New Year's Eve Prix Fixe

New Year's Eve gets very expensive in NYC. Everything has a cover, even the not-so-great bars, while the restaurants all have special menus that cost a lot.

We thought it might be nice to go with friends of ours to River Cafe for a low-key dinner. We were prepared for the $125 (still expensive, but worth it) prix fixe menu but when we called we were shocked to find out that the cost for New Year's was $450 per person, which includes a champagne and caviar cocktail hour. And can you believe it, it's completely booked as of this morning.

If you like seafood, one nice and well-priced option (in my opinion) is the Mermaid Inn. It's not in Brooklyn, but there is a location in the East Village and a new outpost on the Upper West Side. Here is a link to the menu. There are two seatings and the pricing is reflected ($50 & $70 menus).

Zagat offers a round-up of high-end prix fixe options, which does include the Mermaid Inn.

$7.8 M Penthouse Listing in Clocktower

Check out this Sotheby's listing for a $7.8 million penthouse in the Clock Tower (1 Main St.) building in DUMBO. Pretty nice!

Brooklyn-Made Food & Drink

A thread from Chowhound looks at food and drink native to Brooklyn. Here's the list that readers have come up with so far.

• McClure's pickles
• Junior's cheesecake
• Brooklyn Brewery beer
• Jacques Torres chocolates/hot chocolate mix
• Steve's Keylime Pies made in Red Hook
• Black Hound Cookies
• Six Point Beers/Ales from Red Hook
• Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup
• Baked brand cookies (my add)
  

Anything missing? What's your favorite?

Interview: Carla's Closets

Whether you've been blessed with a big closet or are like most New Yorker's and your apartment resembles a closet more than anything, stylist Carla Nemiroff of Carla's Closets can help you get organized and make life, well, easier.

In this Q&A, Carla offers some helpful tips and tricks as we head into colder weather and a natural time to purge old clothes and coats to donate them to charity.




What is Carla's Closets all about?
Carla’s Closets is all about making your life easy. I believe that women especially need to make a conscious effort to treat themselves with lots of love, and Carla’s Closets is all about making this happen in a very practical way. The interior and exterior of us are one in the same; if you take care of one, the other feels better. I don’t promote being high maintenance and superficial. I encourage others to keep it simple and practical with moments of pampering and indulgence to create those simple pleasures, like putting on something that makes you feel just that fantastic.

What is the number one mistake people make when organizing their closets?
I think the number one mistake people make when organizing their closets is that they aren’t realistic. Most of us wear maybe 50% of our wardrobes if we’re lucky. There are things in each of our closets that for a number of reasons, we never want to put on. You’ve got to ask yourself why you’re not putting something on, and then decide how to change that, or get rid of it; they’re just clothes at the end of the day.

What advice would you give people as we head into sweater season in terms of organization?
As we enter sweater season it’s really important to take an inventory of what you’ve got in the closet already. Sweaters are the bulkier things in our closets and there’s only so much room for them. Take a count of how many sweaters you’ve got, and then break them down into categories by color and type. This could mean you’ve got 10 black sweaters and one non-black, so guess what? Don’t buy any black sweaters this season! (And maybe think about getting rid of a few you haven’t worn the last few seasons) Or this could mean that you’ve got 6 cruddy “raking the leaves” sweaters, and only 2 nice ones that could pass for a night out to dinner. Be real with what you’ve got and what you really need most. Many of us hold onto cruddy things for too long, and before you know it, that’s all you’ve got going on in your closet. No wonder you feel like a schlep!

When is it time to purge old clothes?
I try to encourage all my clients to purge each spring and fall from their closets. You have to get rid of at least a few things each year to make room for the new things that you are most definitely going to buy, don’t kid yourself. Anything that looks worn or just isn’t doing it for you anymore, lose it.

In terms of your style, what designers or celebrity looks inspire you?
I love classic designs with a twist that are going to fit my body and last me style-wise for a long time to come. A few of my favorites are Theory, Nanette Lepore, Diane Von Furstenburg and Mackage for outerwear.

What are some of your favorite stores?
Department stores will always be my number one when shopping with clients for the simple fact that I can hit so many different departments in the least amount of time. A few affordable chain stores I love are Club Monaco for classic looks and Armani Exchange for funkier pieces.

How can people get in touch to schedule a consultation?
If a client wants to get in touch have a consult they can just email me through my Web site or give me a call directly! www.carlasclosets.com

Worst Brooklyn Bartenders

Gridskipper has posted its list of the worst bartenders in Brooklyn as part of what it's calling Mean Week.

