Brooklyn Passeggiatta

Brooklyn Passeggiatta

Brooklyn. Whether you love it or love to hate it, it is the holy grail for explorers of the edible. Throughout the borough, ethnic enclaves serve up regional fare: Russians in Brighton Beach, Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, and Italians in Carroll Gardens. Let's focus on the latter, a neighborhood I once called home. In Carroll Gardens, the streets are peppered with old-school Italian joints, pastry shops, and seasoned butchers, whose friendly paesanos affectionately call you "sweetie" without any hint of sexism. While authenticity & flavor abound, you also get big portions, affordable prices, and the simple joy of knowing that your dollar is helping a local business.

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Fort Delicious

Fort Delicious

Fort Defiance Red Hook

I have fallen hard for Fort Defiance. Like all good love stories, it began with a crush; in this case, it was on the affable owner , St. John Frizell, who was holding court behind the bar my first night there. Sporting a traditional English, chalk-stripe apron, he crafted liquorous concoctions with the precision of a scientist, but without the brazen showmanship of Tom Cruise. This wasn’t your typical, carnal crush; while St. John is a handsome fellow, my affection stemmed more from what he had created. After hearing his tale of How Fort Defiance Was Made, I realized he was living a dream uncannily similar to mine: running a cozy restaurant/bar/café/community hub while writing about food and travel (All that was missing was my fantasy's B&B upstairs).

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