Posts tagged east williamsburg

Xi’an Famous Foods Brooklyn

Weird. Xi’an Famous Foods just opened up a storefront kind of close to where I live in East Williamsburg. But what’s weird is that in the middle of nowhere. So far from the train and mostly just among warehouses.

Seriously, this is the Google Maps street view…
Google%20Maps%20 %20Xian%20Famous%20Foods%20Brooklyn Xian Famous Foods Brooklyn

Well after talking to the guy there, it makes actually makes sense since it is the location of their central kitchen. They make almost all the stuff there (sauces, meats, noodles) before shipping them off to their restaurants. And the location does make sense since it’s close to the highway. Might as well add a storefront since they are making food there anyway. And there are people that live close enough …like me.

Today is their grand opening and they are giving out free burgers or noodle dish if you go to their Facebook page. If you catch this quick enough and willing to trudge through the snow, you can still print out the coupon. Todd told me about it since he lives even closer and said he was going to go right when it opened …and they would hang his coupon on the wall like a first dollar bill. Anyway I beat him and was the first person there, but he and Elissa came after. No line because of the blizzard. People soon came in after us, but we already hogged the three stools at the counter. I feel bad all those people had to eat their food in the snow.

The food was good as usual. Maybe spicier? It had a lot of kick.

Xi’an Famous Foods – 86 Beadel St. Brooklyn, NY 11222

There was a big CPR poster on the wall. Is it weird that the people in the drawings look Asian? Maybe they just look at Asian because we’re in an Asian restaurant.
10 Asian CPR instructions Xian Famous Foods Brooklyn

I do hope they hang my coupon on the wall.

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A.K.A. Bar Restaurant

I walked by this place one day. I think it’s sort of new in the East Williamsburg area –A.K.A. Bar Restaurant. It looks more like a bar in there. They got a full bar up with some top shelf liquor. I saw a sign for $3 beer and $5 lunch special.

It’s weird. The printed menu is mostly stuff like Tacos, Burritos and Burgers …I think to pull in the white people. But dang, I really feel like they should focus on the stuff not on the menu …the stuff that’s their lunch special –Roast Pork, Beef Stew, Roast Chicken. White people like that stuff.

$5 lunch special with rice and beans. I remember when Latino places near my work would have $5 lunch specials, but now they’re more like $8. I guess it makes sense that this is $5 though, since it’s not near my work.

I ordered the Roast Pork. Pretty good stuff. Although, it was sliced more like ham than what I usually think of as Roast Pork –stringy, pulled apart meat. Still pretty good. I really liked the rice and beans and the hot sauce.

$5 a pretty good deal. $3 Bud, cool.

A.K.A. Bar Restaurant – 759 Grand St (btwn Graham Ave & Humboldt St)\Brooklyn, NY 11211

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Pedro’s II (East Williamsburg)

There’s a new restaurant where the short-lived Alien Cafe used to be right off the Grand St L stop –Pedro’s II Dumbo …but in East Williamsburg. Dang, this is that Mexican restaurant in Dumbo that sticks out like it’s the only restaurant in the area, at least back in the day from my memory of walking around Dumbo off the York stop.

I remember eating here in Dumbo with an old girlfriend and her friends. A live DVD of Shakira was playing on the TV and my girlfriend was making fun of her. I don’t know why, but I got really upset. I remember talking to my friend later that night about how I feel like breaking up with her because of that. I didn’t realize Shakira was such a touchy subject in my life. I actually don’t know much about her. But now you know not to bad-mouth Shakira in front of me.

Anyway, I stopped into this new Pedro’s in Williamsburg for brunch. I wanted some Mexican breakfast. I saw the sign outside for the Huevos Rancheros with Mimosa for $11 and ordered that. It’s actually about the same price any time of the day for that combo. If I knew that, I’d probably try a burrito or tortas, since that sounded heartier for the price.

No regrets though. Although, the Huevos Ranchos looked a little skimpy on the plate. I couldn’t tell there was a corn tortilla underneath that fried egg. But mixed all together with the beans and the hot sauce in the small Corona bottle, it tasted pretty good. I enjoyed it. Mimosa was tasty!

I’d come back again. Probably for the Happy Hour $3 beer (4-8pm). The waitress was nice. They had college basketball on TV. No Shakira.

Pedro’s II – 812 Grand St (btwn Bushwick Ave & Humboldt) Brooklyn, NY 11211

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El Comal Deli and Grill

I got a comment here the other day from Evan:

Hey. You need to go to El Comal on Orient and Metropolitan. Seriously. Amazing. Mexican Food cooked to order in the back. So cheap. Also, they need our business. I don’t want them to go away. Been there two months and I don’t see a lot of people. We need more food in the Orient, maspeth, olive triangle. Support the hood! Get people going there.

I’ve seen this place. I thought it was just a regular bodega. It was shortly a 99cent store pretty recently.

