Filed under Caribbean, Brooklyn · Print This Post
803 Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Lincoln Place, Brooklyn
718/398.3575
about $40 for three dishes, without drinks, with tip
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No roti today? I wanted to make sure I heard correctly. I was so excited to eat at Islands after hearing favorable reviews on places to eat around the Brooklyn Museum, but eating goat curry without fresh, warm roti to wrap the meat and sop up the yellow sauce with just about killed the experience.

We craned our necks to climb the steep and very narrow stairs to sit where the air conditioning was working properly. With our goat curry, we ordered the Jamaican staple of jerk chicken and the oxtail stew. Whatever disappointment I harbored because I was unable to show off how roti tastes to my friend, who came all the way from New Jersey to hang out with me, disappeared as soon as I had a taste of the oxtail. The meat separated from the large bone right away, with only a slight pull using my fork. I scooped up some of the red orange sauce onto my rice and ate heartily. The chicken was not as jerky as I would like it to be, but we devoured the meat down to the bone. The goat was salty, without the roti and all, so it was barely touched. I would have taken it home if we didn’t plan on being out all day because there’s something about leftover curry that I like.
Walk down Washington Avenue and you’ll see a few more places to while away your time after a visit to the museum or the botanical garden, including Franklin Park beer garden off St. John’s Place, but do yourself a favor and eat island food that will keep you going all day.
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Filed under American, Brooklyn · Print This Post
354 Metropolitan Avenue near Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718/963.3404
about $60 for four, with a gallon of beer, without tip
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In case it hasn’t been obvious, I love pork. I was having a bad day and all I wanted was to get a couple of drinks where I can sit outside and enjoy the warm weather. I wanted to forget, even for just a few hours, that a family member was in the hospital. I wanted good food so that I can feel happy in my stomach and then stronger in my heart to accept whatever bad news that may come next. I was even willing to take the L to Brooklyn to find that kind of comfort, as far away from Bellevue Hospital as I could.
I was with great company including Scott Gold, the author of The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers, and we talked about the experiences he wrote in his book during his quest to eat 31 kinds of meat. (I don’t want to ruin the book for you but among my favorites are the hunting for squirrels, salivating for the caribou and spitting out the bull’s penis.)

He shared his stories as we picked on the oh-so-moist and fatty brisket, spicy and snappy pork sausages and the perfectly cooked pulled pork. We couldn’t deal without some veggies so we also ordered the broccoli and the potato salad–both helped cut the fattiness on our palates. The baked beans were barely touched but I saw through the empty glass gallon of beer by the time we wiped our hands clean with Wet-Naps.
German for “greasy sow”, Fette Sau not only provided a great place to enjoy the warm night air, it also gave me a chance to appreciate and enjoy what was around and in front of me: enjoyable company and a happiness-inducing plate of pork.
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