The New York Times reports that the Obamas are planting an organic garden on the White House lawn. Well, they're not doing it themselves, but members of the kitchen staff are.

That should be like organic music to the ears of local gardeners and locavores in Brooklyn and elsewhere.The last time there was a garden at the White House was in the 1930's when Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden.

The Obamas are heeding the call of many, including Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and thousands on Facebook who joined an online group in support of this idea, to plant a garden on the White house lawn to provide food for the family and formal dinners.

The planting of this garden sends out a strong message to the nation and the world about the importance of healthy and locally grown food. It will also be an important educational tool for school children and those who get a chance to visit the White House.

The New York Times reports that the Obama's will be planting 55 varieties of vegetable on the 1,100-square-foot plot of lawn. There will also be a large assortment of lettuce, including red
romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic; spinach, chard, collards and black kale; fruits and a patch of berries.

“My hope is that
through children, they will begin to educate their families and that
will, in turn, begin to educate our communities," Michele Obama told a New York Times interviewer.

A Park Sloper who invested in the new Kappa Sake House wrote to tell me his reasons for wanting to invest money in a small restaurant on Fifth Avenue. Obviously he isn't objective about the food and sake over there but it's interesting to hear his take on things and his obvious passion for the place.

The current economic climate is especially tough for small restaurants that are under-capitalized and in less than optimum locations with low foot traffic. Blogger Mary Warren of Eat, Drink, Memory, reveals that Delicious on the Slope, a restaurant on President Street between Fifth and Fourth Avenues, is in trouble. She's reaching out to members of the community to see if anyone can offer some help or business advice to the owner. Here is her post, which she asked me to feature on OTBKB.

It's an ambitious event and buzz is slowly gathering for the  Brooklyn Food Conference planned for May 2nd at John Jay High School and PS 321.

Local action for global change: that's the sub-title for this free conference that will include a parade and workshops for teens and adults, that will address the effects of our food systems on health, the environment, and
labor; improving the nutritional content of school lunches; urban
agriculture; far­mers’ markets; community gardens; and food coops.

There will also be learning activities for kids, teen programs, a dinner and dance honoring local farmers.

The stated goals of the conference on the Brooklyn Food Conference website are:

1. Bring Brooklyn together to demand and participate in creating a vital, healthy and just food system available to everyone.
2. Create a Brooklyn legislative food democracy agenda and constituent base.
3. Organize neighborhood meetings of elected officials—congressional
   reps, state legislators, city council members—to press for a food
   democracy agenda.
4. Influence public policy by educating elected officials and showing them the depth and diversity of public interest.
5. Create a useful, cross-referenced directory of attendees.
6. Help partner organizations grow their constituencies by offering attendees avenues for action.

That's a 3-course meal for $23 dollars at all participating restaurants. Here's the list for Park Slope. Looks like just about everyone is in.

