Shen Beauty

This new cosmetics store in Cobble Hill has an array of both affordable and high end beauty products. Owned by Jessica Richards and Jules Stringer, the boutique has been open since October 2nd. It has a very stylish and feminine atmosphere, yet not overtly. Okay maybe a little overtly. It is very pink. It smells wonderful when you walk through the threshold but not overwhelmingly so. Co-owner, Jessica, mentioned in a recent interview that she lives here in Brooklyn and didn't feel there were any good beauty stores in the neighborhood so she set out to open one. After meeting her partner, Jules, months later her idea became a reality. Shen Beauty is located at 315 Court Street.

Eat Pie and Shop!

On December 5th from 11-5 there will be a pie social and holiday gift fair at PS 29 on Henry and Baltic. All proceeds help support the school. Not only can you eat pie, of several varieties, but you can either watch or maybe even join in on eating pie competitively. Yup, a pie eating contest! The panel consists of several celebrity judges, including Brooklyn Borough Prez Marty Markowitz. The contest starts at 1pm.

So, although you may have had your fill of pie and shopping after Thanksgiving and Black Friday (who's kidding who, you can never have enough pie), it's time to break out the wallets and your appetite one more time..for charity of course.

Court Street Grocers

Sweet baked goods (brownies, rugelach, danishes), breads (Orwashers wine bread, brioche, croissants), and freshly made to order sandwiches (grilled cheese and apple, Catskill roast pork, corned short rib reubens). Did I reawaken your appetite after having been put to rest after your bingefest yesterday?

Court Street Grocers, at 485 Court Street right next to the Avon store, recently opened it's doors. It's a cute little market, kind of pricey, but their menu looks pretty enticing, even after being in what you think may be a permanent food coma. An especially unique menu item is the Media Noche sandwich. Kind of like a Cuban sandwich but on sweeter bread. Haven't seen this one on too many menus.

Open Daily from 8AM-9PM except Tuesdays (for now). Made to order sandwiches from 11AM-8PM.

Be Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This is the day to be grateful and thankful for what we have. You can go one further and decide to help those who may not have quite as much this season. Below is a list of places to donate to the Toys for Tots Foundation, who collects and delivers new toys to children in the community over the holidays. So, if you're out shopping for friends and family tomorrow, why not pick up something to donate as well.

Dime Savings Bank
188 Montague St
(718)855-1942

T-Mobile
76 Court St

ToysRUs Express
345 Jay Street
(718)855-1761

Brooklyn Boulders
575 Degraw St
(917)716-3307

Fitness Together
382 5th Ave, Brooklyn
(718)369-0707

Dental Spa of New York
398 5th Ave, Brooklyn
(718)965-6298

Go nuts for Doughnuts!

Peter Pan Bakery was already famous amongst Greenpoint residents but was made even more so after Tina Fey's Esquire magazine interview when she claimed they not only made the best doughnut but they are so good that if she were a guy she would do more than just eat these holey treats. Well now you don't have to get on the G train to see what all the fuss and crude yet funny comments are all about. Peter Pan doughnuts are served right here in the neighborhood every Saturday morning starting at 10 AM at Brooklyn Farmacy, which is located at Union and Henry. But forget just a plain old doughnut, Peter Pan has a pretty amazing dessert that goes one step further into deliciousness...the doughnut ice cream sandwich! Not sure if Farmacy will make these but they have the doughnuts and the ice cream so you can always combine the two yourself. If Tina Fey ever discovered this combo she'd..well she'd be very excited.

Burger Joint Now Open!

Just arriving on 548 Court and 9th street is a new casual restaurant named Dubuque. It seems the name of this place has a double meaning. On their menu under the restaurant name it says "Down Under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway" yet the owner also says that it's named after Dubuque, Iowa because it's an American, or rather a middle American grill. Either way it's open and ready to serve up some food, more specifically burgers. They have beef, lamb, pork, and even a cod scallop burger. They offer more than burgers though. Some items on their menu include an oyster poboy, deviled eggs, and a grilled tuna sandwich with black olive pesto.

Hours of operation: 5pm-10pm Tuesday-Sunday, Open late on Saturdays (until 11pm), closed on Mondays.

Visit them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dubuque-Restaurant/132912063407018

The shack is coming!

It's really happening! Downtown Brooklyn is getting a Shake Shack. It was published in the Observer recently that it will be opening at Fulton Mall but not until 2011 so let's not get too excited. The very popular restaurant will open on the corner of Fulton and Adams streets taking over a space that used to be Tony's Famous Pizza.

Some neighborhood residents are anticipating the opening with great excitement while others are afraid the arrival may hurt small businesses in the area. Marty Markowitz is thrilled about it. According to the New York Daily News he responded by stating ""It's about time!...I've been pitching [owner] Danny Meyer to come to Brooklyn for years and have always felt that Fulton Mall would be a great location." For better or worse it's coming. Yummy burgers, amazing shakes, and really long lines to prove it.

Tio Pio on the way.

On the corner of Court Street and State Street there is a big commercial space, which used to be a deli called F. Martinella then Danny's on Court (both short-lived), that has been unoccupied for quite some time. We've been wondering what might open up on that corner. Well, the wait is over because there is a new sign up and it's pretty hard to miss. A bright red sign with a picture of a chicken wearing sneakers has gone up and we now know the space is now going to be a Latin-American rotisserie chicken chain restaurant called Tio Pio. Considering there's a pretty big lunch crowd around this area and not too many quick places to eat aside from fast food chains like McDonalds, there is a Chipotle around the corner which does very well, this place might outlast it's predecessors.

Corner Shop at Henry and Baltic

The corner space at Henry and Baltic has been totally gutted. Work being done a couple of days ago included detail work on the outside. Peeking inside one will notice that there is still a long way to go before this place opens and you wouldn't really be able to tell what it might be. So we asked. The man doing the detail work told us it was going to be a sandwich shop. This could mean a corner grocery with a deli or a little cafe. I guess we'll wait and see.

From Laundromat to Restaurant

Previously the V&F Laundromat at 410 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, this space is undergoing a major renovation and being turned into a restaurant. Not really sure what type of restaurant. We were told "fast food" by one of the guys working on the place but that seems a little vague. We heard that it's owned by the same owners as the Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins around the corner, so fast food makes sense. Whatever it is, it's going to be big. The space looks nearly the size of the CVS across the street. It looks like there is a lot of work to still be done so I guess we'll have to be patient to find out. Unless anyone out there who's in the know would like to share this info with us?