Eat Local

The good, the earthy, and the funky: How natural wine is making a splash in Park Slope’s wine culture.

“So you know how when you get out of the shower, little drops of water cling to the hair on your arms? Well the hairs are trapping oxygen.  That’s why the winemaker lined his vats in cow’s hide.” Phillipe Essome, or “Fifi” as he goes by, was explaining what, to me, was the very surprising process that went into the bottle of pais he had pulled off the shelf in his boutique on Vanderbilt Avenue, Passage de la Fleur.

Passage de la Fleur is one of the newer wine shops in the neighborhood, and it happens to exclusively sell natural wine.  It’s part of a growing trend—not just in retail—but with many local restaurants. Peruse the wine lists of many local, notable establishments and you’ll probably notice footnotes demarcating things like biodynamic, organic, and sustainable.  While these terms may appeal to locavores and socially-conscious gourmands, they are also indicators that you might find yourself with a glass of something unique and special.  Anthony Mastropolo, General Manager of The Pines in Gowanus explains, “We actually are one of the only places in NYC that has a 100-percent natural wine list. We always have and plan on keeping it that way. I think our general opinion of natural wine is that it goes really well with food. Some of the super earthy, funky wines are a fantastic pair for our dry-aged duck breast or ribeye steaks.”

But what exactly is natural wine? Depends on who you ask.  “Natural wine” isn’t a standardized term and it casts a wide net.

On one end of the spectrum, it can be like my bottle of pais purchased at Passage de la Fleur.  The producer, Luis-Antoine Luyt, is a native Burgundian now living and making wine in the Maule Valley of Chile, and he’s one of the seminal figures heading up terroir-driven, minimal intervention winemaking methods in a region historically dominated by more industrial models. Luyt’s methods are as close as you’re likely to get to leaving the process to mother nature.  The grapes are sourced either from local farmers or grown on rented, unirrigated vines on land worked only by horsepower.  This particular wine was fermented  in open-air tanks lined with a cow’s hide to introduce oxygen (which aids in the development of the yeasts and fosters the maturation of the wine.)  Instead of introducing yeast into the juice, Luyt let mother nature take over—a process often referred to as spontaneous or wild fermentation.  Whatever strain of native yeast was blowing around in the air of the Maule Valley was the strain that came in contact with the juice, did the dance of fermentation, and eventually resulted in what ended up in my glass.

These wines in particular are likely to deliver some surprising and off-the-wall tasting notes. They tend to have a funkiness to them—different animals altogether from the bigger, popular labels you may be used to.  Yeasty, earthy, and barnyardy are going to be terms that come to mind when quaffing this stuff.  You might even get a little hit of effervescence with that first glass—often a result of some secondary fermentation.

On the other hand, wines being produced just hours away from Park Slope in New York’s own wine regions such as the Finger Lakes and Long Island tend to be a little less unorthodox in their winemaking methods but are still making waves among natural wine lovers, nonetheless.  For winemakers in these regions, there is a strong emphasis on preserving the local ecosystem and being kinder to the environment.  The Long Island Sustainable Winegrowers (LISW) encourage local wineries to “make an attempt” at employing natural methods, such as using fewer herbicides and pesticides whenever possible: “[LISW] believe that vineyards should work in harmony with our natural world leaving the land we steward in better condition than when we found it, building a community between vineyards, workers, and the land.”

Natural wines from these regions maybe not be quite as esoteric or funky as those fermented in vats of cowhide, but these more hands-off methods have allowed grapes grown in New York’s own soil to express their own terroir.  New World wines, particularly those from the east coast of the United States, have garnered a bad rap over the years as being overly manipulated, high-alcohol, “fruit bombs.”  Lately though, New York wines especially are starting to move past that reputation, much in thanks to a more hands-off, Old World approach being employed in more and more local wineries.

By and large, natural winemaking is actually more about what you’re not doing to the wine.  Pesticides are only the beginning when it comes to human intervention in the winemaking process.  Every decision the vigneron makes will have an impact on how the grape ends up expressing itself in the glass.  There are actually a couple hundred additives that can be introduced throughout the process—including anything from sugar, yeast, sulfites, and even colorants—which will end up manipulating the final product.   When a winemaker begins to pull back, that’s when you really get a sense of terroir—that sense of place, time, climate, and soil that makes wine lovers wax poetic.

And really, that is maybe what makes natural wine so intriguing and special.  John Tucker, owner of Rose Water in Park Slope, is a big champion of natural winemakers, and over the course of the past eight years has transitioned the restaurant’s wine list to feature natural wines almost exclusively. “I opened a natural, sustainable restaurant and [Rose Water’s wine list] is just an extension of that.” He goes on to note that the transparency of the winemaker’s methods makes these selections more preferable.  Though there is a fashionable element to supporting the organic and sustainable agriculture movement, he also points out that this transparency translates into the glass.  “It tastes like honest wine.”