• 12th Street Bar & Grill — Park Slope — American
• 200 Fifth — Park Slope — American
• al di la trattoria — Park Slope — Northern Italian
• Alchemy Restaurant and Tavern — Park Slope — New American
• AltaVoce Restaurant — Park Slope — Italian
• Anthony's — Park Slope — Italian
• AOC Bistro — Park Slope — French
• Apertivo Cafe — Park Slope — Italian
• Applewood — Park Slope — American
• Aunt Suzie's Restaurant — Park Slope — Italian
• Barrio — Park Slope — Mexican
• BarTano — Park Slope — Italian Bistro
• BarToTo — Park Slope — Italian
• Belleville Bistro — Park Slope — French
• Belleville Lounge — Park Slope — French
• Blue Ribbon — Park Slope — Seafood and American
• Blue Ribbon Sushi — Park Slope — Sushi
• Bogota Latin Bistro — Park Slope — PanLatino
• bussaco — Park Slope — American
• Cabana Bar — Park Slope — Latin American
• Canaille Bistro — Park Slope — French
• Cantina Restaurant & Bar — Park Slope — Mexican
• Dizzy's — Park Slope — American
• Elementi — Park Slope — Italian
• Gialetis Cafe — Park Slope — American
• JPan Sushi — Park Slope — Japanese
• KitchenBar — Park Slope — American
• Long Tan — Park Slope — Thai
• Los Pollitos II — Park Slope — Mexican
• Luscious Food — Park Slope — American
• Magnolia Restaurant — Park Slope — American
• Maria's Mexican Bistro — Park Slope — Mexican
• Maria's Mexican Bistro — Park Slope — Mexican
• Melt — Park Slope — New American
• Miriam — Park Slope — Israeli Middle Eastern
• Mulino Ristorante Italiano — Park Slope — Italian
• Palo Santo — Park Slope — Eclectic Latin
• Park Slope Chipshop — Park Slope — British
• Peperoncino — Park Slope — Italian
• Piramide — Park Slope — Mexican
• Playa — Park Slope — Latin American
• Rose Water — Park Slope — American
• Santa Fe Grill — Park Slope — Tex-Mex
• Scottadito — Park Slope — Italian
• Sette Enoteca e Cucina — Park Slope — Italian
• Sotto Voce — Park Slope — Italian
• Stone Park Café — Park Slope — American
• Tempo Restaurant & Wine Bar — Park Slope — Mediterranean
• Toby's Public House — Park Slope — American
• Trattoria Mangia Restaurant — Park Slope — Italian

For a complete list of restaurants in all Brooklyn nabes:  go here.

A friend wants to know: What's a good restaurant for 15 people near
greenwood cemetery? Trendy, good wine list? Any ideas?

Casacara has a favorite tin ceiling  in Brooklyn. It's in the restaurant Bar Tano. which also serves her new fave burger. Nice.

That's the place we had Hepcat's birthday party last year. But there's other news in this story, too. The Bar Tano/Bar Toto (11th Street and 6th Avenue) people are venturing to the South Slope and opening Bar Tini on 8th Avenue and 13th Street and 8th Avenue. Here from CasaCara:

From today's New York Times:

Follow link below to see the online version of this picture, which has Facebook style tags on it with identifying names. In the Times.

This article is so cool. I didn't know Eric Demby, of the Brooklyn Flea, looked like that.

"These days, with a kitchen and a bit of
ambition, you can start to make a name for yourself in Brooklyn. The
borough has become an incubator for a culinary-minded generation whose
idea of fun is learning how to make something delicious and finding a
way to sell it.

"These Brooklynites, most in their 20s and 30s,
are hand-making pickles, cheeses and chocolates the way others form
bands and artists’ collectives. They have a sense of community and an
appreciation for traditional methods and flavors. They also share an
aesthetic that’s equal parts 19th and 21st century, with a taste for
bold graphics, salvaged wood and, for the men, scruffy beards.

"Rick
Mast, 32, said he and his brother were initially attracted to the
borough because it was cheaper than Manhattan. “But now I think the
real draw is the creativity,” he said. “In Brooklyn, to be into food is
do it yourself, to get your hands dirty, to roll up your sleeves. You
want to peek in the kitchen in the back, as opposed to being served in
the front.”

"Gabrielle Langholtz, the editor of Edible Brooklyn,
which chronicles the borough’s food scene, said it has grown along with
the arrival of what she calls the “new demographic.”

"“It’s that
guy in the band with the big plastic glasses who’s already asking for
grass-fed steak and knows about nibs,” Ms. Langholtz said.

"“Ten
years ago all of these people hadn’t moved to Brooklyn yet,” she added,
comparing Brooklyn today to Berkeley in the 1970s. “There’s a
relationship to food that comes with that approach to the universe,”
Ms. Langholtz said. “Every person you pass has read Michael Pollan, every person has thought about joining a raw milk club, and if they haven’t made ricotta, they want to.”"

This story is making its way around the world. I just noticed that there's an article Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper (actually they republished the article that appeared in The Jewish Daily Forward article).

