Borough Vegetarian

Franny's on Flatbush - New Space But Consistently Delicious Food

We love Franny’s on Flatbush for their soups, salads, pizzas and pastas (and desserts…so pretty much everything).  Almost everything we have had there over the years has been fantastic, with two notable drawbacks being its price and long wait times during peak eating times.  So while we would otherwise eat at Franny’s all the time, unfortunately our checkbooks and desire to not wait for hours (on weekends in particular) means that Franny’s is only an occasional treat.  

(White Pizza with Ricotta and Buffalo Mozzarella)

We recently checked out Franny’s new, larger space (which somehow has not made getting in easier at all) and thankfully for an early 6pm dinner on a Saturday with friends, we didn’t really have to wait that long.  Sadly though, the prices were still what they are, so departed with a significant dent in our wallets (though, granted a lot of those funds went to drinks).

(Pizza with Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella)

The food was fantastic though.  We played it fairly safe with bruschettas, pizzas, and pastas, but everything was great.  The pizza crust was perfectly flavorful, the toppings slightly sweet and salty, and the pasta was cooked perfectly.  I sadly did not have a soup on this visit, but I once had a vegan kale and bread soup which was completely out of this world (and something I have dreamed about replicating at home).

(Remains of Perfectly Cooked Cacio e Pepe)

Franny's

348 Flatbush Avenue

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Accessible by several train lines, including the B/Q trains at 7th Avenue and the 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza

Behold - The Bagel Hole Bagel!

I love bagels.  All kinds of bagels.  Grocery store bagels, frozen bagels, bagels that are functionally thick bread.  Well, I don’t like sweet bagels.  But all savory bagels are winners in my book.

As such, it’s a huge problem to live in New York, where bagels are not only plentiful, but decent-to-excellent bagels also abound.  Ever since I moved to New York, I have been on a bagel expedition throughout the boroughs.

The great thing is that I haven’t yet exhausted all of the “good” bagel places that you read/hear about AND I have already found very tasty bagels from Utopia Bagels in eastern Queens to Terrace Bagels in central Brooklyn.

My favorite bagel place to date is indisputably the Bagel Hole in Park Slope (I’m sorry my other bagel friends).  The Bagel Hole bagel is shockingly good - such that I would regularly also buy the bags of 6 day-old bagels for my freezer when I’d pop in for fresh bagels during a weekend (granted, I did say I will eat ANY bagel, but these day-old ones are still SO good). 

The Bagel Hole bagel is great because it is decently sized (i.e., not insanely huge), has a crisp/firm exterior, and the interior is chewy.  The Bagel Hole bagel is also great because these firm no-toasters churn out fresh bagels throughout the day, and when you get a fresh bagel (ask for what has just been baked), the cream cheese will slightly melt inside leading to that much more of an amazing bagel experience.

Gosh, I miss living within a mile of the Bagel Hole.

The Bagel Hole

400 7th Avenue (btwn. 12th and 13th Streets)

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Easily accessible via the F/G stop at 7th Avenue

al di la - Really Good Restaurant in…Park Slope (Yes!)

As I’ve written about before, the Park Slope dining scene leaves a lot to be desired.  Yes, there are a ton of restaurants across the greater Slope area, but unfortunately many are a combination of both mediocre and slightly more expensive than they should be.

One notable exception to this general rule though is the consistently excellent al di la Trattoria, which always seems to have several vegetarian options to choose from.  Unfortunately, al di la’s reputation though is far from a secret, and it is certainly one of the most written-up and visited restaurants in the Slope.  

My secret to avoiding the crowds is to go there for a weekday lunch or for weekend brunch, which I think might be a slightly newer offering.  In any case, with both options, we have been able to avoid the multi-hour waits that can otherwise occur there.

My last trip for brunch included the not-necessarily brunch-y Ricotta and Lemon Ravioli, which was outstanding.  The tomato sauce was perfectly sweet and not too tart, the lemon flavor of the pasta filling added a really nice freshness.  I easily could have eaten two servings of this dish. 

My friend ordered the daily frittata, which was also outstanding.  Light with lots of flesh flavors and the side salad was also delicious.

