Diablo Royale

Diablo Royale meaning royal devil is a restaurant I pass on the way to the latest installment of Housing Works on West 10th. It is a devilish place with wood walls and antiqued tin ceilings as well as red tiles near the kitchen. Lots of kitchy devils and moody lighting like ceiling chandeliers of devil horns set the vibe. I ate here for the brunch which features a prix fixe menu for $16 with choice of entree, one devil and one angel as well as choice of potatoes and grits. Firstly upon arriving the joint is empty with many lined up at the Cafe Condessa on the next block. The waitress who says pick any table informs me there is no cafe today, so I order the Mexican hot chocolate which true the description is nicely cinnamony and creamy with condensed milk. My devil is a bloody Maria which tastes of the strong Silver Tequila. My breakfast entree was the breakfast quesadilla which is more of a sweetened pancake with eggs, cheese, mushrooms, guacamole and pico de gallo on the side. The bacon mentioned on the menu is missing and the waitress brings a side. The quesadilla is killer with lots of nice flavor combos all in a bite. I ask for chips and salsa and the busboy brings over some. The place is filling up and I notice the next table with some dark chips and ask for some too. They forgot to bring those over previously. Cinnamon and sugared tortillas, dark and sweet. Delish. Other entrees sounded pretty tasty like chicken tortilla chilaquiles and diablo's pancakes with blueberry agave sauce. This place is so cute and the food when you get it rocks. The ladies room here is identified by the naked lady devil on the door.

Alma Restaurant

I finally ate Alma after wanting to eat the food sampled years ago at a Brooklyn Brewery event. I admit I was perplexed about the trip- it being on the other side of the BQE. The walk there from Carroll Street station was actually very pleasant up Union street and passed a few cute stores and restaurants along the way. This three story restaurant is along the burgeoning stip along Columbia street. The restaurant is a three story building on the waterfront hence amazing Manhattan views. The top enclosed floor where we ate for Dine in Brooklyn week three courses for $23 was a great value with breathtaking views. We imagined it was open for dining in warmer weather. The food was very good. Salsas of spicey pumpkin seed and a fresh pico de gallo were served with dense chips. My first course of cerviche was flawless with limey tuna and fresh corn it had flavor and crunch. The second course of Mexican lasagna had a lovely cheesey top, spinach and a mushy pasta bottom. The desserts were a bread pudding and my companions ancho chile chocolate cake served in a ramekin were both good. The crowd was diverse and funky and the reataurant itself a great vibe so we promised to dine here again when the roof was open to enjoy real Spring weather.

Little D Eatery

Little D Restaurant bills itself as a meze restaurant and that is just what it is. A smallish non- descript South Slope spot with a garden in rear serving small plates. I have eaten here for both lunch and dinner and always found the food very tasty and the staff friendly. I ate here for brunch this weekend and had a fantastic Turkish breakfast. My breaky included a hard-boiled egg, house made bread, Turkish cheese, olives, nice red tomatoes, cukes, and house made preserves. WOW! Very fresh ingredients cut up on one plate and delicious bread with rosemary as well as blueberry and orange preserves created the ultimate savory-sweet Mediteranian style meal. The cheese was feta-like though firmer. All this for $9. bucks. All the eggs dishes served are made with eggs from cage free hens. Both the eggs and pork are from NYS farms. Other dishes like Pork Butt Hash and scrambled eggs with biscuits sound extra hearty. Sweeter fare like Big apple pancakes with cinamon butter and NY maple syrup sound yummy too. The brunch menu includes a few dinner items like a small or large size Mac and cheese with cheddar, parmesan, gruyere and breadcrumbs as well as the arugula and butternut squash salad. Next meal there I am primed to try the caramel bread pudding with roasted pecans hopefully in the garden on a warm day.

Sullivan Street Bakery

Moved uptown from it's Sullivan Street location after a break in the partnership, this small out of the way bakery is as good as New York baking gets. Selling to many of the best bakeries around town and using natural leavening methods, Sullivan Street bakery offers one of the most authentic tasting Italian breads and room temperature pizzas in all of the five boroughs. The Pugliese panne is a huge darkly baked dense loaf born to soak up a good extra virgin olive oil. Some breads like panne alle olive are also available in small size rolls. The breads are pricey but are absolutely worth it. Pizza con funghi, cauliflower and my personal fave pizza patate(potato) are square perfectly baked room temp. artisan pizza for a snack or lunch. The pizzas run from about $3.00. Sandwiches with cheeses and veggies or chicken are very good. Also available are a changing variety of pastries and cookies like a cookie baked with nutella and an apple or sour cherry cake. They usually sell these in individual portions. Sullivan Street Bakery also has a bread baking program to interested potential bakers. The new location on 47th Street between 10th. and 11th. Ave is a tad out of the way, but works well when combined with a tour of the Ninth Ave. restaurant scene.

