Dining Briefs - Recently Opened

1213 Cortelyou Road (Argyle Road), Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, (718) 856-8888; thecastelloplan.com.

Jacques Cortelyou, the 17th-century creator of Manhattan’s first map, called the Castello Plan, was also a real estate developer. He would be pleased with the attractive dining scene that has evolved along the street bearing his name. One of Cortelyou Road’s most appealing additions is this wine bar named after his famous survey.

The menu guides you through a series of delicious small plates. Start with a bright seasonal salad: sweet, chive-strewn potatoes ($5); cucumbers in crиme-fraоche dill dressing ($5); or shredded cabbage, tossed in sesame oil and pickled ginger ($7).

A meander through the very good Italian charcuterie includes fiery coppa, earthy wild boar cacciatorini and a fennel-enriched soppressata (1 for $6; 3 for $15; 5 for $24).

Except for the lusty rabbit and truffled yam open-faced sandwich ($12), most of the entrees are petite and carefully composed: a stack of duck confit with tart apples would be an improvement on Thanksgiving’s main course ($11); a “cake” of chilled crab meat is nearly overwhelmed by its sweet-salty tobiko topping ($9).

Even better are the crostini ($7 each), particularly the fat smoked sprats and boiled quail eggs on toasts slathered in turmeric mayonnaise. Greasy, bold and comforting, it is great food for the quirky, fun wine list on which a dangerously quaffable txakoli and an oaky, chilled blend of carignan and grenache share billing with an Austrian rosй that is steely and as green as wheat-grass juice.

Because desserts like chocolate bark or sweet potato pie (all $5) are hard to swallow on a 90-degree evening, linger instead over cheese (3 for $15; 5 for $24; 7 for $32) in the wood-paneled dining room or on the pergola-covered deck.

With only a few hints to the meaning of its name and no old-timey cocktails, the Castello Plan is less self-consciously a throwback than other Brooklyn boоtes. It is a relaxed fit for a neighborhood of Victorian mansions where there already is plenty of history. 

The Castello Plan
On the brink of its first summer in the city, this newcomer entices with more than 30 vinos by the glass and small Pan European plates, plus a rosebush-adorned patio on which to sip them. Reds and whites get equal play on the predominantly European list, which changes every five days. For a warm-weather swig, order a glass of txakoli ($7)—a slightly sparkling Basque wine marked by crisp citrus flavors. 1213 Cortelyou Rd at Westminster Rd, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (718-856-8888, thecastelloplan.com)

Sycamore
This neighborhood tavern—a flower shop by day—keeps things fresh with rotating libation specials and a new outdoor bar that pumps out four to five draft beers, depending on the day. The garden’s long picnic tables and ample bench space provide the necessary elbow room to imbibe all day: During the weekday happy hour from 3 to 8pm, expect deals like Tuesday’s two-for-one bottled beers. Return to toast the weekend with a sangria, mimosa or Bloody Mary ($5 each) from 1 to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Call Sycamore anytime to reserve your spot on the grill for BYOM Sundays. 1118 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (347-240-5850, sycamorebrooklyn.com)

Summer Saturdays: Ditmas Park

 By Jessica Dailey

Ditmas Park may not seem like a place to get excited about. You may not even know where to find it on a map. But we assure you that the small neighborhood in Flatbush is an ideal place to spend a summer Saturday in Brooklyn. Step off the Q train at Beverly Road and you'll wonder if you're in South Brooklyn or the Virginia suburbs. Instead of the usual brownstones, Ditmas Park is made up of historic Victorian homes with perfectly manicured lawns and towering elm trees. Most of the homes were built at the beginning of the 20th century, many by prominent architects like John Petit and Benjamin Driesler. For a long time, the neighborhood lacked desirable restaurants and retail variety, but an influx of young creative types is changing that. Cortelyou Road, which many consider the heart of Ditmas Park, now offers several highly reviewed restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.

Start your day off at the eastern end of Courtelyou with an early lunch (or brunch, if you get there before 11 a.m.) at The Farm on Adderley. The restaurant opened in 2006 and quickly became a destination. With the exception of some grains from South Carolina, coffee from Massachusetts, and soy and dairy from Vermont, the menu is created from locally-sourced products from eastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York. If it's not too hot out, ask for a table in the garden, where you'll feel like you're sitting on a private porch deck instead of outside a restaurant. The portobello sandwich served on a baguette with mozzarella, arugula, red onions, and a tangy sundried tomato pesto is divine. The large cut fries with curry mayo are dangerously good, so if you're looking for a healthier, but equally delicious, side, opt for the sauteed sugar snap peas with guanciale (fancy bacon) & spring onion.

Hop across the road for some shopping at Market, which — surprise! — is a market, a tiny, upscale one at that. But don't be intimidate by the small space. The managers are super friendly. "If you have any questions, just ask," said one of the women behind the counter a seconds minutes after we walked in. "We're just gossiping about that show 'Hoarders.' Have you seen it? It's crazy!" The store offers treats made by a multitude of local purveyors: chocolate bars from Mast Brothers, pickles from both Brooklyn Brine and McClure's, and salsa from the Brooklyn Salsa Company, just to name a few.

Then head over to Vox Pop, the community owned coffee shop/art gallery/bookstore, where you can buy work from local artists and browse a small collection of staff-picked books. The business recently opened back up on May 1, after being seized by the state (for the second time) for unpaid taxes by the previous management. In less than a month, current manager Debi Ryan was able to raise the $15,000 the state asked for as a down payment with the help of the neighborhood. "Its very fulfiliing to know that we have a space in the community and that the community is 100 percent involved," says Ms. Ryan. From the art shows and open mic nights to the food they sell, Ms. Ryan says the shop is completely integrated with the community. She raves about the baked goods made by a local pastry chef that the shop now sells. "They are absolutely sublime. And she lives just two blocks away!" Enjoy one of the delectable sweets in the outside seating area, the only one in the neighborhood in front of a business, prime space for people watching.