And as Tucker points out, that is why there is such a growing interest by local somms, retailers, and consumers. “When push comes to shove, and you’re burying your nose deep in a glass of wine—at least for the connoisseurs—it doesn’t necessarily matter how these wines are produced. It matters how they are drank.” Matthew Stucky, General Manager of James in Prospect Heights, adds that these wines tend to make it onto their list because they’re just good.  “We have quite a few sustainable wines on our list, but I’ll be honest with you, we never seek them out. More often than not we land on producers who are making wines that are organic, sustainable, or biodynamic. That being said, I am a fan of anything organic and sustainable and feel happy to be able to offer such great wines to our guests.”

The natural wine movement isn’t necessarily breaking new ground, though, as it is taking many steps back.  Natural winemaking has been practiced for centuries in Old World regions long before the terms “organic” and “sustainable” were in vogue.  While someone like Luyt may be seen as a renegade in highly industrialized New World regions like Chile, his methods draw upon knowledge and experience cultivated over many generations in his native Burgundy.

Brian Mitchell of Brookvin in South Slope observes, “I think what we’re seeing here is that people are trying to get back to how wines were made years ago.”  Having recognized the growing appeal in natural wines, Mitchell has included a couple selections produced in this more traditional style, like the airén, a Spanish orange wine made from a varietal primarily used in brandy production.

It’s worth mentioning that natural isn’t always a guarantor of quality.  There are many factors and processes that go into producing a great bottle of wine, and the very definition of what natural wine means is hotly debated among oenophiles.  Furthermore, you’re not necessarily going to see natural wines obviously labeled as such.  The real joy, though, in exploring this area of the wine world is in engaging with local sommeliers, shop owners, and restaurateurs. Not only can they help you identify what you’re looking for, but chances are they will enthusiastically share the unique stories behind each bottle on their shelves and wine lists. ◆

Here’s a list of where to begin your own exploration of natural wine:

15 Years of Al Di La:  A Retrospective

Chef Anna Klinger, of the reputable and always-packed Al Di La, attributes her love of cooking to her mother. Having grown up in Westchester County, food played a large and important part in Klinger’s family and early life. Like many women of her generation, Klinger’s mother taught herself to cook by reading Julia Child classics and watching the six-foot-two Californian whip up omelettes and beef bourguignon on television.

During high school Anna Klinger began cooking rather seriously, making meals for her friends after school. Upon graduating, Klinger moved to the big city to attend NYU where she studied art history and anthropology, disciplines that Klinger observed, “seem to often overlap with careers in food and cooking.” Anna Klinger’s post-college years led her to San Francisco, where she started working in the kitchen of the renowned French restaurant, La Folie.

Not everyone in Klinger’s life understood her choice to pursue a career as a chef. The crazy hours, the financial riskiness, and the challenge of having a family were all potential issues that concerned the people who cared about her. Ultimately, however, they came around and were happy that she had discovered a passion and were supportive of her pursuit.

Klinger loved food right away. Looking back on the emergence of her culinary career, Klinger reminisced: “[Cooking] clicked and felt right immediately. I loved everything about it. I sort of dropped everything else in my life and dove in.”  She loves the generous act of making a meal for someone else, the speed with which everything happens (ingredients chopped, heat applied, and diners served), and the creativity involved. Klinger also finds the camaraderie and adrenaline rush of working in a kitchen to be unparalleled.

San Francisco was Klinger’s home for several years before she transplanted to Italy. A friend was moving to the beautiful Northern Italian heartland to teach at a cooking school in Verona, and Klinger traveled with her planning merely to visit. As it turned out, the school was understaffed so Klinger decided to defer her return home and lend a hand in the kitchen. It was here where she met Emiliano Coppa, the manager of the cooking school, who would eventually become her husband and business partner.

Klinger moved back to New York in the early nineties, and during this period she and Coppa maintained a long-distance relationship. Emiliano would come to NYC for a few months, return to Italy, and then travel back to the states again. The bouncing back and forth worked for awhile, but once Klinger stumbled upon a great apartment on Sterling Place in Park Slope, it finally made sense for Coppa to move to New York permanently.

The apartment was lovely, and, as was typical of Brooklyn apartments in the mid-nineties, actually affordable. Once they settled in Park Slope, Klinger and Coppa took a closer look around; despite the high demand one might expect from the influx of young people moving into the neighborhood, there wasn’t all that much available in the restaurant department. Aunt Suzie’s, Cucina, and Lemongrass Grill were considered Park Slope’s gastronomic highlights at that time. It would be entirely accurate to say that there was a niche to be filled, and Klinger and Coppa happened to be the ones to fill it.

To this day, fifteen years after opening, Al Di La is considered one of Brooklyn’s original pioneering restaurants. Klinger explains that “[Al Di La] was not the first…but we were the beginning.” When the duo first told people about their plans to open up a restaurant on Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, they were met with many raised eyebrows. People responded as though it would be “crazy” or “dangerous” to open a restaurant in “that part of Brooklyn.”

