July 14th, 2010
by jenny
This story originally appeared on Grub Street.
French bakery Beny’s Delice opened July 9 in Clinton Hill, joining restaurant Autour de Monde and wine shop Olivino on the increasingly Euro blocks of Fulton Street near Clinton Avenue. Owner David Benizeri was a caterer in New York and the south of France, and did a stint in the kitchen at Ten Bells before deciding it was time “to have a window on the street.” The former barbershop has a dark counter made of reclaimed wood, a shiny black tin ceiling, and four high stools for those who wish to dine in. The bakery is open daily between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Benizeri’s savory offerings reflect a Mediterranean influence. There’s pan bagna, bread filled with a mix of tuna, olives, cucumbers, boiled egg, radish, and other veggies (“like a Nicoise salad but without the potatoes,” he says); a selection of salads, classic jambeur (ham, cornichons, and butter on baguette); and a rotating selection of friands filled with things like spiced ground beef or pear and goat cheese. Tarik Slamani, Benizeri’s former catering collaborator, oversees the sweet side of the operation with a “very, very, traditional French” pastry case. Look for berry tartlettes, puffy religieuses filled with chocolate pastry cream, and a selection of madeleines and other small cookies packed to travel in tiny cellophane bags. Coffee is La Colombe and the bread comes from Pain d’Avignon.
Beny’s Delice, 903 Fulton St., nr. Clinton Ave., Clinton Hill; 646-704-1315.
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May 6th, 2010
by jenny
This story originally appeared on Metromix.com
More than 300 revelers stormed The Bell House on Cinco de Mayo for the second-annual Guactacular. Clutching cans of free beer, would-be chip-dippers waited in lines that snaked around, and then around again, to sample 20 guacamoles competing for avocado accolades. Even co-founder Lee Frank, of NachosNY, a nacho reviews Web site, admitted things were un poco off-the-hook. “It’s a little bit crazy, but that’s to be expected,” he conceded. When Alex Meixner got onstage with his accordion and proceeded to churn out out Tejano sounds, things only got wilder.
The guac monikers turned out to be as fun as the flavors, which ranged from a BLT mash-up to a mango dip with some bite. We were tempted to vote for Tu-Guac Shakur or @Awesomeguac (which has its own Twitter account) just for the names, and literary dips like a Guac to Remember and the Hunt for Red Guactober also tickled our punny bones. Speaking of Twitter, a large screen scrolled tweets with the #Guactacular hashtag, including a plea from cupcake peddler Allison Robicelli, who’d been stuck in the lobby pushing her $3 cakes, to pretty please bring her a plate of the green stuff.
Ultimately, Peter Borenstein’s Tu-Guac Shakur (can we pick ‘em?), Chris Willets’ (of Skint fame) Johnny 5, and Marcia Bunda‘s Cumin at Ya took home top honors. Afterward, partygoers filed into the front bar for free tequila shots. It was quite a night…and let’s just say we have no desire to encounter another avocado any time soon. …
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Photos by Sam Horine.
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April 19th, 2010
by jenny
This story originally appeared on Grub Street.
A new location of crêperie Le Gamin debuted for a “super soft opening” Saturday, according to a hand-lettered sign in the window. The dining room was ready, but not the kitchen. “We brought our food truck,” explained owner Cathy Palm. That’s just a temporary fix: The kitchen will be functional by Wednesday. The “full bistro menu,” with items like steak-frites and moules-frites, differs slightly from Le Gamin’s Prospect Heights location. Palm is pursuing a full liquor license, but it’s BYOB in the meantime. An employee and several former customers from Prospect Heights encouraged Palm to open in Greenpoint. “I guess there are a lot of bars but not that many eateries,” she said. “Greenpoint is really cool, and every cool neighborhood has nice cafés.”
Le Gamin, 108 Franklin St., nr. Noble St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
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