakeries in the first block all with too many consonants in their name is a good tip off. I’ve lived on this stretch of Manhattan Ave. for three years now. There are weekend mornings I wake up and on the walk for coffee I hear not a word of english. It’s a bit eerie and a a bit comfortable at the same time. The comfortable far out weights the eerie, at least for me. Not only does it make me feel like I am traveling, which I love, but it excites my sense of discovery. The effect is intensified once you step into one of the shops. Be it a stop for Kielbasa or bobka the first words spoken to you are usually not those you understand. This may make these places intimidating. It may even make them a hassle to shop in.

I writing to debunk that theory. To do that I went straight to the heart of this matter. I went to…

Brooklyn Bound Tacos

I have not gone out to dinner with many of my friends of family since coming back to New York ..… yet. However I did manage to head to Brooklyn and meet Jay for a bit and to catch up on things. I met Jay on the corner of Bedford and 7th and he rolled up on his bike with the fat white tires. If you know the bike I am talking about you know how Jay looks when he is riding it. Reminds me of PeeWee’s Big Adventure….

The Dirty South(side)

Last Thursday I met up with the boys from Immaculate Infatuation once again to sweat it out at the new Pies ‘n’ Thighs on Billyburg’s Southside. As always, I’ll leave the specifics of the meal to them. Our mutual taste preferences make it quite easy for me to leave the reviewing and wordsmithing to them. Above is the visual depiction of their eloquent description.

POSTPONED-REEL TASTY: Sideways

DUE TO A FEW UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES WE HAD TO POSTPONE THIS SATURDAYS DINNER. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND WE HOPE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. PLEASE FORGIVE US FOR HAVING TO RESCHEDULE. WE PROMISE TO BRING BACK SIDEWAYS LATER IN THE SEASON. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT MOVIE ANNOUNCEMENT LATER IN JUNE. AND IF YOU HAVE NOT JUMPED ON THE MAILING LIST YET, YOU MAY DO SO BELOW.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

Saturday, June 5th at 8pm
Bringing a bit of California to the BK. Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 8pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $99 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Sideways

Menu

Aimee and I are bringing a special twist to this months dinner. We partnered up with our good buddy Jack to bring you some of the spectacular and rare wines mentioned in the movie. In between scenes, as you eat and sip, Jack will impart some vino knowledge and pose some wine facts vs film fiction while pouring the next flight. In the meantime, Aimee and I will have some delicious food pairings that are inspired by these delightfully fermented grapes. We will also draw on the fresh and simple flavors from southern California to complete the menu. We are feeling some lamb, maybe some risotto and the dessert on this one…whoa, hold onto your forks! We have been planning this one for a long time. The idea that when Paul Giamatti drinks so will you was too good a daydream to not make reality. For those aficionados, the wines will include Sanford, Fiddlehead, Byron, and Hitching Post, heavy on the Pinot Noir.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has. Your movie ticket is your pay pal receipt, when you arrive please just let us know your name so we can keep track of you.

IF IT RAINS: If it rains dinner is off. All donations will be refunded at the time we make this decision.

More on Reel Tasty:

Jason and Aimee pair a 5 course gourmet meal for 16 friends, some new and some old on a HUGE deck in Brooklyn. As the name implies, we will be screening a movie during the meal. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time pre-entree to mingle, catchup and meet some new friends. Once the sun goes down we will role the film in all its two story high glory. This is an experiment, so we are not sure how much silence or chatting will go on. That’s for you to decide. We hope you will come out and enjoy yourselves with us this summer. See you on the deck.

You can check out pics from our last dinner here.

If you can’t make this dinner but want us to send you an invite to the next one send us an email at dinners@forkingtasty.com and we will put you on out special list. Or join the facebook fan page and get announcement updates that way.

Goomba Beef

You can’t beat some fresh beef sliced by Italians. At John’s Deli in Bensonhurst they have some of the finest. If you have not already heard about their famous roast beef, formerly only available on Tuesday’s, you have now. After peeking at this clip I don’t blame you to be checking hop-stop for the most direct route to this slow cooked sensation.