Yet Klinger and Coppa weren’t deterred by the skeptics and purchased the former Tofu Garden space, a Chinese, Thai, and Spanish restaurant on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Carroll Street. They were at once tasked with the daunting, yet exciting work of a major rehab. Coppa, who had a background in woodworking and food styling, went to work on the space with a friend. They peeled off pictures of crabs from the awning outside, built long wooden tables, and removed dropped ceilings to expose a beautiful tin ceiling from which they hung an elaborately-decorated chandelier that belonged to Emiliano’s grandmother in Venice. The former Chinese-Thai-Spanish formica palace was transformed into the rustically-styled Al Di La trattoria.

Al Di La’s menu is comfortably Northern Italian, with strong odes to the region of Veneto. Many of the restaurant’s staples have received a fair amount of media attention in the past. Braised rabbit with black olives and creamy polenta; stewed cuttlefish and oxtail with garlic and chili; and the swiss chard-ricotta malfatti in sage-infused brown butter could even be called classics. Klinger has received occasional criticism for not modifying the menu more, but she is quick to point out that Al Di La’s offerings actually do change as certain dishes (or componenets of dishes) vary according to what is seasonally available.

From 1998 to 2006, Anna and Emiliano were content and busy with their one small Venetian restaurant; Coppa managed the front of house, while Klinger oversaw the kitchen. Eventually though, they grew increasingly aware of just how popular their restaurant had become. They wanted to make sure more people had the opprotunity to experience their cuisine, so in 2006, they opened Al Di La Vino, a wine bar next door on Carroll Street.  Then in 2012 and again in 2013, Anna and Emiliano partnered with the long-time manager of Al Di La to open Bar Corvo and Lincoln Station in Prospect Heights.

According to Klinger there aren’t any new plans for opening additional restaurants in the near future, but she alluded to another upcoming project: a cookbook. Having attempted the project two times previously, Klinger hasn’t yet been able to write the type of “crafted and personal” cookbook she  wants to publish. But the idea is quite presently on the table.

When asked whether she feels she made the right decision to purchase the dumpy Hispano-Asian fusion restaurant and transform it into Al Di La, all Klinger can say is, “Yeah. I feel really lucky. Things fell into place in a great way. We were just so fortunate.” And so are we.

Restaurant Triumvirate Makes its Mark in Park Slope

Park Slope restauranteur triumvirate—John Bush, Dale Talde, and Dave Massoni—love feeding people. Creating their artful, often playful, and sometimes even irreverent dishes makes them feel like they’ve contributed to the community, something larger than themselves. I sat down with the three of them at TALDE, one of their three restaurants in Park Slope, to discuss cultural identity, the Park Slope food scene and their plans for the future.

The trio’s Park Slope food foray began in 2010 when John Bush and David Missoni fell in love with the building on the corner of Fifteenth Street and Seventh Avenue and opened Thistle Hill Tavern. They describe the restaurant as an American tavern pub with strong English and Irish influences. Then in January of 2012 they opened Talde, an Asian-American restaurant and bar. Most recently in August of 2012, they opened Pork Slope, an Americana-inspired barbecue joint on Fifth Avenue.

It may seem like their diverse restaurants reflect incongruous tastes or perhaps even indecision, but there’s actually a prominent theme: Crave-worthy foods that playfully embrace the immigrant culture of Brooklyn.

And then there’s the question of  why Park Slope—a  neighborhood that isn’t exactly venerated over other areas of NYC for its hip factor. Its reputation tends more toward the mother-centric and stroller-friendly. Yet the trio is well aware of  Park Slope’s stereotype and described it as “community-oriented, homey, and family-friendly.” In addition, they elaborated on the comfort and familiarity that living in such a personable, down-to-earth neighborhood brings: “You know the guy who works at the bodega, the pet store, and you feel a part of a community,” explained John Bush, who lives in an apartment above Pork Slope.

However, Park Slope’s earnest and cozy charm was not the only reason behind opening their mini-restaurant empire in this region of Brooklyn. It also came down to business basics. They put it simply: “Business is based on supply and demand.” They alluded to the neighborhood’s reputation of having a less-than.stellar restaurant scene, and because they live here or nearby they directly contributed to the demand. “Williamsburg is over.saturated and Park Slope was lacking,” Massoni noted.

The trio also spoke to the almost undetectable speed at which Park Slope, like the rest of Brooklyn, is changing.  They reflected on its continuous transformation: “It’s not just families anymore. There are now more single people and couples—people who want to get out of the city,” they acknowledged. They also perceive Seventh Avenue to have grown into more of a hub than Fifth Avenue.

The dishes at all three of their restaurants reflect their desire to hone their own version of the American “melting pot.” Talde in particular pays tribute to the hyphenated identity of immigrants living in America, and in this case, Asian-American immigrants. A first-generation Filipino-American, Dale Talde is deeply, if not complexly, connected to both his Filipino and American roots. And his restaurant, Talde, is at its core a reflection and celebration of his own mixed cultural persona. Take the Pretzel Pork & Chive Dumplings for example. German pretzel meets the Asian dumpling in a novel recombination of cuisines that represents the ongoing exchange among ethnicities in New York in particular.

