Well after a few months of admiration (harassment) of this blog here I am a contributor.
I will have a series of posts called – Pic-Me. It will be a picture of a local, hipster, neighbor, etc and a little bit about them.
Name: Where picture was taken: Occupation: Where were you born (Originally?) How long have you been in GP/places you’ve lived? Favorite bar/restaurant/store & Why: Worst thing about GP: Best thing about GP: Funniest/Oddest moment of today:
I’m super excited to be a part of this. Will start posting after I get back from vacation.
Amanda (I don’t have an alias… yet)
Notes – I like sushi, water, my boyfriend, Black Rabbit bar, music, Italy, the basketball courts on corner of Milton and Franklin, chocolate and cheese.
ps. Props to Justine cuz she is a rocka and rolla! (this pic is of my friend Marika’s tattoo)
As previously noted , I am obsessed with take-out. Living in NYC has spoiled me. Cultures, religions, and ethnicities mold together, resulting in some of the most exotic and delicious food choices available in the world. No where is this more apparent than in NYC’s most auspicious and culturally relevant food option: “Mexi-Asian” fast food.
In Greenpoint, just take a walk down Manhattan Ave and you will be smacked in the face with numerous examples of this phenomenon including such locales as Fresh Tortillas and Yummy Taco. However, I advise you to keep walking until you get to my baby daddy, “Fres’co Tortillas.”
Like any committed relationship, we have had our ups and downs. There was the 2003 blackout incident, when their unrefrigerated old cheese had a week long fight with my digestive track. There are the empty promises of the “five minute” arrival, when in fact it’s more on the side of 45. And then there is the questionable way their delivery man greets me with a “hey baby”, which could be either endearing or really creepy depending on your perspective. But these are mere speed bumps on the road of true food love.
Fresco Tortillas has a wide menu of cheap and delicious tex-mex standbys:
My order of choice is the Vegetable Combo Platter. A delightful styrofoam box contains a pile of mexican rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and a collection of steamed vegetables.
You also get two freshly made tortillas on the side, thus allowing the interactive element of the creation of your own meal.
Along with an extra side order of black beans, you just met my three times a week dinner. All for the bargain basement price of $6.95!
Other delicious options on the menu include the Black Bean and Cheese Tortilla – a tangy blend of black beans and cheese encased in a warm, fluffy tortilla. The Guacamole Nachos may be a heart attack in the making, but damn those greasy chips smothered in beans, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole are worth it after a night of hitting the hooch. I do not live in the meat eating world, but I have seen my former roommate rock a chicken burrito like a champ. All in all, Fresco Tortillas is the epitome of comfort food eating on the cheap. Just go, for god’s sake.
Fresco Tortillas 620 Manhattan Ave Brooklyn NY 11222 menu
As previously noted , I am obsessed with take-out. Living in NYC has spoiled me. Cultures, religions, and ethnicities mold together, resulting in some of the most exotic and delicious food choices available in the world. No where is this more apparent than in NYC’s most auspicious and culturally relevant food option: “Mexi-Asian” fast food.
In Greenpoint, just take a walk down Manhattan Ave and you will be smacked in the face with numerous examples of this phenomenon including such locales as Fresh Tortillas and Yummy Taco. However, I advise you to keep walking until you get to my baby daddy, “Fres’co Tortillas.”
Like any committed relationship, we have had our ups and downs. There was the 2003 blackout incident, when their unrefrigerated old cheese had a week long fight with my digestive track. There are the empty promises of the “five minute” arrival, when in fact it’s more on the side of 45. And then there is the questionable way their delivery man greets me with a “hey baby”, which could be either endearing or really creepy depending on your perspective. But these are mere speed bumps on the road of true food love.
Fresco Tortillas has a wide menu of cheap and delicious tex-mex standbys:
My order of choice is the Vegetable Combo Platter. A delightful styrofoam box contains a pile of mexican rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and a collection of steamed vegetables.
You also get two freshly made tortillas on the side, thus allowing the interactive element of the creation of your own meal.
Along with an extra side order of black beans, you just met my three times a week dinner. All for the bargain basement price of $6.95!
Other delicious options on the menu include the Black Bean and Cheese Tortilla – a tangy blend of black beans and cheese encased in a warm, fluffy tortilla. The Guacamole Nachos may be a heart attack in the making, but damn those greasy chips smothered in beans, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole are worth it after a night of hitting the hooch. I do not live in the meat eating world, but I have seen my former roommate rock a chicken burrito like a champ. All in all, Fresco Tortillas is the epitome of comfort food eating on the cheap. Just go, for god’s sake.