John’s Deli
2033 Stillwell Avenue
(between 85th St & 86th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11223

Truck to Table

Everyone loves a surprise. Well…most people do. At the root of surprise is discovery. Most of the time is boils down to a moment. Like the moment you sip your glass of soda only to realize you grabbed someone else glass of milk. But, sometimes, when we are really lucky, that discovery unfolds with multiple moments over time. I happened upon a bustling scene yesterday morning on a quiet strip of Franklin St. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. For a Sunday morning there was a lot of activity in what appeared to be a vacant store front. I could not help but let the moment sweep me up as the discovery unfolded before my eyes and then straight into my stomach. The above explains it all.

NOTE: I left my camera at home so this whole video had to be shot on an iPhone. Not bad. I added the pro VO to hide the crappy video quality. I sort of like the juxtaposition.

The Road Less Eaten

This morning was wonderful. One of those morning that unfolds with effortless decision making, timeless scheduling and non-strenuous motion only a lazy Sunday can produce. I have been living in Greenpoint for the better part of 5 years now and the restaurant scene is just now hitting it’s stride. I should quantify that, but will not waste your time with that in this post. This post is simple. It is easy. It is about something fun, yummy and frivolous.

Franklin St. has long been ignored when…

Cured in Seattle

I never expected to find great salami in Seattle. But, I am a big Batali fan and I figured he had to learn from somewhere. Salumi is an Italian cured meat shop in the heart of Seattle’s Pioneer Square run by Armandino Batali, Mario’s father. Armandino had a full career at Boeing as a process control engineer but after he retired…

Evil Breakfast

It was more like brunch but still way too early for cookies. When they are fresh baked and topped with a coarse sea salt, I think anytime is cookie time. The General Greene, in Fort Greene Brooklyn, does the best warm chocolate chip cookies this side of Mom’s house. Nine cookies for four people at 1pm on a Sunday is an understatement if called indulgent. It is down right evil. This morning we were bad (place grin and villainous laugh here)

The General Greene
229 Dekalb Ave
(between Adelphi St & Clermont Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11205
(718) 222-1510

Best Wings in Brooklyn

This past Saturday I was invited to the Red Star Bar to taste and chat with some of the best wing and wing makers Brooklyn has to offer. The Best Wings in Brooklyn Competition featured 14 of the tastiest chicken wing recipes Kings county has to offer. I was lucky enough to sneak in an hour before the general public to get a “first dib” look, and taste, at the poultry positions for each team. Before I get too deep into this post, reveal the competitors and my favorites, I think I should qualify my background in wing tasting. To be clear, I was not a judge, nor was I asked to be one. But, I did taste, so I will share my picks with you. First, some history.

I went to college in Albany New York. Not quite Buffalo but high enough up there to know a good wing when it hits my tongue. BTW-If you are in Albany and you are looking for the best wing ever, head to Ralph’s on Madison Ave. Of course it would have to be 1994 for you to actually visit since Ralph’s doesn’t exist anymore. Before I digress just know the criteria that makes Ralph’s the best of the best for me. First, they always used big, meaty wings. Second, hot and spicy with one level of hotness. The sauce was standard. A bit of Frank’s Red Hot and some butter was all they used. Simple and clean. There was not breading on the wings. There was just crazy hot oil that crisped up the skin so your teeth felt the crunch as your lips and tongue worked the meat off the bone. Third, cheap. This doesn’t apply to the Brooklyn competition but, 5 bucks would get me 30 wings and a pitcher of Kilian’s. Ahh, the days. OK. Now I digress.

Since I am not a true Rochester/Buffalo resident I also have a particular penchant for a non-traditional wing. A good BBQ wing, a nice jerk spice wing or a South Asian glazed wing all have a place in my heart, and stomach, to be a winner. Dinosaur BBQ for example kicks some serious ass. So, as I started to peruse the contestants my eyes, ears and taste buds were open to “new” style wings as much as they were ready for a good traditional hot wing.

Let’s get to the contestants…