995 Manhattan Ave

With QQ Mermaid Fashion as a very close second, Corner Frenzy! (I like to add the exclamation point) is the best named local business.

It’s also one of the most unusual in a hood packed with unusual (several local store fronts seem to feature nothing but a rotating collection of dirty carnival stuffed animals and cardboard boxes).

It’s primarily a laundromat, part ice cream shop, part smoothie spot and part empanada restaurant.

We’ve enjoyed the soft serve but why, oh why did it take me so long to get their empanadas?!

For a mere 4.50 I ate like a king.
Each filling: chicken, beef bean and rice and cheese was distinct and delicious.

The menu varies day to day, consisting of what they have made, but don’t worry it’s all tasty.

I’ve never been the hugest empanada fan but that’s because rarely are they so perfectly soft and doughy.

Be sure to say yes to the hot sauce, a homemade concoction of tongue tingling yumminess. She should bottle this stuff and add it to the store’s list of goods.

Probably the best deal around and with the most friendly service too!

See more: Restaurants Greenpoint South American

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Posted on December 21, 2011

119 Nassau Ave, Greenpoint

There is a definite template for new, hip restaurants keen on slabs of meat in Brooklyn and Amber Steak House ignores it completely. Here old school “elegance” with white table clothes and bow tie waiters meets the over the top “fancy” design of the late 1990’s.

It’s decidedly not hip, but that’s actually quite refreshing and doesn’t at all take away from the fact that the food is great.

Don’t be afraid to go all out with classics here. A nice and salty dirty martini set the tone for a perfectly medium rare filet mignon with peppercorn sauce, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. This is the very definition of what fine dining was for previous generations and they weren’t all wrong.

So while you may not see the trendiest dishes on the menu, you will be able to get a solid red meat feast for a much lower price than the more well known Peter’s or Keen’s. Plus, some of your dining neighbors will make you feel like you’re in a Giallo.

Please do a date night here if you’re a local, it’s an overlooked spot that deserves more attention.

See more: Restaurants American Greenpoint Steaks

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Posted on November 14, 2011

At Yes Gallery, 147 India St, Greenpoint

Looking for interesting things to do with afternoon strolls with Van (there’s only so many times we can go out for coffee and baby food) I looked into local galleries and found Yes, an almost hidden space on India was hosting an interesting exhibit of drawings.

Beautiful yet sinister, Dana Bunker‘s bold drawings of women in tangled are eye catching and expertly crafted. They belong to a new wave of illustration style that surely has a name but I’ll call it realistic fantasy (see Deanne Cheuk and my old friend Ashley Macomber‘s work to see what I mean).

It’s very appealing stuff that reminds me as much of hand painted wallpaper as it does Italian Vogue.

So bold are her images that Kenneth Burris‘s almost fade into the background but they are worth close inspection. Some of subtle renderings of skyscrapers and ships are quite lovely, especially in the miniature drawings in the front room.

The pencil work is subtle and intricate (therefor also hard to photograph with just an iPhone, so excuse the lack if photos) but they’re better to see in person anyways so head down before October 9 when the show closes.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Galleries/Museums Greenpoint

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Posted on September 16, 2011

26 Driggs Ave, Greenpoint

I’ve long been a supporter of the local absolutely no-frills Chinese massage salons.

After all, a cheap massage is worth a little bit of inconvenience, like the pungent smell of the massuses’ lunch and an old man next to you grunting, right?

Well, what if I told you that you could have a totally reasonably priced massage ($35 for 30 minutes) in a clean, soothing private room (pictured, sort of)?

What if I included a very courteous and friendly staff that is excited about their place of business and a very tempting menu of spa packages, body wraps, reflexology, and facials?

The place I speak of is Pure Qi Regimen Spa, and I am so happy I found it!

I am already planning my next visit.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours Greenpoint Health/Beauty

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Posted on September 5, 2011

Awesome Hairdos

If I were rich, like really really rich where money was just there to be spent, I’d pay someone to brush and braid my hair every day. Ever since I was a kid, with hair as long as it is now, I was designated as the girl who’s hair was played with – and I loved it!

Well, I’ve not suddenly come into wealth, but for an afternoon I did get to pay someone to play with my hair again.

Megan Pflug is a RISD chum and her side project, Braids of Paradise offers awesome braids (as you can plainly see). I felt like a science fiction queen for a couple days.

You can find her at the Backyard Bazaar at the great local shop In God We Trust (where I found a travel razor kit that could be hand engraved for a wonderful birthday gift). I believe it is held every Saturday and features many vendors of cool stuff.

Speaking of cool stuff, she and friend Katie Wright will have their lovely Cairo hand painted silk scarves for sale there as well.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Greenpoint Health/Beauty Home/Self Improvements

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Posted on July 25, 2011