House tour season continues, next up Ditmas Park

By Meredith Deliso

Now this is a house tour.

The annual Victorian Flatbush House Tour is June 12, an event that offers sneak peek into the mansions of the neighborhood otherwise known as Ditmas Park.

The area was developed more than 100 years ago to offer a suburban oasis in the heart of the city. Today, it’s home to five historic districts, so you know it’s still got the goods.

The tour explores 10 of the area’s expansive, meticulously maintained and restored houses, which feature winding staircases, wrap-around porches and legitimate lawns. It’s self-guided, so you can stroll at your leisure, or hop aboard a shuttle bus. No two homes are alike, so don’t miss any on the map.

Victorian Flatbush House Tour, starting at Temple Beth Emeth [83 Marlborough Rd. at Church Avenue in Ditmas Park, (718) 859-3800 ext. 301], June 12, 1-6 pm. Tickets $20 in advance. For info, visit www.fdconline.org.

Read more...

Who's your crawdaddy?

By Dan MacLeod

If you’ve never had the singular pleasure of diving face first into a bucket of boiled crawfish, head to Sycamore Bar & Flower Shop in Ditmas Park on June 4 when the tavern hosts its second annual boil.

At co-owner Justin Israelson’s party, three pounds of the crustaceans will be cooked in a secret family spice blend (seriously, it’s a secret. We tried!) and served in a bucket boiled with garlic, oranges, potatoes, andouille sausage and corn with a pint of NOLA’s own Abita beer.

“They’re very sweet, but the spices give them a big kick,” said Israelson, a Texan. “They’re like little mini lobsters.”

The event was so popular last year that shell-shocked partiers spilled onto the road, necessitating this year’s twin tasting times. But still, you better get your tickets soon if you want to chow down on some crawdads.

Crawfish Boil at Sycamore [1118 Cortelyou Rd. at Westminster Road in Ditmas Park, (347) 240-5850], June 4 at 2 and 5 pm. Tickets $25. For info, visit www.sycamorebrooklyn.com.

Read more...

Bank on this

By Meredith Deliso

When The Inner Banks take to the Sycamore stage this Friday, don’t feel bad if you expected more than two people.

The husband-and-wife duo creates a lush, layered electronic folk sound that belies the fact that it’s only David Gould and Caroline Schultz making all that noise.

It helps that Gould is a multi-instrumentalist who can play banjo with the best of them, as well as bass and guitar. Their recordings also have been known to incorporate such diverse sounds as field recordings from Coney Island, distressed tape loops, Wurlitzers, an antique Californian harpsichord and lap steel — an unlikely hodgepodge so well-produced, in other hands it wouldn’t sound quite as organic.

The band’s first album was mostly instrumental, but since then it has started to smartly incorporate Schultz’s hypnotic, soothing voice.

After two albums, the Windsor Terrace-based couple is at work on a third, which it hopes to share at Sycamore when they play the Ditmas Park bar’s basement space. Just don’t expect the harpsichord.

The Inner Banks at Sycamore [1118 Cortelyou Rd. near Westminster Road in Ditmas Park, (347) 240-5850], Jan. 28 at 10 pm. $10. For info, visit www.sycamorebrooklyn.com.

Read more...

The year of the Ox

By Helen Klein

Fans of Ditmas Park’s Pomme de Terre may have rejoiced when a veteran of that kitchen took over the Newkirk Avenue spot earlier this fall. But don’t expect the same experience at new Ox Cart Tavern.

For one, chef David Pitula’s spot, though still rocking an upscale vibe along a strip dominated by bodegas and Chinese take-out joints, is not as pricey as its French predecessor.

“Ox Cart Tavern is a gastropub with a much more casual vibe,” said Pitula.

And, of course, there’s the matter of food, with the tavern offering up American comfort food, with a twist.

“We serve classics and some things that are not too far off the beaten path,” said Pitula. Think duck confit pot pie, or chili-dusted onion rings spiked with lime.

You don’t get more American than hamburgers, and Pitula’s are thick and sumptuous, with lots of variations, including a vegetarian burger and one made with Ahi tuna that was so popular it was recently promoted from a special to a regular menu item.

On a recent visit, the plain Ox Burger ($11) was certainly good, but the star on the plate was the pile of very crispy French fries, salted just right.

The pan-roasted half-chicken ($16) was also lovely, with a crisp skin and flavorful, not gamey, meat, served on a thick bed of vegetables that added color and texture to the presentation.

Besides such hearty choices, there are also options for those watching their weight in the raw daylight that is the post-holiday season. That includes a grilled chicken breast on ciabatta ($10) and smoked salmon tea sandwiches ($7.50). Both are served with creamy dressings that can easily be eliminated for calorie counter, without losing too much flavor. So feel free to dig in.

Ox Cart Tavern [1301 Newkirk Ave. at Argyle Road in Flatbush, (718) 284-0005]. Open for dining, Monday-Friday, 6 pm-midnight, Saturday-Sunday, noon to midnight for dinner, bar open until 4 am Thursday-Saturday. For info, visit www.oxcarttavern.com.

Read more...

A bloody good time

By Meredith Deliso

The charming, ukulele-sporting Bliss Blood brings some jazzy tunes to The Castello Plan, a newish Ditmas Park wine bar, for an evening of good food and good music tonight.

The Bushwick-based singer has made a niche for herself playing 1920s and ’30s tunes, either in the Hawaiian-tinged The Moonlighters, the blues band Delta Dreambox or the jazz bands Voodoo Suite and The Cantonement Jazz Band.

Solo, she is quickly becoming a regular at the Plan, and tonight, she’ll join trombonist Jim Fryer playing early 20th century jazz and some originals that show off her showmanship.

“I like going way back and reading about performers in the ’20s,” said Blood, who’s been playing her uke since before it was fashionable. “For instance, Bessie Smith could look out in the crowd and hypnotize them.”

And let us not forget the food at The Castello Plan. One of the newer additions to the blossoming Cortelyou Road scene, the inviting wine bar has gained fans for its tasty small plates, which include roasted rabbit and pumpkin gnocchi that will warm you right up.

Head to the restaurant early to take advantage of its $30 prix-fixe wine dinner (from 6-8 pm), and then stick around for the music. Your Thursday just got set.

Bliss Blood at The Castello Plan [1213 Cortelyou Rd. between Westminster and Argyle roads in Ditmas Park, (718) 856-8888], Jan. 13 at 8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.thecastelloplan.com.

Read more...

Dining in Ditmas

Cafe Tibet. Photo: Brownstoner

Congrats, Ditmas Park. Time Out New York has named you one of the city's best food neighborhoods.

The nabe can pride itself on its delectable selection of diverse foods, from Afghani to Mexican to kosher to Indian.

The restaurants that are highlighted in the feature include:

Bahar Shishkebab House, Afghani comfort food, 984 Coney Island Ave at Newkirk Avenue
Torteria Del Valle, Mexican shop specializing in tortas, 727 Coney Island Ave between Ave C and Cortelyou Road
Café Tibet, take-out Tibetan, 1510 Cortelyou Rd between 15th and 16th sreets
Famous Pita, for all your falafel needs, 967 Coney Island Ave at Newkirk Avenue
Bukhari Restaurant & Sweets, to satisfy your Indian cravings, 1095 Coney Island Ave betweeen Ave H and Glenwood Road
Sycamore, bistro for brunch, 1118 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster roads

What would you add to the list?

Read more...