When Talde speaks about his visits to his hometown of Chicago, he indicates that his second-generation American family members are in some ways losing their connection to their Filipino roots. “I see the next generation, and they have zero connection to it,” he explains. It’s apparent that this is a conflict for Talde—an issue with which he grapples, yet ultimately accepts and interprets through his own cooking.

Bush, Talde, and Massoni are fascinated by American culture and the ways in which immigrant groups influence each other, meld together, change each other, and ultimately create something new. They believe food is one of the deepest expressions of culture and want the food they serve to showcase the many syntheses that happen in the U.S. And it does. It’s food that acknowledges the past and basks in change. It’s also comfort food—food that triggers waves of nostalgia and evokes childhood memories.

The trio has interesting and ambitious plans for the future. Yet curiously enough, and unfortunately for us, none of them involve Park Slope. Bush, Talde, and Massoni aim to start construction on two new restaurant concepts in Jersey City in the near future: a second Talde and Carrino Provisions.  The Jersey City Talde will be twice the size of the Park Slope flagship, and Carrino Provisions will be Italian-inspired—half market and half restaurant offering house-made pastas, cured meats, and a stellar cheese program.
And foodie bookworms rejoice! Dale Talde is also coming out with a coffee table-style cookbook to be published by Grand Central Publishing in 2015.  Described as “austere, beautiful, and tame,” it will tell the story of Talde’s culinary journey in addition to sharing his celebrated recipes.

So hey—if you haven’t checked out one of Bush, Talde, and Massoni’s three delightful restaurants in the hood, you might as well on your next available Saturday night. Their food is not just about pleasure. It’s a commentary on American culture and hyphenated identities. Thus, while digesting on your walk home from the restaurant, you’ll likely spend some time talking about what the food you just ate symbolizes.

When shopping local this holiday season, there is really no better way to represent Brooklyn than giving the gift of food. Artisanal, organic, regional, small-batch, off-beat—we’ve got it covered here in the headquarters of the foodie movement. You can check off everyone on your list by making the rounds of some of our favorite stores.

For Your Parents, Who Get a Kick out of Using “Brooklyn” as an Adjective: BKLYN Larder (228 Flatbush Avenue)
BKLYN Larder, opened in 2009, was one of the first specialty food purveyors in the current wave of entrepreneurs making the Brooklyn food scene the cultural phenomenon it is today. Perhaps best known for its excellent cheese selection and delicious sandwiches, you can find a wide array of local and international jams, honeys, oils, meat and dairy products, and other groceries to gather for a gift. Or, let the discerning staff do the work for you with their wonderfully-curated gift boxes. The men on your list will enjoy the Beer & Snacks basket filled with Redhead’s Bacon Peanut Brittle, McClure’s Potato Chips, Spanish Style Fuet Sausage, BKLYN Larder’s own Olive-Oil Roasted Almonds and, of course,  a few bottles of craft beer. Your family members from out of town can take a round-the-borough tour in a box with The Brooklyn: King’s County gift set, packed with Mast Brothers Chocolate, McClure’s Pickles, Liddabit Sweets, and much more.

For the Men in Your Life You’ve Already Given a Dozen Scarves to: Bitter & Esters (700 Washington Avenue)
Part do-it-yourself brewing site, part homebrewing supply store, and part classroom, Bitter & Esters has a little bit of everything to treat friends and family who are interested in homebrewing—whether they be first-timers or experienced brewmeisters. An easy pick would be one of their Brewing Essentials kits. While they have kits tailored to certain styles, their starter kit would be a good choice for those new to the craft. If you think someone might not be ready to turn their studios into breweries but still like the idea of making their own beer, sign them up for one of the classes offered on-site, like the popular introductory Brewshop 101 or their more advanced lectures on hops or yeast. If they’re hooked but don’t have the space, set them up to brew on premises; the store has dedicated space, equipment, and ingredients on hand for brewing one to two batches. Come to brew the beer, return later to bottle and package it, then return once more to pick it up. Slots generally book up two to three weeks in advance during the holiday season.

For the Friend Visiting from Out of Town, Whose Itinerary Revolves Around Where They’ll be Eating Each Meal: Brooklyn Brine (574 President St)
Brooklyn Brine pickles are one of the most common goods on the scene when it comes to markets and stores showcasing Brooklyn’s locally-crafted treats, but there’s nothing like seeing everything that they have to offer all in one place at the store, which is located on their pickling premises. Their standard NYC deli pickles are fail-proof, but their classics-with-a-twist like Maple Bourbon Bread and Butter, Whiskey Sour Pickles, or Hop-Pickle (pickled with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA) are just off-kilter enough to appeal to someone who is just discovering their foodie sensibilities. Try branching out to the pickle road less travelled with their Moroccan Beans, Fennel Beats, Curried Squash, or Chipolte Carrots.

