1. food and drink
2. beverages
3. alcoholic beverages
4. wine

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Winter 2010
MESSAGE
MARTY
from
LOVE FOR THE AGES!
BROOKLYN’S GOT THE SWEETHEARTS
Ahhh, winter in Brooklyn! Time to skate in Prospect Park or visit
cultural institutions like the Brooklyn Museum, which provides
free entertainment the first Saturday evening of every month! •
The Brooklyn Flea market moves to One Hanson Place winter
weekends from Jan. 9-March 27, 10am-5pm • And don’t forget
BAM’s Martin Luther King Day Celebration Jan. 18,
10am–noon • Celebrate Black History Month Feb. 18, 6pm at
Borough Hall • Did you know Junior’s Restaurant turns 60 this
year? To celebrate, they’ll serve a free slice of cheesecake with purchase of any lunch or dinner entrée ( Just clip out the coupon in
this issue!) • Have a Happy, healthy—and yummy—New Year! •
And don’t forget, Brooklyn, stand up and be counted during the
2010 Census. Visit www.brooklyn-usa.org or call (718) 802-3777
for more information • As always, send Brooklyn!! story ideas to
[email protected] or call (718) 802-3700.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE...
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
Permit No. 2350
Every year thousands with leukemia and other diseases must receive
bone marrow or cord blood transplants to survive. I recently learned a
good friend, Jennifer Jones Austin, a longtime advocate for those in
need, is facing this horrible circumstance. Jennifer, the daughter of
late, nationally celebrated spiritual leader Rev. William Augustus
Jones, pastor emeritus of Bethany Baptist Church in BedfordStuyvesant, urgently needs a bone marrow donor. Donation is much
like blood donation, usually requiring no surgery. Bone marrow needs
to be a 100% match, so it is most likely that Ms. Austin’s match will
be African American, but all marrow types are needed. To learn about
marrow drives for Ms. Austin, visit www.savejenaustin.com. You can
also register to become a possible marrow donor by visiting
www.bethematch.org or calling (888) 638-2870.
CALLING ALL
SWEETHEARTS!
Are you and your
spouse Brooklynites
who have been married
50 or more years?
Join Marty and Jamie
for a Valentine’s Day
party to renew your
vows and toast love’s
eternal flame.
February 12, 2010
1:00 PM at El Caribe
Call (718) 802-3717
to reserve a spot.
4
Senior couples of Brooklyn—married 50 years or more—join Marty and his wife Jamie every year
for a toast, for some sweet treats and, of course, for some Terpsichore
eniors are the fastest growing demographic in Brooklyn, and it’s easy to see
why. There is no better place on Earth to spend your golden years—with
our unparalleled museums, cultural and academic institutions, restaurants,
parks, superb health care facilities and convenient modes of transportation. Not
to mention our enormous wellspring of love. Maybe it’s the water, or the ocean
air blowing in from Coney Island, but something about Brooklyn keeps love
burning like an eternal flame. Just look at the many Brooklyn couples who tied
the knot decades ago, yet remain as in love as the day they said “I do.”
Every year, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, Marty pays tribute to (and gets
valuable advice from) these long-time lovebirds. On February 12, all Brooklyn couples who have been married for 50 years or more are invited to dance the afternoon
away and renew their vows—unofficially of course—at the Brooklyn Sweethearts
Celebration. The love-fest takes place at the fabulous El Caribe Country Club in
Mill Basin.
The party is for the young at heart, but all Brooklynites have reason to be inspired by these loving couples. They have been devoted to each other in sickness
and health, through good times and bad. While they all have a unique tale to tell,
the common thread that runs through their stories is that love will find a way.
S
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
A Courier-Life Publication
2
Winter 2010
ALL IN THE FAMILY
CLOSE-KNIT MUSIC
For more than 25 years, the mother-daughter
team of Sima Spivak and Liliana Nikchemny—
both extraordinary dressmakers with roots in the
Ukraine—have been putting the “special” into special events. Anyone who visits the award winning
Monica’s Bridal—their premier boutique in
Sheepshead Bay—for a wedding gown, bridesmaid’s dress, evening wear or custom designing will
come away looking like something out of Vogue,
where in fact both Sima and Liliana cut their teeth.
The newest team member, Liliana’s daughter and
boutique namesake Monica, is a 2008 Fashion Institute of Technology graduate and adds her chic
style to the mix.
But the family connections don’t stop there.
4 Luxurious surroundings as well
as exquisite gowns await at
David Nikchemny, Liliana’s husband, is a busy New
Monica’s Bridal in Sheepshead Bay
York developer who created the boutique’s beautiful
classical façade and sumptuous interiors, filled with sparkly chandeliers and soaring
columns. Son Larry put together the store’s computer system and the webcam that lets
brides model dresses to loved ones far away.
With three generations of designers and an attentive staff, Monica’s Bridal makes even
the most nervous bride—or mother-of-the-bride—secure that she’s in perfect hands. To
Liliana it comes down to one thing. “We’re in the special occasion business and we want
to make it right,” she said. “Monica creates an exclusive line of bridal gowns for the store
and we can even make your fantasies come true by turning a sketch or photo into the dress
of your dreams.”
Not that Brooklyn’s status as
the Creative Capital of New York
City has ever been in doubt, but if
you want indisputable proof—especially for stubborn Manhattanites—remind them that last fall
one of their most treasured music
venues picked up stakes and
moved to Brooklyn. The Knitting
Factory, a fixture of New York’s
downtown and indie music scene,
now calls Williamsburg home.
“It just felt like the right time,”
senior talent buyer Chris White
said of the club’s decision to move
from TriBeCa to the eastern banks
of the East River. “I would say 80 to
4 Enjoying a drink at the Kontrol Room Bar at
90 percent of us live in Brooklyn or
Brooklyn’s new Knitting Factory
Queens, and we all hang out here.”
The address may be different, but the Knitting Factory still strives to have the most eclectic lineup of any club in the city, including a slew of local acts. It’s the kind of place where in
one weekend you can see Brooklyn indie funksters Ikebe Shakedown and Brooklyn’s legendary Bill Lee Big Band. In fact, our borough is built right into the Knitting Factory—the
building’s new front window was salvaged from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
“Brooklyn was a natural pick for us,” White said. “All you have to do is walk down
Bedford or Metropolitan to realize our audience is right here.”
Monica’s Bridal is located at 1637 Sheepshead Bay Rd. (bet. Voorhies and Jerome);
(718) 646-5400; www.mbridal.com.
Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave. (bet. Havemeyer and Roebling Sts.);
(347) 529-6696; http://bk.knittingfactory.com.
DREAM WEAVERS
RIDING THE WAVE TO SCOTLAND
Textiles surround us: as
clothing, shelter and art. Humans have been weaving since
the Palaeolithic era and in the
modern era weaving became a
major industry. Although
modern looms make complicated designs fast, there’s nothing like a handwoven textile.
At the Textile Arts Center
of NY in Park Slope, students
learn the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from choosing
4 Visnya Popovic and Cynthia Alberto (founder) of the
color and pattern, working at a
Textile Arts Center of NY with some happy young weavers.
loom, embroidering, or even
dying yarn. According to founder Cynthia Alberto, “Children easily relate to the textile arts;
it’s fun, relaxing and a unique creative outlet. Along with the educational aspect, students experience how good it feels to create something. Americans don’t use their creative abilities
much these days, and that’s a shame since it denies a natural part of who we are.”
In 2007, Alberto started Weaving Hand studio, and in 2009, she and Visnya Popovic expanded the Center to cover many topics and include a summer camp, public outreach and a
public arts collective. During the school year, they run an after-school program for grades 3-6
and they currently seek funding from the Department of Education to provide free instruction to public school children in need.
Visit the studio and you’ll see kids as young as five choosing from brightly colored thread
or operating the hand loom. Since students get to weave on the very first day of their visit,
along with creating a work of art, they also generate loads of smiles.
