Halloween shopping, and more

By Meredith Deliso

Market Watch is back this week with some news on a brand new store and a fun, Halloween-themed shopping excursion.

TJMaxx

On the heels of one of the priciest designer stores opening in Brooklyn comes the complete opposite. Fashionable shoppers maxed out by Barneys can enjoy TJMaxx, as the discount designer chain opened its first Brooklyn location this past weekend in Midwood. It’s right off the Kings Highway stop, so your half-priced designer duds and home décor are only a subway ride away. As far as someone helping you with all those shopping bags, that’s a different story.

TJMaxx [1630 E. 15th St. between Avenue P and Kings Highway in Midwood, (718) 336-1194].

Nightwood Design

Pop-up stores by their nature are temporary, which makes the news that Nightwood Design, a furniture and design studio found in the Be@Schermerhorn residential building, is extending its run from the end of October through Dec. 14 even sweeter. The store specializes in reconstructed furniture and textiles, made with a modern yet rustic aesthetic. The chairs, art, benches and beds are meticulously arranged in the immense ground-floor space, like a high design Ikea but with one-of-a-kind pieces. So even if you aren’t on the hunt for a new desk or cabinet, you can still pretend.

Nightwood at be@schermerhorn [189 Schermerhorn St. at Hoyt Street in Downtown, (347) 249-9552]. For info, visit www.nightwoodny.com.

Kings County General Store

Who says you can’t go shopping in your Halloween costume? In fact, the Kings County General Store downright demands it. This Oct. 31, stay as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber as you peruse this monthly market, home to such vendors as Mifflin Jewelry and its (of course) vintage accessories, Chloe Chapman’s lovely bird-inspired greeting cards, and Omnia Wears’s worn (in a good way) leather satchels and driving gloves, which make you wish you actually drove. This is a club after all, so enjoy drink specials and spooky music by Mikey Palms. The first 50 people in costume also get a free tote bag, so there’s some incentive to get there early.

Kings County General Store [125 Fifth Ave. between Butler and Douglass streets in Park Slope, (718) 230-0236], Oct. 13 from noon-5 pm. For info, visit www.kingscountygeneralstore.com.

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Midwood: Get a pizza the action

By Jessica Firger

Di Fara’s isn’t the only reason to trek to Midwood.

The childhood stomping ground for Woody Allen, Chuck Schumer, and Marisa Tomei, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and playwright Arthur Miller, the southern Brooklyn neighborhood, located halfway between Prospect Park and Coney Island, still maintains much of its charm from the 1960s and ’70s when the neighborhood offered some of Brooklyn’s best retail. 

Though today the commercial strip is anything but exotic, visitors will find an eclectic mix of the basics, mostly there to service the insular religious Jewish community that populates most of the lovely row houses. 

“There’s really no big stores except for Walgreen’s,” said Sarah Mizrahi, a life-long Midwood resident. “It’s really all mom and pop stores.”

Many of the shopkeepers have done business in this vibrant, discerning community for two or three decades. Visitors should make time to hit Avenue L, Avenue M, and Coney Island Avenue, the main streets for shopping where there’s everything from kosher meat and electronics to silky pantyhose and Judaica. 

The best way to get to Midwood is via the B or Q train to either Avenue J or M, both main thoroughfares for the neighborhood’s shopping district and great places to begin your tour. 

Bear in mind that because most of the neighborhood residents are observant Jews, a majority of the stores close early on Friday through Saturday. Therefore, the best time to visit is on Sunday, when store owners are reenergized and ready for another busy week. 

Di Fara’s

It would be remiss not to mention this Brooklyn institution — just spitting distance from the Avenue J train station. Midwood may be primarily a Jewish neighborhood, but Di Fara’s remains firmly planted in the neighborhood’s Italian roots. 