For Your Coworkers that You Actually Like and Will be Sneaking Presents to in the Elevator, Hoping Your Other Coworkers Won’t See: Blue Apron Foods (814 Union St)
No list of food sources in Brooklyn would be complete without Blue Apron Foods, one of the most beloved stores in Park Slope that is full of well-known and undiscovered treats alike. Build a basket of chocolates, candies, pastas, oils, coffee, teas, honey, flour, characuterie and, well, pretty much anything you can think of to represent local tastes and trends.

For the Hosts of all of the Holiday Parties You’ll be Juggling: Wedge (728 Franklin Avenue)
One of the new hot spots in  ever-evolving Crown Heights is Wedge, a cheese shop brought to you by the owners of next-door-neighbor cafe,  Little Zelda. This small little store carries an impressive array of cheeses representing several regions and techniques. With a rotating selection, you’ll be sure to discover something new each time. (As of this writing, a particularly intriguing offering was Barely Buzzed, a cheese hand-rubbed with espresso and lavender from Utah company Beehive Cheese Co.) Being short on shelving space, their selection of other provisions available for purchase is carefully curated to showcase only the best, like Sweet Deliverance Jams & Chutneys, Royal Rose simple syrups, and Sfoglini pasta.

For the Friend that Instagrams all of their Meals: Empire Mayonnaise (564 Vanderbilt Avenue)
If there’s a store that could best represent the artisanal food movement (some might say even cartoonishly so), it would be Empire Mayonnaise, the store selling only homemade, organic, local mayonnaise. Using non-GMO oils, local pasture-raised eggs, and seasonal ingredients, Empire Mayonnaise offers unique short-run flavors to spice up your sandwiches, dips, and salads. A good place to start is the Brookyn Assortment, a collection of bacon, white garlic, and truffle mayos. Other current offerings include rosemary, red chili, and vadouvan—a spice with notes of fenugreek, turmeric, nutmeg, cumin, curry, and citrus.

For Anyone who Wouldn’t be Caught Dead Owning a Keurig: Damico Foods (309 Court St)
For the coffee connoisseur, Damico Foods is a one-stop shop. Offering a wide variety of coffee beans, blends, and accessories (like grinders, machines, and mugs) for more than fifty years, you’ll find quality products in a charming, old-school atmosphere. A collection that’s crying out to be gifted is the Brownstone Collection of four original blends inspired by Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, and Cobble Hill ◆

The Palate of Indulgence

Pull up a chair, and sit yourself down. I’m going to tell you something you already know, but you need to be reminded.

If mezcals reflect the flavor, scent, and smokiness of the earth in which they are crafted, then there must be complementary tastes that can be paired with each mezcal. In the same way that, for instance, various grapes grown in Oregon share a familiar flavor profile because of the soil, weather, latitude, altitudes, and environment, so do the distant varietals of grapes throughout southern France. In consequence, Oregon wines have a distinct flavor palate, as do the ones from southern France.

The same applies to the flavors of southern Mexico. When pairing mezcal, the two perfect complements are coffee and chocolate.

There is nothing as tantalizing as a cup of strong Mexican coffee or hot Mexican chocolate that is spiked with mezcal. Oh right, it’s possible to overdose on caffeine, but what a way to go! You probably caught wind of this dilemma while contemplating the high alcohol content in your favorite mezcal, and the idea of pairing it with coffee or caffeine might be demasiado—Spanish for too much.

Let’s forgo the notion that excess is a sin when it comes to mezcal, coffee, and chocolate. That’s like saying there’s such a thing as being too cool, or too camp, or that the vibe can be too laid back. But one of the virtues of being cool and camp and laid back is that you have the luxury of being cool and camp and laid back precisely because someone else has done the research for you.

That’s where I come in. I have saved you the hassle of crisscrossing Oaxaca, logging in at 2,836 miles, and sampling 176 mezcals to present to you a selection of the best of the best. I’ll do the same thing when it comes to sampling coffees and chocolates and just tell you which coffee and chocolate—Thanks be to God the Merciful—are available in the United States with which to pair a delectable mezcal.

Coffee: El Eden Organic Coffee is 100 percent Oaxaca Pluma Altura, and it is sublime. Its intense, sweet aroma and smooth flavor is perfectly paired with mezcal. Pour mezcal into an espresso, or even a strong brew of drip coffee, and you will overwhelm your senses with pure joy. This is the kind of coffee so rich, the aroma itself perks you up. The preferred way of preparing is to pour the mezcal into the coffee or espresso cup first, then into the coffee and to stir gently. Some prefer to hyper-caffeinate the beverage further by adding a touch of cacao liqueur.

