Bagel Review: Terrace Bagels, Inc.

Terrace Bagels, Inc.
224 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY
/ 5 Bagels

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One and a half blocks due south of the southwest corner to Prospect Park, in the quaint, but lively community of Windsor Terrace, mouth-wateringly delicious bagels can be found aplenty at Terrace Bagels, Inc.. As this was my first time in the Windsor Terrace area, I decided to walk around for a few blocks to see what local competition this highly-recommended bagel had. Connecticut Muffin Co. was the only brunchery (you know what I mean) as close to as busy as Terrace Bagels. When I was walking home through the park, I noticed that a lot of people had Connecticut Muffin Co. take-out coffee cups. Perhaps they have some good joe. I'll have to go back and check them out. Anyway, no real competition nearby.

Terrace Bagels is split in two—a sit-down café on the left and take-out, the right. To be fair to the other establishments that I've already rated, I needed to choose carry-out. Plus, it was an unseasonably-warm and beautiful day and Prospect Park was so close by. Refrigerated display cases lined the left side of this shop which were chock full of salads, cheeses, meats, and other sides. On the far wall, many Jewish-bakery-style sweets filled the plexiglass display case. And just to the right of these sweets, the counter/cash register. Stroller-in-the-park dads, Sunday-morning-brunch-preppers, and Patagonia-wearing-Brooklyn-yuppies were all standing in line ahead of me around 10:30 on that Sunday morning. Not too crowded, but definitely not an in-and-out line.

With quite a selection of bagels to choose from, I opted for the standard—poppy with cream cheese. Now this was a big bagel. Almost the size of a What's a Bagel bagel. I added the usual shmear and got a cup of really good coffee for less than $3. While waiting in line, I also noticed some good-looking rugelachs in the display case. I asked for one and the man gave it to me for free. I assumed that this was either a) SOP (standard operating procedure), b) a choice not to weigh a single rugelach on the scale, or c) just a whim on this beautiful morning. The rugelach was small, but very flavorful.

The bagel's hard, poppy-encrusted shell encased a soft, warm, and rich doughy (though cooked) interior. Somehow, the cream cheese on this bagel did not melt, despite the bagel's overall warmth. I conjecture—here comes bagel physicist Alton Brown—that the small and large air holes in the dough allowed heat to escape and (somehow) not melt the shmearing. Let's just say someone with a thermomolecular understanding beyond my eleventh grade physics education could do a better job. Regardless of the explanation, the bagel and shmear were truly delicious.

Grade: A-
The bagel and coffee, together, were top notch. The price for the pairing, though, was just top. Granted the coffee has been the best at the places I've reviewed, I'm still not ready for a $3 shmear deal. (Call me Midwestern, or Ishmael). Oh, and to get to Windsor Terrace requires a little more public transportation know-how (especially on the weekend) than some of the other places I've been, so far. I will return though, and perhaps, eat in.

Arts and no farts

Works by Auguste Rodin, one of the most acclaimed French realist sculptors, usually reside in special exhibition rooms in the world's greatest museums—The Thinker in the Museé Rodin in Paris, France, and The Kiss in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York. In Brooklyn, at the Brooklyn Museum, the Rodin collection is (currently) not housed in a special exhibition gallery, nor is it on loan to another art institution. Rather, seven Rodin sculptures reside in the glass-encased pavilion of the museum, available for anyone who enters to appreciate before s/he gets in line to buy a ticket. And with a suggested admission of four dollars for students and eight for adults, the decision to visit this museum is a no-brainer.

What's housed in the exhibition gallery that usually holds the Rodin sculptures? A nine-foot-tall, bearded, naked man.

Yes, you read that correctly. In the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, Wild Man sits on a stool, alone. Behind one of the columns, an eighteen-inch-tall crouching boy wearing green shorts. And in the room that usually holds the Renaissance paintings, a twenty-foot tall woman in bed. These fiberglass and silicone ultra-realistic pieces would seem real, if it weren't for their unusual sizes. These works were created by Ron Mueck—an Australian sculptor who used to work in the film, animatronic industry.

