Christmas lights - Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

This post was meant to be published before the holidays; however, my December was extremely busy.  I assume that all the lights had already been taken down, but you can always plan for next year's visit.


Dyker Heights' Christmas lights has been quite a local spectacles.  I vaguely remember watching it on the local news many years ago, and always wanted to visit.


We drover there on a Sunday evening in early December to avoid the crowd, but the down side was that not all the houses had their lights up.


However, there were plenty of houses with extravagant Christmas lights. This was my favorite house.  It was very tastefully done.


This house had the most over-the-top Christmas decoration.  It had so much going on that you could barely see the house itself.


There were some impressive mensions with huge yards in the neighborhood.


It is a really fun activity to do during the holiday season and a great place to visit if you have out of town guests.

To see the Dyker Lights next year, click the Link for more information.

Seersucker -- Awesome coffee in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

It was one of those cold winter weekends that I was craving for interesting brunch other than omelette & pancakes.
We decided to check out Seersucker in Carroll Gardens for my favorite southern brunch. 



We were lucky to get a seat right away since we were there before 11 AM.
However, the restaurant got packed very quickly.  New Yorkers are crazy about their brunches.


Even though I am not an expert to coffee and the watered down New York deli coffee served me just fine.
I could tasted the difference right away with Seersucker's coffee.  It was aromatic, rich, and creamy.


Homemade Granola -- Milk thistle yogurt, Fruit


Crispy Mississippi Catfish Po'Boy with housemade chips & salad.
Loved the homemade spicy mayo. Some Catfish can taste a little muddy, but not this one.


Country Style Pork Hash and Biscuit with 2 farm eggs any style.
The pork was super delicious! It had crispy crust and full of flavor.


This is one of the restaurants that I would love to return again.
I like the ambiance and the menu. 
There is another dish that I will try next time: "Fried Chicken Livers".

The restaurant does not take reservations.  Come early or be prepared to wait.

Pie 'N' Thighs -- Southern Cuisine in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Another weekend that I hang out in Williamsburg.
It was a gorgeous summer day with not one ounce of humidity.
I found another southern restaurant for brunch, Pie 'N' Thighs.


Most brunch menus in the regular restaurants lack of creativities and can be quite boring.
I am never a big fan of omelet; eating too many eggs at once made me nauseous.
The southern brunch is appealing because the food is interesting and much more appetizing to me.


Brunch Menu, and many more options listed on the chalk board.


Summer Cooler: Lemonade with ginger ale & hint of mint.
(Very refreshing indeed.)


We saw a full tray of house-made Biscuit fresh out of the oven, and had to order one for ourselves.
It was flaky outside and moist inside without being too greasy.


Chicken & Waffles: The waffle was made with Buckwheat flour.
(How can anyone resist chicken & waffles? It was a match made in heaven to me.)


Smoked Pork Hash & Egg
(It's a very hearty meal. If you like smoked BBQ, this is the dish for you.)


Coincidently, a week after we visited this eatery, Wall Street Journal had an article about this restaurant.

Traif -- Pork & Shellfish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

I have been spending a lot of time in Williamsburg these days.
Here is another quriky restaurant that has interesting menu.

Name of the restaurant, Traif, is a Hebrew word for un-kosher food.
The chef and co-owner of the restaurant is a Jewish and he serves many pork & shellfish dishes.

The restaurant has a small garden in the back with grape vines casting a lovely awning.


The restaurant serves dinner and weekend brunch. I was there for the weekend brunch.


The Costanza: Soft scramble eggs, lobster, mascarpone



Egg-in-a-nest, brie-roast portabello, grilled cheese


Bacon doughnuts, dulche de leche, coffee ice cream
The doughnets were sprinkled with bacon bits with caramelized sugar.

I seeme to come across to more and more dessert dishes that have salty ingredients in the recent days,
such as sea salt, basil, and now bacon.  Could this be a new trend?

Egg -- Brunch spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Egg is a popular brunch spot in Williamsburg where there is always a long wait on the weekends.



For my sister's 5th visit to New York, I wanted to show her Williamsburg and check out the restaurant.



The breakfast is served daily. There are some unique dishes on the menu.


Eggs Rothko: Easy-cooked egg in a slice of Amy's brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. 
Served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat or seasonal vegetables.
The brioche was soaked in egg & cheese, yummy.....

 
Biscuits & Gravy: Homemade buttermilk biscuits in sawmill gravy 
made with pork sausage or pan-seared mushrooms.
This is such a comfort food -- creamy, rich, and heavy. Perfect for hang over or a cold winter day


If you are in the neighborhood, definitely check out the restaurant.
Be Patient. The restaurant is small, waiting is most likely inevitable.

Marlow & Sons -- American New in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

A friend told me about Marlow and Sons last year.  It generated quite some rave reviews.
Finally, a double date on the first day of 2010 seemed to be a perfect opportunity to cross the boarder and visit this place.
The restaurant shares the same owner with the next door restaurant "Diner" and butcher shop "Marlow and daughters" a couple of steps away.
The restaurant is on the same street with the famous New York steakhouse, Peter Luger;
not the most convenient location from the nearest subway stops.



We walked in at 6 PM on January 1.  There were a few empty tables. 
By the time we left the restaurant around 9 PM, the restaurant was packed.



Ordering food was quite a challenge as many dishes on the menu and specials were in Italians.
We had to ask the waitress to explain the menu a few times before we figured out what to eat.

Ravioli Appetizer 


Salad, one of the specials of the day  (It tasted as good as it looked.)


Beef tongue soup  (Rare ingredients in restaurants. I liked the soup.)


East Coast Oysters


Brick Chicken  (Look the beautiful golden brown color!)


Pork sausages with sauerkraut


Seafood tomato stew  (Not my favorite.)


Apple crumb pie with vanilla ice cream.  (Generous portion and very comforting)


Chocolate cake with sea salt
(Chocolate was too rich and dense and too much sea salt. The contrast did not execute well.)


The front portion of the restaurant is a general store.
The restaurant also opens for breakfast and lunch.

The restaurant does not take reservations.
Come early or be prepared to wait!