A traditional Scottish folk song goes:
“The Northern Lights of Aberdeen, that’s
where I long to be.” For more than 1,000
young people every year, the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland is
where they want to be. One of the world’s
premier cultural events, singers, dancers and
musicians from more than 70 countries perform at venerable sites, including His
4 Dancewave Company has earned a spot at
Majesty’s Theatre.
the Aberdeen International Youth Festival
Representing Brooklyn—and America—in July 2010 is Dancewave Company, a dance ensemble of kids aged 12 through 18
selected by audition from all over New York City and a program of Dancewave, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit providing dance education to young people.
Executive and Artistic Director Diane Jacobowitz is thrilled that The Dancewave
Company has earned a coveted spot in the festival. Jacobowitz said, “Dancewave’s mission
is to introduce a diverse group of young New Yorkers to dance. When young people from
different socio-economic groups come together to perform, they end up learning as much
about life and each other as they do about dance.”
Although dancers can leap through the air, they still need planes to get to Scotland.
And with 44 percent of Dancewave members on full or partial scholarships, raising airfare isn’t easy. The troupe’s fundraising efforts included a recent holiday fiesta and a
Dancewave Babysitting Collective, but Brooklynites, you can help!
Make a tax-deductible donation and help Dancewave get to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, where they’ll bring our one-and-only Brooklyn attitude to Scotland!
The Textile Arts Center of NY, 320 2nd St.; (718) 369-0222; www.weavinghand.com.
Call the studio for hours.
To make a donation to support Dancewave’s trip to Aberdeen, contact them at
(718) 522-4696 or [email protected]; or send a check made out to Dancewave, Inc. to
The Aberdeen Fund c/o Dancewave, 45 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Get more
information at www.dancewave.org.
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
�
Photo by Alex Escalante
Photo by Sarah Laubacher
Winter 2010
Winter 2010
BROOKLYN’S GOT THE SWEETHEARTS
(CONTINUED
FROM
COVER)
Winter
2010
Consider the story of Samuel and Pola
Schanzer, married 61 years, who attended last
year’s event. They met amid horrible circumstances, at a displaced persons camp during
World War II, and while falling in love, discovered they were both from the same small village
outside Krakow. Brooklynites Rudy and Madeline Misiti met as teens when, while watching a
movie at the old Mayfair Theater at Coney Island, Madeline said the boy behind her kept
“punching me in the head.” Well, those adolescent “love taps” led to better things. Last year,
they celebrated their 56th anniversary.
For some married Brooklynites, 50 years is
still practically newlywed territory. Last year, we
welcomed Sam and Hilda Weinberg, whose
union has lasted for 70 years. Jose and Leila
Ramos, of Williamsburg by way of Puerto Rico,
are just months away from celebrating their
sixth decade together. They tied the knot when
Leila was just 15 and Jose was 19. “We met
when he came to visit my brother,” Leila said. “I
could tell he was the one.”
�
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
After a few years of friendship, their love blossomed. Ranson spent many years as a city sanitation worker and Lula was an office worker. Today
they have four children and 12 grandchildren. So
what’s the secret of their rock-solid marriage?
Lula credits their shared Christian faith, belief in
family values and commitment to honesty. “Stick
to your values and respect one another,” she said.
“You can always agree to disagree. There will be
bumps in the road, but the bumps always smooth
themselves out.”
Speaking of bumps in the road, the Smiths don’t
just tolerate them—they welcome them. Yes, these
4 Along with renewing their vows, “Sweethearts” enjoy
two committed road warriors have taken four cross
cake and a toast with Marty and his wife Jamie.
country drives to California, the last one just five
years ago. Whether it’s the road to Cali or the road
Every year at the Sweethearts Celebration, we of life, it’s clear these two found the right traveling
look forward to welcoming more people to the fifti- companion when they found each other. As Lula
eth wedding anniversary or more club. Among this puts it, “when we travel together, we don’t need anyyear’s new attendees are Ranson and Lula Smith, a body else—just us.” For those of us who hope to
Bed-Stuy couple who married in 1960. Lula, who is reach that 50-year milestone someday, truer words
originally from Virginia (aka “Brooklyn South”), were never spoken.
would often come up to see her Brooklyn grandparThe 2010 Brooklyn Sweethearts Celebration,
ents during the summer. Ranson’s family lived Feb. 12, El Caribe Country Club, 5945 Strickland
across the hall. Lula and Ranson began as just good Ave. This is a free event with reservations for any
friends. “He was always very friendly,” Lula recalled. Brooklyn couple married 50 years or more. For
reservations, call (718) 802-3717.
“And of course he was very handsome. He still is.”
Winter 2010
s
’
y
t
r
ON THE BLOCK
Ma
4 Celebrating the new Brooklyn and first New York City location of the
4 Here’s the beef! The Turkish community gathered to distribute
700 pounds of packaged beef to Brooklyn soup kitchens in dedication of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice (Eid ul Adha). (Left to right):
Zafer Akin, Universal Foundation; Vahit Sevinc, Brooklyn Amity
School; Marty; Mehmet Kilic, Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn;
Selim Selimoglu, Helping Hands Relief Foundation; and Dan
Brogan and Bob Ahern, Christian Help in Park Slope (CHIPS).
Learning Experience on Kings Hwy. in Gravesend—a state-of-the-art
child care facility with locations throughout the country—were (from
left) owner Jim Roggio; owner Robert Bender holding son, Matthew; student Ariel Kovach; owner Gary Handis; a blue elephant; student Elijah
Horland; Marty; and The Learning Experience’s Kendra Carter (regional director) and Michael Weissman (CEO).
Winter 2010
4 Marty congratulated participants for completing “Managing
Your Money Wisely,” a four-part workshop co-hosted by the
Brooklyn Parent Academy (part of its ongoing workshop series for
parents), the New York Urban League and the Citigroup Financial
Connections Certificate Program.
4 The Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project Local Development
4 Thank you, teachers! Educators at PS/IS 323 in Brownsville—who gave
their time on Thanksgiving Day and prepared a delicious holiday meal for students and their parents—were applauded by Marty, who presented certificates to
mark their generous efforts. Principal Linda L. Harris is pictured right of Marty.
Corporation (MARP) turned ten years old in 2009 and joining in
the celebration were: (left to right): board members Larry Hoy
and Gurvan Duncan; realtor Doug Bowen; MARP Director M.
Blaise Backer; Pratt Institute President Dr. Thomas Schutte;
NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Robert Walsh; CB2
Chair John Dew; and board member Larry Esposito.
4 CEO William E. Rapfogel of the Metropolitan Council on
Jewish Poverty and Larry Robbins were on hand to serve
those in need at the brand new UJA Met Council Masbia
Kitchen in Flatbush. The Flatbush facility—as well as a second new Williamsburg facility—are kosher food kitchens that
function much like restaurants, serving the indigent with
respect and dignity.
Photo by Aki Tuccu
Brooklyn are in for a treat at the new Purple Yam restaurant
featuring Filipino fusion on Cortelyou Road. Marty presented
owner Amy Besa with a proclamation. Not in picture is Amy’s
husband and partner Romy Dorotan.
4 The world needs more Santas! Members of spiritual institutions,
youth groups and shelters came to Borough Hall to pick up toys for children in need. Marty joined some of the sponsors of the annual event,
including Brooklyn Public Library’s Shekema Miller and Shuntia
Miller; Green-Wood Cemetery’s Christino Jimenez; Downtown
Brooklyn Partnership’s Michael Burke; Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Richard
Drucker; Lori Mendelis of Corcoran; Veronica Harris of the Brooklyn
Chamber of Commerce; as well as Deputy BP Yvonne Graham.
4 Hundreds of pies—and crafts—were for sale at a fundraiser for
PS8 and PS29 in Brooklyn Heights organized by the PTAs and to benefit the schools.