Pizza maestro Domenico De Marco (pictured above) has been artfully creating Brooklyn’s perfect pie for more than four decades. With an extra thin crust that somehow never gets too soggy, homemade mozzarella, hand-grated Parmesan, and chopped fresh basil from the plants he grows on his window sill, it’s no surprise that his pizza perpetually wins first prize in the city. While $5 for a slice may seem absurd, loyal fans know it’s more than worth the trek, that’s why they prefer to stand on the long line to procure an entire perfect $25 pie for lunch or dinner.  

Di Fara’s [1424 Avenue J between E. 14th and E. 15th streets, (718) 258-1367]. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Isaac’s Bakery

This 25-year-old kosher bakery sells the classic sweets and savories of a bygone era.  

Shop-owner Abraham Isaac, originally from Uruguay, has plenty of goodies — sugary cookies sold by the pound and sponge and marble cake just like your bubbe made. On Thursdays and Fridays the bakery’s shelves overflow with fresh round and regular challahs and potato nick, a variety of kugel that’s a neighborhood favorite.  

Isaac’s Bakery [1419 Avenue J between E. 14th and E. 15th streets, (718) 377-9291]. Closed Saturday.

Legaacy

A haven for all things girly, here you’ll find more than three dozen assortments of headbands (around $3-$30), stylish and oversized handbags, frilly scarves, chic hats ($12-$50), and of course, more than a dozen brands of hosiery. Legaacy proves that even the skinny jean fad has not bypassed the only-skirt-wearing population: Owner Shauly Feller carries “denim” leggings. 

Legaacy [1210 Avenue J between E. 12th and E. 13th streets, (877) 534-4229]. Closed Saturday.

Avenue J Fish Market

No Jewish neighborhood should be without a friendly fishmonger, and Avenue J Fish does not disappoint with its variety or freshness. 

“We do our own fillets,” said Joel Falkowitz, whose father opened the shop almost 30 years ago. “This way the customer gets it twice as fresh.” 

The market regularly stocks salmon, white fish, carp, sea bass, tilapia and flounder. But the real draw is their huge variety of gefilte fish, said to be the best in all of Brooklyn, if not the nation. The classic sweet mix with carrots remains a perpetual bestseller. 

Avenue J Fish Market [1215 Avenue J between E. 12th and E. 13th streets, (718) 258-3129].

Liquors Galore

Put down the Manischewitz. This stylish two-year-old store stocks some of the best kosher wines, including a wide selection from Australia, Austria, California, Chile, Cyprus, France, Hungary, Italy, New York State, and of course, Israel. There are free wine tastings every Friday from noon-4 pm and free seminars on whisky or wines twice a month. There’s also an innovative frequent fliers program: for every dollar you spend, you get a point credited to a membership card. Head to the back of the shop and into the tasting room to cash in those points at the enomatic wine machines (around 35 points for a taste or 120 for a full glass). The store is also happy to make a delivery anywhere in Brooklyn. 

Liquors Galore [1212 Avenue J between E. 12th and E. 13th streets, (718) 338-4166].

Schnitzi

Nothing compares to the taste of schnitzel, chicken breasts pounded paper thin, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried to crispy perfection. At Schnitzi, the world-famous cutlet gets a gourmet, international makeover and lands itself in a sandwich — either a fresh roll or less carby wrap — for a fast and easy feast. There’s the “French” with Dijon mustard, the “Spanish” with chili peppers, and even a “Chinese” one with coated in sesame seeds. All sandwiches are around $10 and sizable enough to share.

Schnitzi [1299 Coney Island Ave. between Avenues I and J, (718) 338-4015].

Needles, Pins, and Sew On…

Leon Shpelfogel spent 42 years in Manhattan’s garment district, fixing sewing machines and selling them to some of the world’s hottest designers like Cynthia Rowley, Liz Claiborne, and Perry Ellis. Now he’s committed to serving his hometown. 

“In my old age, I like to be in Brooklyn and help the Brooklyn designers,” said Shpelfogel, who opened his Midwood shop a year ago. 