While I no longer live in Brooklyn, I could certainly see al di la being one of the few places I’ll return to in the Slope.

al di la Trattoria

248 5th Avenue (at Carroll St)

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Just a few blocks from the R train at Union Street

Bogota in Park Slope - Surprisingly Good and Vegetarian-Friendly Columbian Restaurant

I have to admit that I have a somewhat dim view of the eating scene in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn.  Yes, there is the amazing Franny’s, and other strong restaurants like Al Di La and Applewood, but generally the Park Slope dining scene is pretty “meh.”  

That background in particular makes this latest restaurant find truly unexpected.  When a friend suggested that a group of us meet at Bogota Latin Bistro on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, my immediate thought was “at least it’s close!”  My next thought, after visiting the flashy Bogota website and viewing its gigantic menu, that it seemed somewhat chain-restaurant-esque.  And given that New York City’s Columbian restaurants are more concentrated in Queens and other parts of the city, I wasn’t sure if one could really find good Columbian food in a neighborhood like Park Slope?

Needless to say, I was starting to keep my expectations in check for our forthcoming dining experience there.

When we arrived at 8pm on a Saturday night, the restaurant was completely packed, as was the bar, which made the wait for the remaining members of our party fairly uncomfortable.  Expectations continued to lower, despite the crowds indicating that that food may be good?

In any case, after we finally sat down and ordered drinks, my views further decreased upon tasting the first cocktail I ordered (I think one of the Caipirinhas) which I really didn’t like.  Sadly my next cocktail was also equally disappointing.

However, when our various orders of food started arriving, my mood brightened considerably.  To start, we ordered an assortment of empanadas, yucca frita, and some other items that I don’t remember at this point.  And one factor that definitely made the ordering process easy was that all vegetarian items are clearly marked on their menu (as are gluten free options).

None of the appetizers were greasy or overly heavy, and they were all quite flavorful, especially when matched with the various sauces we were given.

My main course was also quite good as well - the Tofu Tomatillo - which was mildly spicy and really filling.  I paired the tofu with tostones, which were fantastic (and also not greasy), and gallo pinto, which was so good that it made me want to lick up the leftover bits on the plate when I was done.  And given the size of the dish overall, I was able to take home some of the tofu and tostones, which made for a great leftover meal during the week.

So bottom line - don’t judge a book by its cover, or a neighborhood entirely based on many of its commercial establishments.  Great food - even Columbian food (!) and vegetarian-friendly (!) Columbian food - CAN be found in Park Slope!

Bogota Latin Bistro

141 5th Avenue

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Accessible from the R train at Union Street, or the 2/3 trains at Bergen Street

I Love Pizza - and Am So Lucky to Live Near a Great Neighborhood Pizza Place, Luigi’s in Brooklyn

As I’ve described in posts past, good pizza can be shockingly hard to find in NYC.  Although pizza places dot almost every commercial strip in the city, you’re more likely to find completely sub-standard pizza than actually good, you-want-to-go-back-anytime pizza restaurants.  

That’s even more reason why I feel so lucky to live relatively near Luigi’s Pizza in Sunset Park/South Slope/Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Luigi’s pizzas are consistently well made, no matter which type you try - regular, fresh mozzarella, square, etc.  Their square/Sicilian slices in particular have a wonderfully flavored dough, and their fresh mozzarella slices feature house-made basil sauce, which is a fantastic touch as well.  (And as someone allergic to nuts, thankfully the basil sauce is not a nut-based pesto!).  

I would highly recommend a trip to Luigi’s if you find yourself anywhere near the Park Slope, South Slope, Sunset Park, Gowanus, or Windsor Terrace neighborhoods.  Or frankly anywhere in Brooklyn and you don’t want to hazard a potential multi-hour wait at DiFara or Totonno’s.  

Luigi's Pizza

686 5th Avenue (btwn. 20th and 21st Street)

South Slope/Sunset Park/Park Slope, Brooklyn

Easily accessible from the D/N/R at 25th Street, or further walk (15 - 20 min.) from the 7th Avenue/9th Street F/G stop.