While our little neighborhood is by no means a restaurant wasteland – we boast great coffee, sandwiches and donuts – Annella is still a great and much needed addition to the area. Reasonably priced and delicious, the mainly strictly Italian menu is best for days when you have a heartier appetite, but does offer a few lighter options.

On the heavy side, you can't go wrong with the amazing meatballs that were a candidate for the New York Wine and Food Festival Meatball Madness competition. Once a special and now a beloved permanent fixture on the menu, they're a gut busting combination of flavorful meats including prosciutto. If you crave a less hulking plate of food, I'm a huge fan of the clam pizza: a crisp and garlicky white pie with a touch of cheese and plenty of briny little ones.

My friends and I find ourselves dining here a lot because they've got the perfect blend of ambiance (dark with warm lighting, lots of antiquey touches), service (always really kind and efficient), price (which is made even nicer with their waning – but still current — BYOB policy), and menu of delightful food. It's not easy to get everything so right, but Annella seems to do so quite effortlessly.

And now they're open for an equally impressive brunch; you can enjoy massive benedicts and steak and eggs in their lovely back yard.

On Yelp!

See more: Restaurants Greenpoint Italian

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on August 17, 2009

The atmosphere of the appropriately named Hideout bar in Fort Greene is mellow, dark, inviting and snug. Unfortunately the bartender is none of these things. Why any self proclaimed mixologist would find it becoming to bitch about having to shake three fizzes in a row or bemoan a couple that dared to leave their empty 12 dollar a drink glasses on the table is beyond me, but the din of regular and clinking glass can drown him out, and hey, maybe he was just having an off night.

I won't let it mar the total drinking experience, an experience that included fig tinted cocktails and flowery strong punches. The impressive menu (you'll have a terribly fun time choosing a drink) are courtesy of onetime U.K. Bartender of the Year, Charlotte Voisey. ?br/>
You find the faux speakeasy behind unmarked wooden garage doors on Adelphi St.

See more: Drinks Bars Beer Greenpoint

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on August 3, 2009

This week Jim was so taken with a new salon here in Greenpoint that he volunteered this post:

I’ve never actually felt comfortable in a salon; I’m sure my own issues are a big part of the reason why but, personal hang-ups aside, I’ve always genuinely perceived a mild disinterest radiating from the staff, as if they didn’t exactly want me in their club house – like I was some kind of interruptive intruder.

Never again. The other day, under pressure from Brittany to trim my beard, I booked an appointment up the street at The Parlour (it’s on Greenpoint and Franklin, right next door to Brouwerij Lane). I’ve never in my life felt more welcomed in a place of hair dressing. Everyone is super friendly and I didn’t at all feel like I was disrupting whatever they were up to the second before I walked in.

For $25 I got a shampoo, neck and beard trim with a hot towel, which is both super relaxing and a pretty good deal – but what’s really key is that I was able to get my beard trimmed by someone who totally knew what she was doing – which has not always been the case at other local shops that boast of their tonsorial expertise.

In fact, the last time I got a trim I was so displeased with the results that I had to tinker with it at home for some time and, in an (ultimately ineffectual) effort to make it look even and regular, I gradually shortened my beard far more than I would have liked to; so I’m sure you can imagine how pleased I was that I walked out with a great looking beard.

But the Parlour offers far more than mere man maintenance packages, Nackie (who runs the salon) is a major hair stylist. She worked for a number of years at the Chelsea Hotel before opening The Parlour just a couple of months ago. She trimmed my hair and it looks excellent, so I’m sure that whatever kind of style you’re looking for, she and her team can totally deliver.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours Greenpoint Guest Writer: Jim Health/Beauty Home/Self Improvements

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on June 8, 2009

One of the joys of living in Greenpoint is that you can pass by a shop and see this pastel and flower surrounded little angel (who will, no doubt be blaring club music and revving his engine in a few years time) staring back at you enticing you to buy chocolates for… communion? (having no ability to read Polish nor much knowledge about Catholicism, that's just a guess).

It's really just a shell hiding a normal box of “La Stella” chocolates, but I have to say, in a world of increasingly more elaborate and expensive options, a six dollar box that holds a nicely bitter pistachio creme candy is a welcome treat.

See more: Desserts Candy Greenpoint Polish

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on May 4, 2009

Old Hollywood is a fairly new edition to my little neighborhood where dollar shops and banks still dominate the storefronts. See, little doses of gentrification can be okay when it come to places like this moving in – just as long as they leave my precious Rainbow be! While I don't actually go shopping all that often, I figured Old Hollywood was at least worth a look-see based on their lovely window displays and comprehensive blog.

While some of the clothes were outside my excessively cheap price range (blame eBay), there's a great sale rack that necessitates repeat visits. The store is terrifically stocked (by former Catbird buyer Tiffany Porter) with classic vintage sprinkled with contemporary fashions and lots of fun jewelry.

I walked away with a handful of great finds including a woven preppy hair comb, a funky plastic ring, and a fabulous belt from the '70s that's still searching my bedroom for its perfect dress-mate.

While you won't find the designer pieces of my wondrous friend Stacy's shop, Exquisite Costume, there's lots of tasteful duds and special accessories to enhance your wardrobe. And the staff is really friendly, which is a nice change of pace from the inexplicably bratty salespeople that I frequently find myself interacting with.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Greenpoint Shops Vintage

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on April 6, 2009