DailyHeights

… Yet.

I ran into PH resident and gourmet pickle maker Rick Fields at his pickle stand in the Union Square greenmarket, on my way to the Virgin Megastore to buy Sex and the City: The First Season (as a gift, I swear).

I asked Rick, “what’s new?” and he pulled out a hand-labeled jar of “Smokra”, which is spicy pickled okra (and some very large pickled garlic cloves that we haven’t had the courage to eat yet). I think he charged me $8 (maybe $9) for the jar.

“It has a variety of spicy elements,” Rick says. “Chilis, curry, pungent mustard seed. It’s the rare pickle that we just recommend eating out of the jar.”

Not only does Smokra sound like the most awesome Godzilla villain that never was, but the pickled okra bobble up and down in the brine like “alien worms from The X-Files,” according to my taste-tester. “You know, the ones that go up your nose and then explode through your stomach.” Hmm… was that X-Files, Season 1, Episode 8?

By now I’m sure you’re dying for a taste of spicy pickled SMOKRA, but it won’t be available until October.

PS. Those links above to Amazon are sponsored. That means you can support Daily Heights simply by clicking on them and buying something. Anything, really.

DELICACIES, proud sponsor of the Daily Heights happy hour last week, is going to be featured in a New York Times article. Check it out here. Any word on when the article will be published?

Reported on Chekhov’s Mistress:

“Heather Ramsdell, a copywriter who lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, argued with an acquaintance at a dinner party recently when he cold-shouldered the goat cheese chevrot and questioned her taste when she said she didn’t like Humboldt Fog, a goat cheese from Cypress Grove in California. “He needed to enforce his tiny little cheese wisdom on us all,” she said.”

Is it a bar? A restaurant? DANA BOWEN writes in the New York Times: “… It sounded like a bar and looked like one, too. A blackboard advertised happy-hour specials. A relic of a video game – remember Tapper? – attracted a boozy crowd.”

“And the always interesting desserts ($6) – bergamot-spiked pot au crème, savory pistachio ice cream with caramelized bananas – nothing beastly about them at all.”

LINKS:
Going Chomp in the Night [New York Times]
Anyone got the skinny on Beast Bar? [Jose in DAILY HEIGHTS forums]
Finally tried Beast… [emiloo in the Chowhound Outer Boroughs Board]

You will go to The Islands. You will enjoy some of the best, nay! the best West Indian food Brooklyn has to offer. You will sit in the cozy balcony area and devour an enormous portion (and that’s the small) of savory, spicy, perfectly cooked curry and you will thank the heavens that someone finally got it right. Or, you can just order in and thank the heavens from the comfort of your own home. Also try the flaky Spinach Roti and the Plantains that are just sweet enough and just firm enough to mingle with all the spicy goodness. Both vegetarian entrees – Curry Vegetables with Tofu and the Stew Peas (not so much peas as a variety of juicy beans and dumplings) were uniformly outstanding. Also on the menu; Jerk Chicken, Calypso Shrimp and Escoveitched Snapper. All are reasonably priced, save the Roast Beef w/Yorkshire pudding, a weekend special that will put you out $25 (it wouldn’t be surprising if it were completely worth it, though). Most other entrees range from $6 for a small to $15 for a large and come with rice and peas, sauteed cabbage and a salad. Word from the wise: A small order will do you just fine.

The Islands, 803 Washington Ave off Eastern Parkway, 718.398.3575, noon-10:30 daily
In the photo: Derreck wraps up a Jerk Chicken Salad for a smiling lunchtime customer (you can’t see him, but I promise you he was actually smiling).