Friday, March 21, 2008

Beacon's Closet/Williamsburg

This is the granddaddy or grandmommy of all thrift/clothing resale shops. Located on a desolate stretch in a warehouse on N. 11th Street, Beacon's closet is huge. Offering clothes and shoes that are secondhand and once in a while samples for the lucky few. The clothes are all sorted by color and type of garment. Round racks of yellow, blue, pink, black and grey shirts and blouses. Even those who do not normally shop thrift always find a usuable piece here. Clothes ar relatively cheap and finding a new, cute Urban Renewal mini sweater for $21.95 is one example. Secondhand BCBG mules in good condition were $15, and newish Marc Jacobs shorts for $16 were a recent steals. Best part of Beacon's is you can sell your old gear for cash on the spot. A team of evaluators decide on what to buy or they return it to you to bring home or donate to charity. For clothes bought by "the closet" they offer 35% cash of what the tag the item or 55% store credit. I have sold my pieces here and find they are usually looking for hip gear, funky and designer inspired as well as vintage in great condition. There is a second and much smaller outpost of this uber popular clothing exchange on 5th Ave. and President Street in Park Slope.

Egg

It has taken awhile for me to get to egg in Billysburg. Mainly because of my recently increasing enjoyment of eggs in general as well my reluctance to wait for a table at this perrenially crowded spot. Egg is in a space occupied by the former restaurant Sparky. Eggs is a long narrow space in what looks like a former garage with wood beamed ceilings and serving lots of tatted up musician types their morning Joe which is French pressed from sustainably grown beans. I admit that I did not have eggs, but everyone else's looked yummy. My dish of country ham biscuit with Grafton cheese and fig jam was delish. The restaurant uses ingredients from small local producers and the flavor reflects that decision. I enjoyed a combo of fresh squeezed on premises o.j. and grapefruit juice for $2. Another appealing sandwich of eggs rothko- easy cooked egg in a slice of Amy's brioche topped with grafton cheddar, served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat or seasonal vegetables for $6.50. The prices here a super cheap, no dishes over $7 found on the menu which compares very favorably to other comparable spots in local nabes. So based on the bang for the buck and quality of food, this breakfast spot is always packed. By the by, this spot shares space with another restaurant coming in at 2-3 in the afternoon and serving dinner. This is a smart concept. The afternoon service is brought to you by the folks from Pies and Thighs- the fried chicken experts from South Williamsburg who formerly shared their space with a dive bar.

Carsten Institute/Bargain Beauty

The Carsten Institute is an Aveda style school and salon using Aveda products and French hair techniques. The school located on a second floor in the heart of Union Square offers an array of services all supervised carefully by instructors. These students are not licensed, but are are training to become licensed hair stylists. I had a haircut in the school Friday by Danielle. She expertly cut my hair exactly to my wishes. The teacher came over three times, once during consultation, again to check on the cut and lastly to see the final cut. This was one of the best hair cutting services I had in a long time. The blow dry was lovely too and it all cost $17. Chemical services start at $35 for single process and $35 and up for partial foil highlights.