Photo by Julie Checkett
4 Foodies celebrate! Ditmas Park West residents and all of
4 The 2nd annual Shop Brooklyn initiative kicked off the holiday shopping
season at Greenlight Bookstore on Fulton St. in Ft. Greene. (See story on pg. 17)
Joining Marty to highlight the uniqueness of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and
thriving shopping corridors were, among others (left to right); Jane Kojima,
DUMBO BID; Kevin Tolan, Fulton Mall Improvement Assoc.; Sandy Hussain,
BEDC; Michael Burke, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; Dale Charles, PACC;
Wellington Sharpe, Fulton Area Business Alliance; Lashunda Davis, co-owner
of Cure Beauty Bar; Jeanette Nigro, Brooklyn Chamber; Joe Chan, Downtown
Brooklyn Partnership.
4 Offering good cheer! Windsor Terrace Alliance members
Drew Kaye, Dahlia Ward, Selene Kaye, Lauren Collins and
soon-to-be Windsor Terrace resident Marty gathered for the first
“Holiday in Windsor Terrace,” a shop local campaign that
offered a directory of the day’s free events, discounts and menu
specials at participating Prospect Park West restaurants and
shops as well as free hot chocolate.
4 Second fiddle to none! The Strings Talent group, of Mark Twain,
IS 239 for the Gifted and Talented, performed under the direction of
Jamie Baumgardt for the annual winter concert. The principal of the
school is the outstanding Carol Moore.
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
�
Winter 2010
IN MEMORY OF FRANKIE
BROOKLYN BALLET’S NEW HOME
It was every parent’s nightmare. In 2005, Francesco
“Frankie” Loccisano, a freshman at Xaverian High School
in Bay Ridge, was diagnosed
with osteosarcoma, a type of
bone cancer. While fighting
that disease, he was diagnosed
with leukemia. For the next
two years, Frankie endured
4 The Francesco Loccisano Foundation—named after
several invasive surgeries and
Frankie, pictured left—helps families facing pediatric cancer
rounds of chemotherapy, and
even an above-the-knee amputation. Unfortunately, no treatment could hold the cancer at
bay. Frankie passed away in September 2007, two weeks after his 17th birthday.
“Through all his pain and suffering, my eyes were opened to what the pediatric cancer
community goes through,” said Camille Orrichio Loccisano, Francesco’s mother. “As an
older pediatric patient, Frankie could understand that better than younger patients. He had
this goal of developing his own foundation. When we were thinking of ways to carry on
his legacy, the most obvious way was to do what he wanted to do—help others.”
The result was the Francesco Loccisano Memorial Foundation, which aids families battling pediatric cancer, particularly the financial and emotional hardships they endure. For example, if medical expenses make it difficult for a family to afford winter clothes or pay the
rent, the Foundation is there. From its base in Brooklyn, the foundation covers four states—
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania—but Camille hopes to expand its
scope nationwide. “Kids with cancer are warriors who demonstrate what courage means to
everyone around them,” she said. “They’re the teachers and we’re the students.”
Dance is a collaborative effort. And the musicians, choreographers, dancers and poets of
Brooklyn Ballet—founded by
Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson in 2002—create a rich collaborative brew of movement,
melody and meaning that nourishes Brooklyn and beyond.
Along with bringing dance
to new audiences and expand4 Brooklyn Ballet’s new home on the ground floor
ing the classical form, outreach
of Schermerhorn House
and education are critical to
their mission. Brooklyn Ballet’s “Ballet in the Houses” program provides ballet classes to
kids in NYCHA housing and their “Elevate” residency goes into public schools for six-toeight-week hands-on ballet training.
Collaboration is also the theme in the Ballet’s new home, on the ground floor of the Schermerhorn House, an 11-story, 211-unit residential building in Downtown Brooklyn, created in
partnership with Common Ground and the Actors Fund. The facility includes a performance
space, school, offices, artist’s studios, as well as housing for the homeless and those in need.
Artistic Director Parkerson said, “We’re thrilled to make our new home in such a dynamic and supportive community. Brooklyn Ballet School will be a place where all can
participate, whether a child on track to becoming a professional dancer, a toddler who
delights in moving, or an adult who wants to experience the joy and physical benefits of
ballet or African dance. If you love dance performance, look for the Brooklyn Ballet to
provide new works that explore and re-imagine the treasured art form of ballet. Preparations for our first home season at Schermerhorn House are underway!”
Winter 2010
Photo by Ethan Jackson
Francesco Loccisano Memorial Foundation, PO Box 237, Brooklyn, NY 11228;
(917) 496-7534; frankiesmission.org.
Brooklyn Ballet, 160 Schermerhorn Street; (718) 246-0146; [email protected].
DYNAMIC DUO RAISES “THE BAR”
CO-OPERATING BAY RIDGE STYLE
When husband and wife
Caio and Kristine Dunson decided on a lifestyle change—he
from investment banking, she
from fashion design and consulting—they weren’t kidding.
They turned the lower level of
the building they owned and
lived in—which up until the
late 60s and early 70s was a
synagogue—into Deity NYC,
which opened in December
2007 and quickly became
4 Boerum Hill’s swank Deity Supperclub
Boerum Hill’s newest and
swankiest late night destination for the 25-plus set in search of exotic cocktails and great music.
Basking in glow of their success, in October, the couple took Deity to the next level and
opened Deity Supperclub at Deity NYC, complete with an American themed menu that
is by no means the usual “bar food.”
The succulent dishes were created by renowned Chef Ceasar Ramirez of Brooklyn Fare
(on Schermerhorn St.) and include eggplant lasagna, Berkshire pork shank and the house favorite, braised short ribs, among several other tantalizing delights. Not to mention the dessert
menu, a fabulous experience unto itself, offering cookies and cupcakes with liquor centers!
Deity is the ideal locale for a wedding party, to celebrate a promotion or to bring that
special someone, and is available for private parties and event rentals.
For the sophisticated professional adult in search of a classy after theater or movie late
night spot to kick back and relax with a great meal and cocktails, Deity Supperclub at Deity NYC should be on the menu.
Excitement is building
as the Bay Ridge Food
Co-op draws closer to
fruition. With Brooklyn
home to two of the three
longest-standing
and
successful food co-ops in
New York City—the
Flatbush Food Co-op
and, the godmother of
them all, the Park Slope
4 The growing membership of the Bay Ridge Food Co-op
Food Co-op—the residents of Bay Ridge were inspired by their success and came together with a renewed
sense of community and commitment.
The appeal is that members have a vote in how the co-op is run and the products that
are stocked. The one-time only membership fee of $200—totally refundable should the
member leave—is the member’s equity in the business. What is most appealing to local
resident and mother of two, Liz Lauricella is “having access to organic, locally grown and
quality foods that are hard to come by in our neighborhood.” For Kate Wimsatt, it’s being able to buy foods that match her values without leaving her neighborhood.
Food co-ops provide local and organically grown food, support local growers, reduce
food costs and provide healthy choices. It’s a winning proposition. Members volunteer a
few hours per month to help run the co-op.
Ideally, the co-op hopes to sign up 100 members per month through 2010 to reach the
2,500 members it needs to officially open and serve Southwest Brooklyn. “We still have a
way to go,” said member David Marangio. If you live in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Dyker
Heights, Bensonhurst or Boro Park, this may be the store for you!
Deity Supperclub, 368 Atlantic Avenue; Wednesday-Sunday 6pm -midnight. Open for
cocktails until 4am; www.deitynyc.com.
For more information on the Bay Ridge Food Co-op, call (347) 274-8172, or visit
www.foodcoopbayridge.com, or email [email protected].
�
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Winter 2010
BROOKLYN BEAT
Photo by Gene Schiavone
Winter 2010
4 Celebrating the announcement of the BAM/American Ballet
Theatre’s upcoming (December 2010) all-new production of “The
Nutcracker” featuring the music of Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky were,
in top row (left to right): Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky; ABT
Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie; BAM President Karen Brooks
Hopkins; BAM Board Chair Alan Fishman; Scenic Designer
Richard Hudson; BAM Executive Producer Joseph Melillo; Bottom
row: ABT Executive Director Rachel Moore; Jennifer Tipton (lighting); and ABT Board President Sharon Patrick.