The hair-grafting is so meticulous for these pieces that they look (and probably, feel) real. I read that Mueck even grafted his own hair on one of the pieces, Dead Dad, a three-foot-long, pale man lying naked on the floor.

I felt like Charlie Bucket (or Grandpa Joe) walking around Willie Wonka's factory, except, in my case, I wasn't interested in the candy innovations; rather, I was astounded and transfixed by several of these Oompa Lump-sized sculptures. Oh, and the gigantic ones, too. [See above for scale.]

In addition to the Ron Mueck exhibit, the Brooklyn Museum was also displaying over 200 prints from acclaimed and award-winning photographer Annie Leibovitz. The pictures, both personal and professional, were taken in the past fifteen years. Some of the big-name subjects included: President Clinton (and family), President Bush (and Cabinet), Nelson Mandela, Nicole Kidman, Cindy Crawford, (good friend) Susan Sontag, Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Whoopi Goldberg, George Clooney, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, (pregnant) Demi Moore (from the cover of Vanity Fair), Julianne Moore, Michael Moore, Colin Powell, Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf, the White Stripes, Donald Trump, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Cash, and at least seventy other people who you've heard of.

Unfortunately, I missed the "American Music" by Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the DIA. I wanted to make up for it with this exhibition. It was definitely worthwhile. From simple 4x6's to lavishly-framed four-by-six feet landscapes, the beautiful, but crowded exhibit spanned the full extent of her ouevre—portraits, stills, action, and landscapes.

Overall, a great afternoon at the museum. Next up, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A New Tradition

While Detroit may have America's Thanksgiving Parade, New York can boast that it has Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Semantically, both are Turkey Day traditions; but, each parade has a completely separate audience (unless you're watching both at home, flipping channels).

When I was younger, I remember (one time) watching America's Thanksgiving Parade from a perch, perhaps on my dad's shoulders, near Grand Circus Park, Detroit, as the parade rolled down Woodward Avenue. This year, I was able to watch the Macy's parade from Central Park, New York City. Despite the rain, wind, and overall depressing weather, thousands of New Yorkers (and those visiting the City) turned out to take part in this eighty-year-old American tradition.

All the regulars were on hand: Snoopy, Garfield, and Big Bird, just to name a few. Oh, and marching bands galore.

Some of the characters and floats were new to me, especially the Disney- and Nickelodeon-themed ones. I'm just not up to speed with what the kids are into these days. I do know who Dora the Explorer is, though. Luckily, I was standing next to a family with kids—ages four, seven, and ten—to fill me in on who was coming up next.

Overall, a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend it to anyone who finds him/herself in the city on this Mid-Afternoon Dinner holiday.

Speaking of a mid-afternoon dinner, I had to rush home during the parade (hoping that I'd make the less-than-punctual holiday-schedule trains) so I could watch a little football and then head out for some turkey. Yes, I will be having turkey, and perhaps some standard seasonal accompaniments today. That puts my turkey tally at two in the last four years! Usually, it's the movies while everyone begins their mid-afternoon dinners, followed by pizza. I'll try to sneak in the theater afterward. Unfortunately, there is no new Harry Potter movie for the family to see, together, today. I'll have to check the listings to see what would be the Robinson Family choice.

Get your glutton on. And go Lions!

Bo Knows Knew Football

We'll miss you, Bo.

No one represented Michigan tradition better than Bo. [He] was the icon of Michigan football.

-Mary Sue Coleman

Love,
Michigan Nation

Bagel Review: What's A Bagel

What's A Bagel
11112 Flatlands Ave.
Brooklyn, NY
/ 5 Bagels

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Located just west of my new office in a strip mall that features Dunkin Donuts, PathMark, and a store with Cyrillic print that I couldn't read (yet), this Old World-style shop offers more than the typical bagel store fare. While "What's a Bagel" [sic] may not answer to the Bais Din of Crown Heights, the deli-and-more store certainly holds its own without the assistance of a higher authority.

