i know. it’s not really necessary to showcase the wonderful bakery baked yet again, but i couldn’t help myself as this weekend k and i went on a red hook outing and of course had to see what they baked had on offer. and yes, i was very pleased they had these hostess imitation cupcakes i had tried a few weeks ago. i used to love those hostess cupcakes (and the snoballswere also a favorite, and the brighter the color the better) and would get them every chance i could but as i got older i just knew that i shouldn’t be eating that stuff at least that often because who knew what was in there.

but these cupcakes are much easier to justify. homemade with a little darker chocolate and the inside gooey filling, these baked hostess cupcakes are a little less sweet making them an easy buy for the three of us in the family who love chocolate and treats. baked, 359 van brunt street between wolcott and dikeman streets, brooklyn, new york, 718.222.0345.

so this new beer shop which opened in march is quite an extravagance. started by the guy who founded ravens brands, inc., brouwerij lane, with more than 150 bottles and ten beers on tap, focuses mostly on european beers with an apparent fondness for german beers (and why not). the shop is also the exclusive importer for the united states of a few different kinds including gosser, gaffel kölschand jever pilsner among others. brouwerij lane has a great selection of wheat beers (my favorite) including weihenstephaner, which is one of the oldest wheat beers, and a new one being produced by a belgian woman brewer (one of the few) called gruut. brouwerij lane offer tastings for $2 for a half pint, and when filling up a growler, the shop offers free tastes with that too.

brouwerij lane has been having some fun too. recently they had an opening party where they served two huge tubs of goulash prepared by thomas biesl as well as wursts and a selection of beers from around the world. coming up this saturday, may 2nd, brouwerij laneis having a may day celebration. with free german food and beer, they will be hosting some rather unusual entertainment including a petting zoo with club animals (not quite sure what that means) as well as having jessica delfino sing songs about beer. the beer focus will be on the family of bocks: hofbräu maibock, southampton may bock, einbecker mai-ur-bockamong others. with this range and quality at reasonable prices as well as super knowledgeable staff, this shop is worth a regular trek to greenpoint. brouwerij lane, 78 greenpoint avenue near franklin street, brooklyn, new york.

the dentist and donuts don’t always go together, but for me these amazing french style crullers from mitchel london foods were the perfect end to my enduring the oh so unpleasant dentist cleaning. so after every dental visit, i would head north to see if mitchel london had these incredibly delicious treats which seem to have just the right balance of doughniess and airness and are just right in the sweet department. and i’ll admit to being a little obsessed especially because there seems to be a a limited cruller baking schedule (they are rarely available in the early mornings, can run out in the afternoon, and they don’t make them when it is too warm) so i can never know for sure if i will get my treat. hopefully, this brief heat wave has not shut down the cruller schedule for the rest of spring.

i don’t remember ever eating french-style crullers before mitchel london, and since then i have been on the look out but so far not much luck in matching the quality of these. i have only ever seen crullers at dunkin donuts, and sorry but they just aren’t appetizing. and i just read about the donut pub at 14th street and 7th avenue that supposedly has fresh donuts all day long so i’ll have to check that out (and i’ll certainly report back if they exceed the mitchel london product).

mitchel london foods, which is owned by the mitchel london who also operates the fairway café and steakhouse (i’m not a big fan of that restaurant though maybe i should revisit), also offers some delicious prepared foods. i am partial to their very mayonnaisy tuna salad sandwiches served on a brioche bun as well as their fried chicken. service can be hit or miss, and often can be quite snippy (as are the customers) so i just focus on my prize, and hope that the cruller is waiting for me. mitchel london foods, 22 east 65th street between madison and 5th avenue, manhattan, new york, 212.737.2850.

though it’s only been open since 2000, silver moon bakery definitely feels like an institution and ask anyone who lives even vaguely nearby this is the place to go to get your bread fix. while i’ve never been that impressed with their sweets (though some people claim they’re great), i have loved silver moon’s boules, baguettes, ciabattas and challahs. what’s particularly appealing is the tremendous variety silver moon offers though they don’t always have this full selection so be ready to be flexible.

