Food & Drink

Ending the summer on a high note, on Saturday, August 30, Almonte’s Food Dynasty once again gave back to its customers and the community by hosting its annual barbecue.

Baking runs in Amy Berg’s family, going all the way back to her great-grandfather, so it was not too surprising when, about a decade ago, she decided to switch careers – going from photographer to home baker while studying for her fine arts degree at Pratt Institute.

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Shopping local just became a whole lot easier, thanks to the Brooklyn Made certification program.

Sometimes, a name says it all. On July 17, new Brooklyn eatery Sooo Delicious Food Court, 1801 Bath Avenue, celebrated its opening during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

With a rocky coast lapped by the waters of the Mediterranean, Calabria is one of the lesser known regions of Italy.

Balady Foods and Halal Market Place on Fifth may appear like the average supermarket from the outside, but once inside, shoppers are transported into a truly Middle Eastern setting with everything from fresh pastries, poultry and spices to the specifics, like Halal rainbow sprinkles, sold by weight, gracing the aisles.

Fresh, flavorful food – that’s the recipe for success at Nature’s Grill, founded 13 years ago in Bay Ridge, and now expanded to two other locations – downtown Brooklyn and Bensonhurst’s Ceasar’s Bay.

Cedars Pastry and Ice Cream Shop – sitting pretty on 72^nd Street and Fifth Avenue – is perhaps Bay Ridge’s best kept summer secret. Just over three years old, the Arabic ice cream shop and in-house bakery gives birth to fresh-baked goods, French cakes and pastries from all over the world.

A new Panera Bread has found a home in Bay Ridge on 86th Street, in the heart of the shopping area.

Walk into Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn’s Fifth Avenue restaurant and you’d be forgiven for feeling a bit of déjà vu. If you’ve ever dined at the restaurant’s space on the lower level of Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, you’ll recognize the red-and-white checkered napkins, the black-and-white tiles, the giant chandelier in the main dining room, the homage to the cavernous arches, and the distinctive and playful font used for the sign out front.

We are entering full swing into the summer season, and this is a perfect time to enjoy hummus. For those who are not familiar with hummus, it is a Middle Eastern spread that is made with chickpeas and tahini as the main ingredients.

At Mama Maria’s in Carroll Gardens, history and family can literally be tasted as food and culture collide in photos on the walls, the food on your plate and the bottles lined up on the bar.

The first annual Caribbean Restaurant Week is coming on Sunday, June 22 and will run through Saturday, June 28, thanks to the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association and the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Flavorful, home-cooked food that’s easy on the budget is the specialty of What A Taco, which delivers Mexican food “with a Brooklyn twist,” in the words of owner and Bay Ridge native John Tsakinis.

There is no shortage of Brooklyn restaurants that include some form of taco on their menu, but too often, they take a back seat to the featured items available. At Williamsburg’s La Gringa Taqueria, this is not a problem. Here, tacos—and burritos, nachos, quesadillas and all the fixings—take center stage.

The latest treat for Ridge residents and visitors is nestled right on Fifth Avenue at 76^th Street, with the grand opening of the Brooklyn Cupcake Express Spot.

Cinco de Mayo is a great time for our country to embrace Mexican pride and heritage. Falling into the full bloom of spring, this is truly a day that is all about fun. It presents with the opportunity to enjoy an outdoor repast of frosty drinks and an array of spicy dishes.

One Bay Ridge bar is turning over a new Leif.

Ample Hills Creamery marks its fourth anniversary this year and is celebrating it in style, by releasing its very own ice cream cookbook/storybook, full of recipes, fun doodles, pictures and stories about the young, yet already beloved Prospect Heights institution.

It was a spread that food lovers usually only dream of.

The Sandwich Shop packs so much creativity and care into every part of its shoebox-sized restaurant, open since Halloween, 2013, that the white-tiled space feels akin to a sandwich sanctuary. That cozy feel of a welcoming neighborhood joint was the goal, said owners Ricardo Picon and Clarisa Penzini, who chose their Grand Street location exactly because of the sense of community.

Who can say no to pie? Not us. And thus far, not the patrons of the Brooklyn Public Library’s (BPL) Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, where the lobby café has been revamped with a brand new look, menu and chefs.

Whether it is Mac & Cheese Balls ($6 for four), Sixpoint Battered Anchor Wings ($8 for six, $15 for 12, $24 for 24), an Eight-Hour Pork Braciole sandwich ($11), or a pile of Grass-Fed Meatballs ($9 for three, $16 for six, $30 for 12) drowned in house-made marinara sauce and polished off with a plate of freshly-filled Cannoli ($6 for three), Zito’s Sandwich Shoppe knocks it out of the park—all with a friendly smile.

As a little girl, I attended St. Patrick's Elementary School in Brooklyn. There I was with my olive complexion, pitch black hair, dark eyes and a very Italian name. This meant that I couldn't fake being Irish every month of March even if I were so inclined. However, March rolled along every year, and my family enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day season along with our many Irish friends.