Chocolate: Ki’ Xocolatl Criollo Chocolate is made from 100 percent Criollo beans, organic. Better than bean-to-bar, this is tree-to-bar, since the artisans who make this gourmet chocolate have their own cacao groves where they grow the ingredients. What makes this chocolate so special? That it’s made with 100 percent Criollo beans, first and foremost. And that it’s grown among in cacao groves perfectly attended for quality control. Pour mezcal into a cup of hot chocolate, and it is like discovering something for the first time. Enjoy some of the dark or dark chocolate with spices, and it is sure to lead to multiple orgasms.

El Eden coffee and Ki’ Xocolatl are available at select gourmet shops throughout the U.S. If your favorite shop doesn’t carry these products, perhaps you should be shopping elsewhere? That aside, El Eden can be ordered from www.eledencoffee.com and Ki’ Xocolatl is available from the gourmet Amazon.com’s Gourmet Food department, or from www.mexican-chocolate.com.

A note on Kahlúa. Here is an observation freely offered, so please take note: Any drink that calls for Kahlúa can be fortified with a shot of mezcal. Ice cream can be enriched with a shot of Kahlúa and mezcal. Your sex life can become messier in all the right ways with mezcal. I will leave it at that.

Excerpted from Mezcal: Under the Spell of Firewater, available on Amazon.com

Good news dairy cows, and farm pigs! In April, The Huffington Post reported that interest in vegan diets are on the rise in 2013, as Google Trends noted a 22 percent increase for the search word “vegan” over the course of a year.

From celebrity endorsements (Bill Clinton, included), insanely informative documentaries, and the emergence of vegan-friendly restaurants all over the place, it is only natural that vegans are sprouting up like carrots across the country. Despite the fact that America is saturated by Cool Ranch Doritos Shelled Tacos and GMO-addled sugar cereals, I’d like to think that veganism is gaining popularity because the benefits of a animal byproduct-free diet are truly all-encompassing and cannot be denied. Those  who succeed in nixing meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy from their diets can attest to the many advantages that  come with maintaining a plant-based meal plan. Ask any vegan—I’m sure you know at least one, I mean, this is Brooklyn after all—and they’ll tell you all about how the way they eat has either improved their health, aided in weight loss, helped the environment—slaughterhouses are a huge contributor to pollution—or all of the above.

So if you want to lose a couple pounds this summer and get the beach bod of your Montauk dreams, or just want to eat better in general, I recommend you head to some of the many vegan restaurants right here in Park Slope. They’ll show you how it’s really done.

VSPOT | 156 5th Avenue
Orgasmically good, VSpot is the definitive G-spot for vegans in the Slope. Maybe you’ve tried some of their pre-packaged empanadas or breakfast burritos at health-food inclined delis in the neighborhood, which are pretty tasty, but nothing beats the real deal, served fresh at their Fifth Avenue location. The menu is ripe with Latin-inspired, animal byproduct-free dishes like the Chipotle Seitan Wrap—with seitan, avocado, chipotle refried beans, tomato, vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheese, coddled in a whole wheat wrap—and the gluten-free Portobella Spinach Tacos, in soft corn tortillas with mushrooms, spinach, chipotle refried beans, and avocado, served with a side of black beans, vegan cheese, and sweet plantains. The menu also includes some comfort food favorites like Quinoa Macaroni and Cheese and Eggplant Parmigiana, which is cooked with Kosher wine. I recommend the Kale Tostadas and the Whole Wheat Lasagna, which I once made the mistake of sharing with one of the 4-year-olds I babysat for as he ended up finishing the whole thing!

SUN IN BLOOM | 460 Bergen Street
As a vegan it can be hard to date omnivores. Mostly because you want to cook together, you want to go out to dinner together, and above all, you want to brunch together. When I was dating a pescatarian bro in Park Slope a couple of years ago, Sun In Bloom was our go-to brunch spot. Right over on Bergen Street and Flatbush Avenue, the kitchen serves up super fresh and delicious plant-based meals . He would order the Irresistible Granola Delight with Goji Berries (homemade raw granola, coconut kefir, and fresh fruit), and I took a liking to their famous Vegan Apple Pancakes. While that romance has fizzled out, I still have a burning lust for the Western Burrito, with sunflower pâté, salsa, avocado, zucchini, and cabbage smothered in sunflower dill dressing, tucked in a collard green wrap. Clean, satiating, and zesty as ever.

‘SNICE | 315 5th Avenue
When you go vegan, you don’t have to give up the food you love most, and by “the food you love most” I obviously mean sandwiches. ‘Snice on 5th Avenue and 3rd makes seriously incredible meat-free and also dairy-free subs. For a fair $8.75 you’d be silly not to order their Thanksgiving Leftover Sub which is comprised of Tofurky, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, cranberry relish, and “gravy” sauce. I’m also a fan aof their grilled cheese, made with Daiya (a tapioca based cheese alternative). They also deliver, which rules when you want to order lunch and are too lazy to make it yourself as I often am.

