A peek through the lowered rollgate revealed a narrow table of twenty that was nestled in between the towering wine shelves and the purposely dark hum of a refrigerator bank.
Through the steel and glass you could hear only muffled conversation, the clang of plates and the reverberation of laughter as it filled the converted shop and snuck out the cracks in the front windows. Last Saturday 20 lucky singles mingled it up after hours in a little Greenpoint wine shop to sip some vino, taste some edibles and meet their possible spring fling. I’d say the evening was a fantastic success being that our guests made a connection with more than the food. To pull this supper off we partnered up with Dandelion Wines to provide the space and wines that complimented our four course feast. We then summoned some singles who were up for a gastro-guzzle-blind date.
The idea came from my realization that daylight savings time forces us to lose an hour each year as we hurdle ourselves into the future. This imposed, careless disregard in hopes of getting closer to the impending spring is a cheap trick that strips us of the commodity that seems most scarce these days, time. I thought it might be smart, and fun, to hold onto those 60 minutes and see what happens if you anonymously were put into a room with nineteen strangers. Below is the glutenous mystery that unfolded.
As the final customers picked and purchased their Sunday night, night caps, we were busy finalizing the table settings of our conversion from wine shop to true pop-up restaurant. With every detail triple checked the menus were set and we fired up the small stove in the back of the shop to get the make shift kitchen into high gear. While Aimee browned the polenta and I started building the first plate of chicken cacciatore our guests snacked on some cheese and dried sausage while sipping Dandelion’s first selection a “La Gaudrelle” Cremant de Loire Sparkling Chenin Blanc.
Soon enough our first course was ready to be passed. We like to keep our guests standing for a bit so they can easily move around the room and meet others. The food worked it’s magic as each plate simultaneously became an interruption and a catalyst .
Chilled jumbo prawns with arugula pesto and a lemon aioli.
Braised chicken cacciatore on fresh polenta with caramelized balsamic onions.
Berry Park is hosting Musical Bingo next Thursday 3/31 – I gotta admit I am a fan of Bingo. But maybe dungeon church basements with old ladies ain’t your thing…
Musical Bingo is like normal bingo except instead of calling out numbers we play songs! Join American presenter Jess Indeedy and the ever-eclectic British gent DJ Helix as they take you on a musical tour. Cross the songs off your bingo card when you hear them, and compete to win some amazing (and kitsch) prizes! Game themes include Motown, Drinking Songs, 80s, Dance Anthems, Yacht Rock, 70s, and many more.
This addictive competition is incredibly popular in London and at the major UK music festivals, and finally we’re coming to Brooklyn! Grab your friends and come down to Berry Park on Thursday, March 30th at 8pm for a night of big tunes, huge prizes and unabashed fun. To find out more about us please visit http://www.musical-bingo.com/.
Yesterday while strolling around the neighborhood during heatpocalypse discovered Seven Wonders Vintage, a week old vintage boutique at the former Open Air Modern store on Manhattan Ave. The beautiful wooden plank floors and walls stayed in tact and set the perfect tone for this charming new store. I scored a beautiful spring dress and belt for $50 and browsed through a thoughtful selection of floral dresses, silky blouses, and pattern sweaters all priced at $80 and under. Having scavenged for dresses at Fox & Fawn earlier that day I saw an upgrade in quality for an affordable price.
This is owner Melissa Blumberg’s first shop and finds most of her goods at estate sales at places as far as Florida where she grew up. Check out her finds and happy shopping!
My recent addition to Greenpointers very short list of advertisers is Greenpoint Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Brad Seaman is the vet over there, which opened in May 2010 and has nothing but GLOWING reviews over on Yelp. I also have personal friends who bring their pets there and they agree – best vet in North Brooklyn. They are also a member of the Greenpoint Business Alliance and I hear they have freshly baked cookies…
Dr. Brad Seaman is a second generation vet and grew up around pets and veterinary medicine. His goal is to offer high quality, state of the art health care for your furry family member in a relaxed, welcoming setting.
The hospital is fully computerized and offers digital x-ray, ultrasound, digital video microscopy and digital video otoscopy. We also have in-house blood chemistry testing capabilities which give results in 30 minutes.
Next Sunday March 27th, Greenpoint Vet is having their first Open House. All the staff will be on hand and they’re offering half-off microchipping. If you’ve been thinking about about getting it for your pet, do it now. Spring is here, you’ll be bringing your pup to the park and all it takes is a second for Fido to run off and get lost.
Van Gogh’s Radio Lounge, the bar across the street from me, closed early this year and then it was rumored that Dandelion Wine was interested in opening up a bar, but earlier this week I spied an official For Rent sign in he window, so we’ll see.
To make this you will need:
- One 16 oz. spray bottle (I used a Mrs. Myers one)
- ½ cup vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- A few drops of essential oil*
*Essential oil is optional but it helps cut the vinegar smell. (See weeks 1 and 3 if you need help picking an oil.)
1. Put all ingredients in the bottle, swirl around, and spray away. Be careful not to add too much oil it could make streaks. Fun Fact: Vinegar kills up to 98% bacteria, germs & odors in 60 seconds!
2. When cleaning glass I like to spray the surface of the glass not the cloth or newspaper.
3. Optional: rip off the old the label from your spray bottle and make your own. To remove the sticky residue you can use Citrisolv. More on that amazing product later.
A word about cloths vs. newspaper:
Cloth: We like using a micro-fiber cloth that is specifically used for window cleaning or a lint-free rag.
Newspaper: For those of you who don’t know, newspaper works great for cleaning glass. I like it better than cloth. If you are going to use it be sure to crinkle it up and rub it together in your hands before you start this helps keep the ink in place. Also avoid light colored painted walls and sills as the ink from the paper might transfer. If this happens don’t fret it come right up with a cloth.
TEAM CLEAN NYC, is a full service green cleaning company for residential and commercial spaces. We are holistic in our approach to business and value educating people about green cleaning as much as we like cleaning for our clients. In that spirit, I have teamed up with Greenpointers to bring you a few of our favorite Green (cleaning) Pointers.
Every year we lose an hour as we spring ahead to…well…spring. What if those lost 60 minutes held a secret? What if that secret was filled with attractive singles, delicious food and rich, luscious wine? Would you tell? Or, would you keep your mouth closed and smirk with content?
On March 13th we are teaming up with Dandelion Wines and converting a wine shop into a dining den to celebrate this seductive lost hour. As the rest of the world skips past these valuable and mysterious minutes ten single men and ten single women will be indulging with gluttonous disregard. A 4-course gourmet dinner will be crafted to perfectly match hand selected, small batch vintners favorite wines.
Quietly reserve one of the 20 seats below and treat yourself to an evening that will be full of visual surprises, olfactory inspirations, tongue tantalizing moments and perhaps, by the end of the evening, even those little hairs on the back of your neck will be at attention. Who knows, you might even share a bite and a sip with your new spring lover.
