Andrea is on vacation, what to do?!

A week's worth of ideas.

Hi all,

I am out east in the North Fork with my kids, who are off from school this week. Teens and tweens, in case you were wondering, are wonderful, deeply moody people. They are alternately grumpy hermits and joyful musical theater kids. I spend my days navigating moods while reminding them that there is a world beyond the screens in their hands, and forcing them to leave the house and go for a walk on the beach, which I try to point out to them, does not exist in Brooklyn. Luckily, once I get them out of the house it’s great, but I cannot listen to any more Marcoplier or Genshen Impact (if you have no idea what I am talking about here, consider yourself lucky). Mama is losing her mind. 

That said, yesterday we did have a great beach hike, and we went to a Stop & Shop (a fascinating experience marked by alarming amounts of marshmallow Fluff on display in an oversized shopping cart). We cooked a Persian feast from the Sofreh cookbook (Sam chose the recipes — kubideh kabobs, some badamjun, and rice), which was really good. We started a puzzle, I’ve gone for a run, and things don’t seem so grim. But hey, it’s early yet.  

Anyway, while I am away this week I won’t be posting (I’m too busy cooking, cleaning and mediating arguments), so I thought I’d send a few fun ideas for the week (and weekend). Happy mid-winter recess my friends! Wish me luck!

Eat Nate’s Detroit Style Pizza

Today at 4pm you can grab a slice (or ten) at this amazing pop-up that’s been blowing the minds of South Brooklyn pizza lovers for the past few months. It comes from Nate Skid, the son of a baker, who slings a variety of square Detroit style-pies; that wonderful formula of springy dough, copious amounts of cheese, dark tomato sauce, and assorted toppings. He crafts his pies beautifully with a crispy crusty cheesy mile-high crust, rich whole Italian tomato sauce, cups of pepperoni, slabs of caramelized bacon, hot honey, fresh milky mozzarella, and more. You’ll find him today at 4pm at the former Cobblestone Foods shop at 220 Atlantic Avenue. Get there!

Wednesday: Drink Wine at Community Wine & Spirits

You know I love wine, but that’s only part of the reason why I am so into Community Wine & Spirits (140 10^th Ave near 19^th St) a new wine shop in Chelsea founded by David Weitzenhoffer (sommelier, former wine director at Felidia as well as wine importer). Community Wine is not just a place to pick up a few bottles and head home. Sure you could do that, but it’s also a lovely place to linger and learn, socialize and hang out. 

I find it easier to shop for wines here because the wines are arranged by color and body instead of by region, varietal, and price. This way you just go to the types of wine you like, and take it from there. 

There’s also an immersive large-screen installation they call The Looking Glass which uses 3D body tracking technology to transport you into wine regions of the world such as South Africa, New Zealand, and the Finger Lakes in New York. Very cool and less expensive than a flight to South Africa. 

Now to the “community” element. Every week, on Wednesdays from 5-7pm, Community Wine & Spirits hosts open-to-the-public wine and spirits tastings with different, interesting producers and importers. And on the first Saturday of each month from 2-5pm, they do a free Community Grand Tasting where they open 20-30 bottles to “try before you buy” or to just have a lovely afternoon in the spacious and inviting shop. Check out all their events here.

Thursday: Whiskey and a Burger at The Parlour Room 

There's a notable new chef at The Parlour Room, the classic American restaurant in midtown: Luther Dowdy.  Luther has a great pedigree; he’s a veteran of the kitchens of Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges, and Greg Baxtrom. You might not think of him as a burger man, but Dowdy's new menu offers one of the best burgers in the city: a big one that’s a blend of brisket and short rib, that gets topped with melted cheddar, shaved onions, pickles, and their special P-36 Sauce. 

But, yes, he’s also doing fancier fare like sea scallops with charred onion purée, brassicas, and brown butter; roasted cauliflower with kohlrabi salad, fresno peppers, golden raisins, and sesame vinaigrette, and, it you like a steak, a 46oz Brandt Beef Tomahawk with porcini salt, horseradish, and bordelaise.

The Parlour Room is probably best known for its sizable whisky list (400 from around the world) and its literary list of cocktails too from David Orellana: “The Way to Paradise” is a mix of Havana Club Añejo Rum, Campari, Milk Punch, Orgeat, Pineapple, Club Soda, and Tiki Bitters; The Gatsby Royale combines Citrus Vodka, Lemon, Pear & Apple Cider Cordial, Sparkling Wine and The Raven marries Fort Hamilton 'Private Barrel' Bourbon, Demerara, Vanilla, Bitters, and liquid Smoke. Bring a book and have one. 

Weekend: Sea & Soil

If you’ve not been to Sea & Soil Coop in Red Hook, please make a point of it. I love it so much. 

It is a worker-owned coop and sliding scale sandwich shop and cafe from two friends — Noah Wolf and Gaby Gaby Gignoux-Wolfsohn — who met working at the Center for Families in Sunset Park where they taught food justice in an after-school program. 

Noah bakes all the breads for the sandwiches, from sourdough loaves to olive rolls, focaccia and pretzel buns. In the mornings there are also blueberry muffins, two-cheese popovers. and those warm from the oven pretzel buns, some stuffed with feta and chili crisp, and another stuffed with sweet red bean. 

On weekends the pastry flag flies: Noah makes many croissants: butter, salted chocolate pretzel, scallion pancake croissants, as well as puffy glossy yeast donuts (maple, glazed, chocolate and more) on Sundays. They do a pizza day the first Wednesday of every month on Noah’s sourdough crust. 

But here’s what is most interesting to me: customers are giving a sliding scale (from $9-$16) for all sandwiches on the board— overstuffed two handers named for the children and pets in their lives. The River is Pan crisped miso braised pork, mozzarella, tomato jam, wasabi aioli, sprouts & greens on Focaccia; The Elliott – Smoked Turkey, pickled peppers, cheddar, creamy fermented cucumber sauce, arugula, aioli on Sea&Soil Focaccia.

The cafe is worker-owned, so Gaby and Noah are worker-partners and they are bringing on a third worker-partner shortly who right now is making $25/hour but at 6 months will join them and share in profits (she already shares in decision making). 

“We want to keep prices at a point that does not eliminate the customers in our neighborhood,” says Wolf. “Good food should be for everybody Especially sandwiches, that is a food for everybody."

Have a great week! xx