TOFU ON 7TH | 226 7th Avenue
Similar to Vegetarian Palate, Tofu on 7th’s menu bills all of your best-loved vegan-style Asian dishes, prepared with soy-based meat substitutes. Don’t let the name mislead you though—Tofu on 7th also serves beef, pork, poultry, and seafood, so this restaurant is an appropriate dining option when you’re trying to chow down with a carnivore. Their Vegetarian Triple Delight—with bok choi, tomato, tofu, and black mushrooms in brown garlic sauce served on a sizzling platter—is equal parts healthy and scrumptious, as is my dish of choice, the Buddhist Heaven—with shredded soy chicken, leeks, and bean sprouts, swimming in ginger brown sauce.

PIZZA PLUS | 359 7th Avenue
How many times have I heard, “How do you do it? I could never give up pizza!” Little do all these pizza-heads know, vegan pizza is a thing. And guess what? You can get it in Park Slope. Pizza Plus on Seventh Avenue may seem like your run-of-the-mill Italian joint, but the dairy-free crowd in the area can delight in the fact that a small vegan pie can be theirs for the low-low price of nine dollars. A large will run you fifteen dollars. Hook yourself up and order broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions on top!

BOGOTA LATIN BISTRO | 141 5th Avenue
If I can speak frankly, every day of the summer should be a guacamole-laden fiesta. To reach vegan Mexican food heaven, I suggest popping in to Bogota Latin Bistro on Fifth Avenue and ordering a quesadilla ASAP (made with soy cheese, of course). Not only is this a great date spot in general, but the menu includes both meat and plant-based dishes. Many menu items can be prepared vegan upon request. Their salads are super fresh and made with intriguing ingredients like the Pom Palm, with hearts of palm, pomegranate, avocado, mango, watercress, cilantro dressing. Another great option for the cruelty-free crowd at Bogota is the BBQ Tofu Steak, mainly because the grilled slab of tofu is drenched in fierce mango barbecue sauce. Basically what I’m saying is… la comida está muy buena!

Brooklyn deserves to be celebrated for everything new that it’s bringing to the table, but it’s still the mom and pop stores that continue to make this city great. Our favorite finds in this issue strike the perfect balance of these philosophies vying for our attention. These businesses have been in the family for generations, yet have brought something new to our community.

A Few of My Favorite Things

More than a hundred years ago, Esteban Santos Prieto Casas arrived in the Dominican Republic with his new wife and settled on a sugar cane plantation. The plantation stayed in the family for three generations, until Daniel Prieto’s parents came to New York. As Daniel grew up, he explored other options—notably as an inventor and aerospace engineer —until he rediscovered his roots and Cacao Prieto was born. The bean-to-bar operation sources their cacao from the same family plantation, Coralina Farms, and produces small-batch chocolates and liquors in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

It starts with the chocolate machines—a streamlined Willy Wonka-esque production line, if Wonka had been raised in Brooklyn. Prieto’s background as an aerospace engineer surprisingly came in handy as he took to redesigning the standard machinery responsible for turning the hard little cacao beans into sinfully delicious chocolate bars and bonbons. The journey begins with the Vortex Roaster, where the beans are suspended on a bed of swirling hot air at a much higher temperature than standard roasters. This roasts the beans rapidly and evenly, and the higher temperature creates a more intense level of flavor. After this first process, the beans make their way to the winnower to separate the cacao nibs from their husks. While industrial winnowers often allow too many husk stowaways into the chocolate, Prieto’s Vortex Winnower uses centrifugal force to separate the parts by differentiating between the kinetic energies of the nibs and husks. If that’s too high-tech for you, never fear; the next step brings some vintage charm with their mélange from 1895, which grinds the nibs into a paste with stone rollers. Old Brooklyn meets New Brooklyn, indeed.

The intensive process yields nothing short of amazing results. Their selection of bars are simple, which allows the quality of the chocolate to shine. Besides their plain option, their 72 percent dark chocolate is mixed with almond and salt, hazelnut and raisin, pecan and sour cherry, pistachio and apricot, and cashew and cranberry. Their deliciousness is celebrated with the beautifully illustrated wrappers by Brooklyn artist, Sophie Blackall. Each of these flavors can also be found in bonbon form, along with several other enticing options like Orange and Bergamot, Fall Flower Honey, and Spiced Rum. Speaking of rum, what really sets Cacao Prieto apart is their liquor—the only spirits in the world distilled from cacao. Their hand-roasted cacao beans are distilled and aged in oak with organic cane sugar from their farm to create a rum and liqueur with a uniquely complex profile. Don’t worry about whipping up a cocktail with one of their products—Prieto claims that their distilling process enables the cacao to retain its antioxidants. Clearly, that means it’s healthy.

Visit their shop and factory at 218 Conover Street in Red Hook, or find their chocolates and liquors throughout the city.

