Local restaurants will serve up their best on May 20, as part of the American Cancer Society’s second annual “Eat, Drink & Be Hopeful” fundraiser in DUMBO.
Tuesday’s wine and food tasting event will be held at the Tobacco Warehouse and will feature Prospect Park South resident Daisy Martinez, host of the PBS series “Daisy Cooks!” as well as Darrin Siegfried, of the beloved Park Slope wine store Red, White and Bubbly.
“We think that bringing people together to celebrate our borough’s bounty is the perfect way to raise much-needed funds to support our patient services and to find a cure for cancer,” said Tamara Ehlin of the American Cancer Society.
Ehlin, a former restaurant manager herself, said that guests can expect great food while supporting a good cause.
“The restaurants know that you’ll remember what you taste, so they really want to offer their absolute best,” said Ehlin.
General admission tickets — which start at $75 — are still available. For information, call (718) 237-7851 or visit www.cancer.org/ nynjevents.
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Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint has a new coffee maker. An $11,000 Clover, the Porsche of espresso machines — whose parent company Starbucks recently purchased — was recently spotted sitting on the java joint’s counter with a sign that read, “Coming soon!” taped to it.
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At Fifth Avenue and President Street, the former Biscuit BBQ space has been taken over by Lookout Hill Smokehouse. While it is currently open for business, the Smokehouse will host its grand opening next week.
“It’s a kind of elegant barbecue,” said proprietor Rob Hirsch, who also owns Cornelia Street Cafe in Manhattan. “We have this very cool smoking equipment which comes from Tennessee. We’re smoking all the usual stuff: brisket, pork belly, kielbasa and ribs, in addition to lamb and specials each night. We’ve also been smoking hanger steak and Cornish game hen. We’re trying to enter slowly, given how sophisticated Park Slope is.”
The restaurant will begin brunch service on Saturday, May 17 — “It will be a mixture of some smoked items with a conventional brunch,” said Hirsch — and might open its spacious back room to performances some time in the future.
With summer almost here, Hirsch and chef Joe Breaton think barbecue is just the thing Park Slopers are hungering for.
“Barbecue is one of the few things that Park Slope doesn’t offer,” said Hirsch. “I’m an old, jaded roue, but I think this is quite exciting.”
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“If you’re hungry and you want something healthy and delicious, you’ve found the right place,” said Organic Heights owner Paul Zumoff. “And if you’re vegan, it’s a godsend.”
Zumoff’s veggie-friendly Park Slope eatery, on Bergen Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, has been open since April, serving pecan-tempeh (deep-fried, fermented soybeans) barbecue loaf, vegan cheesecake, smoothies, soups, salads and Dean’s Beans organic coffee.
Starting this week, Zumoff will also offer sandwiches, including a tempeh Reuben and eggplant Parmesan. Additionally, in June, the restaurant will begin a delivery service and offer vegan birthday cakes.
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Toques off to Nikki Cascone, the Bensonhurst-born chef who was, until last week, a contestant on “Top Chef.” Cascone, who is currently the chef at 24Prince in Manhattan, made it through nine episodes of the fourth season of the reality cooking show.
We don’t care what the judges thought, she’s still “Tops” in our book.
Got a hot dining tip? Drop us a line at GOBrooklyn@ BrooklynPaper.com.