Spend a couple hours of your afternoon strolling through the neighborhood, a landmarked historic district, admiring the Victorian homes and the architectural diversity. You'll find Colonial Revivals, Tudors, Federal-style, Japanese, and even Swiss Chalet-styles, most with wide and inviting porches. We had to resist the urge to climb onto several porch swings and hammocks. If you walk south from Cortelyou, you'll come across Newkirk Avenue, where you can visit author and artist Kris Waldherr in her studio and gallery, which she opens to the public every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. But if you walk north from Cortelyou, you'll find the prettier houses of the neighborhood. With quiet streets that have Anglophile names like Westminster, Stratford, and Marlborough, it's easy to feel transported to the colonial south.

When hunger strikes, head back to Cortelyou. For a rustic, homespun meal, stop by The Castello Plan, a tapas and wine bar by the same owners as Market (which is right next door). They serve up elegant small plates like sunflower potatoes with chives and dill and duck confit with granny smith apples. If you're in the mood for Asian cuisine, chef and owner Romy Dorotan of Purple Yam makes delicious Filipino-inspired dishes. The New York Times restaurant critic raved about the sisig, a meat salad of chopped pig cheeks, ears, and snout served in a chili lime dressing, and the Village Voice praised the tender chicken adobo stew.

Sycamore — flower shop by day, bar by night — is the place to go for after dinner drinks (or all night long drinks, if you prefer). Owned by the same folks as The Farm on Adderley, Sycamore has a warm ambiance and a large back garden with a bar where they feature a different brewery on tap each week. Saturday, June 12 will be Avery Brewing Company from Colorado. They boast an impressive bourbon menu and they feature a whiskey of the day, always a good conversation starter. If that doesn't work, woo your date with the $10 beer and bouquet deal. Who could resist that? Plus, every Saturday at 9 p.m., a different band takes to the stage in Sycamore's basement. This Saturday, it's Yoni Gordon and The Goods, a local band that blends pop, punk, and reggaeton.

If you'd like more variety from in your live entertainment, then Vox Pop is where you'll want to hangout. Don't fret — the jack-of-all-trades coffee shop offers beer and wine. For four hours, Vox Pop brings a different band or musician on stage every hour. The party starts this Saturday at 8 p.m with pop/electronica from Xiomara Medina, and that last performer of the night will be Dan Coyle, starting at 11 p.m. "We're just plain fun here," says Ms. Ryan. "Whether it's your first time or your millionth time, you're going to feel welcome and connected to the community."

Ditmas Parkers have been enjoying something of a food renaissance in recent years, and one conspicuous contributor has been Mimi’s Hummus. This hound-endorsed Middle Eastern spot branched out in February with the gourmet grocery Market next door, and a few weeks later one of Mimi’s owners opened the Castello Plan, a wine bar two doors away.

The newest addition to the block is shaping up as a cozy hangout for drinks and small plates that lean Mediterranean with hints of Eastern Europe. Westminstress recommends stewed mushrooms (with sour cream and dill), a beet salad with pickles and farmer’s cheese, potato salad with sunflower oil, and rabbit and duck bruschette. gnosh recounts a lovely brunch highlighted by an apricot mimosa and scallion grilled cheese with butter-poached egg. The wine list is idiosyncratic and well chosen, hounds say, featuring small producers from Morocco, Uruguay, and Croatia, among other places.

Some hounds find the portions skimpy, though Westminstress thinks they’ve grown a bit since the place opened. “Worth trying, for sure,” says chorosch, “but if you go hungry you will most likely spend more than you were planning.”

About that name: Ditmas Park’s growing restaurant row is centered on Cortelyou Road, named after the Dutch surveyor Jacques Cortelyou, creator of a 17th-century map of lower Manhattan known as—you got it—the Castello Plan.

The Castello Plan [Ditmas Park]
1213 Cortelyou Road (at Argyle Road), Brooklyn
718-856-8888

 This quiet Brooklyn nabe is full of Victorian charm and foodie finds.

By Leah Faye Cooper

Start: 317 Rugby Rd between Beverley and Cortelyou Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
End: 1118 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
Distance: 1.4 miles
Time: 4 hours

A 30-minute ride on the Q from Union Square lands you on bustling Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park’s main drag of shops, restaurants and grocers. But to really get to know this historic neighborhood, you’ll have to head to its quieter parts. For a glimpse of the Victorian homes for which the area is known for, pop by brightly hued Rugby Gardens (317 Rugby Rd between Beverley and Cortelyou Rds), whose paint job could be characterized as something out of Candy Land rather than Brooklyn’s past. Open since 2005, it’s one of seven B&Bs in the neighborhood. A quick loop back to Cortelyou Road via E 13th Street reveals even more houses primed for real-estalking, most of which were built in the early 1900s.

Options for a midday snack abound in this rapidly growing foodie mecca, thanks to places like Mimi’s Hummus (1209 Cortelyou Rd between Argyle and Westminster Rds; 718-284-4444, mimishummus.com), the much-buzzed-about eatery where pillowy pitas are served with either traditional hummus ($8) or a tasty variation, like one studded with ground beef and pine nuts ($9). Head next door to the restaurant’s spin-off food shop, appropriately called Market (1211 Cortelyou Rd between Argyle and Westminster Rds, 718-284-4446), to pick up locally made bites like Mast Brothers dark chocolate bars ($9) confected in Williamsburg. Consider snagging a bag of Stumptown Coffee ($11)—a rare find in this neck of the woods.

Glass jars filled with natural herbs, teas and seasoning blends line the walls of the dimly lit Sacred Vibes Apothecary (376 Argyle Rd at Cortelyou Rd; 718-284-2890, sacredvibeshealing.com). Those who call ahead can schedule a private consultation ($80 per hour) with owner and master herbalist Karen Rose, who regularly whips up individualized herbal treatments for everything from the common cold to diabetes. For a soothing souvenir, take home one of Sacred’s organic teas, like the acne-fighting Beautiful Skin blend ($6.75/oz), packed with cleansing herbs like calendula, burdock root and spearmint.