4 Attention shoppers! A ribbon cutting marked the opening of
Clarendon Plaza, a collection of shops, salons, Dunkin’ Donuts and
a laundromat in East Flatbush. Present were Vanessa Dela Cruz,
owner, Vanessa’s House of Beauty; Aliaksei Palaukou, Clarendon
Plaza manager; Gene Burshtein, Clarendon Plaza director; Yuriy
Katz and son Henry Katz, owners, 6 Star Laundromat; Marty; Jean
Sultan, owner, Yollies Carribean Restaurant; and Teddy
Mavromihalis, regional manager, Dunkin’ Donuts in Brooklyn,
among others.
4 That’s a long way to go for a slice, Marty! Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so it just makes sense that Istanbul’s first pizza
place is named after Brooklyn’s legendary pizza. Marty with the
owners of the newly opened Brooklyn Pizza on a recent visit to
Istanbul, Turkey.
4 Joshua Rosario (left) and Dominque Bones (right) are pictured
with their photos for the Borough Hall exhibit “HIV is My Reality, This
is My Story,” co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Community Pride Center
and Gay Men of African Descent, Inc. The exhibit featured thirteen
black and white portraits by renowned photographer John Labbe.
4 Celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss were Gravesend residents
Dolores and George Frenzel. Their celebration featured a catered
breakfast as well as 18th century entertainment in a nod to
Gravesend’s special distinction as Brooklyn’s first settlement.
4 Elected officials, delegates and representatives—including the
Honorary Consul General of Jamaica to Turkey, Aykut Eken (third
from right) and Marty—gathered in Ismir, Turkey for the 9th
FICAC World Congress of Consuls, an event that highlights the
integral role that consular officers play in bringing nations together for the mutual goal of peace and prosperity.
4 Marty joined Mayor Hakan Tartan of Konak—a district of Ismir,
Turkey—to celebrate the official designation of Konak and Brooklyn
as “sister cities.”
Photo by Sarah Pirozek
4 Lights, camera, pastries! Chef Sabastien Chaoui (pictured here
arranging his gorgeous desserts) recently opened La Table Exquise at
370 Tompkins Avenue in Bed-Stuy where the pastries are magnifique!
4 Thanksgiving turkeys and seven tons of trimmings were distributed
to needy Brooklynites and some sponsors of this annual Borough Hall
event were, in front row (left to right): Dannette Sullivan, CourtLivingston-Schermerhorn BID; Deputy BP Yvonne Graham; Kathryn
Soman, Health Plus; Julio Coronel, Health Plus; Reverend Hardy
Smallwood. Center row (left to right): Trader Joe’s Greg Glei; Fairway
Market’s Dan Glickberg; Michael Burke of the Downtown Brooklyn
Partnership; Samuel Singer, Health Plus. Back row (left to right): Kevin
Tolan, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; Kathleen Romagnano,
Amalgamated Bank; and Jim Moore of FreshDirect.
4 The AIDS Memorial Quilt was on display at Brooklyn Borough
Hall to mark World Aids Day 2009 and this year’s theme “Universal
Access and Human Rights.”
4 “Living Objects” sculptures by Brooklyn artist Jason Krugman
light up the night in Williamsburg’s McCarren Park. The temporary
art installation is presented by North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition
(NbPac) in partnership with Open Space Alliance and the NYC
Parks Dept.
4 106 years young! East New York resident Elisha Ackie recently
celebrated her 106th birthday. This honorary daughter of Brooklyn
originally hails from Grenada, West Indies
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
�
Winter 2010
THE PRIDE OF BED-STUY
Winter 2010
The Bedford-Stuyvesant
Piranhas Swim Team has
“free-styled” beyond the status
quo, making waves and backstroking through the myths
that young African American
kids don’t swim.
Team founder Sunday
Engi, a Nigerian immigrant, always knew that
given the opportunity, kids
4 The Bed-Stuy Piranhas are in the swim!
of all ethnicities would love
to swim competitively. And in 1997, the Piranhas became the first-ever swim team in
Bedford-Stuyvesant. Today, the still-predominately African American team of talented
7-17-year-olds draws from other neighborhoods too, showcasing Brooklyn’s diversity.
The swimmers practice at the Bedford Stuyvesant YMCA five days a week, and last year
19 qualified for the State Championships, with one swimmer placing in the top three in his
events. Parents Association President Thomas Simms said, “They are all in great shape and
feel confident that they can compete with their suburban counterparts.” With childhood obesity on the rise, swimming is a great fitness option and can lead to great summer jobs too—
more than 20 Piranhas have become pool lifeguards!
But the Piranhas still swim upstream against a financial tide. Parents host fundraisers and
a Strong Kids Swim Marathon, where individuals pledge to support a swimmer for laps completed—and with State Championships on the horizon, help is needed.
“It’s important for kids to feel part of something,” said Simms. “Their confidence in swimming can be applied to anything in life—from school to the social world.” Come on Brooklyn! Get into the swim of things and support a Piranha!
To support a swimmer, contact Aquatic Director Anderson Seales at (718) 789-1497.
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
OLD-STYLE CANTONESE PLUS
NOSTALGIA, TO GO!
King Ho, Mah Jhong, New China Inn, Joy
Fong, Tung Sang, Mei Jen, Ying’s Garden, New
Deal, Kee’s or Richard Yee’s on Ave. U. If these
names conjure up long lines on Sundays and
combo platters of chow mein, fried rice and egg
roll for a pittance, then chances are, you’re over
30. These represented the state of Chinese food
back in the day, before we knew about regional
styles like Szechuan, Hunan or Hong Kong.
Hankering for a bit of that nostalgia? Then
4 Chow mein, chop suey or the
shoot over to the Silver Star Chinese Restaurant
combination plate: The old-school
Silver Star Chinese Restaurant in
in Bensonhurst.
Bensonhurst’s got you covered
Silver Star is a culinary flashback, offering familiar versions of wonton soup, chop suey, and of course, chow mein—perhaps not as sophisticated as we think we’ve become—but as good as Proust’s madeleines for revisiting the past. You
know, the good old days: one from column A and column B, when the most expensive thing
on the menu was Lobster Cantonese and the cheapest? Vegetable Chow Mein.
Where else in a changing world can you get exactly what you expect, right down to the
gilded archway, naugahyde booths, lightning service and Zodiac placemats that ask: are
you a dog or a tiger?
Peter Choy and his family have owned the Silver Star in since 1944 and are committed
to giving customers the dining experience they’ve come to expect over the restaurant’s 65
years of service.
It’s that kind of reliability, as well as fast and friendly service, that keep ’em coming
back. Or maybe it’s simply the delicious chow mein.
Silver Star Chinese Restaurant, 6221 18th Avenue, (718) 331-2799; MondayThursday 11am-11pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-12am; Sunday 12pm-11pm.
Winter 2010
Winter 2010
s
’
y
t
r
ON THE BLOCK II
Ma
4 Saluting the leaders of
4 Everyone in the pool! Gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony
for the restoration of McCarren Pool in Greenpoint/Williamsburg—
closed since 1984 were (left to right): Assembly Member Joseph
Lentol; Marty; Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Brooklyn Parks
Commissioner Julius Spiegel; NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian
Benepe; Council Member David Yassky; and Stephanie Thayer, executive director, Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn.
4 Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, was marked at the annual
lighting of Brooklyn’s official 29-foot menorah in Columbus
Park/Borough Hall Plaza. The ceremony was led by Rabbi Aaron L.
Raskin of Congregation B’nai Avraham (center, at mike) along with
Marty and Mehmet Samsar, consul general of Turkey in New York City.
