cherrypatter nyc

i know it may not seem like it, since i rarely talk about sushi here, but i absolutely love sushi, and if i had my druthers i might eat it 5 nights of the week — well maybe not that often as i wouldn’t want to turn into a thermometer or anything but you get the idea.  i don’t write about it often because first brooklyn really has lousy sushi options.  i mean i do order take out about once a week for lunch. it’s fine, it does the trick (and i don’t get sick) but nothing to get excited about. and though i do get sushi from blue ribbon every once in a while, it’s pricey and while high quality not exactly amazing.  and second, the spots i like, or think i would like, tend to be incredibly expensive and that’s a habit i have a hard time justifying.

back in the olden days, when we used to live on the far reaches of the upper east side (near york avenue and 79th), j. and i discovered what became our top spot for sushi.  located in a dull, nondescript space,  it took us a while to understand why there would be two hour waits for what appeared to be a very conventional sushi restaurant.  once we figured out that the omakase was the key, we finally found sushi heaven at sushi of gari (at least within the top reaches of our price range — i am sure if i could afford masa that would be my new sushi place).  as has been debated endlessly, sushi of gari is not conventional.   if you want that, new york has many high quality spots like sushi yasuda and jewel bako.

gari’s sushi involves pairing somewhat unusual ingredients, or at least unexpected ones.  j. and i have our favorite pieces at sushi of gari. mine include the tuna with tofu cream, the yellowtail with jalapeno, and seared toro with scallions.  i also happen to love the oyster rolls though i am usually so stuffed by the time i get to them i have to be rolled home.   j. is a huge fan of the chopped eel and avocado, and he also somehow weirdly loves the salmon which used to come with tomato and cream cheese (i always gave him mine, yuck).  on our latest visit, the salmon came with broiled tomato, still not a perfect match for me but clearly there is a demand out there in new york for that combo.

sushi of gari of course has other dishes.  we’ll get a few appetizers such as the shumai above, and they’re all fine.  but really, the absolutely only reason to eat here is for the omakase.  we’ve always done this at a table, though i’m sure it’s even better at the bar.   and definitely make a reservation.  in the last few years, we’ve only come at insanely early times (the-child friendly option) so i’m not sure how good sushi of gari is these days about honoring reservations (it used to be that even with one you might wait for an hour or so).   and we haven’t tried their other spots on the upper west side or midtown, though they sure look much more inviting design-wise.  one last note, in case you hadn’t figured it out, while it’s not masa, it’s still no bargain.    sushi of gari, 402 east 78th street between 1st and york avenues, ; 370 columbus avenue (between 77th and 78th streets), ; and 347 west 46th street (between 8th and 9th avenues), .  all in manhattan.

not much chinese food, even in new york, transports me back to my days in china just after graduating from college.  i lived in the northeast, teaching english (for which i had zero training) to a bunch of graduate students basically my age at the dalian university of technology.  i knew almost no chinese (unfortunately for me my way with languages is nonexistent), and half-way through the year decided to travel on my own for the new year’s break in january. after a 36-hour boat ride to shanghai, and some adventures in hangzhou, suzhou and even a surreal night’s stay in the dormitory of a women’s shoe factory, i was off to kunming  and dali in yunnan province for a week or so. 

the best part of these travels, other than some of the amazing people i met, and the fact that i could somehow “read” a map in chinese, was the food.  i had a lot of bad stuff, but i also had some incredible transporting dishes that i had never had anywhere,  yun nan flavour snack brings me back to all that.   this little hole in the wall out in sunset park has really the most amazing, delicious wontons.   served in a hot and sour soup, with a definite lingering taste of msg (and again, for me that is all nostalgia as most of the food i had when in china was laced with the stuff), these little babies are juicy, with freshly made dough and good pork, and the broth was spicy, tangy and  just intensely delicious.

i brought my then toddler son with me for my first visit to yun nan flavour snack, and the owners couldn’t have been more accommodating or kind with him. they got him some “unspicy” wonton soup which he devoured, and kept bringing him different chairs to make sure he didn’t topple over on their little metal stools.  i also tried the  yun nan’s noodle soup with pork sauce and cilantro which was very good but not worth my precious stomach storage (a single bowl of wontons is very very filling).  it is such a thrill that such an authentic spot, with such tasty and cheap (at $4.25 a bowl) is only a few miles away from our house.  hopefully all the great publicity yun nan flavour snack’s been getting lately won’t alter the experience one bit.  , 775a 49th street at 8th avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

this post is going to be short and sweet, as my lovely children are still on salt lake time which means that they are finally getting to sleep and it is nearly 11, and on top of that, i have to be up before 5 a.m. for work tomorrow (not a good combination).  so, all i can say is if the weather is rotten outside, get yourself to brooklyn bowl. we went as a family for the first time a few weeks ago (it’s only open on saturdays for kids) and it was really great.  a good 1 to 2 hour activity where everyone is busy.  big screen tvs with nature videos and cartoons, automatic bumpers for the kids (and i could have used them too), and just a great mellow atmosphere. also, everything seems super clean and stylish as an added bonus.  