Fresco Tortillas 620 Manhattan Ave Brooklyn NY 11222 menu
In response to the on-going (and justified) neighborhood complaints in regard to Studio B’s loud presence on Banker Street, Ken Fisher, the club’s lawyer is blaming rowdy patrons for the disturbances. In this posting from the Brooklyn Paper, Fisher says the disrespect GPTers are observing is not “necessarily within the club’s responsibility to control.” Studio B has been raising some eyebrows in recent weeks as the club is apparently missing the must-have cabaret license necessary for venues of its type.
I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed myself at Studio B and have no real complaints about the venue (except for the fact that roller skating there is a SUPER dangerous, bone-breaking experience) – but when a new bar/restaurant/venue opens on your block, you would like to think that the owners would have the neighborhood’s back a little.
This has been quite the week for yours truly, but enough about me. Really.
Williamsburger the burger joint finally opened at I think their tagline “Beefing up hipsters” is fucking hysterical. But of course, hipsters do not. – Eater
However, AMNY claims Williamsburg’s ‘not just for hipsters anymore’. “The post-hipster wave of residents seems to be affluent young families moving in as entire blocks of old factory buildings vanish and slick glass towers rise up between the shorter two and three-family dwellings.” Great. – AM NY
Williamsburg might be turning into the next Park Slope but Greenpoint’s going more for the Harlem vibe with the cast of 50 Cent’s MTV Reality Show moving in on Greenpoint Avenue. I’m looking forward to the first episode to include one of the poultry slaughter’s runaway chickens! – NY Observer
AM NY Urbanite has a nice bunch of vintage Greenpoint signs, although more than a few aren’t actually vintage. Schmook’s Pizza is fairly recent replacing Pizza Prince’s, Cinderella’s is also more recent though the store has been around forever and Peter Pan’s is another newer sign but old store. Either way, the pics are great. – Urbanite
Local bar Duff’s is featured in The Playboy Blog and it’s no other than bartender and my girl for years Tracy featured in the picture! What a sexpot. – The Playboy Blog
Speaking of Franklin Street shops, I noticed a sign in the window at Dalaga that says they’re now hiring. Not sure for what, but I would get my little toochis down there if you’ve got any retail experience and want to be able to walk to work.
Brooklyn Bowl is getting closer and closer to opening and now there’s talk of ‘a full Blue Ribbon menu’. I do like The Gutter though I admit I’ve only gone a handful of times and do most of my bowling on Wii, but now with another option and with good food (from Blue Ribbon, but maybe just for the VIP’s) and a music venue, I might find myself checking that out. – Page Six & Gothamist
Williamsburg Handball Legend Vic Hershkowitz dies. “ Mr. Hershkowitz, a Brooklyn native, began playing handball at playgrounds in Williamsburg during the Depression and he sometimes played with Red Auerbach, the future Hall of Fame basketball coach. Both were graduates of Eastern District High School.” – Mercury News
Word has it, the hotness that was Heath Ledger actually chose the NaBedLo Triangle spot for the Five Leaves restaurant. “The restaurant’s location, on a street corner across from McCarren Park, was also chosen by Ledger while he and Mongell were out skateboarding. “I showed him other spots and he wouldn’t look at anything else. He liked this corner,” Mongell said. “He envisioned basically just hanging out at the park across the street. He was a big fan of Williamsburg.” Although the place is in GREENPOINT. As is McCarren Park. But I digress… As usual. – People
the building across the street from me, which for the three years ive been on freeman street has always appeared to be pleasantly vacant, is becoming some arty monolith. or has already become. i was out of town this weekend and so didn’t experience this first hand, but my roommate stopped in to a show they were having (related in someway to the waterfalls guy he says) and said the place we have both been hoping would become anything but an artists’ space or a thai resturant, has become an artists’ space.
according to the press release on the show, “The building will undergo major renovation in the fall and become the new home for Repetti in late ’09.”
I’m not really one for bashing art, but I’m also not one for seeing Greenpoint turn into some sort of ridiculous mash-up of freaky art things going on with the sort of participants where anyone calls themselves an artist. This Repetti place is getting a crazy makeover so the money is there, maybe the quality art will be, too.
For the kiddies, this Wednesday July 30th, Park City Parks Foundation brings Puppets in the Park to the Abate Playground in McCarren Park. Cinderella Samba will be performed at 10am and 11:30. Come out, bring a blanket to sit on and enjoy the show. – Park Moms
The Save The G Blog is looking for guest posters. And no not just whiny commuting stories. “Anyone got a good anecdote, or even some pictures, to share? Rants=unappealing (unless thoroughly humorous); basic information=slightly more appealing. Recommendations for better service=very cool (but keep it less-than-stratospheric). Come on… your favorite G train story. Your favorite G train transfer. Anything!” If you interested send an email to teresatoro [at] yahoo [dot] com.