The Farm at Adderly

Located on a burgeoning strech of Cortelyou Road in Flatbush a block from the other popular restaurant Picket Fence, this farmhouse spot is bangin'. Lavender walls and new burnished brown tin ceilings add to the relaxed Brooklyn vibe. An outdoor garden awaits a warmer day. Brunch is a family affair with couples and kids from the nabe and beyond. Expect to wait and for good reason. The food is super and pretty reasonably priced. Lot's of egg dishes like chicken apple sausage, eggs any style home fries and a salad for $8. Smoked bluefish cakes with a fried sunnyside egg, salad and spicy tomato mayo for $9. I had the farm burger with cheddar on an English muffin with fries, and a small salad of Boston lettuce, plum tomatoes and Kearney cukes which was $12. This was one juicy burger and really went well with the English muffin, I usually remove the bun even a good brioche one. The fries were semi skin on and fried to a golden browned perfection and well salted. The little salad had really red plum tomatoes and although I had never heard of Kearney cukes they were crunchy good. I have eaten here for dinner too and the food always rocks. The desserts observed at the next table at brunch looked pretty yummy especially the apple crisp with vanilla ice-cream and the butterscotch pudding with chopped graham crackers on top. The bathroom is another shabby chic affair with a weathered dresser to boot.

Salt

Salt is a sweet spot on a quiet non-touristed piece of MacDougal Street west of 6th. Ave sharing the block with other cute and cozy spots. I think this was my second time in the restaurant which is opened since 2003 and seems to be well received. The exposed brick walls and whitewashed communal tables lend a farmhouse ambience to the spot. A very small kitchen in the rear specializes in seasonal fare. I was there for brunch and the reason I chose Salt was that at 2:30 on a Saturday it was relatively empty. The brunch menu which was sort of a combo lunch/ brunch included soups, eggs, and sandwiches. I started with a cup of cream of tomato which was creamy and satisfying. Next a slow roasted eggplant with a puree of beets and mesclun with a creamy bluecheese dressing. I admit the two pieces of eggplant seemed miniscule for $14. This item is on the dinner menu as an appietizer and is definitely one. Overall, I was underwhelmed by both portion size and overall flavor. The bathroom though was one of the cleanest and best smelling I have come across with a large scented candle and pictures of various types of food groups like legumes and fruits with a cute shabby chic style cabinet and mirror.

Aveda Institute

At this zen like emporium training ground you are able to receive top-notch facial services and hair care using all Aveda products for a song. For skin care, the one hour facial begins in a separate closed off cubicle starting with a sensory journey. Steam, exfoliation, facial massage, an arm and hand massage and one or two masks follow. I have gone to Aveda for this facial for years and it is very uniform no matter who the esthetician. The students here are well trained and the treatment is a very relaxing one. An instructor joins us for a consultation and to make sure the student uses the right exfoliant and mask for your particular skin type. After a little over an hour, I feel refreshed and renewed and smelling like natural botanicals. The one hour facial costs $46 and the school offers other longer treatments. You must book a few weeks in advance as they fill up rapidly especially for Saturday morning appointments.

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.

Beauty Bargain/multi locations

Every Fall and Spring there is a spa week promotion offering beauty treatment basics such as facials and massages as well as scrubs and microdermabrasion etc. All of these treatments are offered at $50 bucks. There is a long list of spas participating and some are pretty posh such as the Great Jones Spa, Essential Therapy and The Red Door Salon. I have been to all three and recommend Essential Therapy for it's Moroccan themed treatment rooms and small but powerful Jacuzzi, hot sauna and steam room. Other states participate in spa week and it is a fun and reasonable way to try a spa and treatment. Spring Spa week is April 14- April 26. You can check out participating salons at www.Spaweek.org.

San Loco

At this chain of cheap Mexican joints the food is served fast and made to order. The vibe is collegiate hangout though the restaurant reflects it's Mexican roots with blue tiles and wood tables. Since 1986 San Loco dishes quality food at muy barrato prices. Using all fresh ingredients even with their guacamole which at $.80 as an add on that is pretty darn cheap. So the food does not taste processed here like it does at other bigger chains.
Quesadillas, enchilladas, and burritos top out at $7 with meat or less with veggies or just rice and beans. My queso loco with rice and beans which was a warm flour tortilla with melted cheese wrapped around a hard shell taco with the add on of guacamole was a cheap dinner of under $5.00. This place stays around and busy because plain and simple the food is good and cheap.