Look for a small blue sign that points you to Kris Waldherr Art and Words (1501 Newkirk Ave at Marlborough Rd; 347-406-5811, artandwords.com). Waldherr—an author, illustrator and designer—turns her studio into an open gallery on Fridays (5–8pm) and Saturdays (1–5pm), when she also hosts tarot salons, publishing workshops and art-themed activities for kids (suggested donation $5). Passersby are welcome to stop in during open gallery hours and peruse Waldherr’s book art and photography exhibits free of charge. While the focus here is on literature and illustration, Waldherr boasts some techie cred, too: Ask her about Goddess Tarot, the application she developed for the iPhone.

Stroll to Ditmas Park’s burgeoning restaurant row for a traditional Filipino meal at newcomer Purple Yam (1314 Cortelyou Rd between Argyle and Rugby Rds; 718-940-8188, purpleyamnyc.com). Many of the diners live within walking distance, but oxtail braised in a thick peanut sauce ($17) and chicken adobo ($16) lure the Manhattan crowd that once dined on these same dishes at Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan’s former Soho establishment, Cendrillon.

Save your sweet tooth for a glass of Sauterns ($11) at newly opened The Castello Plan (1213 Cortelyou Rd between Argyle and Westminster Rds; 718-856-8888, thecastelloplan.com). Named for a map of lower Manhattan drawn by surveyor Jacques Cortelyou in 1660, the candlelit wine bar completes the trio of spots owned by the duo behind Mimi’s Hummus and Market. Take advantage of the agreeable spring weather and sip your vino in the open-air garden.

Regardless of what night it is, there’s likely something going on at Vox Pop (1022 Cortelyou Rd at Stratford Rd; 718-940-2084, voxpopcafe.com), the coffeehouse that quadruples as a bookstore, performance space and art gallery. Staying true to its Latin moniker, which means “voice of the people,” the place commonly hosts debates on topics such as health care, fair-trade laws, and independent books and films. Don’t be deterred by the leftist democracy-or-death vibe: The free live jazz, stand-up comedy shows and open mike nights would even be enticing to an Ann Coulter fan.

On your way back to the Q, pick up a custom bouquet of gorgeously fresh buds ($8–$30) at Sycamore (1118 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster Rds; 347-240-5850, sycamorebrooklyn.com), a hybrid flower shop and bar that has one of the largest American whiskey selections in the city. Try the Ditmas Park Julep ($8), sweetened with honey liqueur, muddled mint and candied ginger. Kick your feet up on the sprawling back porch, where you can sip your tipple alfresco—you’ll need it for the long haul home.

Why I love living in Midwood

By Nick Haramis

Ditmas Park was just another peaceful Brooklyn hideaway until indie rockers Matt Berninger, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Bryan and Scott Devendorf stormed the block. Now The National pretty much runs this town.

“For a long time, we weren’t sure what kind of band we were, or even wanted to be,” says Matt Berninger, the soup-soaked baritone of Brooklyn-based band the National. “But on this record we knew we wanted to get away from the confessional-man vibe that people have come to expect from us.” As if in disbelief, Berninger’s baby daughter Isla bursts into laughter. That confessional-man vibe has, after all, served the National well, drawing in fans, critics and their musical peers, such as Michael Stipe, St. Vincent and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.

Still, on their fifth album, this month’s High Violet, the quintet is trying something new. Seated on a couch in the den of guitarist Aaron Dessner’s house in Ditmas Park, an idyllic neighborhood where mature trees tower over Victorian houses and drowsy streets, Berninger says, “It’s grimmer and meaner than our other records. It’s about not knowing where you really fit in.” When Dessner’s girlfriend enters the room—a hipster Julia Child wielding a platter of homemade pastries— it’s difficult to imagine that much of the darkness comes from the bandmates’ private lives.

Four of the group’s five members, including guitarist Bryce Dessner, Aaron’s twin brother, and brothers Bryan and Scott Devendorf, the band’s drummer and bassist, respectively, live in the neighborhood. (Berninger lives with Isla and his wife in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights.) The album was recorded in Aaron’s backyard, where the group built a private studio and hammered out all of their new songs while collaborating with neighbors like singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens.

Despite Brooklyn’s strong sense of community, Berninger isn’t sure if the band’s inspiration comes from the actual borough. “I don’t know how much of the music scene here has to do with Brooklyn, other than the fact that there are so many venues and places to grow and learn and perform in front of a crowd,” he says. “There’s a big difference between writing music in your garage and standing up in front of a hostile room of people who don’t give a shit about you, and doing that over and over again until someone, somewhere, finally starts to care. If we weren’t in New York, music might have turned into a dad-rock hobby, something to do on weekends. But here, there’s always new and exciting stuff you want
to chase.”

Mimi’s Hummus
1108 Cortelyou Road
“Our zip code is the most diverse in the world, or at least the country. There are huge populations of Pakistanis, Nepalese, Tibetans and Orthodox Jews in the area. This neighborhood was developed in the late 19th century by a group of professional lawyers and doctors. The whole Victorian house aesthetic happened because of that. You could order them from a catalog. If you look today you’ll notice that the stained glass window in this house is the same as the one in that house. Because our lifestyle is so crazy on the road and we spend a lot of time in cool bars, it’s kind of nice to come here and have this really mellow vibe.” —Bryce Dessner

The Castello Plan
1213 Cortelyou Road
“[Ben Heemskerk] is a good friend of ours. Just a year ago, with another friend, he hatched this plan to open a wine bar. This place just opened last week. It’s another one designed by my brother-in-law. Even though people might expect it to be a mellow wine bar, it’s pretty happening at night. My girlfriend painted the mosaic on the ceiling.” —Bryce Dessner

“It used to be quite rough up here. I had a car service driver who was taking me home one night aft er rehearsal, and he was like, ‘I moved to America 12 years ago and lived in this neighborhood. I heard gunshots all night long.’Have you seen Th e Squid and the Whale? When Jeff Daniels leaves Park Slope, he moves to the other side of the park, which is here, and it’s scary.” —Bryan Devandorf

Sycamore
1118 Cortelyou Road
“Sycamore and Vox Pop [1022 Cortelyou Road], a coffee shop that has open mic nights, are the main music venues in Ditmas Park. The public radio station WNYC is actually going to put recording equipment in here and start broadcasting from the basement of Sycamore. It’s now on the map as this weird little space for new bands, as well as functioning as a bar and flower shop. My sister is the booker here and she’s always on MySpace finding exciting acts.