The date is set for the first ever wing eating contest in Greenpoint (although we might need a fact check on this)! The Habitat’s “Habitual Chicken Ritual” will take place on Tuesday, August 26th at 9:30 pm. The contestant who eats the most wings within 10 minutes will receive a free night of drinking at the bar! The contest is limited to 12 people, so if you’re interested and think you have what it takes, stop in and let them know so they can sign you up!
And lastly, it seems everyone is getting in on the nicknaming of Greenpoint’s various little areas. First with Lady Lorimer’s NaBedLo Triangle (Nassau at Bedford & Lorimer) and then Very Small Array’s Greenpoint Subdivision Map and now we’ve got GrAMPa. – robotpolisher
Shit, these Blog Buzzers are getting longer and longer. Whew!
Jeesh, who would have thought that a little rant on some bad service would’ve gotten such a ridiculous amount of attention. Why is it that when someone posts something negative, the anonymous crazies come out to play?
I love that I’m getting comments that attack me personally. Wow, a gap-toothed chick too old for ‘indie’ music? Shit, you left out four eyed, frizzy haired bitch!
Things like that do not phase me. An anonymous comment from someone who probably wouldn’t have the nerve to even shoot me a dirty look in public feels they are hurting me with a few typed words? Puhleeze.
In a possible karma fueled incident, Friday night was especially fucked up. Me and GG were watching the Mets game at Red Star, hanging with a couple of friends until we got way too drunk and while walking my sister home she proceeded to take me down in spill in front of Black Rabbit where I was lucky enough to get six stitches in my head for it. Pleasant.
But my point of the story is the people in front of Black Rabbit were AWESOME. They came over with napkins and water for the drunken wipeout lickety split. I have no idea who they were, but I definitely want to thank them all for helping me. Kathy from the bar then came out and took me inside, gave me ice and a band-aid and even had someone come take a look at it for me.
When I returned on Saturday afternoon to give back the rag they put the ice in for me, Kent was there. I wanted to just thank Kathy for the kindness and he said “No problem, that’s what neighbors are for”.
More than anything I really hate to bad mouth a local place. I will do my damn hardest to give every single place a fair shot but last night I have to say that I was in SHOCK at the most rude and unpleasant bartender I have ever come across.
Me and a couple of locals went to dinner at The Habitat (which is wonderful and the bartenders, awesome) and then decided to hit another bar for some beers. My girlfriend suggested we try Van Gogh’s Radio Lounge across the street from my house. I’d actually gone there a couple of weeks ago with another friend for a quick nitecap and thought it was cool.
But this time as soon as we sat at the bar, there was an instant attitude from the woman behind the bar. She asked for ID, which me being 33 years old thought was funny, but like any woman over the age of 30, I was flattered and both me and my girlfriend obliged. She hardly even acknowledged us and it was clear she was not going to be a friendly chick, but by no means did I give a shit at that point.
The guy we were with was in the bathroom and my friend and I each ordered. I got a Brooklyn Lager and she asked for a Chardonnay. The wine came out of a little bottle and my girlfriend mused how it was cute – not a word from the bartender. She just acted as if we weren’t there and the thought of serving us was disgusting her.
When he came out of the bathroom, she proceeded to proof him – with an attitude, once again. He pulled out his wallet and as he was getting his license out he made a small joke – “How about your smile for my license?”. He wasn’t hitting on her, it was a simple ice-breaking sort of comment. I mean he was in the bathroom the whole time while she was treating me and my friend like shit and it only took him two seconds to see that she was clearly a rude, nasty person.
And this is the part that just takes the cake. She stood there with a fucking face on and then proceeded to say “This is MY bar and I can do what I want and I’m not going to play games with you, either show me your ID or leave.”
He had his wallet out, it’s not like he was avoiding showing her his ID. She was just Hell-fucking-bent on being a complete and utter fucking nasty person to us from the moment we walked in. I would be the first to admit if we were in any way being obnoxious, loud or provoking this woman at all. Not one single iota.
We drank our drinks and left. I sat there the whole time being made to feel uncomfortable and as if I was trespassing in a public fucking bar. I seriously just could not believe the way she acted. I can’t possibly fathom what made her treat us like pieces of shit from the moment we walked through the door. Maybe she has a thing against Hispanics since my two friends were Peruvian? Or maybe just because our clothes weren’t ironic enough? Maybe we didn’t have enough tattoos? I may never know.
Now great, it’s her bar. She can feel free to treat people any way she damn well pleases but I will never step foot inside that place ever again and I will tell anyone who listens not to either. That’s for damn sure.
