Smorgasburg & Brooklyn Flea

Lately my weekend mornings have started like this: wake up, stretch, and stroll over to the Williamsburg waterfront to get some grub. On Saturdays, Smorgasburg has dozens of food vendors from all over Brooklyn. On Sundays the space is shared with vendors selling jewelry and antiques and other overpriced junk at the Brooklyn Flea, so the food selection is smaller. Either way, it's a great summer alternative to brunch.

We usually start with a Vietnamese iced coffee made from a blend of Viet style coffee, Cafe du Monde and condensed milk. Sometimes I taste a bit of chocolate in there. Really sweet and refreshing.

Then its onto the food. On super hot days when I need something light and cool, I really like the Cheong Fun noodle from Noodle Lane. It's kind of like a deconstructed summer roll with cucumbers, scallions, sprouts and peanut sauce.

Or if heat's not an issue, a whole pie right out of the oven from Pizza Moto is not a bad choice. Featured here is the pepperoni with basil.

If its meaty sandwiches you crave, there's a Porchetta stand, and we know how I feel about that. But there's also another great choice -- the Smoked Meat sandwich from Mile End. Cured and smoked brisket with just the right amount of mustard. The meat is fall-apart tender.

Speaking of brisket. I'm not a huge hot dog person, but even so I can appreciate a good weiner from Brooklyn Bangers. The brainchild of Saul Bolton, Brooklyn Bangers serves up dogs made with 100% brisket. 

As for the things I wouldn't go out of my way for, the short rib Takumi Taco is a bit overpriced and not so memorable, and the original sandwich from Bombay was a bit carb-heavy with the potatoes. Plus it got a little mushy.

I like to end things on a sweet note. If it's ice cream you crave, Blue Marble is a very respectable choice. 

But I personally cannot leave the waterfront without a donut from Dough. They made fun of me when I got a plain 'ol sugar cinnamon, so today I had the chocolate frosted with cocoa nibs, the bitter chocolate balancing the sweet amazingly. I have no idea how they get these donuts so high and fluffy. They might even be better than Peter Pan, but I think further research is necessary before I make such a crazy statement. I still have to try the dulce de leche, blood orange and cafe au lait flavors... to start, at least.

Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea 
East River Waterfront
Entrance at N. 7th and Kent Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Sandwich Fridays Continue

I've been a lot more true to this summer's sandwich promise than I was to last year's burger endeavors. I've already got two more to add to the list: Blue Ribbon Bakery and Baoguette.

After a great panini at Ino on Bedford Street, my summer sandwich friend and I decided to give Blue Ribbon Bakery right across the street a go. They only do takeout, so it was a good excuse to grab some food and head over to the waterfront for some picnic-style scenic dining.

Blue Ribbon Bakery's sandwiches are all open-faced. Most just include a butter (like fresh churned or cashew) and/or a cheese (like manchego and stilton). While I was too hungry to consider a bread, butter and cheese sandwich (good as they sounded), I went with the heartier duck breast with honey mustard. I was surprised to see that they sliced the bread AND the duck fresh from the loaf/full breast. They loaded the meat on top of the toasted bread and sprinkled some parsley on top. It was just the right amount of food.

And I should mention that the place was empty and the guys working here were really friendly. Another West Village sandwich winner!

Blue Ribbon Bakery Market
14 Bedford St.
(212) 647-0408

I recently made my second trip to Baoguette, the much-hyped Vietnamese sandwich shop down on Lexington. I don't know why it took me so long to get hooked on banh mis. I love Vietnamese food, and always figured noodles were the best vehicle for the sweet and spicy flavors. But I was wrong! Crispy bread gives the whole mess texture, and as long as it has some spicy meat, some fresh herbs and something sweet to balance out the flavors, I'm happy.

Their classic banh mi comes with a thin layer of pate, spicy pork and lots of carrots and cilantro. They always ask if you want it spicy, and if you say yes, they don't mess around. 

My favorite is their signature Sloppy Bao, with spicy curried beef, green mango, basil and lemongrass. The flavors together are perfect in the summer: fresh, sweet, slightly fruity.

 
The only thing that could use a little help here is the atmosphere. I don't mind eating at a cramped counter facing the wall, but when that wall has a mirror, it makes it a little awkward to chow down on spicy food. Here's a tip for summergoers: eat towards the back of the room, where there's a small fan that will just barely keep you from passing out. It's uncomfortable, but the baoguettes are worth it!

Baoguette
61 Lexington Ave (between 25th & 26th) 
(212) 532-1133

Adventures in San Fran: Pho & Indian-Mexican

We tried to eat on the run as much as we could while in San Francisco, but we had to have a few table service meals when we needed a break. Most of the time, we'd stop in at one of the many Vietnamese places nearby. I had great pork noodles at Pagolac and a huge bowl of hot pho at Pho 2000. But the best meal we had by FAR was at Avatar's restaurant in Sausalito.

After we hiked an amazing few miles through the redwood forest at Muir Woods, we desperately needed some food and a few minutes to sit. Sausalito was the closest town between the forest and San Fran, so I did a quick search on Yelp for a low-key but delicious lunch. I felt a little skeptical going to an unassuming place called Avatar's restaurant in the middle of a business area, but it was fantastic. The food was great, it came out quickly, the service was amazing. I felt like we were in there for the shortest and most invigorating 15 minutes ever.

The menu here is based on Indian cuisine, but hops all over the globe. There's curries and samosas, of course, but also Italian pastas and Jamaican jerk chicken, all cooked with Indian inspiration. You wouldn't think that fusion would work well in a cafe-like restaurant, but they surprised both of us.

We started with two complimentary dishes: a spicy papadum, which is like a crispy flatbread, and buttery naan with three dipping sauces: cinnamon apples, carrots and a green sauce. All were surprisingly tasty.

Rob had the ravioli dish called Rose Mango Dreams. The ravioli are stuffed with porcini mushrooms, spinach and ricotta cheese and topped with a mango Alfredo sauce. This dish was amazingly rich and decadent, a great blend of sweet and salty and cheesy. It's too bad there were only four raviolis, but they were definitely filling.

I had the crab "Punjabi Enchiladas," even though Indian enchiladas seemed extremely bizarre (and were RAVED about on Yelp!). As soon as I ordered them, the waiter (owner?) promised me it would be the "best thing you've ever tasted." Quite a tall order. But it really was one an amazing, interesting, well-balanced and extremely tasty dish (best thing EVER?... pushing it). The crab was tender. The enchiladas were topped with lots of cheddar and jack cheeses. The sauces on top were swirled beautifully -- homemade curried enchilada sauce, yogurt and tamarind sauce. The basmati rice with green peas was absolutely perfect. I gobbled it up in maybe three minutes flat.

When I used to hear the word Sausalito, I (of course) thought of the cookies. Now, my mouth waters with the memory of our perfect post-Redwood Indian fusion lunch.

Avatar's Restaurant

2656 Bridgeway Blvd
Sausalito, CA 94965

(415) 332-8083