This third-generation friend-to-garmentos, originally from Poland, can get your rickety, old Singer singing again, and his shop is the only place in the entire borough where for about $7, your scissors will be returned to you in their original sharp and shiny state.  

Needles, Pins, and Sew On… [1332 Coney Island Ave. between Avenues I and J, (718) 376-0131].

The Pickle Guys

Why bother crossing Delancey Street when you can hop the train to Midwood?

Alan Kaufman’s Midwood shop has existed for only two years, but he’s been intimate with dill and cucumbers for two and half decades. In his early days, he picked up the fine art of pickling as a hobby from the masters on Lower East Side and now offers an assortment of sours and sweets. Here you’ll find seven different types of pickles and 35 additional items that are surprisingly tasty when doused with generous amounts of vinegar. Intrepid eaters might want to sample the pickled okra or watermelon.  

The Pickle Guys [1364 Coney Island Ave. between Avenues J and K, (718) 677-0639].

Paperific 

Yes, it seems silly to schlep all the way to Midwood to procure some sturdy paper plates, but if you’re having a party, it might be well worth it. This 15-year-old shop got its start supplying the area with the best and most well-priced party paper goods. Here you’ll find packages of festive cocktail napkins ($3-$8) and serving platters that look almost like heirloom Swarovski crystal ($1-$4). The shop is not all paper and plastic; there’s plenty of foodstuffs to stock up on for your next fete. 

“Over the years we’ve slowly moved into groceries,” said owner David Klein. “I got meat, chicken, dairy.” And all at reasonable prices. 

Paperific [1482 Coney Island Ave. between Avenues L and K, (718) 758-0948].

Pomegranate

This neighborhood supermarket has everything New Yorkers crave — wide aisles, plenty of run-of-the-mill basics, a wide selection of produce, and high-quality prepared foods. 

“We got a lot of inspiration from Whole Foods but we’re very different. Whole Foods is a little too corporate,” said marketing director Matt “Riverdale” Swerdloff. “We are all about passion, people, and soul.” 

They’re also about hummus, which they claim to sell 4,000 containers of a week.   

Pomegranate [1507 Coney Island Ave. between Avenues K and L, (718) 951-7112].

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The Edible Complex

By Meredith Deliso

Opa!

For two days this week, feast on gyros, shish kebab and baklava until your stomach aches at the Three Hierarchs Church’s Greek Food Festival, an annual tradition at the Midwood church for more than 50 years.

Thousands come out from all over the city for the outdoor festival, from Sept. 18-19, which prides itself in authentic, homemade Greek food.

“It’s a great festival, all home cooking and home-cooked pastries,” said Gus Savaros, president of the church council. “There’s all kinds of great delicacies. The pastries are outrageous.”

Not to be missed are the loukoumades, a flour-based treat fried and dipped in honey and seasoned with cinnamon and nuts.

The food’s so good many festival-goers make sure to buy some extra plates to bring home for seconds later.

To help you dance it all off, a live band will be playing Greek and Greek-American tunes.

“It’s music, dining and drinking,” said Savaros. “There’s something for each palate.”

Greek Food Festival at Three Hierarchs Church [1724 Avenue P between E. 17th and 18th streets in Midwood, (718) 339-0280], Sept. 18 from 6 pm-midnight and Sept. 19 from noon-6 pm.

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Break that fast at these places

By Aaron Short

For your fast-breaking needs, Brooklyn has it all.

On the day of atonement — Yom Kippur — Jews fast for 24 hours in expiation for sins accumulated the past year.

But the best part is the meal after the solemn holiday, a carbs-heavy, typically diary-centric, supper featuring the best Semetic foods that 4,000 years of diasporic tradition has to offer.

That meal is set for seconds after sundown on Saturday, Sept. 18.

To host the perfect break-fast in the comfort of your own home, pick up some bagels, lox, or prepared noshes from these fine establishments located all over our fine borough. And may you be inscribed in the book of life for another year — now let’s eat.