Usually, they come here to play their first gigs ever, and we’re the only people in the room. We saw a band called Buke and Gass a while back, and we signed them to our label, Brassland Records, the next week. They have an album coming out this spring.” —Aaron Dessner

“Life here is much diff erent than when we’re on tour, when we stay up really late and drink a lot. We went on tour with R.E.M. last summer and Michael Stipe kind of adopted us. In almost every town, we’d get a call: ‘Meet Michael at this restaurant at 2 a.m. Th ey’re keeping it open for you.’ My brother and I are the healthy ones in the group, so even if we’re living on a bus we go running each morning. Sometimes Bryan is just going to bed when we’re heading out the door.” —Bryce Dessner

The Farm on Adderley
1108 Cortelyou Road
“We come here a lot for dinner. It’s become one of the most popular restaurants in Brooklyn. Th ey use only farm-fresh produce and organic food. Th e short rib ravioli is great, and their kale-lentil soup is the best soup in the world. My ex-wife’s brother started this restaurant. My sister’s husband designed it, and we all helped build it. He designed all of the places we’re going to today.” —Aaron Dessner

The Castello Plan
1213 Cortelyou Rd., Ditmas Park, Brooklyn; 718-856-8888
Named after Jacques Cortelyou’s first map of Manhattan, this beguiling wine haven fits right in along Ditmas Park’s burgeoning restaurant row. A glass faзade welcomes visitors into a spacious room seeped in historic details, including an oak wall made from a 150-year-old Missouri barn and a rewired floodlight taken from a Navy aircraft carrier. If you can find a seat at the bar, ask the bartender (who very well may be one of the owners) for recommendations from the wine list, a mammoth document featuring 110 selections from small producers in Morocco, Croatia, Lebanon, and more.

DITMAS PARK

French Fries, The Farm on Adderley

1108 Cortelyou Rd., nr. Stratford Rd.
It’s all in the details: skin-on, hand-cut Carolas, twice-fried to crispy perfection.

Three New Wine Bars Bring Vino Back Down to Earth

By Kristen V. Brown

Wine may be a sometimes daunting beverage, but three brand new Brooklyn wine bars are here to get even the most intimidated novice over their fears.

Meet The Castello Plan in Ditmas Park, The Bodega in Bushwick and La Casita, a wine bar-yarn shop in Cobble Hill. These three newbies join favorites like Park Slope’s Brookvin as vanguards of a new brand of wine bars that break down the haughtiness of wine and make it as accessible as a $3 Bud.

“Wines have a real snobbery. We wanted to start getting out of the wine-speak, which turns people off, and show people that wine can be really exciting,” said Ben Warren, co-owner of The Bodega. Warren focuses on wines that are organic, holistic and sometimes a little out there, like his 2008 La Mothe ($9), a funky, apple-y wine that he describes “as the craziest white wine I’ve ever had.”

There may be crazy wines, but you’ll find no lifted pinkies here. Warren, an amateur wine enthusiast turned pro, doles out generous tastings from behind the bar himself, encouraging folks to try before they buy. He’s been known to go on and on about the unique qualities of each particular bar, justifying it simply, “Wine can be just as nerdy as beer.”

At the Castello Plan, too, owner Benjamin Heemskerk instructs his staff to have customers sample two, three, even four wines until they find the one they like.

“Everyone’s taste is different,” said Heemskerk. “We have stuff on the menu that I don’t even like, even though I know it’s ‘good’ wine. There’s nothing more intimidating than promising to pay for $35 for a bottle wine and then finding out you hate it. That’s why I want people to taste.”

La Casita has none of the usual wine bar fixtures. Walk into the homey, slightly cluttered storefront and find customers lounging comfortably, knitting away. The walls are stacked with bright yarns and owners Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Greenhagen dart between sales, advising knitters and dishing out vino and empanadas in a tiny bar tucked in the back.

“We wanted to be accessible, to have something for everyone. We want people to be able to work on a project, have a glass of wine, relax,” said Greenhagen. The shop even stocks a wine made by a customer in South Africa, the 2004 Lievland Wine Estate Field Blend – the priciest offering at $9.

La Casita and The Bodega in particular focus primarily on wines from the Spanish-speaking world – particularly because it allows them feature more affordable offerings. At each, every glass is under $10, with many offerings in the $7 range. While that’s not exactly dirt cheap, by focusing all their effort on more inexpensive offerings, each has managed to craft a wine list with a lot more bang for buck.

The Castello Plan is a bit more upscale – with glasses ranging from $7 to $14, bottles well into the hundreds and beautifully curated cheese boards that would make any cheese lover’s heart skip a beat. All the same, Heemskerk takes extra care in selecting his $7 offerings, ensuring they rival every other wine on the list.

Cheers to that.

The Castello Plan [1213 Cortelyou Rd. at Argyle Road in Ditmas Park, (718) 856-8888]

Purple Yam is the latest can’t-miss in Ditmas

By Linnea Covington

The fairy godmother of Soho’s defunct Cendrillon has jiggled her wand and landed in a quaint space in the newest hot neighborhood in Brooklyn: Ditmas Park. But owner Amy Besa, with husband Romy Dorotan, didn’t leave it all behind to open their latest venture, Purple Yam. They brought over many of the menu items from the last restaurant, as well as a legion of loyal customers.

On a recent Thursday, Besa held court in the packed space, greeting people like old friends. Even though my date and I had to wait 15 minutes for a table, we spent it comfortably at the sparse bar, sipping on a drinkable bottle of Masia de Bielsa garnacha ($25).