NYC’s Bravest at the annual FDNY breakfast at
Borough Hall. FDNY’s
deputy chiefs, battalion
chiefs and company commanders joined Marty and
sponsors Con Edison. Front
row (left to right): Con
Edison’s Marina BelessisCassoria, Antonia Yuille
Williams and
Brooklyn/Queens Electric
Operations VP Tom Newell;
Marty; and Assistant Chief
Ed Kilduff, Brooklyn
Borough Commander. Also
from Con Edison in second
row, far left was Phyllis
White-Thorne.
4 Ahoy there matey! The
4 For whom the bell tolls! Captain Gene Ritter, dive supervisor,
Cultural Research Divers; Marty; John D’Aquino, vessel owner,
diver (hidden); Charles Denson, executive director, Coney Island
History Project; and Paul Bartha, commercial diver, all gathered
around the historic Coney Island Dreamland Park bell, which lay
on the ocean floor since the Dreamland fire in 1911 and was recovered beneath 25 feet of water off Coney Island. The bell was on
exhibit at Borough Hall this past October.
4 O Tannenbaum, O
Tannenbaum! Joining
in the festivities of the
annual tree lighting in
Brooklyn were (left to
right): Deputy Borough
President Yvonne
Graham; Marty;
Commissioner Martha
Hirst, NYC Department
of Citywide
Administrative Services;
Parks Commissioner
Julius Spiegel;
Assembly Member Joan
Millman and sevenyear-old Amaiya Davis,
from Red Hook.
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
4 Gathered for the Salaam Club of New York’s Annual holiday party—
4 Artists in Residence. Marty joined residents of Cadman Towers in
Brooklyn Heights for their first art exhibit in 25 years, which featured oils,
watercolors, pastels, poetry, ceramics, photography, collages and even live
jazz performance. Front row (left to right): Florence Bass, Ronnie Wolff,
Marjorie King, Marty, Geri Dyer, Janice Davis and Evelyn Cary. Back row:
Board President Toba Potosky and Rudy Maurizio.
an event to celebrate 64 years of Middle Eastern heritage as well as raise
funds for children with autism—were Dr. Rick Chou, Board Of Trustees,
Eden II School; Salaam Club VP Ralph Succar; Myriam Shwayri, AlKafaat Foundation; and Salaam Club President John Abi Habib. The
Salaam Club presented Dr. Chou and Myriam Shwayri with proceeds in
support of their service to those impacted by autism.
4 Latest technology makes healthcare enrollment easier for uninsured
New Yorkers. Joining the announcement regarding electronic enrollment
were (from left to right): David Wilhoft, director of marketing and business
development, Health Plus; Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham;
Ada Rodriguez, chief marketing officer, Health Plus; Marty; Georganne
Chapin, president & CEO, Hudson Center for Health Equity & Quality;
Charles Ottomanelli, chief information officer, Health Plus; Mary Harper,
executive deputy commissioner, Medical Insurance and Community
Services Administration; and Shanie Persaud, executive director,
Guyanese & American Business & Professional Council.
4 Santa Claus has come to town! More than 3,000 children from shelters and low-income public housing throughout Brooklyn participated
in the Best of Brooklyn holiday spectacular at the Christian Cultural
Center in East New York, an annual event hosted by Marty.
Photo by Gideon Manasseh
changing of the guard—
make that commodore—at
the Mirimar Yacht Club
on Emmons Ave. in
Sheepshead Bay brought
out the revelers. Joining in
the festivities were Irene
Olson, chair of the
Membership Committee,
Marty and newly appointed commodore, Perry
Blonder.
4 Proclaiming the day “delicious!” From left to right:
4 Greetings from Brooklyn! Juniors and seniors from Bishop
Kearney High School in Bensonhurst visited with injured servicemen
and women—part of the Wounded Warriors Project—at the Mologne
House at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The
students brought home-baked cookies, gifts for the soldier’s children
and offered holiday cheer on behalf of Brooklynites everywhere.
Owners Robin Bramwell-Stewart, Niles Stewart and
Hasoni Pratts were joined by well-wishers Senator Kevin
Parker, Assembly Member Karim Camara, Reverend Al
Sharpton, Marty and Council Member Tish James for the
grand re-opening of the Crow Hill Bistro on Nostrand Ave.
in historic Crown Heights, a neighborhood formerly called
Crow Hill in the days before Prohibition, known for its
many crows.
Winter 2010
WORK IS LIFE
Humans are hardwired to be productive,
and there’s nothing like a job to give life
meaning. Samuel Kahn knows this is as true
for people with disabilities as anyone, so with
that in mind he started the Pre-vocational
Program at HASC Center in 1979. Kahn is
executive director at HASC, a multi-faceted
agency serving people with mental disabilities
in Sunset Park. The program serves individ4 Getting to work at the Pre-vocational
uals who have aged out of the special educaProgram at HASC
tion classes at the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, providing them with the opportunity to learn an occupation and get a job.
Participants are people with disabilities within the borderline, mild or moderate ranges
of developmental disability. While some have a history with other HASC programs, many
come from the community through referrals from school counselors or case managers.
Currently there are seventy men and women in the program.
Participants learn real life skills such as time management, work etiquette and actual
work skills like packaging, heat sealing and assembly. Local businesses provide the program with seasonal and year-round jobs, everything from shrink wrapping boxes of toothpaste and soap to weighing cinnamon sticks and blister packaging batteries. Businesses
looking for dedicated workers to perform these types of tasks should contact HASC.
Program coordinator Linda Raxenberg said, “The program provides people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to feel productive and function at a job. It also provides a sense of self esteem, an opportunity to earn money and the potential to advance to
an actual job within the community, initially with the benefit of a job coach and then, possibly, with complete independence.”
For more information about HASC’s Pre-vocational Program, you can email them at
[email protected] or [email protected].
RAY OF HOPE FOR
Winter 2010
PEOPLE WITH DYSLEXIA
When Leah David’s daughter, Gittel Bracha, was seven
years old, school became a
nightmare. A first grader at a
private school in Brooklyn, she
was bright, curious and eager to
learn, but reading was beyond
difficult. David knew the situation had reached a crisis point
when her daughter complained
of stomach aches and begged
4 Leah David and students at Ohr HaLimud
not to go to school.
Second grade was worse, thanks to a teacher who David considered overly critical. “Her
red pen became a weapon of mass destruction,” David said. A friend with an educational
background suggested that Gittel might have dyslexia. This neurological disorder disrupts
the brain’s ability to process visual information, but it has no effect on intelligence. The list of
notable people with dyslexia includes business magnate Richard Branson, actress Keira
Knightley, Jay Leno and Brooklyn’s own City Council Member Domenic Recchia.
People with dyslexia require special training to read. David decided that if nobody would
provide that training for her daughter, she had to do it herself. She founded Borough Park’s
Ohr HaLimud (Hebrew for “Light of Learning”), a program for children with dyslexia. She
began with three students, including her daughter; seven years later, the school has 23 kids.
The goal is for every student to spend two to three years in the program before returning
to a traditional school. “My concept is that these kids are in the dark,” Leah said. “With the
proper education, we can lift the clouds and help them see the light.”
Ohr HaLimud, 1681 42nd St., Brooklyn, NY 11204; (718) 972-0170;
www.ohrhalimud.org.
CAUGHT IN BROOKLYN’S NET
THE WASSERMANS TAKE THE CAKE
Brooklyn is nearly 75 percent
surrounded by water, and 100 percent populated by foodies. What
better place to launch the quintessential New York City seafood
restaurant? Ani Papa opened
Aqualis Grill in Ft. Greene last
summer. Although Papa lives in
the Brooklyn suburb of Queens,
and spent several years as the general manager at the venerable
Zanzibar restaurant in Manhattan,
making his new restaurant the latest jewel of the Fulton St. culinary
scene was a no-brainer.
“We had been coming here for
4 Aqualis Grill in Ft. Greene
years to visit friends, and just fell in
love with the place,” he said. “The community here is great, and everybody loves to support local businesses. It had always been my passion to own a small seafood restaurant. I’m from Albania, and we eat a lot of fish.”
