Brunch service at Colonie, Bruijkleen

Named in honor of the Dutch who first came to Bruijkleen (Brooklyn), Colonie is a pioneer for the new food frontier in the Brooklyn Heights food scene. Since their opening in 2011, Colonie has been dishing out fresh, local ingredients in simple yet exquisite ways. Not to mention the décor, which when done by Public and Double Crown vets, Tamer Hamawi, Emelie Kihlstrom and Elise Rosenberg, you know it’s nothing short of perfection–from the rustic wood planked ceilings and living wall all the way down to the multi-purpose menu placemats. Read More

Le Comptoir is the well-priced, neighborhood French Bistro of your dreams.  The menu is concise and petit for a bistro, but not for lack of expertise however, because there isn’t a bad item on it. From the fluffed and decadent Gnocchi and Cheese, to the fresh mixed green and fennel salad (a major and flavorful portion for $7) to a classic beef burger and steak tartar, Le Comptoir provides traditional and affordable (I can’t stress this enough) French food with a few twists to keep you on your toes. Read More

Still from Brooklyn Grange: A Portrait of Urban Farming

The Brooklyn Grange, located in Queens, New York has long been known as the largest soil rooftop farm in the world. Serving as a CSA and providing produce to restaurants throughout the city, the farm is a roaring success after just two years. However back in May, the bustling urban farm continued its plans for expansion by signing a 20 year lease on a 65,000-square-foot rooftop at the once defunct Brooklyn Navy Yards. Read More

Photo: Chris Kreussling

The Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of famous rappers like Jay-Z, The Notorious BIG, and Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey). But, Bed-Stuy’s contributions to African American and pop culture go even deeper than simply giving birth to hip-hop giants.

The historic neighborhood is home to the first free African American community, is the birthplace of many prolific African American poets, serves as the backdrop to many of Spike Lee’s movies, and was the breeding ground for Civil Rights victories in the late 1960’s.  Bed-Stuy’s little known history is often obscured by its tough reputation for which the phrase coined in the 90’s “Bed-Stuy, Do or Die” speaks to its rugged way of life.  While the hype has kept many would-be tourists at bay it hasn’t diminished the cultural and artistic significance of the neighborhood.

As the neighborhood tastes continue to shift under the influence and interests of its new residents, Bed-Stuy will soon be able to claim another important cultural achievement: home to an amazing culinary scene. Sadly, Bed-Stuy doesn’t ever make the list for neighborhoods to visit for neighborhood to go to get your foodie fix; and that’s where we come in! Here we shed light to a few artisan purveyors, ethnic eats, and date spots located in Bed-Stuy that deserve recognition Read More

Springtime in New York has at last managed to coax food lovers and enthusiasts outdoors and the Great GoogaMooga promises to be the mother of all food fests. Forget what you know about street fairs–the first (and hopefully annual) Great GoogaMooga is set to transform Brooklyn’s Prospect Park into an amusement park of food, drink and music.

Executed by the boys behind Bonnaroo and inspired by world-renowned chefs that make up the Guru Council like Tom Colicchio, Christina Tosi, The Frank brothers (Castronovo and Falcinelli), and Garrett Oliver among many others, GoogaMooga collides the worlds of food vendors, brewers, wine makers and musicians to celebrate the joy of communal eating and sharing creative spins on culinary trends.  Read More

Photo: bluemarbleicecream.com

By: Allana Mortell

Ice cream is a welcome relief on a hot summer day but for one village in Rwanda, it’s a way to survive.

Four years ago Jennie Dundas, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream shop met Rwandan drummer and playwright Odile Gakire Katese at a Sundance Institute workshop. After some discussion about the 1994 genocide that killed nearly 800,000 people in Rwanda, Dundas took it upon herself to help make Katese’s wishes come true. Katese (or Kiki, for short) thought opening an ice cream parlor in Butere would boost spirits and create some economic growth in the city located in the South Province of Rwanda.

