Check it Out: Vintage Gourmet Specialty Foods

Wow that is a long name for such a small store, but trust us it is well worth the visit. This small Turkish grocer has some of the tastiest treats (available in bulk) in Brighton. Although the store is distinctly more Middle East than Russian-style cuisine there is no shortage of Russians that crowd the store on any given day. Perhaps most popular for their olive bar and their fresh meats, Vintage offers tons of other goodies such as the roasted apricot kernels (they look ashy but are salty and delicious), various styles of halvah (a delicious dessert made from dried tahini paste and honey), and perhaps some of the freshest lipioshka (an Uzbek style flat bread). Oh, and a word of warning to the adventurous ones: the turkish style milk drink "ayran" is uber salty....but nevertheless should be discovered.

















For those not willing to venture out into the depths of Brooklyn, you are saved on this one, they have an amazing website (Vintage Foods) as well that you can parouse through and find an ecclectic mix of Turkish goods. Enjoy!

Hear it: WNYC "Soundcheck"

A recent radio piece on WNYC focused on the culture and lifestyle out in Brighton Beach and we thought it would be especially important to share with our readers. And, perhaps it may inspire you to venture out our way soon. The show mentions Primorski Restaurant, which has a classic Russian dining experience for those willing to try something new.

The radio piece focuses on a performer at the restaurant named Victoria Lisina who is Ukrainian. She actually is quite talented and her style reminds me of a cross between Bjork and Celine Dion (at times maybe even Gloria Estefan). Nevertheless, we were able to track down a site that sells her music (Vitalisina.com). We particularly like her interpretation of the traditional Hebrew song "Hava Nagila".


See the audio player on the top left for the audio clip.

Save it: Cheap(er) Brighton Car Services

Sorry for the long delay in postings, but we have been on a serious mission in Brighton that will be revealed in the next few weeks...and some of us have been slacking off at the beach with this amazing weather! Anyhow, down to business: we recently surveyed our network of fellow Brightonites (I think that may be a completely new word) to find out what car services they use to get to and fro in this neck of the woods. We have found that these car services are far more reliable and cost effective than many of the others in the area. The best part is that these companies will take you almost anywhere in NYC and at a fraction of what you spend at places like Dial 7. We have used these services for traveling into the city, to JFK, or for returning after a long night of debauchery and not wanting to risk falling asleep on the train. The rates to/from Manhattan from deep Brooklyn are about $30-35, while airport rides from Brighton are only about $25.

You don't have live in Brooklyn to take advantage of these cheaper services though. If you call the dispatchers will usually do pickups all over the city (however, we recommend planning ahead if you know when/where you want to be picked up). Essentially, we just wanted to share another way to get out to our hood. Feel free to post any comments or recommendations for other car services if you have experience with them.

Brighton area car services:

• Bensonhurst Car Service Corp
  
• Eastland Limo and Car Service
  
• Empire Car Service
• Seaside Car Service
  

Happy travels and stay tuned.

Try it: Pelmeni

We are back from the holiday weekend and are deeply sorry that we missed the first ever hot dog eating contest "over-time". I can only imagine the feeling of cramming down 59 hot dogs in ten minutes, only to be told that you have to suck down 5 more as fast as possible. But speaking of gorging out, our team found the perfect meal-on-the-fly to break you out of those mac n'cheese blues....PELMENI!! These delicious little dumplings come in frozen packages at nearly any Russian baza (store) out here in the Brighton area. As can be seen by the photo, the flavors are almost limitless! You can choose from chicken and onions to cabbage with potato and cheese, although our favorite is the kind with veal made by the Russian Style Ravioli Co. No matter which you choose they are uber easy to prepare (about 5 minutes in boiling water) and are delicious with a little bit of sour cream and smudge of Russian-style hot mustard made by Zakuson (be careful it kicks more than wasabi). We recommend shopping for them at either Net Cost Market (see the site for location) or at Золотой Ключик (Golden Key Market @ 1067 Brighton Ave) as they have the largest selection to choose from and because you can check out all the other cool Russian foods while you are there.

Oh, and we saved the best for last, pelmeni come frozen so you can keep them stashed in your freezer for the late night munchies when you stumble home from the bar.

