One Girl Cookies has become a fixture on the bakery scene in BoCoCa. Tucked away at 68 Dean St. next to Bar Tabac, it’s transformed from a tiny little Cobble Hill cookie store my friends stopped in off the F train to a destination for after-school snacks, cupcakes and cakes for parties, whoopie pies and those luscious macarons. So it should be no surprise that we’ve been treated to a One Girl Cookie cookbook with all the beloved recipes we’d like to know so well (it went on sale 10 January).
In addition to the baking tips, you’ll get a primer on the background of founder Dawn Casale (who left her job as an accessories manager at Barneys New York to open the store) and get the inside scoop of how she fell for her baker husband. FYI, if you check out the upper right side of our blog, you’ll also see we’re giving away a book to a lucky winner! Just comment on any post in the remaining weeks of January and you’ll be in the running to have the cookbook sent straight to your home. Good luck!
BococaLand
It’s On Like Donkey Kong! Sample Sale at Shen Beauty
Come on, everyone loves a good bargain. Especially when it’s awesome, upscale cosmetics and beauty products. So come in and hit the sample sale table at Shen Beauty (315 Court St.), where you’ll find products starting at just $3.
Big Movies for Little Kids Back for Winter & Spring
You know it’s going to get cold at some point, so why not start scheduling some movie time for the kiddies? We especially love the free Big Movies for Little Kids series at Cobble Hill Cinemas (265 Court St.). Perfect for children two and up, and a great way to introduce your children to sitting in a movie theatre, the winter and spring schedule is finally here. Starting 23 January with The Phantom Tollbooth, the films are shown every other Monday at 4pm through 4 June. The cost is $7 per person and advance tickets are available at the box office one week prior to each screening or online at cobblehilltheatre.com. Get those tickets early, they tend to go quickly.
Carroll Gardens Outpost of Bourgeois Pig Open for Biz
Buh-bye dusty Calpurnia Wine Bar, he-LLO Bourgeois Pig! Yup, another fabulous, trendy bar/cocktail lounge has opened its doors at 387 Court St., and this one is a BK outpost of the already popular East Village space. Draped in velvet and lit by vintage chandeliers, the Bourgeois Pig is all about chilling with some wine, cocktails, small plates and fondue. A perfect winter hang. Best of all, if you can sneak out in the beginning of the week, they’re offering half-priced bottles of wine on Monday and Tuesday evenings. You can take a look at the menu here.
Carroll Gardens and Red Hook: Scenes of a Crime
Hold on to your fancy mobile phones people (ie: iPhones), robberies in the neighborhood are up and the cops are warning everyone to be aware of their surroundings. According to the NY Post,
In Carroll Gardens, patrons of NY Perks, a nightclub on Smith Street on the neighborhood’s Restaurant Row, have been recent targets, as have subway riders at the Carroll Street station, residents and sources said. In Red Hook, crooks from the Red Hook Houses are targeting tipplers and IKEA and Fairway shoppers, police sources said. Both neighborhoods are in the 76th Precinct, which reported 124 robberies in 2011, up from 100 in 2010. As a result of the uptick, the precinct has stepped up its patrols.
I know I don’t think twice before I plug in my headphones or tap texts on the street. But from the looks of it, we all may want to keep our tech out of site–especially after dark. Anyone have any problems recently?
Recycle Those Trees @ Cobble Hill Park
As the weather swings from balmy to bone-chilling, you may be noticing the Christmas tree road kill along the sidewalks and streets of BoCoCa–patiently waiting pick-up from the Dept. of Sanitation. But if you haven’t ditched that aging fir just yet, bring it to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation MulchFest this weekend and give the gift of wood chips to the local greenery. Stop by Cobble Hill Park or The Amazing Garden (at Columbia and Carroll Streets) on 7 or 8 January from 10am to 2pm and you’ll even be able to take home a bag of mulch for your own garden.
Happy New Year Brooklyn
Hi Bococaland. Sorry, been having a little too much holiday cheer (which will cost me countless hours at the gym next month), but wanted to check in before the end of 2011 and wish you all a happy, healthy new year. A few things going down tonight if you’re still undecided on plans, so wanted to give you a small smattering of ideas. And of course, the fact that you don’t have to don scarves, gloves and hats (or spend an hour wrapping your children in appropriate layers) to leave the house may inspire you to head out as well. See you in 2012, and thanks for coming back to check us out.