Leske’s is Moving on Up

In 1961 when Hans Leske opened up Leske’s Bakery, Bay Ridge was home to a Scandinavian community. Quickly developing into the gold standard of the neighborhood, Leske’s later stood out with their unique offerings for baked goods as the area became more Italian. With a loyal clientele, Leske’s served the community until 2011 when, to much dismay, the shop shuttered their windows. All seemed lost until rumors started to circulate in early 2012 that they were reopening—the speculation soon confirmed by a sign appearing in the window saying “Coming Soon: Same recipes, same bakers, same Leske’s.” More than one thousand fans celebrated Leske’s return on the opening day, and less than a year later were treated to news that they were expanding. Earlier this year, Leske’s opened a second shop farther up the street at 588 Fifth Avenue to service their customers that had been making the trek from Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and beyond.

Over the years Leske’s had become known for Brooklyn standards, despite their international appeal. Their Black and Whites are some of the best around, with a perfect cakey foundation and a soft, thick layer of frosting that’s not teeth-achingly sweet. Donuts are another big draw, with a nice balance of lovingly made classics (try the jellies), and fun, modern flavors that aren’t as precious as the trendier offerings in town. But where Leske’s still shines is in their Scandinavian specialties, which separates them from the pack of Italian and French bakeries. Hoping to make the Danish the new It pastry, their versions are not to be missed, especially the Kringle, filled with raisins and ground almonds. Another favorite is the Wales Kringle—a cream puff-like offering with whipped cream and custard between puff pastry, topped with vanilla or chocolate glaze. The custard—which is also featured in éclairs and donuts, among others—is airier and more subtle than most. For a savory option try the Limpa bread, a Swedish rye made with molasses, anise, and orange peel. And unlike most of the competition, you’ll be amazed at how reasonable the prices are—not the other way around. Those delicious donuts? Most are less than two dollars. Danishes are typically two dollars or less, and even the more typically chichi pastries are around two or three dollars. The only downside is it makes it more difficult to practice some restraint.

The selection and quality of the treats themselves aren’t the only things that have helped Leske’s stay strong for all these years, though. Both locations strive to have that classic community-driven feel of your favorite neighborhood spot. Just look at the resurgence of their Free Cookie tradition as an example. Longtime customers, who were now bringing their children to Leske’s, would often reminisce about the free cookies they’d get on their visits as kids—a tradition going back all the way to Hans’s wife, Ella. Soon enough, Leske’s began their Free Cookie promise again, where every “pre-adult” gets a cookie just for coming in. For us old folks, other options include free coffee with a purchase between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., up to 25 percent off for seniors, and the Kringler Klub, which offers discounts on everyday purchases and specials throughout the year. So whether you’ve been a lover of Leske’s for years and want to shorten your trip, or are a newcomer looking to see what all the fuss is about, treat yourself to a visit for something sweet.

Gelato for Grownups: For Kids

L’Albero dei Gelati’s popularity in Italy is apparently so huge that it gets described as “cultish.” With three stores in Italy, we New Yorkers will now be getting a taste with their first American outpost on Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue. We’ll start at the beginning: with their gelato. Passionate believers in fresh, organic ingredients, husband-and-wife team Monia Solighetto and Alessandro Trezza have some exciting options for gelato in store. Seasonal and carefully sourced ingredients will elevate simple flavors like pistachio, hazelnut, and strawberry to the highest level, but the most intriguing aspect of L’Ablero dei Gelati is their more unique flavors on tap. One level up are more comforting bets like Candied Cherries and Meringue, Pumpkin and Amaretto, and Mascarpone and Chocolate Chip. But where it really gets interesting are their experiments with savory flavors from vegetables, wines, cheeses, and more. Their Italian shops have offered everything from Radish to Smoked Salmon to Mushroom Risotto. The idea for these more outlandish takes on gelato is to pair them with everything else they have to offer. How about a scoop of Yellow Bell Pepper Gelato paired with a sharp slice of cheese?

L’Albero dei Gelati won’t just be your standard frozen treats shop. There will be beautifully crafted pastries, yes, but also panini (with homemade sourdough), wine, espresso, and cheese plates. Everything in the shop will follow the philosophy of appreciating the beauty of nature when it isn’t toyed with into submission. No artificial flavors or colors, additives, or preservatives allow the ingredients to shine. The menu will be ever-shifting with the seasons and allow for a wide range of clientele. For, while it may be sounding rather upscale up to this point, the hope is for L’Albero dei Gelati to be a family-friendly place.

Monia and Alessandro chose Park Slope specifically for its community-oriented atmosphere and strive to be a neighborhood place that everyone can enjoy. Monia is the second-generation gelato heir and moved to Brooklyn with her family for the opening of the shop. With a young child of their own, they knew it was important to create a welcoming environment for kids. (Park Slope tots may be refined, but I’m sure even their idea of getting ice cream doesn’t involve Robiola gelato.) Special features will include a corner of the shop where kids can play and draw, and kids of all ages will enjoy the backyard with a special garden table where the featured ingredients of the season will be growing. Keep an eye out for classes on making gelato, which will cover everything from what “seasonal ingredients” even means, to prepping the ingredients, and of course, testing the finished product. Overall, L’Albero dei Gelati manages to provide a near-complete representation of the neighborhood as a whole and should be able to offer up something to please everyone.