The bagels are remarkably lightweight, given the (peculiar) physics of their construction. Yes, they look like regular bagels: brown, round, with a whole in the middle. Let me explain. If the bagel were a basketball (notice the use of the subjunctive, Mr. Schutz), I would have a tough time palming it. And that's not because I have little hands. So, we've established their size. Second, the skin has that particular pliability where one can rip off a piece and still need to pull again for that piece to really break off. (If you want an analogy, I'm sorry; I can't think of one. It is not similar to the cheese strings stuck on your pizza, though). But, on the inside, there are air pockets of all sizes to give the bagel a light, caky, almost-Tuscan bread-style appearance.

For 60¢ /per, the bagel, by itself, is considerably filing. Add a free shmear of butter, and you got something, my friend. Cream cheese will run you the standard $1.50. But, if you'd prefer something with a little more protein, add an egg, any style, to your bagel for just $1.10, total! Or, if you'd like to outfit yourself for a week, pick up a bag of "day olds" for only $1.50. These "day olds" come in both sorted and assorted styles. Oh, and you can get bialys (sp?) (those large, flat, baked bagels) or challah rolls, too. With Dr. Browns in the fridge, who can go wrong.

Grade: B+
The atmosphere and price are hard to beat. But, with no seating, and located near the Southeast corner of Brooklyn, eating in or stopping by are not recommended unless you have lots of time for travel (or, a car).

AL Rookie of the Year

Congratulations to Justin Verlander for winning AL Rookie of the Year honors, today.

DUMBO, not the elephant

New York has a bridge of renown
In the borough of Brooklyn; but down
In D.C. it's been dissed
By the monument list.
Not an icon? Hey, get outta town!
[Courtesy of Chris Doyle for OEDILF]

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Today I walked beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. I'll reserve a better, less overcast day to walk across into Manhattan. I heard about the neighborhood of DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) from one of my roommates who used to walk out of his apartment and look up at the bridge, every morning. On some maps, the area is called Fulton Landing. For reference, the area lies just west of Borough Hall and the County Court.

Without a map in hand, or any means of reference beside the subway map that I perused while in the station, I decided to go exploring. I'd heard of a great pizza place in this vicinity, Grimaldi's—who uses a coal-fired oven—from several "Top 10" Lists about Brooklyn. After three minutes of walking down toward the East River, I saw Grimaldi's ahead of me. Unfortunately, the establishment only sells whole pizzas and accepts just cash (which I didn't have very much on me). Thus, my lunch plans were foiled, for now.

Just a hundred yards from Grimaldi's stands the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. I walked around to the other side and up one of the side streets to the DUMBO district, with its high-rising lofts, apartments, and offices. I suspect, though I could be entirely wrong, that this is where the less-alternative, not-as-hipster-esque crowd lives/works once they grow up and choose to stay in Brooklyn. A lot of warehouses that have been converted for the arts—both galleries and theaters. Oh, it's a bonus if you're a Jehovah's Witness, too.

A majority of the buildings in the area are owned by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, the real estate arm of the religion. The Watchtower, the official newspaper for Jehovah's Witness, is located in this area—both the editorial offices and actual printing warehouse—and housing for over 3,000 Witnesses, too.

After shpatsiring around the neighborhood for a few minutes, I headed back toward the Brooklyn Bridge and toward another area: Brooklyn Heights (remember from the American Army's retreat two blog posts ago). I only checked out this quiet, cobblestoned, red-bricked, and Brooklyn-chic neighborhood for a few minutes before I found my train and headed back to Crown Heights to meet my new mattress for delivery.

Henry and Clark Streets in Brooklyn Heights seemed very cool and I will return another time, perhaps when I bring cash to Grimaldi's, to check them out.

