Yesterday, greeted by the first warm breezes of the spring, I decided to visit my old neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's the two neighborhoods just south of Brooklyn Heights, a mile or so south of the Brooklyn Bridge, along the water (think Moonstruck). I only lived in this neighborhood for two years, but it conveyed a sense of home stronger than any other place I'd lived in (and I've moved A LOT since graduating High School!). It is truly a neighborhood: tree-lined streets, old brownstones, hidden parks, privately-owned restaurants and boutiques where the owners get to know you; you get the idea....
Here's what I did: First, I got my hair cut at Salon de Quartier for my seasonal appointment with Kathleen who always does a great job with my hair! I still go back there for 3 
reasons: 1) they do a great job 2) it's an excuse to visit the old neighborhood, and 3) the French receptionist makes you feel like you're in Paris, serving you croissants and coffee while they address your tresses! Next, I had brunch at a favorite restaurant of mine called Alma. It serves up great Mexican food in a classy environment, but you really go for the view: there's rooftop dining that overlooks the Manhattan skyline. I was on a first date, and all I could say was, thank GOODNESS there was a view and good food there to help me survive... I also have to add that their dinners seem much better than their brunches. After bolting from the guy, I did what any practical girl would do after a disasterous date: I ran to a good bakery, and bought some carbs, guilt-free. My bakery of choice: Mazzola's. Mazzola's is an old neighborhood establishment with amazing specialty bread. I got a loaf of the cranberry walnut, and an olive loaf. You don't know the meaning of good Italian bread until you've checked out the bakeries in this area. To complete my tour, I stopped off and Smith and Vine, a great wine store know
n for their table of excellent $10 and under bottles. They actually moved down the street, which was a little bit of a surprise to me, but I'll deal... Lastly, I poked my head into Handmade, a great boutique, especially for gift-giving.
reasons: 1) they do a great job 2) it's an excuse to visit the old neighborhood, and 3) the French receptionist makes you feel like you're in Paris, serving you croissants and coffee while they address your tresses! Next, I had brunch at a favorite restaurant of mine called Alma. It serves up great Mexican food in a classy environment, but you really go for the view: there's rooftop dining that overlooks the Manhattan skyline. I was on a first date, and all I could say was, thank GOODNESS there was a view and good food there to help me survive... I also have to add that their dinners seem much better than their brunches. After bolting from the guy, I did what any practical girl would do after a disasterous date: I ran to a good bakery, and bought some carbs, guilt-free. My bakery of choice: Mazzola's. Mazzola's is an old neighborhood establishment with amazing specialty bread. I got a loaf of the cranberry walnut, and an olive loaf. You don't know the meaning of good Italian bread until you've checked out the bakeries in this area. To complete my tour, I stopped off and Smith and Vine, a great wine store know
n for their table of excellent $10 and under bottles. They actually moved down the street, which was a little bit of a surprise to me, but I'll deal... Lastly, I poked my head into Handmade, a great boutique, especially for gift-giving.(Note: these are old pictures from last year! The snow is gone by now!)
No comments:
Post a Comment