Rss Feed

February, 2011

  1. Week 3: Team Cleans DIY Green (cleaning) Pointers

    February 28, 2011 by Justine

    Week Three: “Tub Rub” : Abrasive cleaning paste for bathtubs, sinks & hippy dream spas

    To make this you will need:
    - A bowl for mixing
    - About ¼ cup baking soda (OR Borax for tough grime)
    - About l tablespoon liquid soap. We like Dr. Bronner’s (see below)
    - Hot Water (Add water tell you’re mixture is like a grainy smoothie)

    1. Mix together all the ingredients in a cup or bowl to make frothy paste
    2. Scrub surface using a sponge.
    3. Let the paste sit for a wile if your working with stubborn stains.
    4. Rinse the surface.
    5. For a shiny finish buff the surface dry with a cloth

    A few notes about this mixture:

    Borax vs. Baking Soda:

    Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that is a powerful cleaner. It fights hard water and mineral stains, disinfects and brightens. When added to warm water borax cleans and bleaches by converting water molecules to hydrogen peroxide. This stuff is old school and it is what we like to call a “green-ish” product. So don’t use borax around food, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and make sure you rinse off of surfaces before use. It works great but should be used with caution and moderation. For more information about borax you can check out Green living tips.

    For more regular grit and grime baking soda will do the trick and it is 100% green.

    Soaps we like:
    1. Dr. Bronner’s lavender liquid soap. Lavender has antibacterial properties
    2. Dr. Bronner’s also makes a tea tree liquid soap if you don’t like lavender. Tree oil is a natural antiseptic.
    3. Mrs. Meyers makes a geranium liquid dish soap that is good. Mrs. Meyers also use essential oils of a good quality and Geranium has been extensively studied for its antimicrobial properties.
    4. You can also go with a fragrance free soap. Dr. Bronner’s makes one called Sal Suds.


  2. Quickie: Vote for Greenpoint!

    February 25, 2011 by Justine

    Time Out New York is doing their annual Food & Drink Awards and for 2011 we even got a Greenpoint joint in the mix! Paulie Gee’s is nominated in the Best New Pizza Category.

    There are also a couple of local Williamsburg establishments like Pies ‘n’ Thighs and The Commodore nominated for Best Southern Comfort and Fatty ‘Cue is nominated for Best New Brooklyn Restaurant.

    Vote by Sunday February 27th and the results for both the Readers Choice and the Critics’ Picks will be in the magazines April 7th issue.  

    Paulie Gee’s is also nominated in Metromix New York’s Best Of 2011 in the Pizza catergory. Greenpoint spot Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream has been nominated in Desserts. Quite a few Williamsburg joints made their various lists as well. The entire list of Metromix New York’s Best Of 2011 can be found here.


  3. The Halcyon Gourmet

    February 24, 2011 by Justine

    Back in November of 2009 Kea wrote a post on a new addition to the neighborhood – The Halcyon Gourmet. A few months ago they moved from their tiny storefront to a bigger spot on Banker Street.

    Right now, Halcyon is dine out only. You can order take-out from a pre-set menu or discuss catering options for pretty much any event. Really. ANY event. They will rock it.

    According to owner Maria the Executive Chef (partner Archie is the Creative Director), they’ve been doing gigs from allover the tri-state area. It seems they’ve been working on a kickass word-of-mouth and I can see why. The food is delicious!
    

    halcyon [hal-see-uhn] -adj. : peaceful; tranquil; idyllic; carefree

     I have to really RAVE about the soups though. All homemade and they’re always changing! You really don’t realize how many lunch joints are feeding you canned soup. What’s awesome about Halcyon is you can call in the morning, find out what soups they’re offering, order a quart for the week and pick it up on your way home.

    February’s special sandwich in honor of the Met Opera’s production of NIXON IN CHINA is The Hoison Short Rib Bun. Chinese 5-Spiced, Hoisin-Braised Beef Short-Rib with Fennel & Daikon Slaw on a soft bun. The beef short-rib is just seriously bursting with flavor.

    I spent a good chunk of time chatting up Maria and JV and they were just awesome people. Even though Halcyon is located in Greenpoint, they are doing business allover. I plan on ordering from them for my next all staff meeting and I’m on 14th Street in the city. I’m sure they’re going to knock it out of the park and make me look great to the staff who are pretty bored with my repetitive wrap platters from the overpriced corner market…

    The Halcyon Gourmet
    202 Banker Street
    NY 11222-2873
    (718) 349-2882
    info@thehalcyongourmet.com


  4. Oscar Night at Red Star

    February 23, 2011 by Janello

    Red Star Bar and Forking Tasty are teaming up this Sunday for a semi-star studded Oscar party. FEBRUARY 27th, beginning at 7:00 pm. It’ll be more fun than watching from your living room plus their will be comics, red carpets and prizes but there are only 50 seats available.

    Grab your spot now. Click to reserve a seat.

    What to expect:

    Red carpet arrivals
    Wine and cheese cocktail hour
    3-course dinner
    Drinks in their upstairs event space
    Prizes for Best Dressed and Best Ballot Picks
    Champagne toast to the Best Picture Winner

    Award nominated comics Jason Saenz and Nick Turner (aka “Too Cool For School”) will handle the hosting duties, providing comedic commentary throughout the commercial breaks as well as doling out prizes for the evening’s trivia contest winners. We hope to see a bunch of you there.

    Red Star
    37 Greenpoint Avenue
    (718) 349-0149


  5. Adoption Day at Dog Habitat

    by Justine

    This Sunday, Februarty 27th from 11am-2pm head over to District Dog to check out some adoptable cuties from Dog Habitat Rescue. Facebook event here.

