The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Empanada City: Lincoln East of Nostrand



Not just an empanada shoppe, Empanada City has incorporated as its own township at 363 Lincoln Road. The first of what the Department of City Planning calls a prototype to outsource to the private sector most of the governmental apparatus of individual parcels of land, blocks and whole neighborhoods, the owners of Empanada City plan to set their own prices, collect tax, serve locally made (onsite) empanadas, provide maintenance for all plumbing infrastructure (i.e. clean or plunge the toilet when necessary), pay for electricity, water and heat out of their own lease arrangement and provide security for the premises by locking the doors and windows to the City each evening. It remains to be seen whether Empanada City will be incorporated in New York State, since the new Governmental Outsourcing laws allow each new city to choose what state it wants to be part of. Some are suggesting that Empanada City might choose New Mexico, marking the first time in the history of the republic that a town resides outside a state's contiguous geographical area. Oh, and the empanadas are rumored to be quite tasty.

Seriously though, this is big news for Eastern Leffertsonians. Opening in October/November. And thanks to Facebook, you can go ahead and "like" it before you even try it! Good lucks guys. Visit their F-book page here.

Oh, and believe it or not (this one is true) below you'll find the familiar visage of  Chef Boy-ar-dee that I came across while googling Chef Boy-ar-dee (incredibly effective that). It reminded me of a simpler culinary time, and so I wiki'd it and found out that Chef Boy-ar-dee (later spelled without the hyphens) was actually an actual guy from Cleveland, an Italian immigrant named Ettore "Hector" Boiardi before cleverly canning his signature dishes and making a mint.


Hector Boiardi changed the spelling of his name for ease of pronunciation, prompting another Frenchman, a famous actor, to change his name to Gerard Dippy-Do.

15 comments:

Alex said...

Hey so how do we go about recruiting a taqueria for the now shuttered subway location on Flatbush??

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the Subway, anyone know the deal there? It had closed down periodically before for remodeling or management changes or whatever, but last week I saw people moving out furniture and fixtures. It was always so empty (especially for a well known fast food chain) over the past year, I'm guessing this is finally the end.

Also, instead of a taqueria, I'm pulling for a decent, unpretentious ice cream place.

Anonymous said...

Ramagi is now closed too. new restaurants cannot come fast enough. I used to live near Empanada Mama in the LES and that place was legit. Hopefully this one is a winner too.

Anonymous said...

Ramagi was not short of business. their delivery times were almost always over an hour+ something else must of been the issue. We need better delivery here is PLG.

I wish that Food Sermon would keep normal hours and do a delivery menu. Maybe we should start a crowd funding campaign to bring Criff Dog to PLG. My wife and i are getting desperate, We have been relying on Istanbul Park on 7th Ave in Park Slop for delivery and other spots out of PLG to deliver food.

come on!!!

Unknown said...

What is the story on Taste of Brooklyn on Rogers? Is it open or opening soon? And the other Mexican place on Rogers? Any idea on timing there?
Business must be good for the new places though. We went to Pel's Pies on Saturday night at 9:pm for dessert. They were open but totally sold out of all pies!! How is that possible?

Anonymous said...

@Alex: Taqueria now exists in the former Cafe Enduro/Lincoln Park Tavern space :D

Anonymous said...

Taste of Brooklyn opens this Friday and will be doing brunch this weekend.
Pel's sells so much so fast that they are struggling to keep enough fruit in-house to keep pies on the counter. I watched 3 or 4 blackberry peach pies go into the oven the other morning, came back in the afternoon and they were already gone!

Alex said...

Anon, I know. That was a joke. We have a 1/2 dozen taquerias either open or about to open.

babs said...

I thought Food Sermon's hours were normal - they just close from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. In this neighborhood (Orthodox Jew and SDA) that is normal.

Anonymous said...

Okay so yes i realize that in our area there is a dynamic and long standing observant jewish population but it is not the dominatnt population. typically one that works 5 days a week will go out for dinner on Friday or Saturday night..... which they are not open..... therefore i have been trying to give them business but awwww not open. it does not seem like a sold business plan to not be open the two largest grossing nights for restaurants. i hope they succeed

babs said...

They aren't Jewish; they're SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) as are many long-term residents of the area. If Friday night is the only night you eat out, too bad for you. They are open after sundown on Saturday.

Alex said...

Yea, unfortunately their religious behaviors will take a bite out of their profits. I love the place myself, and it would be great if they were open during prime weekend hours. If they choose to expand into a full service restaurant - and I hope they do - they'll have to hire some non-believers to run the place on Fridays and Saturdays.

Speaking of religion, can we talk about the horrifically ugly granite tile and stucco facade going up on the church at the corner of Lefferts and Washington? There's no accounting for taste, but it's going to stick out like a sore thumb. I don't understand why they couldn't just clean up their brick facade, continuing to blend with their surroundings.

babs said...

I think the granite is probably a cheaper solution than re-pointing the entire brick building (which is sorely needed - if you look closely you'll see there's lots of missing mortar between the bricks). I just hope it doesn't have the reverse effect - trapping moisture between the granite and the brick and thereby causing structural damage to the building and/or black mold. That's assuming it doesn't get bought by a developer first and torn down for a new building, current zoning being what it is in that spot.

Anonymous said...

babs you must be sooo fancy and your library smells of leather and rich mahogany.... so have Hight Tea and look down on us "working folks". i exit the room jenuflecting in your awsome glory

SDA...great my mistake.

this time a year sundown is almost 8 or 9pm.

i don't normally patronize establishments of religious fundamentalists....

Leffertspapa said...

re: anon 10:25
I'm sure your intolerance of "fundamentalist" establishments causes them reflect on their own values and reconsider.

Meantime, you need to try harder on the takeout front. May I recommend Zen Chinese?