DUMBO's Superfine made the list at No. 6. Here's what they had to say:

While many of the bartenders at Superfine are very nice not to mention super fine, there are a few that really go out of their way to not get you a drink. Often, beverage orders are accepted, then the bartenders… go and chat with their friends after belittling you for asking about the drink specials.

Monday Recipe: Holiday Biscotti

I have never made biscotti, but when I saw Giada make her recipe on TV it actually looks quite simple. Below is her recipe from Food Network. I plan to make up a batch this weekend and will let you know how they turn out.


Holiday Biscotti
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries
12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

DOH Shuts Down Bubby's Tribeca for Roaches

I've never been to the Tribeca location and haven't been to the DUMBO outpost in a while, but now I may rethink going back anytime soon.

From Eater.com:

Bubby's restaurant failed four inspections since June 2007. Inspectors observed evidence of vermin activity at each inspection, including rat activity during two of the inspections. The restaurant was closed following an inspection on 11/14/07. Violations at that time included food contaminated with over 200 live cockroaches in four areas, evidence of rat activity in two areas, fly infestation in four areas, food kept at unsafe temperatures, bare hand contact with ready to eat food and multiple conditions contributing to vermin infestation.

Red Hook: The Embers of Gentrification

A feature story in New York Magazine takes a second look at the state of Red Hook, which for about a year or so has been penned as the next area poised for gentrification thanks to new restaurants, shops and large brands like IKEA and Fairway. But the article offers a healthy dose of the harsh reality.

For the last two years, people in Red Hook have been waiting—some hopefully, some fearfully—for that wave to crash, the hordes to come, the towers to sprout. Weirdly, though, none of that has happened. In fact, for all the heraldic attention, the neighborhood now seems to be going in reverse. The Pioneer bar has shut down. So has the bistro 360 and, just recently, the live-music venue the Hook.

In the past year, there has been a lot of discussion in the media about Red Hook as a great area to make a real estate investment, with apartments like this one regular being profiled in the Saturday Times' "Habitats" and "Living In" sections.

But the NYMag article suggests something interesting:

What if gentrification isn’t self-sustaining after all? What if, in fact, it’s exactly the opposite: a self-extinguishing phenomenon? What if it’s less a flood than a forest fire—wild, yes, out of control, absolutely, but destined to consume itself by burning through the fuel it needs to survive?

Is all hope lost for Red Hook or perhaps did people just over set expectations too quickly? Personally, I think Red Hook has some hidden gems, lovely views and good investment areas. I agree with Ben Schneider of the Good Fork (love that place) who is quoted in the article as saying that Red Hook is "definitely not for everyone." It's hard to get to and has its pros and cons, just like every neighborhood.

Monday Recipe: Tuscan Onion Soup

This onion soup recipe can be made anytime but is suggested as a first course for Thanksgiving and comes courtesy of our family friend Pat (yields 4 servings).

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs. white onions, peeled, thinly sliced
• ¾ c dry white wine
• 1 tomato, seeded, diced (about ½ cup)
• 4 cups low salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped, (about ¼ cup)
• ½ tsp fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried
• 4 tsps. Finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add wine; simmer until wine evaporates, about 4 minutes. Add tomato and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer 1cup of chicken or vegetable broth and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add remaining 3 cups broth, chopped prosciutto, and thyme. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Friday Round-up: Links from the Blogosphere

• Downtown Brooklyn May Get Apple Store Over Williamsburg ... Brownstoner
• Sponsor the PS8 Read-a-Thon ... Brooklyn Heights Blog
• Pour a Local 1 Belgian Blonde Ale ... The Brew Basement
• Evening of Champions in Dumbo ... DumboNYC
• No Sign of Pulse for Red Hook's 360 ... Eater
• Holiday Season Has Begun! ... Gothamist

Red Hook Dive Moonshine Cited for Violations

Ever since we saw Anthony Bourdain visit Moonshine on his show No Reservations, we've always been meaning to go. Two of our best friends go all the time; it's down the block from one of them in Red Hook over near Wolcott St. Well we finally had the chance to go last weekend and I've already been plotting my next visit and telling anyone who would listen about how much fun we had.

Moonshine is the kind of place everyone wants at the end of their block with its casual atmosphere, inexpensive drinks, quality entertainment (Ms Pac Man, Photohunt, pool table, Buck Hunter and a juke box) and friendly service. They also have copious amounts of board games, including some of my favorites like Jenga and Connect Four (totally reminds me of the bar in Boston where I met my husband). But some of the things that differentiate this bar from others -- the bar's dog, opportunity to grill and chill your own meat in the back -- are apparently health code violations, according to The New York Times.

