cherrypatter nyc

 maybe not the most exciting store to write about, but larry & jeff’s bicycles nyc isn’t really about excitement.   it is about getting the basics.  they provide really excellent service if you need help with your bike.  since we have been in brooklyn for the past five years, we have yet to find a great shop nearby that will help get our bikes in order, answer our many questions especially when neither of us had ridden our bikes for a long long while.   the ones nearby have tended to be filled with surly, unresponsive staff and not such a great stock of goods either.  fortunately, it seems that two new bike shops have opened up in the borough (both bespokes bicycles in fort greene and the just opened brooklyn bicycles located at the intersection of 9th street and 6th avenue in park slope) and hopefully plan to fill the major bike service void out in south brooklyn though i went by bespokes bicycles yesterday and noticed they are only open till 6 – that’s not a promising sign. 

at larry & jeff’s bicycles nyc, the staff have always been friendly and helpful, and most importantly reliable.  so even now, even though we live a borough and a half away we still sometimes make the trek to get crucially needed equipment or a tune-up.    larr& jeff’s bicycles nyc also seems to have a strong basic stock of high quality bikes including canondales, giant and specialized as well as the cute folding dahon bicycles as well as an extensive range of accessories for the beginning cyclist to the avid triathloner and those pesky kids.    now that our bikes desperately need a tune-up after living on our tiny terrace  (it seems this lovely terrace was in fact only made for bike storage since it is not large enough to do anything else on it), it may be worth the trip to the upper east side for a reliable and reasonable check up.   larry & jeff’s bicycles nyc, 1400 3rd avenue between 79th and 80th streets, manhattan, new york, .

so i will admit that i am not completely up to date on the gelato scene which situation needs to be corrected as it is getting a wee bit warmer. i have not yet tried l’arte del gelato that many seem to swoon over these days and  i need to track down the van leeuwen ice cream truck  (it seems to hang out in the village and soho) as well as this odd tanning/gelato spot oro verde gelati  in bay ridge that ed levine wrote about.  i have tried grom but didn’t really love it, and is fine on occasion.  and while i do frequent shake shack quite often, i think of their soft serve ice cream as in an entirely different category, and the same is true with momofuku bakery & milk bar which also has soft serve ice creams (which i still do need to try).  some restaurants also have great gelato — otto is one of those with their olive oil gelato  and i probably need to try the gelato at convivio — but having a cone on the street versus sitting down is my favorite way to eat ice cream. 

despite the numerous gelato options these days and pending my review of some of the new spots, for now, i am still quite enamored with il laboratorio del gelato which continues to have extremely rich and flavorful ice creams. 

since opening in 2002, we have been trekking down to the lower east side to see what flavors treats were in stock.  and as il laboratorio del gelato takes the laboratory in their name seriously, they are always testing out new flavors or rotating through what is in season.  some of my favorites include the creme fraiche, black sesame and the milk chocolate (which may seem boring but believe me it’s not).  as j is a fruit lover, he adores the blood orange, the watermelon and the grapefruit campari.  and the list of flavors we need to try is endless — black fig, red plum, wasabi, avocado, ricotta, etc…  and while we can get some of il laboratorio’s gelato from local high-end markets, i much prefer an in person visit.   il laboratorio del gelato, 95 orchard street between broome and delancey streets, manhattan, new york, .

la superior was really a  treat that will keep on giving.  i am so glad i finally went to this mexican street food spot after reading all the hype here and here and here since it opened last fall.  the restaurant itself is nothing to look at it, and from what i’ve the service and attitude could use some improving  (it was perfectly fine when i was there) but for me this place is all about the food.  i cannot wait to go back to try everything on their menu (well almost everything as one of the guys there asked me if i were an omnivore and while i do like my meats i am not the most adventuresome in that department — but if you are and like tongue or pig’s feet, apparently there are some delicious items awaiting you).

on my first visit to la superior i just had a couple things and it was all  great.   the tacos i sampled included the camarón al chipotle (sauteed shrimp with chipotle sauce) which was nice and spicy and the carne asada.  i mostly obsessed over the  gordita (pictured above), filled with ricotta cheese and mixed with cilantro andsurrounded by fried cornmeal.  it was so fresh and light that it was hard to think of it as fried.  i also had the refreshing watermelon agua fresca though it would have been really nice to have a beer (sadly they still don’t have a liquor license).   

when i return, with an entourage next time, i plan to try their jalapenos rellenos (my neighbors were loving that), checking out the many other kinds of tacos (cohinita pibil — slow cooked pork in banana leaves), the torta ahogada (apparently a classic guadalajaran disk with pork confit and sourdough bread) and the super cheesy alambre de res (grilled skirt steak with peppers, bacon and lots of chihuahua cheese).   so much food, so little time.  la superior, 295 berry street at s 2nd street, brooklyn, new york, .

