“Are you hungry, New York?”
Those were the words of famed borough gastronome Marty Markowitz as he kicked off Dine In Brooklyn 2012, where from March 19–29, 200 area restaurants will offer special three-course menus at wallet-friendly prices such as $25 for dinner or $20.12 (get it?) for lunch or brunch.
Some of the borough’s already budget-conscious eateries are even offering two-for-one deals for the same discounted amount — like Vesuvio in Bay Ridge, The ChipShop in Brooklyn Heights, Mimi’s Hummus in Ditmas Park and 67 Burger in Park Slope and Fort Greene.
“Brooklyn will soon be the culinary epicenter of America,” opined the ever-effusive Markowitz during a recent press preview, “so whether you’re looking for a little French café in Carroll Gardens — which is quickly becoming the country’s capital of French food, by the way — or you want to want some finger-licking BBQ, or bib-on lobster, or ethnic food from anywhere on the planet, from Mexico to the Middle East, to China, Russia, Bangladesh, or even Australia, nearly 200 restaurants are ready to serve you.”
Fort Reno isn’t looking to cut any corners during their inaugural Dine In Brooklyn foray — the first addition to Park Slope’s burgeoning BBQ row plans to offer up most of their menu during the ten-day celebration.
“We’re excited to be a part of this and not changing a thing,” said chef/owner Lia Forman. “What you’ll find during Dine In Brooklyn is what you’ll find on our menu every day of the week.”
We’d rush to make a reservation if the spicy St. Louis-style ribs we sampled during the press preview are any indication of what patrons can expect — as well as at Strong Place in Cobble Hill for their slammin’ lobster tacos, Jamie Lynn’s Kitchen in Bath Beach for spinach and feta wontons with red wine marmalade, and Benchmark in Park Slope, for short ribs with au jus and celery root puree.
“I may only care about Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, but the greatest thing I have eaten today are those short ribs,” said the Local’s fickle editor, Gersh Kuntzman, obviously desperate to once again get his name in the pages of the real paper of record. “I recommend them highly.”
So as Marty Markowitz would say — start your engines, foodies, your tables waiting!
Dine In Brooklyn, March 19–29th. For more info, visit www.brooklyn-usa.org.