in wheat bread alone, they have whole wheat, rasin walnut, multi-grain, wheatberry, fig and pepper bread and health bread for the health nuts around. other breads include a lovely, airy yet chewy baguette, a sourdough rye, a 7 1/2 percent white bread (not sure exactly what that is but it tastes good) and what looks amazing an apricot-hazelnut parisienne. i also am super fond of their old fashioned super soft and hard to find dinner rolls — if allowed, i could probably live on those for ages stuffed with high-end butter, cheeses or even just peanut butter. silver moon can be packed so expect to come at odd hours, or wait in line (the service unfortunately is not always terribly friendly and can definitely feel rushed). silver moon bakery, 2740 broadway at 105th street, manhattan, new york, 212.866.4717.

although for those of us living in brooklyn and reading the occasional brooklyn related paper or blog, the brookyn flea is everywhere. i don’t think i have ever seen so much press on a market, let alone a flea market. it seems that if you ever need pr, the brownstoner guys know how to get that done. see here and here. and this flea market definitely gives flea markets a better name for themselves, and as i am not really a fan of a jumble of stuff i don’t often visit typical flea markets.

the brooklyn flea is a destination and i definitely try to go a few times a year if not more. the organizers behind the brooklyn flea makes an effort to showcase small, independent shops and designers of a variety of goods including stationery, fabrics, clothes (not too much in the nonvintage category), jewelry, furniture (i am a huge fan of greenjeans so i hope they’re back), and lots and lots of excellent food including whimsy & spice and yummy treats from the red hook ball fields and many others. the brooklyn flea was especially great last winter for christmas shopping. i got a whopping two hours out of the house, and i made out like a bandit with many prezzies in hand — definitely a score. the outdoor brooklyn flea went into hibernation this winter (they did have an indoor dumbo flea market focused more on antiques which i did not visit) but i am excited that they will be back in action this coming sunday. the brooklyn flea, located in the yard of bishop laughlin memorial high school on lafayette avenue between clermont and vanderbilt avenues, brooklyn, new york.

mini guide new york: fort greene: since the brooklyn flea is located in fort greene which is not exactly easily gotten to via public transportation from park slope, we have gotten into the habit of making it into a family outing as we try to explore more of the neighborhood. like prospect heights, i don’t think fort greene really has any destination restaurants but there are some decent ones (we have only checked out a few, and i have left off the list the few that have been hyped up recently but are not worth visiting), and there are definitely some cute shops nearby if the brooklyn flea is not enough.

food:

general greene: a locavore’s dream, we have been happy mostly with our food here, and when it’s warm outside and we can sit out on their terraces a good time has been had by all. 229 dekalb avenue between adelphi street and clermont avenue, 718.222.1510.

ici: this spot has been around for a while, and has gotten good reviews. i would like to eat there just to see and hopefully it will live up to its solid reputation. 246 dekalb at vanderbilt avenue, 781.789.2778.

the smoke joint: whenever we go by, this place looks like it’s hopping. while it may not be the best barbecue in the city, there isn’t that much choice in brooklyn so it’s probably good if you have that hankering. 87 south elliott place at lafayette avenue, 718.797.1011.

shops/to do:

stuart and wright: run by two former alumns of steven alan, the store focuses on clothes for men and women from independent, crafty and detailed designers. i keep reading about this shop and definitely need to make my way for a visit to see if all the good things are true. 85 lafayette avenue at near south portland avenue, brooklyn, new york, 718.797.0011.

thistle & clover: with a fantastic selection of up-and-coming designers, the women’s clothes shown here are extremely appealing and the store is worth a visit every season. for more info see this post. 221 dekalb avenue at clermont avenue, brooklyn, new york, 718.857.5577.

root, stock & quade: this lovely plant and flower shop used to live in park slope and moved to clinton hill last fall. a huge loss for us but we still occassionally get a beautifully designed arrangement from them just for fun. 471 myrtle avenue at washington avenue, brooklyn, new york, 718.230.8081.