When we did finally manage to snag one of the small wooden tables, we were salivating from the rich smells wafting from the open kitchen across from us, and the sight of a mysterious array of foods on our neighbor’s table.

All the dishes are fairly small, so the best way to order is get a bunch and share. First on the list, homemade kimchi of the day ($3), which turned out to be baby radish. The nicely bundled lump of spicy, crunchy kimchi is the work of cook, waitress and decorating collaborator Haegeen Kim, who handles the Korean aspect of Purple Yam’s Filipino pan-Asian creations. She also cooks up the saucy Korean meatballs ($9), which come nestled on half of a tiny, elongated purple yam roll. The open face “sandwich” resembles a bahn mi, especially since on the other side of the roll are cucumber, shredded carrots, onion and lettuce. It also comes with a side of kimchi and a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.

Everything on the menu sounds impressive, and I wish I had opted for the lechon kawali ($18), deep-fried pork belly with a tangy pickled papaya, instead of the dull tocino sliders ($6).The latter came with two sugar-achuete-cured pork and pickled persimmon stuffed rolls, and while the ingredients were good on their own, the thick and slightly sticky purple yam bread overpowered the sweet and peppery pork.

Hands down, the best part of the meal was the goat curry, a remnant from Cendrillon. The tiny, tender chunks of meat had a coating of smooth curry so fragrant that the taste hit my palate before the food landed in my mouth. Accompanying this dish was a side of spicy mango and tomatillo chutney that brought out the rich curry even more.

Although the plates were small, everything turned out surprisingly satiating. And even though we were full, I found myself planning my next meal before our dessert order of buko pie ($6) ever arrived.

When it did finally make it to our table, the warm, tiny pie looked too perfect to eat. We managed anyway. As the mild scoop of ice cream melted on top of the flaky crust, we each grabbed a fork and plunged into the young coconut-stuffed shell, which was lined with a layer of purple yam custard. The cool, creamy ice cream, made with macapuno, a Philippine variety of coconut palm that has a soft, jelly-like center, blended well with the warm dessert, which ended up being much lighter a dish then it appeared. Despite the size, we managed to finish each bite. Even though the thought of eating more was ridiculous, when the friendly waiter plopped down an aromatic dish of sisig ($12), made with chopped-up pig parts, lime and chilies, for the women next to us, I wanted to order my own. Instead I left, completely entranced and with a newfound love for this restaurant.

>Purple Yam
1314 Cortelyou Rd. (betw. Rugby & Argyle Rds.), Brooklyn, 718-940-8188.

Mimi’s Hummus

1209 Cortelyou Rd., nr. Westminster Rd., Ditmas Park; 718-284-4444

The great Israeli hummus boom of the last five years or so has opened New York’s eyes to the richly decadent potential of what was once viewed as hippie-commune health food. We’ve had great, creamy, oil-dappled versions at Hummus Place, Taпm, Hoomoos Asli, and the late Hadom, but we’ll still happily trek out to central Brooklyn for a bowl of Mimi Kitani’s luscious chickpea purйe, served up in five distinctive versions, all accompanied by hot, fluffy pitas that disappear too fast. For its exquisite balance of delicate seasoning and sheer heft, the meat rendition is our favorite, garnished with cinnamon-spiced ground beef and a smattering of pine nuts.

BEST HOMEMADE LOTIONS AND POTIONS
Sacred Vibes Apothecary, 376 Argyle Road, Flatbush, (718) 284-2890

This quiet spot bills itself as the only bulk medicinal herb store in the borough. Karen Rose, owner and master herbalist, sells over 150 kinds of herbs, soaps, face toners, masks, floral waters, culinary spices, elixirs and teas which are all organic and many fair trade. Rose offers consultations, which cost $100 per hour and leads seasonal classes throughout the year.

BEST ASIAN-FUSION FOOD
Purple Yam, 1314 Cortelyou Road, (718) 940-8188, Ditmas Park

This Ditmas Park temple of Filipino and South East Asian cuisine specializes in family-style spreads and dishes such as kimchi, air-cured beef and savory avocado ice cream.

By Florence Fabricant

Mimi’s Hummus is one of the restaurants that have given Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, some allure for diners. Now its owner, Avi Shuker, has added something for shoppers, a beautifully curated little food shop next door. The store, all done in pale wood, is crammed floor to ceiling with products and ingredients, many destined for the Middle Eastern table.

Some items, including various olives, spice mixes and a few pastries like sesame sandwich cookies, are made by Mimi’s. Others are from local purveyors, like Mast Brothers chocolate, Brooklyn Brine pickles and Hot Bread kitchen flatbreads. Imported labneh in oil, pomegranate molasses, Spanish quince paste and cheeses and various kinds of dried beans and lentils are also sold, as is fresh bread from Balthazar and Royal Crown.

Market, 1211 Cortelyou Road (Argyle Road), Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, (718) 284-4446.

Mimi's Hummus and The Castello Plan: The Ever-Evolving Cortelyou Road

By Carey Jones

It might be unfair to call Ditmas Park an unlikely dining destination, but only in the last few years did this Brooklyn neighborhood sprout the kind of restaurant row that got Manhattanites ("Ditmas where?") hopping on the Q train. First came The Farm on Adderley, bringing seasonal, New American food to Cortelyou Road; last year, the loosely Filipino Purple Yam. And, perhaps our favorite of all, Mimi's Hummus.

The Mimi's team has already expanded next door with a smartly assembled market (audaciously named Market) of fresh breads, cheeses, and pantry staples, a spot for a fresh pastry or an Illy espresso. And one of Mimi's owners, Avi Shuker, opened long-awaited wine bar The Castello Plan with partner Benjamin Heemskerk just this weekend.

Locavore, contemporary Asian, strong coffee, small plates—throw in a speakeasy-style cocktail bar and Cortelyou's got the Brooklyn boxed set.