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 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 snoballs were 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, . 

at the point just before carroll gardens turns into an industrial wasteland, the southern edge of court street has become a surprising destination with a few solid food options as well as some great shops lining the end of the street right before the charming entrance to the brooklyn queens expressway.  my guess is that frankies 457 started it all when they opened up in 2004.  this spring the same owners opened prime meats a block further south on court (we have been dying to go but it has not yet happened), and just this past winter buttermilk channel opened with great fanfare, lots of positive press and lots and lots of admirers (while i don’t think it’s great it is definitely a lovely space and has some yummy items). 

and for those of us who like to shop, and who might have to wait for a table at one of these hotspots, fortunately there are some fine choices.  ruby moriarty is one of these.  just down the street from these three food stops, ruby moriarty is the vision of and is run by by jessica dineen, a woman who loves to travel and used to do (and maybe still does) quite a bit of travel writing and her love for other places shines through.  the shop is filled with her obsessions including lots of very hard to find but very much coveted japanese items.  as i am a lover of kitsch on occasion (i have in the not so distant past owned an anya hindmarch donkey bag), so it is not so odd for me to be obsessing over the vinyl bags by minmie (shown above) which are hard to find in the u.s.   some of these are really great with detailed cartoons of eggs or shrimp along with an accompanying recipe – everything a girl needs when she goes about town.  ruby moriarty also carries the more accessible tenshi neko bags with drawings of devils and angels on them and pocky bags as well. 

and i will definitely have to visit soon to check out the jessica’s handmade dresses and skirts and soon to come handpainted t-shirts.   when i visited a few weeks ago, ruby moriarty had a  super cute red cotton shift on display with an empire waist, and more recently there are halter neck sundresses designed in a 1920s style that i really must come see. what is great is that jessica makes only a few of each style so that they truly remain one-of-a-kind items.  

ruby moriarty also carries some great looking japanese pajamas for children by glory and doraemon.  and there are lots of toys and treats too.  fake mini cakes from thailand, snacks including the chocolate lollipops above by fujia, all sorts of pocky sticks as well as crackers that look like mushrooms with a chocolate top. k and s would love those  — looks like a vegetable but really dessert.  i might have to just go stand in line at butterfield channel for an excuse to visit.  ruby moriarty, 516 court street between nelson and huntington streets, brooklyn, new york, .

while streb is officially a dance troupe, their work seems to focus on what some call “aggressive physicality” where the dancers — or maybe really they should be called acrobats — take on a lot of risks to perform actions that maybe the normal human just wouldn’t tackle.   although i have not yet seen them (they are on my list), based on the reviews i’ve read, the choreographer behind streb, elizabeth streb focuses on pushing everyone beyond their limits in a way that can be discomfiting for the audience but is also inspiring.  their most recent show, catapult, which is  being performed at a large space in williamsburg referred to as the “slab” or the streb lab for action mechanics (slab), has plenty of these incredible feats as part of the action. 

this latest performance is definitely kid friendly, and i am guessing that  k would be fascinated to see the group try to defy gravity by seeming to use a vertical wall as a horizontal dance floor and see dancers try to stay on a 20 foot circle platform spinning vigorously (k will probably want to try it herself — the scarier the better).   and while certainly the kids will love it,  i’m thinking the adults won’t be too unhappy either and it’s always great to have an excuse to hang out in williamsburg.   streb at slam catapult, 51 n. 1st street between wythe and kent avenues, brooklyn, new york,  .  through may 17, 2009.   

mini guide new york: williamsburg:  there are so many places to eat great food and shop affordably for great stuff that my only trouble is narrowing down the list.  so my goal here is just to provide some options super close to streb so that you don’t have to trek too far out of your way.  williamsburg is defined fairly broadly sometimes so this area is what i believe the natives call south williamsburg.  

food:

la superior: i finally made it to this amazing mexican street food spot.  not much to look at and lacking some of the usual amenities (all cash, no alchohol) the food was outstanding. i’ll be posting about it next week.  295 berry street near s. 2nd street, brooklyn, new york, .

fette sau: i have been wanting and wanting to try out this and this weekend we might get lucky.  supposed to have excellent barbecue in an industrial setting. 354 metropolitan avenue at havemeyer street, brooklyn, new york, .

dressler: for something a bit fancier, this spot which is a few years old is supposed to have excellent contemporary american food.  some suggest it might be a little boring and maybe even have passed its heyday but it’s still on my list to check out. 149 broadway between bedford and driggs avenues, brooklyn, new york, .