bespoke bicycles: looks like this cute bike shop just opened last weekend and will be the first for fort greene. they plan to offer a range of raleigh bikes and repair services, and as soon they get settled in they’ll be building custom bikes as well. 66 lafayette avenue at south elliott, brooklyn, new york. 718.643.6816

i have an enormous sweet tooth. i don’t know where i got it, but i definitely know that i have unfortunately passed down this trait to at least one child so we’ll she if she is as crazy as i am. as a result, i am constantly on the search for the best brownie, the best cupcake, the best ice cream — whatever — and i will hunt for that item as long as i need to and the more difficult to find the more obsessed i become. take for example, my obsession with rocky road ice cream from edy’s. granted, this ice cream really is nothing special and if we lived in ohio i am sure that i would be all over it by now because i could get it every single day. but for whatever reason, new york supermarkets do not carry it on a consistent basis and i have even gone so far as to email edy’s to understand why and of course got a completely nonresponsive answer. to solve my problem, i convinced j. that we really needed a second freezer in our tiny apartment so that we could store extra tubs of this stuff when we found it. j reluctantly agreed so now this baby freezer lives in our bedroom along with the garage of tricycles, scooters, and bikes from the kids. very romantic i know.

and yes these easter bunnies are a bit out of date but they were so cute and devilish i couldn't resist

now, getting to the point of this post is that i have found my favorite bakery in all of brooklyn and maybe all of new york at least for the basics like cookies and cupcakes. baked, located in red hook which is also one of my favorite neighborhoods, has extremely delicious goodies. while i used to adore the cupcakes at magnolia bakery many moons ago pre sex and the city madness, i have somehow outgrown that sweetness (and way less than pleasant service), and now appreciate slightly more interesting flavors like baked’s sweet and salty version that combines dark chocolate with a salty caramel frosted with a caramel chocolate ganache and sprinkled with fleur de sel. i also like their malted cupcake with a white cake flavored with malt and then covered with a malted chocolate ganache and topped with a malt ball. they have a bunch of other nonchocolate flavors too like caramel apple, citrus coconut and hazelnut kiss. we have had their cakes and cupcakes at both kids birthday parties where they are always a hit with parents and kids.

baked also has great brownies. unsurprisingly, i am quite addicted to the sweet and salty dark chocolate version and these i can get fairly easily in other parts of brooklyn including grab and blue apron so i’m all set there. they have lots of other treats including grasshopper bars, and lately they have been making these “baked” cupcakes which look like the packaged version of the hostess cupcakes but they say baked in cursive on top and have lovely fillings inside in different colors like pink and a special green on st. patricks day. these have become my latest obsession and of course they don’t have them every day keeping them just out of my reach to be sure they are on my must have list. i have already had two of these in the past few weeks (and i do not live anywhere near red hook) so needless to say i will be back for more of those. if you don’t live nearby, they have recently published a cookbook that looks delectable so i may have to try that out. now my only wish is that they would upgrade their coffee machine. baked, 359 van brunt street between wolcott and dikeman streets, brooklyn, new york, 718.222.0345.

well, tabla’s bread bar has been around for more than ten years, and so it’s probably not the place to take your celebrity friends, but it has continued to be a really excellent place for delicious and interesting indian food in a great setting. now it’s not the indian food of 6th street either, but something a bit in between, and some even describe it as indian fusion. since i’ve never been to india, though it is very very high on my list of places to visit, i cannot really say for sure, but i can say the food is almost always delicious. the space is also great, sitting right across from the amazing madison square park, and in the warmer months — coming soon it seems — they have outdoor seating, and the service is usually solid too being it’s a danny meyer restaurant and all. the inside space has a soaring ceiling with beautiful tiled mosaics throughout, a great vibe and excellent cocktails like the tamarind margarita.

some of the menu items have stayed the same all these years including the fabulous cheese naan (a huge favorite of j’s) which we often get with a tomato kalonji chutney, as well as the saag paneer pizza. (both of which are pictured above) and the chicken tikka. i am also partial to the bombay bhel phuri, which they don’t seem to have on the menu right now, and the bengali chani chat. since most of the items are small and for sharing, it’s a great place to try out a bunch of different things like the tandoori black pepper shrimp, goan pork sausage and the kichidi and tuscan kale. tabla bread baris more expensive than the usual local take out indian though lunch is more of a bargain. they are offering a 3-course prix fixe lunch for $29, and dinner is definitely pricier but in my opinion once in a while well worth it. tabla’s bread bar: 11 madison avenue at 25th street, manhattan, new york, 212.889.0667.