The staples

Pomegranate, the Midwood supermarket, has been a veritable Mecca of kosher prepared foods since August, 2008. Browse through the 20,000 square feet of aisles for Shabbat candles, frozen dinners and the widest selection of Israeli food products in the city. Pick up some stuffed cabbage, corned beef cured in brine on site or a loaf of olive bread for something a little different this season of repentance.

Pomegranate, [1507 Coney Island Ave. at Avenue L, Midwood. (718) 951-7112]

Fishing around

If you’re leaning towards inviting friends over for a smoked fish spread, go straight to the source. Every Friday morning, on Gem Street near N. 15th Street in Greenpoint, the great Acme Fish smokehouse opens as a retail market. Customers can choose from cold smoked salmon and its saltier cousin, lox, to hot-smoked fish such as whitefish, sable, black cod, and even tuna, all of which are kosher. Acme fish products are available in a number of grocery and specialty stores, as is its tasty Williamsburg-based rival, Service Smoked Fish, under the label Brooklyn’s Best. Don’t be a chub, buy some fish for your friends (or better yet, buy some chub, a smoked fish variety).

Acme Fish [30 Gem St. at N. 15th Street, Greenpoint. (718) 383-8585]. Fridays only.

Holey matters

Lox and bagels are the blessed combination that means that this exhausting holy day is finally over. Narrowing down the best place to buy a bagel in Brooklyn is like trying to win a definitive argument with a Talmudic scholar. It just leads to more questions. And more bagels. We’ve picked three of our favorites: Bagel Hole in Park Slope, which keeps its bagels tasty, crisp and small; the efficient La Bagel Delight, which feeds the Court Street breakfast and lunch crowd; and The Bagel Store in Williamsburg which bakes 1,700 a day.

Bagel Hole [400 Seventh Ave. between 12th and 13 streets in Park Slope, (718) 788-4014]; The Bagel Store [247 Bedford Ave. at N. Third Street in Williamsburg, (718) 218-7244]; La Bagel Delight [90 Court St. in Brooklyn Heights (718) 522-4495].

Let Jay and Lloyd do it

If all that standing and praying has you pooped, head over to Jay and Lloyd’s Kosher Deli on Avenue U at E. 27th Street in Sheepshead Bay for a respite. For 17 years, Lloyd Lederman has been serving sandwiches, latkes and pickles to hungry customers of several generations. Everyone comes for the pastrami on rye, though the brisket and onions and chopped liver sandwiches are good bets for beefing up after your long fast.

Jay and Lloyd’s Kosher Deli and Family Restaurant [2718 Avenue U at 27th Street, Sheepshead Bay. (718) 891-5298]

Montreal Jews

Brooklyn’s newest Jewish-inspired restaurant, Mile End (pictured above) features Montreal-style smoked meat that will likely become a holiday tradition. Owner Noah Bernamoff has been smoking his own meat since January to the delight of foodies in and beyond Cobble Hill. The smoked meat sandwich, filled with gloriously fatty, thick-cut pastrami is a showstopper, but the Ruth Wilensky (salami on an onion roll), and the poulet shaud (pan-roasted half-chicken with home made challah) are also excellent. There may be few places better to break the fast Saturday night — if you aren’t get tempted to sneak over there right after shul for a naughty lunch break.

Mile End Delicatessen [97 Hoyt St. between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street in Boerum Hill, (718) 852-7510].

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KA-POW! The best comic book stores in Brooklyn

By Stephen Brown, Andy Campbell and Ben Kochman

Last week, Brooklyn fanboys lost one of their stomping grounds, when Rocketship closed up shop after five years in Cobble Hill.

Luckily for fans of Hulk action figures, Manga and indie graphic novels, the Smith Street store wasn’t the only game in town.

“I think the [Brooklyn scene] is really specialized — where we don’t have a lot of walk-ins we have a lot of regulars,” said Matthew Acevedo, worker at Galaxy Comics on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge. “When movies come out based on a comic, that’s usually when people start rolling in.”