Papa and his chefs are masters of the Mediterranean art of grilling a whole fish (which
The New York Times calls Aqualis’ “signature” dish), flavored with a saffron vinaigrette and
presented to the customer before deboning. Papa makes frequent late-night treks to the
Fulton Fish Market in “Da Bronx,” so that he can have his pick of the day’s catch.
With stellar reviews and strong word-of-mouth, Aqualis’ future looks bright. The only
question is when Papa himself will make the move to Brooklyn. Papa is seriously considering it. The biggest draw of moving to Ft. Greene? “I’ve made more friends here in the
last six months than I’ve made my entire life.”
Since 1902 in Canarsie, Teena’s Cake
Fair has been satisfying Brooklyn’s sweet
tooth. Founded and built by Abraham
Wasserman and his son Alex, named after Alex’s daughter Teena, and now run
by grandson Aaron, his wife Sonia, and
great grandson David, the Wasserman’s
dynasty of mouthwatering decadence
continues to tantalize customers from all
corners of Brooklyn, either with a bit of
nostalgia from their signature blackout
cake and freshly baked European
breads—to what they consider the best
red velvet cake in Brooklyn.
Teena’s Cake Fair has seen bakeries
such as Barbara’s, Nobby’s, Poppy’s,
4 Sweet fare courtesy of Aaron and Sonia
Weisen, Butter Bun, Leon’s, Sutters,
Wasserman of Teena’s Cake Fare
Ebingers come and go. According to
Aaron, they owe their longevity to tradition with the items that are part of their history,
like their rye bread, buttered Danish and Jewish corn bread. “We still do everything by
hand. No machines,” said Aaron, who is proud to have his son David join the business as
one of the four bakers that include Aaron, Richard Krins and Cliff Brifter.
Although many things have changed in the neighborhood, where Teena’s has been a
presence at the same location since 1959, some things remain the same: faithful customers
wait patiently on line for their fresh rolls, breads and fruit-stuffed rugelach in anticipation
of that wonderful word, “Next!” And anyone who has indulged in the delights of Teena’s
Cake Fair will be putting in orders for their next bar mitzvah, wedding, birthday, baby
shower—or to simply stave off the next craving for sweets.
Aqualis Grill, 773 Fulton St. (bet. S. Oxford St. and S. Portland Ave.) (718) 797-3494.
Teena’s Cake Fair, 1568 Ralph Avenue, 6am to 10 pm, seven days a week. (718) 763-9100.
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
��
Winter 2010
MAKING A SPLASH IN THE ART WORLD
STOOP SCOOP
For Brooklyn-based painter
Ran Ortner, water is a muse.
Over the past nine years, it has
been the subject of every work
he has created. In October, his
obsession paid off, and he now
finds himself showered in adulation—thanks to winning the
ArtPrize, the world’s most lucrative art contest, which comes
with a $250,000 prize.
Unlike most major art awards,
the ArtPrize, bankrolled by bil4 Ran Ortner and one of his large-scale
lionaire Rick DeVos, is a people’s
paintings of the ocean
choice award. Judges whittled
12,000 entries to 1,200. Works that survived were displayed in public places around Grand
Rapids, Michigan, and art lovers voted on favorites. “I was shocked when I heard I made
the top 50,” Ortner said. “And I was super shocked when I heard I’d made the top 10.”
Ortner’s winning piece, which took him two months to complete, is “Open Water No.
24,” a 19-foot-long oil painting of ocean waves. When he traveled to Grand Rapids for
the finals, he was amazed at the emotional response the painting provoked. “I had at least
20 people come up to me in tears,” he said.
After 30 years as a starving artist, the 50-year-old Ortner’s fortunes changed overnight.
He didn’t have funds to go to Grand Rapids until an admiring collector stepped in, and
before he left he even borrowed from a friend to pay his phone bill. “I still haven’t paid
my friend back,” he said. “but I think he knows I will.”
In our borough of stoops, perhaps there’s none
more familiar to viewers of WNBC/Channel 4
than the steps leading to the brownstone of features reporter Cat Greenleaf. Showcasing celebrities from Brooke Shields, Hillary Swank and
Brooklyn’s own Rosie Perez to rock star Tommy
Lee, Boerum Hill’s Alex McCord and Simon
van Kempen of the Real Housewives of New
York City and—of course—Marty, Greenleaf and
her segment Talk Stoop give fans all the ‘scoop’
from the stoop.
Even before Greenleaf settled in Cobble Hill,
where she lives with husband Michael Rey and
their 8-month-old son Nicholas Joseph, this New
4 Cat Greenleaf’s “Talk Stoop”
York native whose career began as a traffic reporter
provides the ‘scoop’ from the stoop
in San Francisco always knew she would raise her
family in Brooklyn. “I was adamant that we get hitched at the Municipal Building across
from Borough Hall,” recalled Greenleaf. “I just knew our lives would lead us here, and it did.”
Greenleaf ’s family tree has deep roots in Brooklyn—her grandfather and great grandfather were builders, and many of their homes and buildings still stand in Manhattan Beach.
“This borough has shared a lot of magic with us, from our home to our family to our miraculous friends in the neighborhood,” said Greenleaf. “I knock wood every day for all our good
Brooklyn fortune. In fact, I’m starting to look like a crazy person with all the knocking!”
Just be careful about knocking on Greenleaf ’s door—you may end up on the next edition of Talk Stoop!
Ran Ortner will show at the Causey Contemporary Gallery in September 2010. To
view his work, go to www.ranortner.com or www.causeycontemporary.com.
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Photo by Juan Martinez
Photo by Xavier Guardans
Winter 2010
“Talk Stoop” can be seen on “Today in New York” (5am-7am), on the weekend “Today
Show,” in cabs on “Taxi TV” and on WNBC and WNBC’s “New York Nonstop.” To view
archived videos, visit www.nbcnewyork.com and search “Talk Soup”
Winter 2010
WINING (AND DINING) IN BROOKLYN
Winter 2010
Wine: nectar of the gods, but often vexing for mortals. For
many, a knowledge of wine—and ability to state a preference—stops at “red or white?” But even if you can’t tell a Burgundy from a Bordeaux, or think Chardonnay is that woman
from the ‘80s who sang “Smooth Operator,” help is at hand,
thanks to Brooklyn’s many wine bars. Something they all
share—besides extensive wine lists and eclectic menus that
mesh perfectly with wine—is a commitment to putting wine
novices at ease.
“That kind of pompous, pedantic attitude about wine is
really silly,” said Bill Stenehjem, co-owner of Stonehome
Wine Bar and Restaurant in Ft. Greene. “We want people
to relax and have a good time.” Stonehome, which Stenehjem opened in 2003 with his wife, Rose Hermann, offers
“tasting flights” that allow people to sample a few wines at a
reasonable price. While the two are proud of the awards
Stonehome has received from Wine Spectator, they’re even
prouder that the magazine lauded the bar for its modest
prices. You can also get a first-class meal at Stonehome,
whenever possible made from locally grown ingredients.
This isn’t a business the proprietors insist, but rather it is
their passion, their hobby—a hobby that has exceeded their
wildest expectations, with a waiting list to prove it.
Total Wine Bar in Park Slope, which opened a year after
Stonehome, shares Stonehome’s populist ethic. “We’re very
anti-snob when it comes to wine,” says wine buyer Beth
Baye. The lack of pretension comes naturally to Baye and
owner Adam Robertson, perhaps because they met on the
retail circuit, as clerks at the Best Cellars store in Manhat-
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
4 Owner Mark Lahm is ready to pour at the
Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar.
tan. How unpretentious is Total? One of their most popular
dishes is a mac-and-cheese that’s to die for. Like Stonehome, Total is committed to buying locally, including
sausage made by a butcher in the nearby Kensington community.The once-per-month gatherings begin at 8 pm and
can go on well beyond the dessert course as friendships are
formed and the cool vibes continue to flow. And for about
fifty bucks, it’s an evening that can’t be beat.