The Castello Plan is named for the original 17th-century map of lower Manhattan, penned by Dutch surveyor Jacques Cortelyou, the namesake, of course, of Cortelyou Road. (Still with us?) Equal parts nautical and urban, exposed brick and darkly varnished wood, it's a gorgeous, dimly-lit space with high tables and a few set-off nooks for couples or parties to duck out of the already formidable din. As muted and elegant as Mimi's is lively and cheery. Lengthy, far-reaching wine list, by the glass and by the bottle. Gracious service. It's a lovely spot for a drink and a few bites, either before or after a meal.

But if dinner's in your plan, duck two doors down to Mimi's—whose hummus really is worth crossing boroughs for.

The Castello Plan

With twelve small plates plus a spread of cured meats and cheeses, there's plenty on chef Natasha Pogrebinsky's menu to pair with any of the 100+ wine selections or ten Belgian beers. True to cartography theme, the wine list is printed on the backs of sepia-toned regional maps, and ventures considerably beyond California and the Continent. Most glasses fall into the $7-12 range. Asked for a crisp, drinkable white, Heemskerk uncorked a 2007 Menetou-Salon from Domaine Jean-Max Roger ($12/glass), a slightly mineral, nicely dry Sauvignon blanc with real notes of apple and grapefruit, from a Loire Valley appellation quite near Sancerre. We loved it with the tangy, mild Cana de Cabra. The cheeses available (3 for $12), though numbering only eight, ranges from the blu di bufala, a pungent and somewhat uncommon aged blue cheese of water buffalo milk, to an oaky, smoky Spanish queso ahumado de Pria. Along those smoky lines, we loved the smoked herring-like sprats ($6), with tumeric mayonnaise and paprika salt.

For a cleaner bite, there's an elegant, if pricey cured salmon ($8) with black tobiko. And for something more substantial, we all enjoyed the rabbit stew ($15), lean meat cooked until tender with okra and potato in a ginger-carrot jus. But this is a wine bar, not a full-on restaurant; portions are dainty, and even before drinks, the bill mounts quickly. Stop in for a glass or a bottle; talk over your choices with a staff on top of their wine list. But if you're really looking to eat up, you need only wander next door, to...

Mimi's Hummus

It only takes a sniff, upon cracking open the door of tiny Mimi's, to understand why we sent you there. Cumin and garlic and cinnamon, meat stewing and pita baking, mushrooms simmering and onions browning—it all hits you in one deep, rapturous breath. Though the menu is simple, hummus and eggs, soups and small plates, very little we tried fell short of spectacular.

These aren't the sort of bites you chew contentedly; they're the sort that forever change your notions of what certain dishes should taste like. A single meal at Mimi's shoved a few of my former favorite restaurants a notch or two down.

A basket of fluffy pita, white, wheat, or a mix of the two, may arrive at the table a few minutes before your dish. In such situations, I do try to wait for the rest of the food; no use in polishing off such a perfect hummus delivery vehicle. But if you can hold off when this pita's within arm's reach, you are a stronger person than I. This is fantastic pita, with a beautiful golden burnish, easy to devour on its own. Tear apart the pillowy layers and steam will pour out and tickle your fingers.

But it's soon eclipsed by the hummus—so smooth as to seem more like a buttery chickpea custard than anything that was once, in fact, just chickpeas. It melts on the tongue. Nothing grainy, nothing starchy. Simply put, some of the finest hummus I've ever had.

It serves as the base for five different plates, which range from tasty to mind-blowing. Though lemon and garlic considerably enlivened a chickpea-topped masabache hummus ($8), we found the chickpeas themselves a bit too tough; they were one of the few imperfect things on the table. (A stir in silky hummus solved the problem.)

The mushroom hummus ($8), on the other hand. Mushrooms stewed and softened in olive oil with the sweetness of onion and gentle heat of cumin—and so much more than the sum of those parts. I'd never heard anyone groan with pleasure over mushrooms before, but a bite of this dish sent our table into fits of eye-rolling and heart-clutching, like a bachelorette party diving into a molten chocolate cake. It simply ends up on your fork, on the pita, and in your mouth, until it's gone, and you wish it wasn't, and you might order a second plate, because eight dollars is nothing in the afterglow of this happiness.

And though hummus may be a perfect vegetarian protein, there's no reason for the omnivores among us not to crown it with meat. That meat hummus ($9), ground beef with cinnamon and pine nuts, loosely recalls the Moroccan flavors of a pastilla, savory, sweet, and cinnamon-laced all at once. It's a bite so aggressive that it doesn't get lost in a blanket of hummus—though a forkful on its own may be even more fun.

One shakshuka ($9.50), an egg-topped tomato stew, makes it onto the dinner menu, but two more show up at brunch, including one with braised Swiss chard and, our favorite, the Shakshuka margez ($11, pictured above), with long fingers of gamey, tender lamb sausage, plenty of salt, and an elusive, lingering heat. As the dangerously warm cast-iron skillet keeps heating the stew, the tomatoes around the edges cook down until sweet and caramelized; swipe that up with pita for a particularly tasty bite.

Don't expect baba ganoush from the eggplant "caviar" ($5)—the smooth, pulpy eggplant dip is far more sweet than smoky. It cradles a well of honey that's best paired with the more substantial wheat pita.

What makes this beet salad ($5) different from any other beet salad? one of my dining companions pondered. It's good enough to invoke that sort of quasi-religious musing. Nothing short of a perfect salad, tender beets with a wash of citrus, perhaps a sprinkle of cumin, a shower of parsley.

And adding to our growing sense that the kitchen could do no wrong, special meatballs ($13) were as delicious as they were unusual—lamb and bulgur wheat that falls apart at the poke of a fork. Loosely packed, they were juicy enough without the lemony broth, but even better with it, dissolving into a gently spiced, sloppy sort of soup.

Five of us left stuffed and dizzily happy for less than $15/person—after tax and tip. The space may be small, and the wine list limited, but if you're considering a ratio of pennies to deliciousness, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better spot.