Thus Inzozi Nziza (“Sweet Dreams”) was born.

Together with Eric Demby, co-founder of Brooklyn Flea, Dundas and business partner Alexis Miesen raised more than $80,000 to help Kiki start the pilot initiative that provides a safe haven where the people living in Butere can come and enjoy Blue Marble Ice Cream. Read More

By: Allana Mortell

With all this talk of Easter candy, it’s often hard to find any talk about something other than Hershey Kisses and chocolate bunnies. With the recent rise of artisanal treats, it ‘s great to find something like a candy shop that can offer up goods besides the generic plastic wrapped candy found at the counter of a convenience store. Enter: “The Candy Rush”, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

For me, the mark of a successful business is not just producing great products but about providing a one-of-a-kind experience to customers. The folks behind The Candy Rush delivered on every possible level. From the customer service to the decor and pure sugar overload (in a good way), I left feeling happy and excited to plan my next trip back!

The Candy Rush opened last summer with much acclaimed praise from residents of Crown Heights as well as Prospect Heights. Walking into the shop, you truly feel transported back to your childhood, a feeling I’m sure the owners wanted to evoke for their loyal customers. Immediately, your eyes are drawn to the left wall where from floor to ceiling are seven rows of … you guessed it, candy! Read More

By: Allana Mortell

When I first moved to New York, I began the dreaded apartment search. My roommate and I checked out a billion different places – some with tiny kitchens and mini-fridges and some with bedrooms better fitted for a dollhouse – you name it, we saw it. One of the biggest deal breakers for me was apartment proximity to food. The broker we were then dealing with kept telling us how up & coming Prospect Heights, Brooklyn was. As we walked around the neighborhood, we giggled in delight as we passed restaurant by restaurant by restaurant – many open late (another of my “deal breakers”).

I first saw Taqueria de los Muertos on a whim,  walking by the restaurant on our way to look at another apartment. Though I knew nothing about the restaurant, the name stuck with me and I knew I had to go back. So, three weeks later, on a beautiful too-sunny-for-March-day, I ventured over to Prospect Heights, so excited and so hungry.

Living in New York is expensive, there’s no doubt about it; so many restaurants these days charge outrageous amounts of money for plates of food smaller than any tapas restaurant I know. I walk out of those “hip, new restaurants,” with holes in my pocket and my stomach still grumbling. So, I walked into Taqueria de los Muertos with a ten-dollar bill,  hoping for the best. I eventually left so full of food and unbelievably satisfied that the employees and my friends could’ve rolled me on out down the street, seeing as after the meal, I could barely move. Read More

Photo: Eric Allix Rogers

By: Michael Engle

Last night, members of the Park Slope Co-Op, in Brooklyn, voted NOT to vote on a boycott of Israeli products.  This means that for now, the month-long debate has been shelved.  In retrospect, it is fairly clear that the 61% who voted against further action also agreed with popular opinion outside of the co-op.

In a New York Times piece, reporter Ginia Bellafante quoted local composer Matt Lewkowicz, who claimed that “I have plenty of outlets for my political opinions. The co-op isn’t one of them. I just want really good dried fruit.”  This proposed boycott likely would have only harbored ill will, with a negligible effect on world trade and politics.  Read More

Photo: Wally Gobetz

By: Justin Chan

A food co-op in Brooklyn is under fire from city officials for attempting to boycott products from Israel, according to the New York Times.

The criticism comes at a time when religious groups such as Jews and Muslims have been targeted by governments across the world for carrying out what authorities perceive as unsanitary food practices. The Park Slope Food Co-op will hold a referendum on the proposed boycott, which encourages sanctions against Israel for political reasons. Members are scheduled to vote on Tuesday, but the issue has already divided neighbors, who are part of a politically active constituency that regularly votes in local and citywide elections.

Several notable politicians have also joined the discussion. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference that he was perplexed by the co-op’s proposal and voiced his support for Israel. Read More