Seems like we're back from the tropics forever, but it's not even a week. Looks like we played our cards right - we left and it was frigid and 12 degrees; came home to moderating temperatures and today it was downright warm. However, tomorrow we're expecting a "wintry mix," as the weatherpeople like to phrase it. That means "crap," as I like to phrase it: rain, sleet, snow and cold. Brrr.
We took our friends and upstairs neighbors for dinner on Friday last - this, as gratitude for catwatching. We were going to try Franny's, the great pizza place we discovered a few weeks ago (and have been to twice thus far) but it was mobbed with a 45-minute wait. Um, no thanks.
Instead we headed to Dekalb Avenue - whoever thought that Dekalb Avenue would become the hot and trendy place it is today? It's lined with cute shops, restaurants and cafes and has a nice low-rise feel to it - with "downtown," hi-rise Brooklyn at its western end.
New York magazine had written up a new restaurant on Dekalb that we had tried several times and really liked: Ici - which is French for "here." Apparently, the owner, Laurent, was featured in some recent reality show about running a restaurant. Pardon this un-TV-American for not knowing the actual name of the show. Ici is French but with (I think) American/Southern highlights. A bonus: they serve Sullivan Street Bakery bread (their crusty and crumby Pugliese) which we're crazy about and, in my book, that puts a restaurant in the "good" category before I even sample the cuisine.
As it turned out, the food is excellent so we decided to take our friends there to try it once again. Dishes include skate, an intense and flavorful beef stew and a braised pork shoulder which is, how do the French say?? - oh, oui! ev'-en-ly!
Diane, Rock and Stacey at Ici.
Another view of Ici - which is in the ground floor of an old brownstone on the corner of Dekalb and Vanderbilt Avenues.
On Saturday, we went for a long walk. Weather was nice again, so we walked all the way over to Brooklyn Heights. Our destination was Sahadi's the mideast market that we frequent. But it was so mobbed with Saturday shoppers that we decided to return during the week. Instead, we had some lunch at a disappointing Indian restaurant on Montague Street (Amin - you can skip it) and then walked most of the way back before we caught a city bus.
Atlantic Avenue is more and more interesting. It's been coming up for a long time. And there are many cute shops - antique stores, gift shops, restaurants (again). The buildings lining the street are two and three stories and old. Many have been renovated and painted in lovely colors and, with the exception of too much car and truck traffic, it's a nice place to stroll when you have nowhere in particular to go.
Antique stores on Atlantic Avenue.
An old church on our walk down Atlantic Avenue.
As we reached Brooklyn Heights, I found an old friend - a beat up Citroen 2CV. Back in the 60's my dad had bought me one of those cars and that one was replaced later by still another. He had one of the larger and more deluxe Citroens. But I loved my "Deux Chevaux" (two-horser) which looked like an upside down trash can with wheels. Not often seen in the states, there were mass demonstrations in Paris when the manufacturer discontinued making them in the 90's.
This has become a cult classic, much like the VW Beetle and other beloved cars. A quick Google search for "Citroen 2CV" will find dozens of sites, if you're interested.
A well-used Citroen 2CV sitting on State Street in Brooklyn Heights on Saturday.
The Citroen badge.
Walking back late in the day, the sun was dipping low in the sky and painting the buildings with its intense winter color. We caught a bus about half way back and took it to Washington Avenue. From there we walked the few blocks to our house, tired but energized by a great day out and about in Brooklyn.
Late day sun on a Brooklyn apartment house in Cobble Hill.
Sign seen on a city bus: "Keep arm in." Does that mean it's ok to stick your head out?? Weird.
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