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.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The sweet smell of success at Parkside & Flatbush


After leaving the Q train at Parkside I head past the Pioneer, the hard working beer- soaked "bottle people," the Yemeni deli, the eyesore squat building and the raucous but friendly crowd in front of 225 Parkside where a woman was critically shot for holding onto her knife longer than the cops are comfortable with. Then it hits me...courtesy of an industrial strength exhaust fan... that pungent wafting odor of mightily fried chicken. You know what I'm talking about. It's intoxicating, yet nauseating, with nice legs and a smoky after-smell. I'll admit I've been suckered, but I've never once been glad I indulged.

Enough with the dimestore poetry - I'll cut to the chase - in fact that amazing car chase in "The French Connection." According to their website, POPEYE'S was named for Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle in that Oscar winning film, not the spinach-eating he-man of yore. Color me purple! This whole time I've been wondering why they didn't serve leafy greens!

My grade for this Popeye's is a solid C for Consistent, D for Decor, but A+ for olfactory marketing. As they're fond of asking on Brownstoner -- "what do you think?" and "care to share your neighborhood culinary guilty pleasures?

4 comments:

hdaisy said...

plantains at gordon's!

Victor Mata Plana said...

1) popeye's goodness is axiomatically consistent
2) do they have a walk-up window and/or delivery?

Anonymous said...

Every now and then Popeye's suckers me in for a biscuit. 3 for a dollar, but over 200 calories each :\

MJMcBee said...

Ain't nothin like purchasing fried chicken through a bulletproof window--much more rewarding than placing a money order across the street! Every time my CWEAFy (delicious term btw) father-in-law (just replace "Artsy" with "Anglo") comes down from CT he makes it about 27 minutes before blurting out "I'll buy!"