Bar Bruno (520 Henry St.), a newcomer to the scene, promises a little fun with your food–Mexico City-style. Wash down the salty, professionally-charred Shishito peppers and duck taquitos with a $6 Tecate and Maker’s shot special (until 10pm, then you should probably switch to one of the well-chosen Micheladas). Come early with the family and let the children play with the goodie bags provided by the establishment while they choose from the large kids menu.
Bark Hot Dogs (474 Bergen St.) will be serving specials until 9:30pm on New Year’s Eve and a soak up brunch the next day.
NEW YEARS EVE:
The Resolution Special
$2 Salt & Pepper Fries
$3 Classic Dogs
$4 Sixpoint Ales
$5 Bark Burgers
$12 Half Bottles of Blanc de Blanc or Rose Sparkling Wine from Gruet
NEW YEARS DAY:
THE HANGOVER BREAKFAST SPECIAL
$8 Any Egg Sandwich + Hash Browns + Coffee, Tea, or Juice
Also…
$6 Mimosas (Gruet Sparkling Wine and Fresh Squezed OJ)
$12 Half Bottles of Blanc de Blanc or Rose Sparkling Wine from Gruet
In addition to a $49 three-course dinner, Provence en Boite (263 Smith St.) is offering a Galette des Rois on New Year’s day–a classic French pastry filled with an almond cream. It comes with a crown in case you’re on the fence.
Bocca Lupo (391 Henry St.) is doing a four course prix fixe dinner with prosecco toast. Though they are taking ressies at newyears@boccalupo-brooklyn.com, they welcome walk-ins and promise to accommodate anyone who turns up. A DJ will be spinning so expect to stay late.
Char No. 4 (196 Smith St.) promises a bourbon and whiskey-soaked night with an $85 four-course meal, with entrees including venison, beef two-ways, and lobster. Brunch starts at 10am on Sunday and Monday morning, though January 2 patrons will receive a gratis chipotle bourbon bloody mary or mimosa.
And, I’m gonna throw this in because a friend owns the place, and maybe you’ll be shopping sales at Bergdorf’s and need a place to put down the bags. New joint Amali (115 East 60th St.) promises to change your well-worn image of the upper east side. In fact, with inviting decor and design (all the wood is re-purposed from New York City buildings) and a menu offering farm-to-table Mediterranean cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients (I’m still dreaming of the crostini with buffalo ricotta, fresh red chilies and olive oil), it’s kind of a Colonie for the shopping set. Tonight you can get a $75 prix fixe meal which will take you on a trip through Italy, Greece and France with luxe offerings like truffles, foie gras, oysters and cavier.
Pool Coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2
A temporary, outdoor pool is coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 and we should see it open this summer. According to Ellen Ryan, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s VP of Strategic Partnerships, they don’t know how big it is expected to be, but it will be in place for the next five seasons. “We don’t have any renderings or project specifics as yet, this project is still in the planning phases. We should know more by the end of the first quarter. Certainly we expect this to open for the summer 2012 season. Just to stress that this is a temporary pool and it’s not a floating pool,” Ryan says. I’m intrigued! More to come when I get more information.
Family Orthodontists in Brooklyn Heights
We love local, family businesses here at Bococaland. So when Sue Liebman got in touch about the family orthodontist practice she runs with her father, Irwin Kolin, we were glad to get the word out for them. After being on staff at LICH DOwnstate and practicing together for over 25 years, the father-daughter team has recently moved to Montague St., 8th flr. across from the Garden of Eden (formerly located in the Williamsburgh Savings Bank building) and wanted to let the hood know the office is open every Saturday for appointments and also after school/work hours during the week. So come by and say hello, check out the offices and feel free to make an appointment just to ask any questions you might have about future treatments. You can find them here, or give them a call at 718-622-6741.
Community Chanukah Party for the Family
Chanukah and Christmas hit head on this year, but the Festival of Lights begins next Tuesday for its eight day stint–so why not start it out right by hitting The Big Gigantic Chanukah Celebration Starring Uncle Moishy? Really, it’s just a nice party at Borough Hall with Borough Prez Marty Markowitz. Come at 5pm for the Menorah Lighting, then stay for latkes, dreidle spinning, doughnuts and presents for all children who attend. “Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men” will play a concert at 6pm–we hear it’s not to be missed.
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