VittlesVamp

Flea Market Food Finds

I was pleased when I learned that the Brooklyn Flea was going to do the snowbird thing and move from its outdoor post in Ft. Greene to huddle up to get warm in indoor space in DUMBO. For 12 weekends 25 antiques and vintage collections dealers would offer their funky wares at 76 Front Street. Suddenly this second-hand shopping mecca would be within easy walking distance from my apartment.

However, now they've gone a bit too far. Not content with simply threatening my wallet, they've decided to threaten my waistline as well.

They've brought some of the food vendors from the Flea to DUMBO, setting up shop across the street at 81 Front.

This could be dangerous. We're talking about Red Hook Soccer Field ladies offering hefty doses of kickin' Pupusas, Kumquat Cupcakery and its irresistible thimble-sized cupcakes (pictured above), the sweet and sour temptations of McClure's Pickles, the buttery sweet bakery delights of Choice Market, and much more.

And, did I even mention the big red King's County BBQ truck parked outside emitting fine smoky aromas?

Like I said: This could be dangerous.

Rooting For A Teetotaler's Delight

O'Doul's? Buckler? Kaliber?

I think not.

If I want something cold, bubbly and frothy in my mug -- sans alcohol -- I don't go for non-alcoholic beer. I go for root beer.

Apparently, the Los Angeles Times agrees with my palate, shining a spotlight on the recent root beer revival and offering up their favorite rootin' tootin' micro-brew picks.

Still, root beer fan that I am, I was surprised to learn that sassafras is no longer a mainstay ingredient in this brown bubbly brew:

Hires had promoted his product as a non-alcoholic drink. As a result, sarsaparilla was considered such an innocent ingredient that, as late as the 1950s, the heroic new sheriff in a cowboy movie would walk into the local saloon and ask for a "sasparilly," showing how pure and fearless he was. This would be the equivalent of going into a tough bar and asking for root beer.

However, sassafras is no longer considered innocent. In 1960, it was outlawed as a food additive because mega doses caused cancer in rats. Since then it has become even more illegal, because the flavoring element in sassafras, safrole, is used in making the illicit drug MDMA (Ecstasy).

Ecstasy, huh? No wonder sasparilly has always had a way of putting me in a good mood.

Super Bowl Shortage Waiting In The Wings

Chickens don't fly. That means their wings are up for grabs.

At least that's what football fans in Phoenix and Pittsburgh are thinking right now, as they await the "big game" next Sunday.

The local papers of both the Cardinals and the Steelers -- the Arizona Republic and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette respectively -- are featuring recipes for wings, wings and more wings. Whether Peppery Glazed with Garlic Chips, Cola-Glazed, Curried or the game day classic, Buffalo, it looks like poultry pinions will be consumed aplenty. The National Chicken Council prediction has it at a billion for Super Bowl Sunday.

Still, some feathers might get ruffled by a reported wing shortage, spurred by the recent bankruptcy of one of the country's leading suppliers. And, sports bars and restaurants might have to brace themselves for quite a flap, if fans don't get their requisite wing fix next Sunday.

How Sweet It Is

Looks like you soon may be able to "beet it" when you jump into a VW Beetle or any other vehicle, if you're engine has been reconfigured to handle biofuel. According to Inforum:

A Minnesota State University Moorhead researcher is trying to develop biofuel out of sugar beets.

Andrew “Mazz” Marry, an assistant professor in the biosciences department, thinks sugar beets could be a cheaper alternative to corn to produce ethanol.

“I just think it’s an untapped resource,” Marry said.

This semester, Marry and three students are researching whether sugar beets and sugar beet pulp could be turned into biofuel...

...Marry said he is specifically interested in sugar beet pulp because it is mostly either thrown away or fed to livestock.

“Corn is more expensive than gold at the moment,” said Marry, who has degrees in plant pathology and cell biology. “I personally think the sugar beet is the way forward.”

Vroom!

Lost Punch To Be Found In Brooklyn

I have almost recovered from last night's "Lost" season premiere gathering. At the very least, the platters and such have finally made it into the dishwasher.

The reason for my slow recovery? A seriously delicious and seriously strong punch made by mixology pro Max Britten. Christened Oceanic Royale Punch, after the show's fictional airline, this heady concoction featured Rhum Agricole, Champagne, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, Fee Brothers Aromatics and Grapefruit-Nutmeg Syrup.

It was such a hit at the party that Max has decided to add it to his drink menu at Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights starting next Tuesday -- a day before the next episode of "Lost" hits small screens.

Thankfully, he'll be serving it by the glass, rather than in a humongous punch bowl, as pictured above with a mysterious island-like fruit-infused block of ice afloat.

