Good Food February 9, 2024

February 9, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Lamb for two at K’Far.
Photo by Colby Kingston

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Welcome to this week’s Good Food newsletter! A week of celebrations is upon us with Lunar New Year, Fat Tuesday, and Valentine’s Day. Food is a major component of these celebratory events. And while celebrations with food are often wonderful occasions, we at Good Food encourage you to celebrate the occasion of every day with the enjoyment of food. This is especially true when it involves being around the table with others. More and more evidence suggests something that I believe wholeheartedly: There is a connection between the sharing of meals with others and wellness. I was so pleased to read this week’s Good Food interview, conducted by my colleague, Alice Gilbert, with Zhana Londoner of Mercado Central, a Spanish specialty store in Carroll Gardens, who shares the Spaniards embrace of “Sobremesa” — the practice of lingering around the table, immersed in the sensory pleasure of food and the the communal ethos it inspires. “Sobremesa” is a meaningful time that should be (and can be) enjoyed regularly. I also admire how Ms. Londoner and her husband/partner prioritize their shop as part of the community. With this in mind, we encourage all of you to gather with friends and family as often as possible (even for a small bite and/or a coffee or cocktail) and to support your local shops, cafes, and eateries who welcome such gatherings year round.

As for this week, if you are celebrating, enjoy your Lunar New Year and/or Valentine’s Day! See our roundup of Valentine’s Day suggestions, including Mercado Central and our “throwback” to Little Star Chinese restaurant in Bensonhurst which is a great place for a Lunar New Year feast!

And you are staying home on Valentine’s Day, check out the romantic tuna tartare recipe from Chef Carlos Rodriguez Lima of Cebu Bar & Bistro.

–Andrew

V-Day BK

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is upon us. Whether you’re looking for a prix fixe menu or something different to cook at home, these Brooklyn spots have you covered.

Here’s where to go for a Valentine’s Day Out:

Popina: Pop in-a to their wine cellar in Cobble Hill and try 16 Pinot Noirs from around the world.
Edy’s Grocer: Head to Greenpoint for a Lebanese menu with a side of drag.
Bricolage: This Park Slope Vietnamese restaurant is featuring a prix fixe menu for $85, including a special dragonfruit, rose and green tea cocktail.
Mercado Central: This little Spanish shop in Carroll Gardens is hosting a Catalan olive oil and chocolate class.
K’Far: This Israeli spot in Williamsburg will be doing an $85 prix fixe menu, but the regular menu will also be available if you don’t want to commit.
Cremini’s: “The Little Brooklyn Restaurant That Could,” as Andrew put it, will have a special menu, which includes maritozzo (brioche buns filled with cream) for dessert.
Lore: This global spot is putting together a special menu with global flavors for $78.
Atti: Downtown Brooklyn’s fine Korean BBQ spot is hosting a Han-Sang Love feast for $135, which begins with a raw bar plate and ends with a barbeque extravaganza with copious accompaniments.
Leland Eating and Drinking House: If Valentine’s Day isn’t your thing, head to Prospect Heights for a special Chinese-Filipino Lunar New Year menu, which is happening from February 12-18.

…Or In:

Paisanos Butcher Shop: Shop Paisano’s special lobster or heart-shaped cheese ravioli (or just get a steak).
Raaka Chocolate: This Brooklyn-based chocolate shop has a collection of romantic specialties on sale for the holiday, like their sweet and salty minis.
Bin Bin Sake: After you’ve attended their fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 11, benefiting those affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Ishikawa, Japan, drink your bottles of sake at home with some sushi take-out.

Faces Behind The Food:

Zhana Londoner

The walls of Mercado Central, on the corner of Smith and Degraw in Carroll Gardens, feel more like a museum than a specialty food store. Tins of octopus, mussels, razor clams, sardines and smoked salmon flaunt their colorful facades next to a vast and intricately curated array of olive oils. Despite being the size of a small studio apartment, Mercado Central still has space for cookbooks, candles disguised as tinned fish, handmade olive wood mixing bowls, and a miniature box grater that can fit in the palm of your hand. And then there’s the vast wall of potato chips in flavors from jamón Ibérico to foie gras to fried egg. Behind the register, near the refrigerator stocked with the real jamón, Spanish soda and manchego cheese, is Zhana Londoner, the owner of this little slice of Spain in Brooklyn.

News

Aleli’s outdoor dining setup in Bay Ridge.<br>Photo: NYC DOT — Aleli’s outdoor dining setup in Bay Ridge.
Photo: NYC DOT

Mayor Adams and city officials announced the new rules of citywide outdoor dining prior to its official rollout in March. The new rules included rat-resistant barriers and limits on proximity to subways and fire hydrants.

Last weekend, Irene’s Place, a Polish bar in Greenpoint, closed its doors after 44 years.

The Meat Hook, a popular Williamsburg butcher shop focusing on sustainably-raised meat, will open a Carroll Gardens location this spring. Check back here for an update.

Restaurant Highlight: Silver Star

Long Life Noodles at Silver Star Restaurant. Photo: Daniel Paterna

A seventh-generation family-run restaurant dating back to 1944, Silver Star offers Cantonese cuisine to the local Italian population of Bensonhurst. If the story of a couple swimming up the Pearl River to Hong Kong to escape post-WWII China, immigrating to the US and taking over Silver Star doesn’t entice you enough, the Long Life Noodles and Spare Ribs should explain why this place is so popular amongst locals.

Read the story of an unlikely meshing of cultures here.

Today’s Recipe

Tuna Tartare

From Chef Carlos Rodriguez Lima at Cebu Bar & Bistro

Staying in on Valentine’s Day? Try this romantic recipe for two from Chef Carlos Rodriguez Lima at Cebu Bar & Bistro!

Cebu Bar tuna tartare — Photo courtesy of Cebu Bar & Bistro via Instagram.

Ingredients

2 servings

Utensils:

1 2-quart pot
2 small mixing bowls
Sharp knife
4” round metal ring

Ingredients:

8 oz sashimi grade ahi tuna
2 Hass avocados
2 Idaho potatoes
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Pinch of black and white sesame seed
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Make the potato chips: Pour oil into the pot over medium heat. Slice the potatoes paper thin and fry until golden color. Move aside to a paper towel to absorb the extra grease, sprinkle kosher salt.
Prepare the avocado layer: Cut avocado in half and remove from skin. Cut into tiny cubes and add into a mixing bowl with the salt, black pepper and a drop of sesame oil. Put the metal ring on a plate and fill half with the cubed avocado mixture.
Prepare the tuna layer: Cut tuna into the same size cubes as the avocado. In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil & mayonnaise. Mix well and set aside. Fold the tuna with half of the Sriracha aioli and place on top of the avocado layer using a spoon to smooth it out. Add a few drops of the remaining sriracha aioli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place chips on a plate. Carefully remove the metal ring, and enjoy!