Goodbye Plexiglass!

Ruben Liquor Store has been in the neighborhood, on Court street and the corner of Baltic, for 34 years. They had some problems back in the seventies which made them put up plexiglass to protect themselves and their merchandise. Much like New York itself, the area has changed drastically since then and Ruben is now ready to change as well. The store, although some plexiglass is still up between 9pm and midnight, is undergoing renovations and customers will be able to walk around freely and browse the liquor and wine selections. Although the regulars weren't dissuadeed by the glass the owners are hoping this will attract new customers with a more welcoming atmosphere. They will be opening back up in August so if you've been in there before and were put off by not being able to browse for yourself go check out their new look!

New Bakery on Smith.

Bien-Cuit, which means "cooked just right" in french, is a new bread bakery at 120 Smith Street. The space used to be Heights Books, who bought and sold used books. The new exterior, as well as the interior, is clean and simple, showcasing the beautiful and scrumptious-looking breads and pastries. They have what you would expect at a french bakery, tarts and croissants, but there are a lot of unique things on the menu as well, such as house made mini fudgsicles, pizzeta, and passion fruit & verbena spritzers, too name just a few. They also have a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and these looked especially interesting and different. A open-faced breakfast sandwich they had, for example, consisted of quail eggs, heirloom tomato, Bulgarian feta, and truffle salt. All on their freshly baked breads, of course. The food looks amazing and the only downside is that it's a bit pricey. Check it out for yourself and tell us what you think? Does the quality match the cost?

Kite Festival!

Here's an activity that sounds like it would be fun to participate in or even just watch. Brooklyn Kite Festival 2011 will be held at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1 on August 13th between 11am and 3pm. You can bring your own kite or make one there! There will be free kite-making supplies (first come first serve) and even instructional workshops. There will also be food, of course. Ice cream has definitely been promised.

Interested in volunteering at the Kite Festival? Send them an email at bkylnkitefest@gmail.com

Stories Tonight

The Hoyt Street Association has been putting on Free Stories in the Garden (that's the communtiy garden on the corner of Hoyt and Atlantic) this summer and tonight is the very last night they'll be doing this so if you're in the neighborhood you should really go check it out if you haven't already and if the weather's looking good. It starts at 7pm and they urge you to get their on time please. It's mainly for children but, of course, all ages are welcome and encouraged to come too. So, it's free and the garden is really shady and beautiful, as you can see in the picture above. What more could you want? Oh yeah, Mile End is right across the street if you want a picnic dinner or a snack!

Blue Bloods!

You may see some of the cast from Blue Bloods around the neighborhood. They'll be filming here tomorrow. Among the cast members are Donnie Wahlburg (I'm sure many readers know who that is and in fact at one point may have owned a Donnie pin or T-Shirt or pillowcase!). Other cast members include Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes and Tom Selleck. Blue Bloods is a crime drama, as you can see from their poster below, that revolves around a family of New York police officers. It hasn't been around too long, this is only their second season. So, walk don to Court Street in Carroll Gardens tomorrow and maybe you'll see some action!

Morris Hubbard at Brooklyn Flea.

Today is set to be the hottest day of the summer and this weekend doesn't seem like it'll be letting up. You'll be sweating and schvitzing through Sunday if you ask us. Do you know what you might need to help you out? Why Sweat Rags and Schvitzing Clothes of course! And you're in luck because the Brooklyn-based lifestyle brand, Morris Hubbard, will be at Brooklyn Flea this Sunday selling just that. According to their press release this is the first summer these rags and clothes will be introduced and "they can be carried, worn in the pocket, around the neck, head or tucked in a tote bag for every day use or in a clutch for special events like those lovely outdoor August weddings". They have a very vintage feel but don't worry, your brow will be the first to be wiped with these adorable clothes. Check out their facebook page to see more pictures or learn more about the brand!

Popcorn and moonlight.

Summertime in New York means public pools, outdoor concerts, and one of our favorite summer activities outdoor movies! These are happening in so many different places around the city, it's really hard to keep track. A couple of our favorite places to see are right in the neighborhood. The aptly named Amazing Garden is a tucked away community garden on Carroll and Columbia. On some weekend nights you'll find a small group of people watching an old classic film being projected onto the side of a building. It's pretty magical. We couldn't find anything online but they post fliers by the garden for upcoming films. The second venue is at Valentino Pier. Being right by the water, it's a beautiful place to hang out any time of day. Of course, both are free. Bring your own chairs if you want a seat. Go to this link if you want more info on the movies at Valentino Pier.

Arrrrgh!

We've all heard of the famed Coney Island Mermaid Parade but have you heard about the Pirate festival here in our very own neighborhood of Red Hook! On Saturday, July 30th between 11am-5pm head down to IKEA Eerie Basin Park and join in all the pirate-y activities. No there won't be any pillaging but there will be live music, a visiting schooner ship, public tours of the Mobile Nature and Maritime Museum on Wheels, a children's show, and costume contest! It should be a fun time and what better area to host such an event than Red Hook! Can't arrrrrrgue with that.

Like Butter.

Butter by Nadia, which is actually a dress designer and not a maker of dairy products, will be having a sample sale at House of Butter, located at 405 Van Brunt Street, on July 29th. They promise an "intimate shopping experience with Champagne, snacks, and deeply discounted butter". I don't know about you guys but this sample sale is making me hungry. Check out www.shopbutterbynadia.com to check out her stuff and if you like it stop by the sale between 5 and 8pm and buy some butter!

Dekalb Market Opens This Weekend!

Back in April we reported on the Dekalb Market coming to Downtown Brooklyn, at 332 Flatbush avenue Ext. Well, months have passed, we have been waiting anxiously for it's arrival, and it's finally here...almost. July 23rd, this Saturday, will be the first day they open their doors to the public, although some vendors will be outdoors through the warm months. Open seven days a week not just on the weekends! This is all very exciting. The list of vendors is below (taken from an article in Zagat. They were especially psyched about Robicelli's and Maharlika so you may want to keep those in mind). It's all making us very hungry!

-Robicelli’s (cupcakes, whoopie pies, brownies, cookies, and ice cream sandwiches plus candy and items from Liddabit Sweets amongst others)

-Joe The Art of Coffee

-Sour Puss Pickles

-Maisy's (Soul Food)

-Tea by Tiffany

-Cuzin's Duzin (Doughnuts)

-Maharlika (Fillipino)

-Wright and Goebel Wines (Wine Bar)

-Nile Valley Juice and Salads (Vegan)

-Cheeky (Cajun)

-Pasticcio (Italian)