The bar's Web site now has the following posted in its BYOM section: "It is with great regret that we must announce the closing of the grills. The NYC Department of Health will not allow us to offer the grills to the public and therefore we have removed them from the premises. Feel free to BYOF...Bring Your Own Food."

What the NYT article so accurately points out is that some of these "violations" are just ridiculous and unavoidable. Ok, mice droppings... I get it. Fruit flies, yes gross, but who doesn't have fruit flies? I had flies in my sake at Nobu. Citations for bare-hand lime contact is just ridiculous.

A male worker observed having bare-hand contact with one slice of ready-to-eat lime while placing on top of beer bottle for patron in bar,” the citation, dated Oct. 9, states. Bare-hand contact? How else is a bartender supposed to get a ready-to-eat lime slice into a bottle of Corona for a patron? According to the health department, there are two solutions. Plastic gloves or tongs. In other words, every time a bartender in New York City puts a lime slice in that Corona with bare hands, he or she is breaking the law.

What do you think? I know I'll probably be back for more ...

Moonshine
317 Columbia St.
Red Hook Brooklyn
718.422.0563

Monday Recipe: Apple Corn Bread-Stuffed Pork Loin

An oldie, but goodie from Cooking Light. I have been collecting recipes over the years and recently made this one again after having forgotten about it. My only suggestion would be to omit the "sauce," which is inedible. Otherwise, the dish is fantastic for a dinner party or small group of friends.

Apple and Corn Bread-Stuffed Pork Loin
The pork loin is stuffed with and baked atop apples. The apple wedges that the pork cooks over are discarded, but they contribute lots of flavor. The double-butterfly method used to flatten the pork for stuffing creates an attractive pinwheel pattern, evident when the pork is sliced.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple
• 1 1/2 cups corn bread stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 1/3 cups apple juice or cider, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage, divided
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 (4-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add diced apple; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place apple mixture in a large bowl, and cool slightly. Stir in the stuffing mix, 1/3 cup juice, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and egg; set aside.
3. Starting off-center, slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open butterflied portions, laying pork flat. Turning knife blade parallel to surface of cutting board, slice larger portion of pork in half horizontally, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat. Place plastic wrap over pork; pound to 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Spread stuffing over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around outside edges. Roll up pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with a long side. Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine. Combine 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sage, and 1 teaspoon salt; rub over pork.
5. Arrange apple wedges in a single layer in bottom of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place pork on apples. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° (do not remove the pork from oven). Bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Remove pork from pan; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard apple wedges.
6. (This is what I omit: Combine 1 cup juice, cornstarch, and broth in a small saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.)

Yield: 12 servings

Review: Frankie's 457

Last night, we went with another couple to Frankie's 457 in Carroll Gardens. I had never been to that end of Court Street and anticipate I'll be back soon for more. The cozy atmosphere was a perfect complement to the cooler weather last night. The inside of the restaurant had exposed brick walls and a tin ceiling and wall.

We didn't have a reservation, but had a drink at the bar and it was only a short wait for a table. I would definitely recommend going as a party of four as there are some very small cramped tables of 2 in the front that seem less desirable than the other options.

After about 15-20 minutes, we were led to our table. When the host took us to the back door and outside I was very worried for a second, but we were taken to another structure in the back, which was almost like an old farmhouse inside. Brick walls and contemporary soft lighting filled the room and I felt instantly at home. This area would be fantastic for a small wedding reception, anniversary party or something of the like.

The menu was broken into several sections, including salads, sandwiches and specials (entrees), and a back-side with cheeses and meats. We all decided to get something different so we could taste a bit of everything. We ordered the chef's choice antipasti, roasted spicy eggplant on crostini and then we tried four entrees: squash and yam ravioli, sweet sausage roasted red peppers and onions over polenta, homemade spaghetti over mushrooms and homemade cavetelli with spicy sausage and brown butter.

My husband's pick -- the sweet sausage and polenta -- was the clear favorite and I would order it the next time for sure. All of ours were very good, but his was outstanding. The wine selection was also very good although I can't remember which bottle we shared.

There was ample street parking, but the restaurant is close to the F & G at Carroll Street. The bill for four with a bottle of wine and other drinks was very reasonable.