Be warned, this stuff can cause time travel, not too dissimilar from those seen on the TV show last night. Oceanic Royale Punch gives "down the hatch" a whole new meaning.

Lost Party Underway

The table is filled with Southeast Asian Meatballs, Honey Lacquered Duck with a Cucumber Mango Salad in a Thai Vinaigrette, Spicy Tiki Noodle Salad and Coconut Rice.

But before the episode kicks off, Max's punch making is underway.

Witness the fruit-infused iceberg that he has created for the occasion.

Reminds you a bit of a certain island, doesn't it?

More on the festivities later...

Dharma Dining

I'm on tenterhooks. Tomorrow night is the season premiere of "Lost."

Hafta admit that I'm totally and undeniably hooked. So much so, that I'm once again hosting a "Lost" party, complete with Pacific Rim, tropical island-theme fare and a doozy of a Polynesian punch compliments of Jack the Horse's gifted bartender Maxwell Britten. And, for dessert there will be a ridiculously delicious riff on one of the Dharma-branded foodstuffs above.

Log on tomorrow evening, before the new episodes start rolling out at 9pm, for a live blogging look at the repast.

Hype & Vinegar Hill House

C'mon. No restaurant could possibly live up to New York Magazine's gushing review of Vinegar Hill House. Their applause the for chicken alone was enough to make a Perdue blush.

Then there was Andrea Strong's review of the Brooklyn BYOB, which was definitively negative. Moreover, she hated the chicken.

So, I didn't know whether to be excited or concerned when I finally got there myself.

All in all, I give the spot a thumbs up. The food isn't AMAZING. It is GOOD, at times VERY GOOD. It is solid, skillfully done, comfort fare with enough twists, turns and surprising flavors to make me want to come back for more. To top it off, the requisite Brooklyn hipster servers are even friendly and attentive.

And, yes, I liked the Crispy Chicken in a Cast Iron Pan (pictured above), but I still think my Zuni-inspired bird beats it hands down.

Wine Bar To Return To The Heights

For several months North Brooklyn Heights residents have been saddened to see empty storefronts lining Henry Street in the wake of Chef Dan Kaufman and restaurant partner Alan Young's criminal scams, fronted by their Busy Chef, Oven, Blue Pig and Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street locations.

As I've noted before, I wasn't surprised that the places were all shams, considering their offerings were consistently subpar. Still, I couldn't help but notice that their wine bar at the corner of Henry and Cranberry Streets was always packed. The bar's service, selection, atmosphere and menu were all third-rate, so I could only assume that it was a tell-tale sign that the 'hood was desperate for a vino-focused watering hole.

Clearly, I wasn't alone in that thinking.

It looks like the folks at Cranberry's market and longtime dinnertime haunt Henry's End have teamed up to help the bar rise from the ashes like a oenophile Phoenix. As you can see from the photo above, work on the spot is already underway. According to Brooklyn Heights Blog, the new name will aptly be The Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar and the kitchen is expected to provide "casual, good food."

Dare I say it? I'm hopeful.

Macao By Way Of Tribeca

One step through its unmarked door and into a throng of New Yorkers looking for the next big thing, and I knew that Macao Trading Company, an Asian-Portugese fusion fantasy, had been deemed "the next big thing" -- at least for the time being.

Making it past the crush at the bar, I heard a beleaguered hostess explaining to a late-to-arrive party that they would have to eat up quick, since the next round destined for their table would be by in an hour or so.

Luckily, my table-mates were on time, but I must admit that we wondered about the pressure being "on" to gobble and go, when our waiter brought all of our small and large plate orders at once.

There's no lallygagging and multi-coursing at this new restaurant. No sir-ee Bob.

And that's a shame. Cause, there is the temptation to linger at least a little bit when the latest hot spot touts cocktails by the crew at Employees Only and chow from the esteemed chef behind Chanterelle.

That said, the food was colorful, but not exactly exceptional. Same for the cocktails, which were much too sweet for my taste. The Warm Chorizo with Melon and Mint (pictured above) was something I could have quite easily tossed together in my home kitchen. A plate of Ants Climbing a Tree -- A.K.A. rice noodles with spicy ground pork -- was similarly simple, albeit not wholly unsatisfying. Our dessert of Fried Milk with Honey Citrus Salad, was uninspired blandness tossed in cinnamon sugar.

Still, the scene was thumping. And, even if it wasn't, shoddy acoustics turned the dining room into a deafening cloud of chattering and clattering.

Have to admit, I was somewhat relieved when the beleaguered hostess made her way to our table to inform us that -- although on time -- our time was up. Another party was awaiting our corner of Macao.

They can have it.