Bagel Review: Crown Kosher Bagels

Crown Kosher Bagels
333A Kingston Ave
Brooklyn, NY
/ 5 Bagels

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This was my first bagel experience in New York, let alone Brooklyn, and let me tell you—"I'm hooked." Now, back to the review.

Unlike other bagel shops around the world (or at least the ones that I've visited), the bagels at Crown Kosher are not on display in wire baskets at or behind the counter. Nor are they displayed in a plexiglass cubes like New York Bagel Baking Co. (West Bloomfield, Michigan). Rather, these ring-shaped delicacies remain on their trays, cooling off on their baking sheets in a portable rack behind the counter. Furthermore, the trays are not labeled and I think that's great. I don't need to be reminded that a poppy seed bagel is poppy. Plus, at a bagel joint that serves a Yiddish-, Hebrew-, and English-speaking clientele, what language would the signs be in anyway. And the other items behind the counter are not labeled either, which inlude kugels, knishes, three types of tuna fish salads, and much more.

Balanced, semi-sweet with a hint of salt; light, almost cake-like in a coffee cake manner; and Paul Vitti-esque, soft and chewy on the inside with a rougher outer layer, these bagels approach perfection. They are certainly not perfect, but for 50¢/per or $1.50 with cream cheese, these once-doughy discs certainly rank high on depth chart. Toasting the bagel enhances the overall crunchiness but does not ruin (or affect) the already-soft interior.

In addition to bagels and cream cheese, Crown Kosher offers several other options for toppings, including flavored cream cheeses, lox, and other smoked fish. Plus, for $5— a bagel, egg, and potato sandwich, a scoop of tuna, Israeli salad, and another salad bar item. Pretty good deal, eh?

Be prepared to feel rushed when going to Crown Kosher. The patrons will skip ahead of you and/or make you crowd the counter, especially during the post-minyan rush in the morning.

Grade: A
Great bagels, good toppings, practical prices, rushed atmosphere, and cash only (I think).

Welcome to New York, motherfucker!

On Wednesday, November 8, I arrived in Brooklyn, ready for adventure, wet from the continuous, day long downpour, and excited about big city living. Before I begin with my ramblings, I thought that it would be appropriate for me to give you a brief overview of the borough that I will be calling home (and work) for the next several months.

To begin, Brooklyn is not exactly Gotham City, but it sure is close (only about 10 or 15 minutes by train, depending on where you are and if you can catch the express). Epithetically called the "City of Trees" or "City of Churches," this borough south and east of Manhattan is home to over 2.5 million people—from all over the world. It is the most populous New York City borough. The city is often characterized by the typical (in most neighborhoods) brownstone houses and apartments. If you don't know what I mean, think of "The Cosby Show". Similar to its borough brethren, this area is divided into neighborhoods/districts. Currently, I'm living in Crown Heights, an historically Jewish & West Indian locale a mile east of Prospect Park. I will describe the neighborhoods more in detail when I visit them.

Brooklynites are extremly proud to be from Brooklyn. I recently found a list of reasons why "You know you're from Brooklyn when," and this was my favorite: "you're still angry that the Dodgers left."

• Do you care that the first battle of the American Revolution actually took place in Brooklyn? Some scholars will contend that Lexington & Concord put us at war with the British. But until the Declaration of Independence was signed, war had yet to begin. In other words, when John (read: Herbie) Hancock signed the Declaration, the British "got served." Then, in August, 1776, the British crossed what is now the Verrazano Narrows from Staten Island to Long Island and served Washington's Army back, forcing the Americans to retreat to Brooklyn Heights and then Manhattan. In September, an American delegation offered the British a peace treaty which would revoke the Declaration in exchange for stopping the siege of New York City. The Brits rejected the offer September 15, 1776. Now, "it was on."
• Do you care that Rutherford B. Hayes'—the nineteenth President of the United (1877-1881)—middle name was Birchard? I know this has nothing to do with Brooklyn, but I just learned it.
• Do you care for these sometimes tangential ramblings? That's rhetorical, don't answer it.