457 Court St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 403-0033

Blue Ribbon Opens at Columbus Circle

Zagat reports on the new Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill opening in Midtown:

Located inside 6 Columbus, Jason Pomeranc's new hotel across from the Time Warner Center, it will give area sushi fans a more affordable alternative to the $400 prix fixe at nearby Masa. Accessible via the hotel's lobby, it features a front bar that's already open for business, plus a den-like dining room that's all warm slatted wood. 6 Columbus Circle; 212-397-0404

Happy Halloween!

Brooklyn, NY
Originally uploaded by URBAN ENVY, NYC

I came across this very nice photo stream of Halloween-inspired Brooklyn brownstones. A real diamond in the rough amid the hundreds of drunk Halloween party pics on Flickr.

Monday Recipe: Fiber One Muffins

Sorry these Monday recipe features haven't been very regular. On that note, here's a heart healthy recipe that won't pack on the pounds, courtesy of my friend Stephanie.

Fiber One Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Fiber One Bran Cereal (the strands not the flakes)
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (option to substitute olive oil)
• 2 containers (6 oz each) plain fat-free yogurt, such as FAGE
• ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (or splenda)
• 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup fruit, such as blueberries, apples, strawberries or banana

Optional ingredients: Cinnamon, raisins and/or protein powder, if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400˚F
2. Grease bottom of muffin cups or use paper baking cups.
3. Crush cereal
4. In mixing bowl, combine egg whites, oil, & yogurt. Stir in cereal and remaining ingreds.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned

Best of New York Dining from amNY

amNY offers its list of the top dining spots and bars in New York. I was pleased to see that Sushi of Gari was named "best sushi."

Venues are organized by the usuals, such as "best burger," "best sushi," "best ice cream," in addition to "best place to be seen," "kid friendly" and "best place to take out-of-towners." I haven't been to all of the places they included and probably would have made different picks.

Local Brooklyn spots were featured, including: Barcade as "best bar to play games," Freddy's Bar & Backroom in Prospect Heights as "best dive" and L&B Spumoni Gardens as "best pizza."

Follow-up Knitting Post: Brooklyn General Store

On Sunday, my friend took me to Brooklyn General Store on Union St in Carroll Gardens. They also have a wide selection of materials and instructional courses. Although what I learned at Knit New York was invaluable, it appears that you get more bang for your buck in Brooklyn.

I also found some lovely little decorative buttons - some in great animal shapes - to incorporate into my knitting products. They also feature a "pattern of the month" online to give customers new project ideas. Here is a link to their blog.

Knitting Rocks

Learning to knit has been a line item on my to-do list for many years. I still have knitting supplies and failed projects that I purchased in Boston when I lived there more than three years ago. I learned to knit from my grandma when I was very young, but the intricacies of casting on and off have left my memory banks and I would love to move beyond the basic stitch.

I finally decided it was time to learn how to knit properly so that I could actually finish a project and cross that item off my list. So yesterday I took a "Knitting 101" class at a fantastic place called Knit New York on 14th street right off Second Avenue.

The class is small (4 people, 2 teachers) so you get 1:1 instruction and the fee includes everything you need -- supplies and instruction -- to knit a hat. It's the kind of place you want to hang out at after work and on lazy rainy days (well at least I do!). Everyone was knowledgeable, friendly and nice -- all-in-all a great vibe.

They have an expresso bar and a nice selection of beverages and penny candy for sale, with several seating areas. The walls are lined with yarn in all colors and textures, while impressive finished projects sit folded on shelves and hanging on racks -- all very inspirational.

I would love a place like this in DUMBO (and I think it would do really well), but I found that there are some great places in Brooklyn that offer knitting supplies, some with classes. But I would highly recommend Knit New York as it's a casual environment so there's no pressure!

Here's a link to a Web site that offers a round-up of NYC Knitting shops and resources.

Catch Some Burlesque in Brooklyn

This Saturday, October 27 head on down to The Hook (yes, in Red Hook) for a night of music, entertainment (Burlesque!), carnival booths and burgers. Called the The Death of Astroland, doors open at @ 8 p.m. and the venue is on 18 Commerce St., b/t Richards & Columbia St., Red Hook (718-797-3007).

Burlesque shows are great fun, although I don't care for the Blue Bunny (he was mean to my friend on her bachelorette). A cool chic I met who works at No Idea Bar is also with a burlesque team called Lady Rizo and the Assettes. Next week on Halloween, starting at 9 p.m. they will be performing at the Brooklyn Lyceum as part of the NIGHT OF THE CONEY ISLAND DEAD (I sense a theme?).