It’s rare that a restaurant logo actually inspires me to step inside and order food. But somehow Ghenet, a tiny Ethiopian restaurant on the corner of Douglass and 4th Avenue in Park Slope, won me over with its sign. When I read the words, “Ghenet: Where angels eat,” I just had to know why.
Apparently ghenet means paradise. (Where is that Ethiopian-English dictionary when I need it?) Though it strikes me as a lofty statement to claim that angels eat only Ethiopian food, the ambience in this itty bitty joint seemed fitting for heavenly creatures. With the lights turned down low and tall, intricately carved metal screens surrounding the tables, it felt like we were inside a secret chamber. more…
It doesn’t matter what language you speak, a nice, cold beer is the perfect remedy for a muggy, looks-like-it’s-going-to-rain-for-the-thousandth-time kind of day. Instead of cursing Mother Nature, swing by Eagle Provisions in Brooklyn’s South Slope and pick up one of the 1,500 brews in stock. Then sit back, prop your feet up, pop open that can/bottle/keg and let the cool, bubbly liquid take you away to a happier climate.
Known to many as “The Old White Eagle Market,” this grocery and delicatessen offers an impressive stash of imported European goods, fresh baked breads and kielbasa, but in the summertime I just can’t get past the beer. Everyone–from die-hard beer connoisseurs to those drawn to bottles with cute labels–can find what they’re looking for here. And don’t be mislead by the small offering of beer up by the front registers–there’s a whole beer room to your right! The selection can be a bit daunting, but friendly owner John Zawisny will eagerly help you navigate the stock and point out his current favorites. John and his brother Richard have been at the business for 30 years and watched the clientele (and their requests) change dramatically. more…
A&J Wholesalers is one of 30 vendors at the Brooklyn Terminal Market in Canarsie. Despite the name, A&J operates both wholesale and retail businesses. Once an Italian specialty market, A&J has adapted with the immigration changes in the neighborhood. Now they offer a combination of West Indian, African and Italian products. Though the Italian products are diminished to one little corner of the shop.
Jay Nespoli has been working at the market for a quarter century and for A&J the past 10 years. He says that many of his Haitian customers buy palettes of products such as flour, rice, dried beans, even bottled water and paper towels to send home to Haiti. The food prices are so outrageous in Haiti that it is actually cheaper to ship food from New York. Check out this article from last year on NPR about the problem of food prices in Haiti: Spiraling Food Prices Buffet Poverty-Stricken Haiti
Mangoes and cod fish are among A&J’s best selling products. Check out this photo collage of some of A&J’s offerings…