and even if you don’t have kids it’s plenty of fun.  there’s of course blue ribbon food (lots of home cooking) and drinks galore.   they also have lots of music events which i cannot claim to know much about but for bowling, no matter how bad you are (yes, my 6-year old beat me) it is still quite a great way to while away some hours. of course, brooklyn bowl’s not the only spot in town, and here are some other spots, but this is the only one i can recommend for now.  for food and shopping nearby in heart of williamsburg, there are lots of option, but for my mini guide, i think you might have to wait till the weekend because i really need more than 5 hours of sleep!   brooklyn bowl, 61 wythe avenue between n. 11th and n. 12th streets, brooklyn, new york, .

i do love great well made leather goods, and if they’re from italy even better. for a while, i was crazy about furla and still have a wallet of theirs that i got in florence a ways back when buying in europe was affordable, and i really cannot believe it still looks good and works.   for purses, i moved on to a new york designer who i do love (especially when they have some of those nice sample sales), and have my eye on this tote as soon as a. cheng gets it back in stock. for accessories, though, i think i might have found a new favorite — il bisonte, at least for my ongoing need for a stylish and hardcore backpack. 

a 30-year old company, il bisonte produces its leather using cowhide in a factory in santa croce sull’arno, a small town near florence.   the leather gets more beautiful as it ages, and the colors and textures become more supple and subtle over time.  while not a small company, with stores around the world, the feel of il bisonte’s soho store is cozy and intimate, and the luxury goods, though pricey, feel like they could last forever, and more importantly you’d want them too.  those belts above are just gorgeous, and they had a number of great smaller items like luggage tags, fun clutches and fantastic wallets.

although i loved the colors, i was not as much a fan of the il bisonte classic purses. they felt a little bit too coach-like to me, though i’m sure il bisonte would say that coach took after them.  but the backpack definitely seems worth saving up for.  i use a backpack all the time for work and play.  it’s not the most stylish thing to do, but when i’m toting around tons of papers and my laptop constantly, i really cannot rely on a great looking shoulder bag no matter how much i want to look good.  so, maybe il bisonte will have a sale, or maybe by the time my current cute but not too sturdy nylon pack breaks down i’ll be able to afford the investment.  il bisonte, 120 sullivan street between prince and spring streets, manhattan, new york, .

i do like to have a well crafted bahn mi once and a while (but not too often), and the best spot in brooklyn for me — despite the proliferation of new spots these — is nicky’s vietnamese sandwiches.  they are always fresh here, super affordable, quick and delicious.   i was so happy that quynh dang, one of the co-owners of nicky’s agreed to tell us where she likes to shop and eat out when she’s mostly eating her shop’s amazing pho.  quynh lives in boerum hill and seems to hang out mostly in her neighborhood.   her dad, who had owned a small vietnamese sandwich in sunset park called an dong, inspired her to open up nicky’s a little more than five years ago and it’s been doing incredibly well ever since.  thanks so much quynh for sharing your favorite places. 

shops:

for house gifts?

crate & barrel:  vases or picture frames.  

stationery?

zoe papers.

flowers?

trader joe’s.

kids’ gifts?

toys r us.

click here for more: interview: quynh dang of nicky’s vietnamese

brooklyn mercantile has been on 5th avenue for a couple of years now, right across from j.j. byrne park and the great little farmer’s market on the weekends (which i am really missing now that it is the dead of winter).    i hadn’t stopped in much till recently, and then i really liked what i found.  lots of textiles, fabrics, and even some gifty things like cute aprons, archipelago soaps and vintage glasses.  

brooklyn mercantile’s focus seems to be on custom work  — both helping you get something made for you or helping you do it yourself.   they provide custom upholstery and can also help you select custom art or handmade furniture with some of the artists they work with directly like carlysle vicenti and barbara ensor.   on the fabric front, the selections are only getting better and better.   in addition to marcus brothers, thimbleberries and henry glass fabrics, brooklyn mercantile has just started carrying northcott monarch and riley blake designs, and they also have a select line of organic cottons.   

brooklyn mercantile has lots of classes too. though their schedule is not yet final for the winter and spring, some of the offerings this fall included a range of sewing classes (for kids starting at age 10 and up) and quilt making too.    if you’re into sewing and things, brooklyn mercantile also has squeezed in a new neighbor into its space.  stitch therapy, which used to be located on lincoln place, moved in about three months ago. stitch therapy sells lots of wools and also offers plenty of knitting and crochet classes.

now that brooklyn mercantile is a bit cozier, i am liking it even more. it’s been bustling with people on my last visits, and the owner has always been very attentive and helpful.  and while i thought the quote for getting some custom work done (at least for sewing) seemed pricey, i don’t think there are many places at least in park slope where you can get high quality custom work done so maybe it is a fair price.  so while i am no sewing expert, and i know there are other places in the borough to go for classes, fabric and things (many seem to love the brooklyn general store in cobble hill), i do think that brooklyn mercantile is serving a need and is just a good choice for the hood for classes, for fabrics, or just that last minute gift for the crafty person in your life.  brooklyn mercantile, 335 5th avenue between 3rd and 4th streets, brooklyn, new york, .