so no suprise, as a pretty diehard pizza fan, a friend and i decided that we needed to try out motorino out in williamsburg especially since it has been getting all sorts of rave reviews lately including an endorsement by mario batali on a tour conducted by grub street as one of the best of the new pizzerias in town. early reviews from pizza fanatics also loved the place. there also seems to be quite a bit of debate as to whether — of the newest pizza joints — if co. is better or not, and as i’ve not yet been to co. (though j. has and loved it) so i’ll have to reserve judgment.

and while i don’t think that motorino is better than franny’s which is my current favorite, this neapolitan style pizza was very good. i was especially impressed by the base tomato sauce that was so fresh and tangy and i could have just eaten that by itself. the crust was definitely poofy (or is it poufy) and certainly fresh from that big wood burning oven at the center of motorino’s. i had the mildly spicy pizza soppressata picante with tomato, fior di latte, spicy soppressata, garlic and chili oil, and my friend opted for the brunch special which they called pizza al uovo with fior di latte, three farm eggs, pancetta, basil and parmiggiano which was also tasty but not quite pizza. the specials looked very yummy including one with artichokes and another with brussel sprouts. on another visit i would definitely like to try out some of the sides they offer at dinner such as the sugarsnap peas with garlic pecorino and toasted almonds. the meal was also incredibly affordable with the brunch pizza clocking in at $10 with a drink, and my pizza was $12 so it’s definitely hard to complain. if we ever end up in this underserved area of williamsburg again or have a pizza craving, motorino is a good deal. motorino, 319 graham avenue at devoe street, brooklyn, new york, 718.599.8899.

sometimes it’s really nice not to feel like you’re in new york but that somehow you have escaped to another world like a viennese cafe for example. café sabarsky is that place for us. located on the first floor of the exquisite neue galerie (featuring only german and austrian art so it’s not for everyone), which had been a carrère & hastings designed mansion that was lovingly restored by ronald lauer to great effect and with a lot of resources.

j. spent seven years living in germany so he has a great affinity for all things german but he really mostly misses some of the food (yes that is hard to believe, but now that i have been there a few times, the germans really know how to put together an excellent breakfast spread). one of his all time treats is apple strudel, and we have tried every single strudel place in this city and café sabarsky continues to top the list. and since the owner of café sabarsky kurt gutenbrunner also owns blaue gans we sometimes go there instead for his fix. the strudel is perfectly light and not too sweet and importantly the fruit-pastry ratio is just right. café sabarsky also serves their coffee (cannot say it matches in quality to the pastries) in that classic viennese style with the little side glass of water that i find so cute. they have a selection of other beautiful pastries that we have never tried and also serve a mean bratwurst. the room itself is beautiful and relaxing, and especially nice in the morning for breakfast before a met outing or in the afternoon after some heavy duty shopping. keep in mind that while all children are allowed in café sabarsky, the neue galerie only allows children ages 12 and older. café sabarsky, 1048 fifth avenue at 86th street, new york, new york, 212.628.6200.

i have been coming to the city bakery ever since i moved to new york when they had this teeny tiny depressing little spot on 17th street that was always chock full of people and incredible treats. they have since moved to 18th street into a much bigger and more pleasant space but with all the same great food and more. and even though it was a little crazy, since i didn’t live anywhere nearby, back in 2001 i moved my office further downtown. i did not do this because i realized how close we would be to the wonderful madison square park (though i later totally appreciated the side perk of those early no-line shake shack days), but mostly so i could hop on down to the city bakery whenever i was in the mood, which of course was all the time. my favorite treats include their dense peanut butter mound cookies and the small flaky sugar cookies, and every now and then i would indulge in their now famous pretzel croissant. in the summer time, i am especially fond of their really tangy, gazpacho (i cannot get enough of those cornbread croutons), and all the great offerings in their appealing salad bar made with goodies from the union square greenmarket.

recently i visited the city bakery’s sister sustainable project, the birdbath neighborhood green bakery in the west village (there is also one in the east village), where they try to be as green as one can possibly be. while birdbath had some of the core treats i come to look for at city bakery, the selection was limited and probably appeals more to vegans than the rest of us. a few years ago, the city bakery also opened up a shop in los angeles which i have yet to try but i am sure would be a destination when we head west next which hopefully will be soon. the city bakery, 3 west 18th street between 5th and 6th avenues, manhattan, 212.366.1414. birdbath neighborhood green bakery, 7th avenue south at charles street and 223 first avenue near 14th street, manhattan.