My Friend Gilly Youner wrote this letter to the editor while standing on line at the Food Coop. She writes: "This is the letter I sent to the Linewaiter's Gazette -dont know yet
if they will print it( I wrote the original draft standing in line, a
little bit shaky from the emotional aspects)…

Linewaiters’ Gazette,
Park Slope Food Coop
Att: Letters to the Editor
Brooklyn, NY 11215

To Hima B. who did not sign her last name to her letter to the editor:

As an American and an Israeli, I fully support all forms of peaceful protest, and it is certainly your right, at least in this country, to boycott any products you choose. I fully deplore the loss of life of civilians, and disagree with many of the tactics used and decisions made by all parties in this situation in Israel, in Gaza. But what did you boycott when armed Palestinians pulled my old family friend Avi Boaz out of his car in Bethlehem in 2002 and shot him dead, or when Palestinian terrorists came to my neighborhood in Netanya, and massacred families who were sitting down at a Passover dinner?

Did you boycott all American-made products when the U.S. began the war in Iraq and killed civilians there? Why ask the Food Co-op to make arbitrary black-and-white decisions, in a world of varied grays. Peace was achieved in Ireland through negotiations, how about asking the Food Coop to support the peacemakers in this process? There are many groups working on that right now, and I’d be surprised if many co-op members are not already involved in some of them.

Sincerely,
Gilly Youner
February 2009

Here's Blognigger's satiric posting on Fucked in Park Slope about the ban proposed by a small group of Food Coop members on Israeli food as a protest against the military attacks in Gaza. Here's an excerpt:

PARK SLOPE, Brooklyn (FIPSNN) – The trouble began in a local
synagogue, of all places, where at a monthly general meeting, a Park
Slope Coop member proposed a ban on Israeli foods.
The gesture was one of protest, aimed at expressing the organization's
contempt for the country's recent military campaign in Gaza. Here in
Brooklyn, however, many Jews objected; that's when divisive lines were
formed, and Coop members began to choose sides.

Now, in a move that is sure to ignite protest from Jewish advocacy groups citywide, the Coop board has voted to recommend
that Jewish Members adorn Stars of David while shopping at the Coop.
The Coop board insists that the move is one of compassion, and senior
members of the organization met with FIPSNN to elaborate.

Read more at Fucked in Park Slope.

Olive Vine Cafe is coming back!

The middle-eastern eatery located on Seventh Avenue between Union and Berkeley that was destroyed by a fire in August 2004 is moving to 54 Seventh Street.

Seventh STREET?

Yup, that’s what it says on a sign posted on the window of the burned out store.

But that doesn’t make any sense. So OTBKB made a quick trip to 54 Seventh AVENUE and found the future home of delectable salads, pita, lentil soup and falafel.

Olive Vine is going IN and Prints Charming, a small framing and print shop, is moving OUT. In all her years in the Slope, OTBKB has never once set foot inside the shop. And now it’s too late: oh well. They always had lovely framed floral prints, and labels from orange crates displayed in the window.

OTBKB heard that the August fire began in the kitchen in Olive Vine. It spread to Zuzu’s Petals to its south and the large Korean market to its north. The demise of the beloved Zuzu’s Petals inspired a neighborhood campaign to save the store. 375 Fifth Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Streets is the new home of abundant floral arrangements and plantings.

So far, nothing has been done to clean up the severely damaged one-story building that used to house the three stores. One hopes that the landlord will tidy up the mess so that stretch of Seventh Avenue can be returned to its former glory.

One hopes.

Here’s a tip for those of you just dying to know what’s going into that corner storefront on Third Street and Seventh Avenue that used to be a Peruvian chicken place with a gigantic mural that looked like a rock climbing wall.

Well, OTBKB knows!

Miracle Grill, a popular and well-regarded southwestern eatery in the East Village, is opening an outpost in the hungry borough. Bobby Flay, the first chef at Miracle Grill back in the 1980’s, went on to open Mesa Grill, Bolo and other hot restaurants. The First Avenue Miracle Grill continues to be a well-run, attractive, and delicious place to go for unusual Mexican food and drinks. It should be a tasty addition the Slope’s dinner and brunch scene (eggs benedict with cornbread and chipotle hollondaise), not to mention take-out.