Check it Out: Coney Island

With the forecast looking grim for the upcoming holiday weekend (that is if you are sticking around the city), we suggest heading out to Coney Island to watch two really skinny dudes chow countless hotdogs as fast as possible! That's right, the world famous Nathan's Hotdog eating contest goes down on Coney Island every Fourth of July. This year it looks like some serious rivalry between the reigning champ Joey "Jaws" Chestnut and the Japanese sensation Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi (yes, these guys have their own websites -- but who doesn't these days?). Apparently, "Tsunami" holds the world record for hotdog eating as he downed 66 dogs in 12 minutes. However, he was defeated by "Jaws" last year at the Nathan's event. If that doesn't get you all fired up, then perhaps you can take your chances with the weather at Brighton Beach.

If the weather turns for the worse, you can always check out the New York Aquarium, and it just so happens that Fridays after 3pm are the "pay what you wish" day. They don't close until 6pm so that gives you plenty of time to check out the sea anemones and the sharks.














Just an FYI (see the last post on the re-zoning of Coney Island), this very well could be the last year to catch a glimpse of the historic amusement park before it is transformed into a tourist attraction so it may be worth the trip if you are around the city. Anyhow, enjoy the Fourth and just remember not to hold the bottle rockets in your hand.

Build it: Development Pipeline

By now, I am sure that every New Yorker has heard something about the Coney Island re-development plans and its never ending turmoil. Although it may be frightening for some and exciting for others, we have a news flash for those of us living in the surrounding areas: the Brighton neighborhood is a few steps ahead of these Coney Island guys. The Little Rus' team decided to run a little investigation of our own and chalk up the number of developments happening right in the backyard of the amusement park, and our results are astonishing! We found over 17, thats right 17, new condo/apartment projects that have either recently been finished or are in the process of going vertical (aka under construction). And you thought the west side of Manhattan was booming! Keep in mind, this is all within about a four block radius (See Map).



Our guess is that in anticipation of the major re-zoning of Coney Island, some developers have jumped the gun and already started projects. That being said, we shall see how these projects perform and their affect on the Brighton Beach community. Overall, we expect to see some major price drops in the next 6-12 months as these projects come to market which is partially due to the recent tightening up of the mortgage lending industry. However, the Oceana complex was a major hit among the Russian community and has gone through two to three series of price increases (starting range was $400k-1.5M, is now $600k-2.8M). The Oceana's success may be misleading though, as it is an enormous complex that has gyms, pools, clubhouses, and is enclosed by gates. Also, it was probably one of the first new condo projects to come to market in this area to replace the extremely old stock of housing.

Anyhow, we are committed to monitoring the housing situation as these new projects finish one by one and we will make our best effort to report on each development.

Check it Out: Brighton Beach

I know, I know, every year some anxious blogger or journalists calls on New Yorkers to head to Brighton for the experience and 97% of us just ignore it. Well, given the new economic climate, we should all be in "tighten our belt" mode, and thus rather than spending your paycheck on a weekend in the Hamptons, pack your iPod and a few cold ones and jump on the B or Q train (www.hopstop.com) to Brighton Beach for the day. Although it may not be the ideal getaway for posh New Yorkers, those of you on the more adventurous side will enjoy the experience and you might just learn a thing or two. There is plenty to do on the beach including the usual people watching, swimming, and tanning, but there will also always be a game of beach volleyball in play (be careful, its pretty serious out here...just don't touch the net).

To avoid the hectic beach traffic walk down the boardwalk to to Brighton 15, that is, away from Coney Island. Usually this part of the beach is less busy and cleaner than the spots located just off the subway stops. Or, you can get off the Q train at Ocean Parkway and head straight to the beach from there. Just in case you find yourself wondering the famous grids of Brooklyn with no beach in sight, don't be afraid to ask "gdye pliazh?" (where is the beach in Russian).

Before heading back home, we suggest replenishing yourself with one of the homemade tandoori samsas for $2.50 at Adolat Cafe on Brighton 4th Street between Brighton Beach Ave and the boardwalk. Samsa is a traditional Uzbek appetizer, and is essentially a homemade hotpocket with lamb, onions, and some secret spices. Nevertheless, for the price you cannot find a better deal.



See you out there!