Here, a list of the best Brooklyn has to offer, for the avid collector to the casual reader.

Bergen Street Comics

This stylish store opened last year, but has already established a welcoming, artsy environment that is distinct from many other shops in the borough. From the outset, owner Tom Adams wanted to focus on graphic novels — collections of comics that are most appealing to first-time readers. Adams also wanted a no-frills approach that shunned all the merchandise, action figures, DVDs and other junk that distracts from quality storytelling.

“We focus solely on comics,” Adams said. “We want the space to be inviting to people, so they can come in and spend some time.”

The owner added that many of his customers have an interest in indie comics — especially by local creators — but that doesn’t mean he neglects the superhero tales.

Bergen Street Comics [470 Bergen St. between Flatbush and Fifth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 230-5600].

Galaxy Comics

With locations in both Park Slope and Bay Ridge, Galaxy Comics offers a bit of everything — from statues, trading cards and T-shirts to a respectable collection of back-stock should you be on the hunt for that one missing issue of Action Comics.

Park Slope co-owner Mohammed Nashir said his store focuses on the five major comic publishing houses, though he also orders indie titles that locals tend to favor.

His most popular seller as of late has been the latest universe-shattering crossover in DC Comics — a story that he is happy to share with any newcomer who rolls into his store, which has been open for 11 years.

In Bay Ridge, comic-gone-movie titles like “Scott Pilgrim” are flying off the shelves — and of course, both shops take orders.

“A lot of people walk in and the comics bring back memories,” Nashir said. “That’s how we jump into a conversation, and sometimes people get completely back into comics.”

Galaxy Comics [429 Fifth Ave. between Eighth and Ninth streets in Park Slope, (718) 499-3222 and 6823 Fifth Ave. near 68th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 921-1236].

Desert Island

This shop in Williamsburg is tiny — but where it lacks in volume, it makes up for in quality and rarity.

Owner Gabriel Fowler moved around the country working on his indie comic expertise before he moved to Brooklyn and opened the shop four years ago — it’s small, but packed with the fare of a seasoned fanboy.

The stock focuses heavily on illustration and graphic novels, and plenty of zines and comics on the rac

ks are from Brooklyn authors and artists. The titles range from the classics like “The Walking Dead” to more obscure (and local) titles like the shop’s own “Smoke Signals,” an open submission newspaper dedicated to local comics.

Desert Island [540 Metropolitan Ave. near Union Street in Williamsburg, (718) 388-5087].

Bulletproof Comix

Owner Hank Kwon opened his store near Brooklyn College 18 years ago, and the laid-back rapport he has with his customers proves it. People of all ages walk into Bulletproof to get their comics, video games, and manga fix — and Kwon knows a lot of them by name.

Bulletproof features an extensive backstock, but don’t expect to do a lot of perusing while you’re there: even new releases are bagged up. But Bulletproof’s extensive manga collection — perhaps the best in Brooklyn — makes it worth a visit.

“We’re known for manga,” said Kwon. “We were one of the first to bring it over to Brooklyn.”

Bulletproof Comix [2178 Nostrand Ave. between Avenue H and Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush, (718) 434-1800].

Pinocchio Discounts

The name is no lie — Pinocchio Discounts brings the old-school entertainment for bargain prices. The store’s extensive collection makes it a real pleasure for anyone familiar with comics over the years — especially since the cover price hasn’t changed that much.

“We’ve been here for 30 years, but we have comics dating back to the ’60s,” owner Bella Gaba said. “And everything goes for one or two dollars.”

Pinocchio doesn’t have many expensive, coveted comics. Instead, the collection is, as Gaba says, “a bunch of average comics from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.”

Maybe average to Gaba — but pure gold to any kid looking for a good superhero story.

Pinocchio Discounts [1814 McDonald Ave. between Avenue P and Quentin Road in Midwood, (718) 645-2573].

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