Fun in Park Slope

[mik3cap]

"Oh look, a black squirrel."

"I've never seen one of those before! Holy crap!"

"Me neither. Oh look, it's going into the hair salon."

"Wow, he's just walking around in there."

[insert the screaming of a bunch of women, followed by chasing with a broom, and a squirrel plastered up against a glass window trying desperately to get outside]

Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn is a lot of fun, and not just because of squirrel terrorism. There's a bunch of adorable little cafes, bars, and restaurants of all stripes - including The Chocolate Room which I believe may be the best retail chocolate store in the city (I'm not counting boutique chocolatiers who sell their own chocolates). It's the first place I've found that actually sells Domori chocolate bars (sophisticated Italian chocolate from Venezuelan cacao) and also has the full line of Vintage Plantation chocolate bars from Ecuador and I believe elsewhere (not even Murray's or other gourmet stores I've shopped at carry all of these). Additional, TCR is staffed by an amazing pastry chef; kitteridge and I devoured a dark and dense chocolate cupcake that was impossibly moist and slathered with a pudding consistency ganache, and were entranced by the selection of other cookies and confections available.

Most of the cafes and restaurants there seem to be burgeoning businesses, and have extremely thrifty prices for the quality of food served. Luscious was a small take-out joint which looked as though it was just starting out; a comfort food establishment, where you can purchase meatloaf, stuffed chicken breasts, and a variety of sides like mac n cheese, corn spoonbread, tabouli, broccoli and such. I had a tasty cuban mojo with ham and pork on a ciabatta, and loved it dearly.

There's a street fair happening there on Sunday, May 20th, and I plan on attending...

Comments

[sateenduraluxe.livejournal.com]

[mikecap.livejournal.com]

That is essentially exactly the place where the squirrel ran into. Hilarity ensued as the woman under the robo-hair-drying-cone screamed "WAAAAAHH!!" and jumped up out of her seat.

[pacingincircles.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, I'll be in Brooklyn at the end of July to see Sonic Youth play in an old swimming pool at some park or other, with my friend Ken. The 28th. Will you be about?

[mikecap.livejournal.com]

Indeed I will! Let us have many drinks and free pizzas at the Alligator Lounge! You are undoubtedly talking about the McCarren Park swimming pool concerts which are literally a five minute walk from my domicile.

[nimoz.livejournal.com]

i've only ever seen black squirrels in new york, especially the bronx, and i always thought they were mutants formed from polution. some of them look so sickly. :( but that must have been so funny to see!

[kitteridge.livejournal.com]

"There's a street fair happening there on Sunday, May 20th, and I plan on attending..."

I forgot to tell you about this, too:

http://www.tasteoftribeca.org/

It's a fair-tastic weekend!

[mikecap.livejournal.com]

Actually now that I check my calendar again - I don't think I can really make either fair, as I'm driving up to Cambridge for something happening the evening of the 19th. Gah! I have to better about keeping up with my schedule...

[doompuppy.livejournal.com]

trust me... these things are ALL OVER Westfield... they're more common than non-black squirrels... the neat bit... you can dive 15 minutes and get out of the black squirrel radius... really weird