    Dog Habitat Rescue at District Dog
    142 Driggs Avenue at Russell Street
    Sunday February 27th 2011 from 11am-2pm


  6. Lokal Mediterranean Bistro

    by Justine

    Friday night I had a chance to properly check out Lokal for dinner with one of my girlfriends. I’d been to Lokal a couple of times for brunch but this was my first attempt at dinner.

    Lokal has the distinct advantage of being on a corner that is simply perfect for people watching in the warmer months. With their open air design and sidewalk tables, it’s one of the best spots in the neighborhood to just chill and watch the parade of folks heading to McCarren Park. But with the colder months, I get the feeling Lokal likely loses out a little on the leisurely walk-in traffic they probably get when the doors are open and the tables are out.

    Lokal
    Lokal by YUMMY Brooklyn via Flickr

    The ambiance on Friday night was wonderful. It was cozy and warm with lots of candle light and fantastic service. The food was delicious. Fresh bread and olive oil was brought to the table and drinks were served. Forgive my cell phone photos!

    We started off with a shared appetizer of their grilled pizza of the day – it was chicken and broccoli and came made to order (minus the olives – neither of us like ‘em). It was definitely enough for two and I think would suffice for an appetizer for three. We both really enjoyed the pizza – just enough crust, great toppings.

    For dinner I had the Pan Roasted Cod which came with sauteed asparagus, mashed potatoes and lemon-butter dill sauce. The cod was amazing, I loved it. Cooked perfectly and the whole dish was perfectly sized, I only left a small coouple of bites left on the plate.

    My friend ordered the Roasted Pork Loin with roasted fennel, grape tomatoes, rosemary fingerling potatoes and grenache. It came with three hefty sized pieces of pork and a mound of potatoes. She wound up taking some home with her. I tasted the pork and it too was delicious. The pork was actually my first choice but we didn’t want to order the same thing.

    Finally, Daniel our server – who was so cool and quick to offer suggestions and opinions when we asked – said we needed to order the panna cotta for dessert. One of the most amazing things to me is that Lokal makes their own desserts. Most restaurants don’t do this – they have pre-made desserts that they warm up or add to when you order them. Lokal makes their own fresh tiramisu, apple cobbler thingy, panna cotta and others. Even if you’re not necesszarily up for a big dinner, it’s a really great spot to get a drink and an app and then share some dessert. I also thought it was an ideal date spot for dinner.

    Lokal also has online ordering for delivery, availbale for private events, gift certificates. They also have a kickass Burger & Beer daily special. If you haven’t checked Lokal out for dinner, you need to. Take your girlfriend, spend a little extra and spring for dessert – it’ll be so worth it.

    Lokal Mediterranean Bistro
    905 Lorimer Street at Bedford Ave
    (718) 384-6777


  7. Found Cat: Green Street

    by Justine

    Reader Carla from Brooklyn Brewery sent me this note about a found cat in the neighborhood. Please send an email to greenpointers@gmail.com or reach out to Carla directly if you know this cute little kitty!

    Hi,

    One of my co-workers found a really cute cat in Greenpoint yesterday. We think the cat climbed into the hood of his car on Green St. between Manhattan and McGuiness. Not sure if it’s a boy or a girl and we think it’s probably around 9 months old. It’s very friendly and sweet which makes us wonder if its owner is out there looking for it. I’ve attached a few pictures in case anyone is looking for him. We’re taking good care of him here at Brooklyn Brewery for now, but would love to reunite him with his owner if that is the case.

    Cheers,

    Carla E. Trejo Springer
    Brooklyn Brewery
    Brand Manager
    917-952-5767


  8. Looking For a Tattoo Artist?

    February 22, 2011 by Christina


    We all know finding a tattoo artist can be hard. You want someone whose style you admire; someone who creates art you want to stare at for hours. If you happen to be in search of such an artist, might I suggest my friend Lizzie Renaud, owner of tattoo shop Speakeasy Tattoo. She is visiting Greenpoint from Toronto in April and will be guest tattooing at Three Kings Tattoo on Manhattan Ave.

    Lizzie is a great artist – she designed my back tattoo years ago, when she was just a counter girl, and has done work on so many of my friends, I’ve lost count. She will be only be in Brooklyn April 6-10 so check out her work online here and email speakeasytattooshop@gmail.com to reserve your spot now!


  9. An Inspirational Greenpoint Home

    February 21, 2011 by Joann

    all images via this post

    Scrounging through Design Sponge I found this post revealing the innards of a lovely home in Greenpoint. The thought of moving after having just settled into my studio a year ago is daunting, but with enough calm and determination it can be an exciting venture to tackle. Partnered up with my soon-to-be husband we’ll be looking for an apartment that if not as big, will be as lovely as this featured post on Design Sponge, hopefully.

    The prospect of shopping at flea markets and supporting our local stores for awesome home decor finds is exciting, allowing all sorts of domesticated daydreams to emerge and play itself out. That of all people, I would be getting married and sharing a home with someone is just straight up bizarre but I’m embracing it every step of the way.

    With that said in the next couple months as I visit all our local shops for lamps, plates, dressers and bedsheets I’ll highlight the best of my finds and share them here for our indulgence sake.

    If you here of any apartment openings, perhaps a floor thru railroad on Oak Street that’s sundrenched with a backyard terrace, don’t be shy to share!


  10. Sunday Snaps: The Winter of Our Discontent

    February 20, 2011 by Justine

    With (hopefully) all the snow behind us, here are some of my favorite winter and snow shots from the Greenpointers Flickr Pool.

    Icy fence

    McGolrick Park

    McCarren along Bedford

    southeast

    DSC_0250

    Benches

    Blizzard. West + India

    *All photos taken from the Greenpointers Group Flickr Pool.