Real Journalism written by people
In an opinionated world, the conversation surrounding food and gender is openly voiced. One of our readers is exploring this correlation, dissecting her own body’s health while investigating society’s negative food stigma towards women. I have struggled with my weight since I was a child. Even at a young age, my stomach packed on bloat in a round balloon-shape, similar […]
Red Hook has a new Jamaican bistro! Jam’it, a block up from DeFonte’s, opened it’s doors last month. A lot of effort was put into the presentation of this Jamaican fusion restaurant. It took over two years after getting the property to finally open, since they had to build a brand-new kitchen in the back and get the building department […]
In 2018, when the Vietnamese noodle shop Nightingale Nine shut down with a year left on its lease at 329 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, the restaurateur Robert Newton asked a former employee, Champ Jones, if he wanted to fill the space for the remainder of the term. Since working for Newton, Jones had gone on to cook at the […]
There’s no need to leave the borough for delicious food and fine dining, South Brooklynites! Here are the neighborhood eateries that are participating in NYC Restaurant Week Winter ’19 (Jan. 21 – Feb. 8), according to nycgo.com. Prices listed below are per guest and do not include beverages, taxes or gratuity. Benchmark Restaurant – New American steakhouse (Park Slope) Chef […]
Li-Lac Chocolates is an old time chocolate maker, operating in Greenwich Village since 1923. They made a celebrated expansion to Sunset Park’s Industry City a few years ago. I visited them on a rainy Thursday morning in January, in anticipation of their busy season of February 14. When I got there, they were prepping and making chocolate cherry cordials. Master […]
In November, the Mexican eatery Claro became the first restaurant in Gowanus ever to win a Michelin star. Executive chef T.J. Steele, previously of Union Square Cafe, and restaurateur J.T. Stewart, who also co-owns the nearby New American spot Freek’s Mill, opened Claro in the summer of 2017 at 284 3rd Avenue. Generally regarded as the world’s authoritative fine-dining manual, […]
It’s 4:30 on Monday morning. An empty school bus rolls up Van Brunt Street. The flag outside the VFW flaps in the pre-dawn October chill. And the plate glass windows of the Red Hook Coffee Shop shine brightly in the dark, illuminating 80 year old Jose Antonio Piraquive, aka Tony, kneeling on the floor putting vegetables into the refrigerator. Tony […]
Amateur cooks battled for prizes and bragging rights at the Brooklyn Casserole Takedown, held on October 21. The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club (514 Union Street) had hungry contest goers scattered about, as they were eager to name the top six dishes. For a 25-dollar ticket fee, they ate the participating casseroles in an ‘all-you-can-eat’ style and voted for the […]
Pizza Moto is a brick-and-mortar located right on the border of Red Hook and Carroll Gardens at 338 Hamilton Avenue. While it is known for its Neapolitan-style pies, the pizzeria has a rotating menu with toppings from farmers markets and their New York State pasture-raised meats partners. Co-owner and executive chef Dave Sclarow says their pizza dough is made over […]
A version of this story first appeared in the Star-Revue’s August 2017 print edition. A burnt out bulb. A busted car. A broken knee. Future biographers might note a theme laced through Vander Carter’s culinary career: things keep breaking. But Carter — a Carroll Gardens entrepreneur behind the food startup JestGreen — only sees crisis as a chance for growth. […]
I’m hungry, but I dutifully wait for lunch. Because lunch is at Defonte’s. I spend the morning writing at the Star-Revue’s warehouse office, pretending coffee is enough. The hours slouch by. When I can’t take any more typing, I bolt out the door and head down Van Brunt Street. Armed with a notebook and cash, I try my best to […]