When culinary grad student Marco Chirico suggested to
his father, Joe Chirico, owner of Marco Polo Ristorante in
Carroll Gardens, that they open a wine bar next door,
Chirico thought it was a brilliant idea. “A lot of young people are moving here and they’re looking for something more
trendy,” Chirico said. Thus was born Enoteca on Court,
which launched last year. Enoteca offers tasting flights, as
well as treasure trove of great food, including brick oven artisanal pizzas, imported cheeses, and cured meats.
Mark Lahm, owner of Henry’s End in Brooklyn
Heights, is another longtime restauranteur who recently
took the wine bar plunge. Henry’s End is a wine-centric
eatery, winner of Wine Spectator awards for 22 straight
years, so opening the Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar a few
doors down was a natural choice. The bar, which Lahm coowns with Jim Montemarano of the gourmet shop Cranberry’s, is perfectly located to pass the time while waiting for
a table at Henry’s End or any of the community’s other
popular establishments. Should you decide you like the bar
too much to leave, you can order everything from cheese
plates to braised short ribs. Lahm also promises the most
eclectic wine list in town. “We seek out some pretty unusual
wines that aren’t available in other places,” he said.
Wine bars are a mellow alternative to the typical bar experience; they’re a great place for a first date and usually quiet enough for conversation. You can unwind, collect your
thoughts, and delve deep into the wonderful world of wine.
Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar, 50 Henry St.; (718) 8555595; brooklynheightswinebar.com • Enoteca on Court,
347 Court St,; (718) 243-1000; enotecaoncourt.com •
Stonehome Wine Bar and Restaurant, 87 Lafayette Ave.;
(718) 624-9443; stonehomewinebar.com • Total Wine Bar,
74 5th Ave.; (718) 783-5166; totalwinebar.com • Also check
out: 161 Wine & Tapas, 161 7th Ave. • brook.vin, 381 7th
Ave., (718) 768-9463; brookvin.com.
Winter 2010
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?
BOOK LOVERS GET THE GREEN LIGHT
There is no telling who you may
rub elbows with when you arrive
for dinner at Whisk & Ladle, the
hip supper club on the Williamsburg waterfront. But this is not
your typical supper club. Tucked
discreetly away in a sprawling loft
apartment, the proprietors transform their living space into the
hottest ticket in Brooklyn, and do
what they love doing: cooking specialty dishes and entertaining per4 Breaking bread at the Whisk and Ladle
fect strangers in their home.
Collaborating with the great food and beverage markets in the area, Whisk & Ladle’s
entourage of four friends have redefined the modern dinner party, slowing it down and
giving it new meaning. They offer a five course meal, beginning with a tasting course
served right out of the kitchen during the cocktail hour, followed by soup, entrée, salad
and dessert courses.
The communal dining tables accommodate up to thirty guests per night who have
managed to secure a coveted reservation for an evening of great food and enlightening
conversation, just the right music filtering in the background and all washed down with a
full-bodied wine from a local wine shop.
This isn’t a business the proprietors insist, but rather it is their passion, their hobby—a
hobby that has exceeded their wildest expectations, with a waiting list to prove it.
The once-per-month gatherings begin at 8 pm and can go on well beyond the dessert
course as friendships are formed and the cool vibes continue to flow. And for about fifty
bucks, it’s an evening that can’t be beat.
“They” say nobody reads anymore.
“They” say that publishing is in trouble.
But the naysayers don’t know Brooklyn
and they really don’t know Jessica Stockton
Bagnulo and Rebecca Fitting.
Before opening the Greenlight Bookstore in Ft. Greene, Bagnulo and Fitting
did their homework. They found that
neighborhood residents wanted a bookstore more than any other business. “Ft.
Greene is a vibrant, creative, literary neighborhood that lacked a general bookstore,”
said Bagnulo. “Brooklyn’s many writers,
4 Co-proprietors Jessica Stockton Bagnulo and
publishers and readers also needed a gathRebecca Fitting of the Greenlight Bookstore
celebrate the store’s opening in Ft. Greene
ering place to discuss literature and ideas.”
Which is why—along with 15,000
titles on the shelves—the bookstore features chats and signings with such literary luminaries as Jonathan Lethem and Jhumpa Lahiri. Greenlight also offers a selection of music
CDs, greeting cards, puzzles, games and other items for kids, not to mention a knowledgeable staff who can speak “volumes” about their picks from a wide range of genres.
The passion for books, of course, begins with Bagnulo and Fitting, who have 28 years of
collective experience in publishing and bookselling. And these Brooklyn bookworms—Bagnulo lives in Park Slope, Fitting in Bed-Stuy—are committed to championing the borough
with special sections that feature books about Brooklyn as well as books by Brooklynites.
Too busy to stop by in person? In the first quarter of 2010, Greenlight plans to launch
an e-commerce website where you can shop online. So whether browsing in person or
shopping online, go go go to the Greenlight Bookstore!
For information and reservations visit www.thewhiskandladle.com.
Photo by Andrew Michael Casey
Winter 2010
Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street at the corner of South Portland; 10am-10pm
Monday-Saturday; 12noon-8pm Sunday; (718) 246-0200; www.greenlightbookstore.com.
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
��
Winter 2010
FROM
THE KITCHEN
Winter 2010
TO THE CATHEDRAL
Priest, chef, television personality—“Father
Jamie” Gigantiello has worn many hats (and
vestments). In December, by papal decree, he
got a new title: “Monsignor Jamie.” Although
he remains the pastor of Mary Queen of
Heaven Parish in Old Mill Basin, he is now
one of 80 monsignors overseeing the Brooklyn
diocese, the fourth largest in the world and
home to 2.2 million Catholics. Msgr. Gigantiello is the diocese’s “vicar of development,” coordinating all fundraising efforts and
running the annual Catholic Appeal.
4 Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello
His enthusiasm and zest for life has garnered him the nickname “ Spiritual Tsunami,”
but he’s such a humble, approachable figure that people often feel comfortable addressing him by his first name. You can also call him “Chef Jamie,” since he’s a graduate of the
prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He is the co-host of Breaking Bread—on the
Brooklyn faith-based network NET—which broadcasts from a different area restaurant
each week. He is also the mastermind behind the annual “A Taste of the Ridge” festival
in Bay Ridge. He has a particular love for Italian food, especially fried calamari with hot
sauce, and admits to a weakness for dessert.
Given his fondness for food, it’s no surprise that he sums up Brooklyn’s greatness in
culinary terms. “What I really like about Brooklyn is that it’s a melting pot,” he said.
“It feels like one big neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone.”
NET programming is available on Time Warner Cable channel 97 and
Cablevision channel 30, as well as at www.NETny.net.
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
BROOKLYN MOURNS
Rena “Rusty”
Kanokogi
Charles P. Sifton
Gerry Stephens
Fay Cassato, devoted mother to Msgr. David Cassato, pastor of St.
Athanasius Church and NYPD Chaplain • Rena “Rusty”
Kanokogi, the Coney Island born “Mother of Judo” who successfully fought to make women’s judo an Olympic sport—including competing in the early years disguised as a man—the first woman to
receive the ranking of seventh-degree black belt and a hero to women
everywhere, often dubbed the “Gloria Steinem of Judo” • William
Robinson, husband to Assembly Member Annette Robinson •
Charles P. Sifton, a Brooklyn federal judge with a thirty year history as a jurist, including a five-year tenure as chief judge of the U.S.