marlow & sons: another beloved spot that has been around for a few years, marlow & sons operates as a cafe with pastries and coffee during the day and a casual meditteranean restaurant serving oysters and other basics at night.  i have also not yet been here and also have not visited its sister butcher shop located nearby marlow & daughters but they seem worth a visit.  81 broadway near berry street, brooklyn, new york, .

shops:

streb seems to be located right near some of the best shopping (especially furniture, home design and women’s clothes) clusters along n. 6th street from kent avenue towards havemeyer, and along bedford avenue.  some shops i wouldn’t miss include the following:

the future perfect: this shop has become ground zero for some for cutting edge modern design, and although most of their items are expensive they always seem to have a few affordable entertaining gifts.  115 n. 6th street near berry street, brooklyn, new york, .

a & g merch:  another more accessible furniture store for urbanites with usually something irrestible like an owl umbrella stand, a to don’t pad and a westernwear cowboy pitcher.   111 n. 6th street, between berry street and wythe avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

jumelle, a relatively expensive women’s clothing store with well known (a.p.c., phillip lim and  a detacher) as well as smaller designers with stylish bags by the likes of tilamarch and alexander wang. 148 bedford avenue between n. 8th and n. 9th streets, brooklyn, new york, .

the shoe market, i keep seeing this place mentioned, though some say it is too pricey, i’m always curious to check out more independent shoe shops with interesting collections.  160 n. 6th street at bedford avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

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 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, .

earlier this year, on a side street quite close to one of the best blocks on park slope’s 5th avenue, a little home design shop opened up.  and while 5th avenue does have a lot of great shops – other than matter which is a bit high end and esoteric – there are no real home stores of any merit.  so i was happy to see the arrival of  scandinavian grace, a small branch of a much larger shop (4,500 square feet) based in the catskills (must go visit that one) with another branch in williamsburg. 

while the space is tiny, scandinavian grace does have a bit of everything for the home especially related to the kitchen and dining room.   stocking only goods from denmark, sweden, finland, iceland and norway, the shop has a nice range of accessible, somewhat affordable and attractive items.  some of my favorites included danish pitchers by stelton pictured above, cute bicycle baskets by design house from stockholm which i have been coveting for a while, 50s retro towels by almedahls and dishware by a finnish company iittala also pictured above.  and while they of course carry the ubiquitous marimekko, the shop plans to show new collections of other designers on a regular basis.

scandinavian grace is also offering some tasty scandinavian treats.  when i visited, they had a tosca cake, a kind of pound cake with more butter and almonds and is also heavy on the eggs, and i especially liked the kladd cake, which was a super sticky chocolate cake.  scandinavian grace also serves coffee and other drinks, and when i walked by this past weekend it looks like they have also added some tables to make it a real leisurely shopping experience.  while not everything in the shop is unusual or even hard to find, at least for those of us in the slope it’s nice to have these scandinavian wares close by.  scandinavian grace, 167 n. 9th street at bedford avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

update: the park slope shop closed sometime this summer unfortunately for us.

one of my junior high school highlights was when my best friend and i dissected two cats and a frog, boiled them and then glued the bones back together in her garage — all in the interest of our science fair.  now granted, we were in utah, so not exactly westinghouse territory, but still i cannot remember exactly what scientific concept we were advancing though i do remember it was a lot of fun grossing out our friends with our bone stew project.  

and while my life now doesn’t include much from the scientific world,  i still retain enough of an interest to get excited by maxilla & mandible, the natural history and science emporium.     this little shop on the upper west side right next to the american museum of natural history is packed with ostrich eggs, fossils, tarantulas and butterflies.   started in 1983 as a mostly osteology shop (skulls from wildebeests, raccoons, beavers and monkeys), they have expanded into paleontology (shark and dinosaur teeth, trilobites, and fossil fish), entomology (spiders, scorpions and beetles among others), anatomy and astronomy (lots of detailed scientific posters of the heart, the periodic table of the earth and sky) and then just some fun like rubber snakes, weevil bracelets, insect rings and scorpion and beetle pendants.  what more could a girl ask for. 

in addition to the vaguely creepy, maxilla & mandible also offers  many beautiful things including shells, corals as well as some lovely rocks and minerals including turquoise chrysocolla stones from arizona, polished agate dyed purple and blue from brazil and some snowflake obsidian stones from utah.   they also sell replica skeletons of all sorts including dinosaurs and insects, and even frogs — i guess i should have held onto my junior high skeletons – maybe they were of more use than i realized.   maxilla & mandible, 451 columbus avenue between 81st and 82nd streets, manhattan, new york, .