As we ambled out the door, one of our party lingered by the window of a real estate storefront next door, glancing over the listings. "Thinking of moving in?" I teased. And that's what Mimi's does. It's not just a perfect neighborhood restaurant. It's one that, for at least a few post-hummus seconds, makes you consider whether you, too, shouldn't be in that neighborhood.

By Florence Fabricant

Mimi’s Hummus, the popular Middle Eastern restaurant, continues to expand its enclave in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. It recently opened a well-edited food shop, Market, next door and on Friday it will open the Castello Plan, a wine bar with more than 120 selections, and light food. It’s a handsome room done in reclaimed wood, bare brick and iron.

The wine bar’s name is that of a 17th-century map of Lower Manhattan drawn by Jacques Cortelyou, a surveyor. So what does this have to do with Ditmas Park? Mimi’s and its fiefdom are on Cortelyou Road.

The Castello Plan, 1213 Cortelyou Road (Argyle Road), (781) 856-8888.

By Diane Cardwell

On Wednesday afternoon, as the snowstorm rested between squalls, all seemed as it should at Bread Stuy, a coffeehouse on Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn.

The small wooden tables were occupied by patrons in earphones tapping away at laptops, as a line formed for lattes, panini and fresh-baked pastries. Beneath the warm orange glow of the walls and a heat lamp, one of the owners, Hillary Porter, quietly directed workers from a banquette while her 16-month-old daughter, Maclemore, slept on her lap.

Just one week earlier, the place was less welcoming, with its gates drawn and a bright red “Seized” sticker slapped on the front door, courtesy of federal marshals. In business since 2004, Ms. Porter and her husband, Lloyd, both 39, ran into tax trouble starting in 2008 as they lost customers to the recession, they said, and the government would not let them reopen until they had paid $10,000 in penalties.

But their neighbors rallied, giving money and throwing three fund-raisers that yielded enough for the shop to reopen.

That urgent, emotional response, from customers and fellow business owners along the strip in Stuyvesant Heights, surprised even the Porters. There are several nearby spots offering specialty coffees and baked goods, and though the couple is active in the neighborhood, playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus at Christmas each year, other merchants lead community efforts, too.

Somehow, after less than six years in operation, Bread Stuy — like other coffeehouses in other places — has come to embody the aspirations of a gentrifying neighborhood now threatened by the downturn. Locals see it as a linchpin in their fragile economy.

Jonathan Landau, who lives near the shop and held one of the fund-raisers, said he moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant two years ago from the Upper West Side because he was looking for the sense of community he found here, with the “Sesame Street”-like brownstone stoop culture and ethos of neighbors helping neighbors.

“A coffee shop like Bread-Stuy offers a space where that can quote-unquote brew,” Mr. Landau said with a chuckle. He added that he also liked the respite it offered from the “bodegas and Chinese joints selling junk food.”

Like the town tavern of old or the soda fountain of the 1950s, a coffeehouse helps build a sense of community, serving as a rare public space where people can bump into each other, share affinities or enjoy their “solitude in company,” as Mark Pendergrast, who wrote a history of coffee, “Uncommon Grounds,” put it in an interview.

“Human beings are social creatures, and we’ve become less and less social,” he said. “We spend more and more time in front of our computers or our televisions, and we go to our work and we come home.”

So the coffeehouse — a so-called third place, beyond home and work, that the sociologist Ray Oldenburg has posited is crucial to developing a sense of place, civic engagement and democracy — offers an ever-dwindling opportunity “to share an experience in public,” Mr. Pendergrast said.

Coffee shops have become driving forces in gentrifying areas, with merchant groups and development advocates looking to establish cafes to seed other types of mom-and-pop activity.

In Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, a politically engaged coffeehouse called Vox Pop caused a minor sensation when it opened on Cortelyou Road in 2004, quickly becoming a symbol for what some saw as the neighborhood’s new cachet. It, too, has struggled financially in recent years, and it has managed to survive in part by selling shares to customers.

Jan Rosenberg, a sociologist and real estate agent who has been active in spurring commercial development in the neighborhood, helped lure an outlet of the small chain Connecticut Muffin nearby. Now she is looking for a cafe for Newkirk Avenue a few blocks away.

“It brings a flock of people to a street — everyone likes a good cup of coffee — and it gives them a chance to sit down and bump into each other,” Ms. Rosenberg said. “It’s simple, really, but if you don’t have that and you’re always getting the train to go to work and getting your coffee there, you don’t have those bump-into-someone experiences, and that’s important in a city neighborhood.”

It is a role that Bread Stuy, which took over and expanded a coffee shop run by another owner, has clearly come to play on Lewis Avenue.

“It’s no longer just a place for people to go in and drink their coffee — it’s part of the fabric of the community,” said Crystal Bobb-Semple, whose Brownstone Books, opened in 2000, sits a few doors away. “It’s all about creating a better neighborhood.”

While they are not yet on secure footing, the Porters say they are grateful that they are able to continue playing a role in that process. Having run through their savings and being unable to leverage their home, they thought they would simply have to move back to Oakland, Calif., where they lived before coming to New York in 2000.

But the generosity of the neighborhood — one woman gave Mr. Porter $25 on the street “for milk and Pampers,” he said, reducing him to tears — has given the couple new resolve. “Every day, I am making coffee with a purpose,” he said. “Like, ‘I am going to make the best cup of coffee in America.’ We’re going to make this happen.”

A Soho transplant brings Filipino food to Ditmas Park.

By Jay Cheshes

1314 Cortelyou Rd between Argyle and Rugby Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (718-940-8188). Subway: Q to Cortelyou Rd. Mon–Fri 5:30–10:30pm; Sat noon–3:30pm, 5:30–11pm; Sun noon–3:30pm, 5:30–10pm. Average main course: $15.

Despite the ubiquity of sushi spots and Chinese joints, some Asian cuisines are still under the radar in New York. Top chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten have long embraced Thai flavors, and Vietnamese is enjoying a citywide renaissance thanks to Michael “Bao” Huynh, but the cooking of the Philippine archipelago has never made major inroads beyond immigrant enclaves. This despite the best efforts of Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, who for 15 years brought their native cooking to a gentrified corner of Manhattan.