Court for the Eastern District of New York • Robert Skanes, loyal
member of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Lions • Reverend Elsie Smith,
loving wife to Brooklyn Public Library Board of Trustee member
Howard Smith, former head of Pastoral Care at Augustana Lutheran
Home, chaplain at Lutheran Medical Center, 50-year member of
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and longtime community and
civic activist • Gerry Stephens, a founding member and former president of Hawks International, a Caribbean social organization and
board trustee president of John Hus Moravian Church • Teddy
Vann, Grammy Award-winning composer, educator and community activist, Bensonhurst born and a long time resident of ProspectLefferts Gardens • Ruth Collock West, founder of Ruthie’s Soul
Food Restaurants in Ft. Greene and Clinton Hill, loyal member/trustee of Friendship Baptist Church and beloved matriarch to
six children, 22 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Winter 2010
Winter 2010
WORTH THEIR “WAIT” IN GOLD
Name:
Franco Otalora
Age: 49
Restaurant:
Armando’s
(143 Montague St.)
Brooklyn Heights
Cuisine: Italian
Lives in:
Dyker Heights
Hails from: Columbia
Interests/Hobbies: Franco
is a big sports fan and soccer is his number one love—Go Inter Milan!—but he also has room in his heart for the Mets.
Trademark: “Fast and friendly” is Franco’s trademark!
Why he likes waiting tables: “I love it. Waiting tables is
what I do; it’s what I’m good at, and why not? I’ve been at
it for 30 years!”
Favorite Dish: Chicken Francese.
Most interesting/famous person you’ve ever waited on:
Everyone is a star as far as Franco is concerned. He treats
everyone the same and doesn’t seem to notice “star power.”
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Name:
Christhian Ramirez
Age: 20
Restaurant:
Mexican Piramide
(499 5th Ave.)
South Slope
Cuisine: Mexican
Lives in: Sunset Park
Hails from: Mexico
Interests/Hobbies:
Christhian loves dance, pop
and hip hop: anything you can dance to. He also enjoys
reading mystery novels and thrillers.
Trademark: Just call him “Mr. Fix It” because he loves to
make things work.
Why he likes waiting tables: Waiting tables was
Christhian’s first job and it makes him feel really good
to serve people well, and in turn, make them feel good.
Favorite Dish: New York Strip Steak aka Carne Asada.
Most interesting/famous person you’ve ever waited on:
The one and only Bruce Willis, who was in the nabe
shooting a movie.
Name:
Kathy Sterner
Age: 54
Restaurant:
Skinflints
(7902 5th Ave.)
Bay Ridge
Cuisine: American
Lives in:
Bay Ridge
Hails from: New York
Interests/Hobbies:
Traveling is what fills Kathy’s free time; there is really
nothing like getting away from it all.
Trademark: Since she prides herself on knowing what
her customers want, from their drink order to their favorite dishes. Let’s just call her “reliable.”
Why she likes waiting tables: Kathy enjoys the interaction with the people she is waiting on.
Favorite Dish: Ribs.
Most interesting/famous person you’ve ever waited on:
Governor George Pataki.
Winter 2010
AMERICA SAID “BRAVO ANNA!”
THE FRUITS OF LABOR
Winning Bravo Channel’s The Fashion Show
—hosted by Brooklyn’s own Isaac Mizrahi—was
one more accomplishment in Anna McCraney’s
long list of been there, done that. The 31-year-old
South Williamsburg resident was voted best fashion designer by viewers in the Bravo competition
that pitted fifteen designers against one another for
a $125,000 prize and the chance to have their designs sold in the retail market.
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, raised in Atlanta and educated at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, McCraney decamped to
4 America voted Brooklyn’s own
New York City and Brooklyn, the latter of
Anna McCraney “best designer” on
which she credits with influencing her melting
Bravo’s “The Fashion Show”
pot style—equal parts color, vintage and body
conscious wearability. Asked about it, McCraney said, “My style is definitely a combination of practicality and calculated risk. I try to take risks with color or silhouette without
going over the top. My influences are usually cultural or vintage. You have to look back to
be able to look forward.”
Although the Bravo show win is confirmation of her talent, McCraney had already
launched a knitwear line, Annabelle NYC, which sold nationally and abroad, and has also
served as head clothing designer for Dolce Vita.
One thing the Bravo win has afforded McCraney is the chance to focus on her upcoming
line, which will be available to the trade in January and in boutiques this May. It’s a stunning
collection of wispy, leg-baring frocks and slinky tops, all crafted in grown up florals and breezy
silks. Get ready for the hot new Spring 2010 collection of this talented Brooklyn designer.
Brooklyn is proud home to everyone from
everywhere, so it stands to reason that Brooklynites would hanker for foods from all over
the globe. For proof, look no further than the
Three Guys From Brooklyn store in Dyker
Heights/Bay Ridge, whose modest name belies its status as one of the largest and most
well-stocked produce emporia in New York
City. From apples and oranges to African
horned melons and Asian dragon fruit, if it’s
edible and comes from a plant, chances are
4 Phil Penta, Jr. of Three Guys
Three Guys has it.
From Brooklyn
“We have every different denomination
and nationality in here on a daily basis,” said general manager Phil Penta, Jr. “Because we
carry such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, we really attract a diverse clientele.”
The store was founded in the mid-70s by Stanley Zimmerman, along with his brother
and brother-in-law. In the early 80s, it was bought by Asian American investors, who in
1998 sold Three Guys to three other guys from Brooklyn: Stanley’s two sons, Scott and
Howard, and Phil Penta, Sr.
The beloved Bay Ridge fixture gives back to the community, participating in a recycling
project that converts organic waste to water, giving out coupons to participants in Maimonides
Hospital’s childhood weight loss program, and providing pumpkins for the Narrows Botanical
Garden’s Halloween celebration. Patrons hail not only from the neighborhood but from the
Brooklyn “suburbs” like Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens and New Jersey.
They come for the deals, but also for the best produce in the city. “I get two trailers of
produce every night,” Penta said. “So there’s always fresh stuff on the shelves.”
Limited edition pieces of Anna McCraney’s collection are available at
www.annamccraney.com or www.supermarkethq.com.
HANDCRAFTED HEALING
Five years ago, legal secretary
Sue Rock and her sous-chef husband, Jay Rock, launched Sue
Rock Originals, a Crown
Heights-based fashion label. “We
were trying to find a way to reinvent our lives, and people were offering fabric on Craigslist, so we
thought we’d try making ‘indie
clothes,’” Sue said. “While we were
in that phase, a dear friend was
murdered by her husband. We be4 Sue and Jay Rock
gan to look at what else we could
do with fabrics.”
The result was Sue Rock Originals Everyone (SROE), a nonprofit that helps domestic
violence victims knit their lives back together. A woman fleeing an abusive relationship often must leave home with little more than the clothes on her back. SROE solicits donation of yarn, fabric and other materials from large companies like Marc Jacobs and Liz
Claiborne. Volunteers turn these materials into handcrafted clothes. Every Mother’s Day,
and one day in October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month), SROE distributes hundreds of these garments to local domestic violence shelters.
SROE is always looking for volunteers—no experience necessary. They even offer free
sewing, knitting and crochet classes at their studio. Meanwhile, Sue Rock Originals is now
established enough to be SROE’s funding engine. “Most knitters can whip up a beautiful
item in no time,” Sue said. “All of this is really a big experiment in ‘yes, we can!’”
Sue Rock Originals are available at the company’s studio, 1069 Bergen St.,
(bet. Nostrand and Rogers Aves.); as well as the Park Slope boutiques Flirt Brooklyn
and Eidolon, and at smashingdarling.com. For more information, call (347) 365-8747.
��
WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Photo by Neda Abghari
Winter 2010
Three Guys From Brooklyn, 6502 Fort Hamilton Parkway, at 65th St. (718) 748-8340.
Year
of the
Tiger
YOU ARE INVITED!
Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz
Invites you to celebrate the
CHINESE NEW YEAR
with a sumptuous multi-course Chinese banquet
plus entertainment to benefit CAMP BROOKLYN.
Reserve now for the Annual Chinese New Year Celebration
and help send some Brooklyn children of need to
summer sleep-away camp.
Monday, February 22, 2010
For information regarding group, nonproft, corporate and individual tickets:
Please call:
(212) 625-1025
For more information email: [email protected]
CAMP BROOKLYN FUND is a 501(c)(3) ORGANIZATION