I told Todd about this and he went there yesterday. He confirmed that the tacos are good.

I went here today with Rusty and Dave Dondero. The bodega is large. Spacious, but not a whole lot of products. They have steam tray tables meant for some kind of buffet, but they are empty. There’s a shelf of tortilla shells, cheese, salsas and raw meat you can buy to make tacos at home. And then the grill is in the back.

They make all sorts of things, Mexican food (tacos, enchiladas, sopes, tortas) to breakfasts platters and sandwiches.

I ordered three tacos for myself ($2.50 each). I got a carne asada (beef), carnitas (pork) and lengua (tongue). They all came out looking the same, but did taste different. I think what was the carne asada was the best. But all really good. Very authentic Mexican style tacos.

If only this place sold beer and stayed open later. I’ll be back.

El Comal Deli and Grill – 817 Metropolitan (between Bushwick Ave/Woodpoint and Orient), Brooklyn NY 11121

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Mahzen Grill

I was walking around for two hours looking for a new place to eat a late lunch last week while I was stuck in Brooklyn because of the storm. Either I was turned away or the places I wanted to try were closed. I started walking back home and saw that Mahzen Grill (a newish Mediterranean restaurant) was open.

It was already 4pm and I missed their lunch window. Whatever. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten all day.

I ordered a beer and the Hunkar Bengendi (Beef stew on a bed of creamy roasted eggplant puree $19). It was good. Tender meat. The Eggplant Puree was like Baba ghanoush. They gave me bread, but it didn’t really help the dish. Although it looks like it needs bread or something, it really doesn’t. Actually warm pita bread might’ve been good.

It’s not often I spend $30 on lunch. But whatever, I was starving. And I’ve been very fortunate after all this Sandy mess. Very fortunate. I can celebrate that at least.

This place gets pretty good Yelp reviews. I saw that they were doing a lot of delivery. It’s weird, because it doesn’t look like a place that would do delivery. Maybe because it looks like an art gallery.

Mahzen Grill – 739 Grand St (btwn Graham Ave & Humboldt) Brooklyn, NY 11211

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Mom’s Kitchen Too – Pollo a la Brasa

$3.50 (plus tax) for this half rotisserie Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) from Mom’s Kitchen Too …where I got the Oxtail Stew. The chicken was moist and tender. A really good deal. They also gave me the spine.

I did come back to try the Roast Pork. It was way too salty. Probably just a bad day.

I think the dealers from the Google Maps drug bust might have moved in front of this restaurant. Or maybe I’m just profiling? They dressed like thugs and it is only twenty feet away. They got real quiet when I walked up, like I was a narc. But I just wanted some chicken.

Mom’s Kitchen Too (or Mama’s Kitchen Too or La Cocina De Mama Too) - 251 Jackson St. Brooklyn, NY

Half Chicken Pollo a la Brasa Moms Kitchen Too Moms Kitchen Too Pollo a la Brasa

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Gwynnett St. Brunch

Todd and I met up at Gwynnett St. for brunch. For years, this location had previously been several rotating Italian restaurants that never stayed open for long. Never really busy, except for the occasional suspiciously large family I’d see strolling out. It made me think those restaurants were mob fronts. Gwynnett St. looks exactly like the restaurants before. I didn’t even notice that it was a new place …so it was surprising to hear from friends that this place is really good.

We started off with the Whiskey Bread with cultured butter and apricot. Dang, this bread is really good. It’s dense and reminds me of a homemade beer type of bread. Great slathered with the cultured butter.

I didn’t know what a Kir Royale was, so I ordered it. It’s like a sweet/tangy mimosa.

Todd and I split the Pork Shoulder Steak and the Oxtail & Onion Marmalade ($16 each). The latter was like toast with meat spread. Both pretty good and more fancy of a brunch than I’m used to. It’s nice to treat myself now and then.

Gwynnett St - 312 Graham Ave (btwn Ainslie & Devoe St) Brooklyn, NY 11211

Looks like brunch is only on Sundays. Take note of their open hours. I came by on Day Lights Saving Day and was confused because I couldn’t tell if it was 3 or 4pm. Unfortunately, they were closing when I came in, but sincerely helpful in helping me figure out what time it was. That’s where I walked for another hour and finally ate Barzola’s Fish and Shrimp Casserole.

Gwynnett%20St%20open%20hours Gwynnett St. Brunch

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Sel de Mer’s Lobster and Fish and Chips

Oh man. Sam was back in town and we grabbed dinner at Sel de Mer. They had steamed lobster on the menu again ($17) with fries. Got that and the Beer Battered Fish & Chips ($15). We split that shit. So dang good. My hands were a mess. I dipped my fries into the lobster head. Green gunk is the new ketchup.

I live so close to this place. I don’t know why I don’t eat here more often.

Sel de Mer – 374 Graham Ave (btwn Conselyea & Skillman) Brooklyn, NY 11211

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