j and i have been going to café gitane for ages, maybe since it opened about 10 years ago or so.  the super euro “elite” nolita spot with french-moroccan food has become a bit overrun and maybe overused (at least based on i read), with lots of tourists, reflecting perhaps the general decline in appeal of that neighborhood (just way too popular for its own good).  the service has generally not been great for a few years with just too much attitude.  but j and i have a few huge favorites food items from café gitane so we have been loyal, and more recently we tried out their new digs at the jane hotel with friends and kids in tow.

first, the space is great. light and airy, and spacious (and if you’ve checked out their mulberry street location, you know how cramped that place is).  lots of seating, super friendly staff (j. was about 1/2 hour late and they still let us sit down and start drinking coffee).  and best of all, the menu still features our food favorites.   first, and foremost, café gitane is the only place to get the absolute best avocado on toast.  their version comes on thick multi-grain toast, with lemon juice, olive oil and chili flakes.  while we’ve had other renditions, nothing beats café gitane’s version — a little salt and heat mixed with the creaminess of the avocado makes it extremely satisfying. 

my other all time favorite food at café gitane is the couscous.  served in a heaping tower topped with the most luscious hummus and filled with bits of red peppers, egg plant, pine nuts and raisins, this stuff is glorious. i always get it with a side of merguez sausage.  and even though i’m usually stuffed after that toast (or even just half), i try to make my way through the couscous mountain – not such a good idea if you cannot take a nap.  j. has also enjoyed their baked eggs, but i haven’t had much else here so cannot recommend it (i might stay away from most sandwiches as they just don’t look that spectacular).  the coffee is fine (it does the trick) but the real reason to come here are for the couscous and toast, and that my friends, is reason enough.  café gitane, at the jane hotel,  113 jane street, . 242 mott street at prince street, .

happy 2010 everyone! i hope you all had a great holiday. ours was good and even semi-relaxing if that can ever be true with a newly minted 3-year old (with a new year’s eve birthday) and a 6-year old. we spent the week with my family in salt lake city with lots and lots of snow, some skiing at park city and brighton and tons of swimming at the mini hotel pool which might have been the highlight for the kids.    

it’s been a whole year since my very first post on cherrypatter. thanks so much to all of you for reading and being part of my blog life.  the blog has been the impetus for many family adventures (i always have an agenda on our weekends) and not even that much complaining from the hubby other than the fact that he doesn’t get to go to some of his favorite spots as often as he’d like (we did venture to prime meats for brunch just after christmas and that was a treat — more eggs, great service, and the most fantastic pretzels when they’re hot dipped in salted butter).  i have promised him we can go to again very very soon. 

so to kick off 2010, i think i might have to start a coffee tradition. my very first post last year was on southside coffee which is still one of my very all time faves for coffee in new york city.  this fall, we ventured out to long island city and with the help of a queens native i discovered sweetleaf cafe. such a great cozy spot located in a still quite industrial seeming neighborhood, sweetleaf was a great little find. the owner was super friendly and the stumptown coffee was good.  we had hoped to eat at nearby sage general store but for some random reason they were closed and we ended up at a very very busy but sadly very mediocre french spot.  so discovering sweetleaf afterwards was heaven.  sweetleaf cafe, 10-93 jackson avenue at the corner of 48th avenue, queens, new york, .

hi everyone! i decided to give myself an early xmas present and take off for a whopping two weeks as i try to get everything ready for the holiday (and finish up this massive way too academic project i have at work).  i have been doing lots of cooking, both for christmas dinner as well as for gifts (my favorite has been this incredible olive oil granola and some super spicy pecan nuts (i’ll post the recipe sometime) delivered in some cute ball jars from park delicatessen and brooklyn kitchen).  next week, we head off to salt lake for some family time and hopefully a little bit of skiing (we’ll see how the nearly 3-year old fares) and i will dream for a little relaxation (not likely). 

i hope you all have a super holiday, lots of enjoyable down time and of course good food.  i cannot really believe it is going to be 2010. that seems completely bizarre but i guess this is what happens. fortunately, s’s birthday is on new year’s eve so that will be our party focus out in utah.  see you in january with some great interviews and of course a bunch of excellent shops and restaurants — new york fortunately is full of those things.

i know, it’s hard to believe but christmas is only a week away. things are a little hectic in our house, but i want to make sure we have a little time to just enjoy ourselves (and not just with presents).  one of my really all-time favorite things to do in new york is to join the christmas carolers at washington square park.  held every year on christmas eve starting at 5 p.m., this is a very special occasion.   the group of people who gather is not too large, and many of the families come year after year.  a songbook is passed out (just in case you don’t know all those words), and the evening just leaves you with the best parts of the holiday season.  washington square park, meet at the tree at the foot of the arch at the end of 5th avenue, manhattan, new york.