99 cents Fresh Pizza

Under the bowels of Port Authority on Ninth Ave. is this busy pizza joint with occasional long lines that serves one of the cheapest slices in town. I have passed the spot many times, but finally got the courage to try the slice. This is super no-frills pizza with just a place to order and no place to sit for your buck. The slice was hot and fresh and tasted like a good slice of frozen pizza. I did not notice if they actually make the pizza on premises, but I was told later by a neighborhood resident that they actually do. The crust on the slice here was slightly crispy and the pizza itself was very bready with moderate sauce and (cheap) cheese. Garlic, salt, and pepper were the condiments available for this cheap, fresh slice.

Jimmy's Diner

On an unlikely spot on Union Ave. sits the newish diner owned by the now defunct Biscut/BBQ in Park Slope. I was never the biggest fan of the former place, but the new one has a whole new vibe and some very creative dishes on the menu. Green is the color dujour at Jimmy's with a ring of benches in the small space. The clientele represents the artys people who live and hang in the hood. The next table brought their own wine to spike up their o.j. and the next table discussed world travel. No baby prams visible here. The breakfast bowls are just $7 a pop and I opted for tater heaven which was deep fried tator tots topped with scrambled eggs, sauteed onions, avocado and Jack cheese. This dish was a greasy taste fest. Other options are clever named breakfast sandwiches like the champ with homemade sausages or the cowboy with eggs, Jack cheese and bbq sauce on a roll. Those start at $6, as well as some of the standard brunchy items starting at $7. The make your own shake was fun and I opted for banana, chocolate and caramel and mystery ice-cream. For $5, the shake was a fun flavor fest. The bathroom sports chalk to leave your mark on the wall in true Williamsburg fashion.

Bamiyan

Bamiyan is one of those special old-school restaurant that actually looks representative of the country's food they are preparing. Red velvet drapes on the windows of this corner spot as well as Afgan made rugs and tapestries adorn the walls of this charming eatery. A famous photograph of an Afgan girl with steely blue eyes matches the ceiling painted to look like a sky.
This charming eatery also boasts a few seats where you take your shoes off to dine really feels exotic. Afgan food is somewhat reminicent of Turkish yet different. The restaurant boast a $9.95 lunch special and a very diverse crowd comes to enjoy it. Lunch starts with a salad that looks like Afgan coleslaw, actually a mix of ice-berg, and cabbage with a tangy papkrika like dressing. The warm Afgan bread follows which is not as flavorfull as the Turkish though somewhat similar with tiny black seeds as well. My entree of boneless chicken breast with a saffron like seasoning was served over basmati rice with tiny raisins and and what appeared to be slivers of pickled carrots. I ordered a side of yogurt dressing to accompany the bread and balance the sweetness of the dish which was very tasty.

Mishima

Mishima is small Japanese restaurant on a lovely stretch of Lexington Ave in Murray Hill between 30th and 31st Street. It is now two floors and boasts some very fresh fish selections.
I have eaten here several times at lunch and was not ever dissappointed with the freshness of their sushi offerings and extra tasty miso soup. Lunch specials are pricier than others, starting at $11 for a 7 pieces but quality is better than most as well. The special starts with a small salad of iceberg lettuce with an especially tangy ginger dressing. The miso that follows is so homemade tasting and soothing. Next, was the fish which we both ordered a seafood donburi which was the chef's selection served chirashi style with rice which immediately was recognizable for it's freshness. The fish was served with ginger as well as pickled veggies and pickles and their fish was absolutely fresh and delicious. The service was also on point and friendly.

The Bagel Hole

This bagel store on a lonely south slope block on 7th. Ave is one of my favorite NYC bagel factories. I feel vindicated in saying this because the store had an honorable mention by Arthur Schwartz in his new book on Yiddish food. The store is a small narrow one with the usual spreads and add-ons, but here it is all about the bagel itself. I have eaten alot of Brooklyn bagels in my day and these bagels rank up there with the best bagels of my childhood. The owner is Italian and the bagels are hand rolled and smaller and crunchier than some other bogus bagels that are bigger, but lack flavor or bite. The egg bagel is especially flavorful and the plain bagel is just the perfect baked bite. If you get one hot with butter or cream cheese and coffee, you will go to Brooklyn bagel heaven. All the bagels here are great and run about .80 each.

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.