The couple ran Cendrillon in Soho until last spring, when it became an early victim of the recession. The restaurant distinguished itself with its mix of Filipino classics and modern fusion. Purple Yam, its Brooklyn redux, is more traditional than its precursor. A few regional detours and multinational mash-ups endure—including a bland minipizza topped with mozzarella and a sort of wild-boar bolognese, and a pork slider on a mealy purple-yam roll—but it’s the by-the-books Flipino dishes that truly shine.

That pizza and slider were the only real clunkers of a recent family-style feast. By 8pm during that visit, there was a standing-room-only bottleneck that both the guests and amiable waitstaff took in stride.

Dorotan and Besa have settled into a neighborhood that’s clearly grateful to have them. Purple Yam, which is in the heart of Ditmas Park’s new restaurant row—the Farm on Adderley and Picket Fence are on the same street—is a sleek slice of Soho transplanted to a part of Brooklyn where ethnic eats abound, but boutique dining options are still limited.

Even if you live nowhere near Ditmas, Purple Yam’s best dishes are worth an excursion. Filipino artist Perry Mamaril (also a former Cendrillon sous chef) helped transform a former 99ў store into an Asian retreat, with a bamboo light fixture that glows gold behind the bar. The restaurant’s superior chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, features on-the-bone nuggets braised in a soy-vinegar mixture cooked down to a syrup. The dish is simple and remarkably rich, with a buttery finish that comes from the last-minute addition of coconut milk.

Crispy fried pork belly (lechon kawali), another exceptional signature, predates the citywide mania for the oversold cut. Spoon-tender oxtail with baby eggplants and long beans in a thick peanut gravy (kare kare) is the best sort of Filipino home cooking, as is the fiery goat curry, featuring earthy chopped meat in a velvety coconut-milk-enriched gravy, with delicate rice crкpes for wrapping it up.

For Filipino-food novices, the desserts will be as intriguing as they are unfamiliar. The champorrado—essentially chocolate rice pudding—is a breakfast dish, repurposed here with Belgian chocolate and strong coffee ice cream. The more unusual yet delicious buko pie features a flaky crust filled with custard made from macapuno (a waterless coconut filled with gelatinous flesh).

None of the fare coming out of the kitchen—from the kare kare to the macapuno to the funky fermented shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)—seems to be tempered to win over nonnative palates. Could this be the year New Yorkers finally give the cuisine its due? It’s clearly scoring points in Brooklyn.

Cheat sheet

Drink this: Filipino cuisine is beer-drinking food. The San Miguel ($6), a light indigenous brew, does a fine job of extinguishing the hot-chili fires.

Eat this: Chicken adobo, pork belly, oxtail kare kare, goat curry, buko pie.

Sit here: The tables that line the wall across from the bar can be a bit cramped, but until the garden opens this spring, you’ll have to squeeze in.

Conversation piece: Memories of Philippine Kitchens, the 2006 cookbook written by the owners of Purple Yam, features food stories from across the Philippines and more than 100 recipes (including many of the dishes they serve at the restaurant).

At theTable | Picket Fence

Comfort Food for the Family Crowd

By ALAN FEUER

This cozy local standby — “Comfortable Food,” its awning says — sits in a tiny storefront at 1310 Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, a neighborhood that has been saddled recently with the modifier “slowly gentrifying” because of its influx of economically unchallenged residents. Serving brunch, burgers and a decent-looking meatloaf, it attracts a family crowd, including two sisters who grew up around the corner on Rugby Road. One of them was accompanied by her 2-year-old daughter.

IN THE SEATS Sophia Francis, co-owner of the Cortelyou Early Childhood Center (a family business located down the block); her toddler daughter, Christina; and the elder Francis sibling, Donette, an English professor at Binghamton University specializing in African-American and Caribbean literature.

ON THE PLATES For Sophia, a half-pound turkey burger on whole wheat toast with a side of French-fried sweet potatoes ($10); for Donette, the buttery-crusted chicken pot pie with mushrooms and your basic fancy lettuce ($15.) Christina was interested almost exclusively in the fries.

WHY THEY CAME Convenience: The sisters were born and raised and still live in Ditmas Park (Donette, quite the Brooklyn hardcore, commutes to work in Binghamton, about 180 miles away). Also, community: The sisters like to keep things in the neighborhood.

WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT “We were actually just discussing a proposal for a charter school in the community that’s due in Albany on Monday,” Sophia said. Donette, the wordsmith of the two, added between a bite, “I’m her editor.” The school is to be called the Una Clarke School, in honor of the area’s former councilwoman, and if its charter is accepted by the state, it will educate 282 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. “It’s a good proposal,” Donette said. “I mean, it’s much improved from the first go-round. I plan to work on it for the next eight hours. That’s why she’s buying me lunch.”
Photo: Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

Mimi's Hummus Will Open Its Market on Jan. 25, With a Bar to Follow
By Rebecca Marx

While eating at Mimi's Hummus on New Year's Eve, one-fourth of Fork in the Road heard owner Avi Shuker mention in passing that the market he's opening next door to his Ditmas Park restaurant would be opening at the beginning of the year. A follow-up call to Shuker confirmed that the market, to be called, appropriately, Market, will open its doors on January 25.

"We're going to have cheese, olives, meats, coffee, chocolate, and specialty deli products," Shuker says. He's calling the store a "modern Middle Eastern local market," explaining that while many of its products will be Middle Eastern, he's sourcing its meats and cheeses from local companies. The 50 or 60 products available will also include jam, maple syrup, and couscous -- but sadly for hummus freaks, while there will be tahini and "probably chickpeas," Shuker says that the store won't be selling any food from Mimi's menu.

Market shares a space with Shuker's wine bar, which he says is set to open by the end of February. The bar will be called the Castello Plan, after the 17th-century map of Lower Manhattan designed by Jacques Cortelyou, a surveyor and the namesake of the road that Mimi's and is brethren call home.