DailyHeights

Source: Whynot31 on Brooklynian

Colala, the new Asian (Japanese and Chinese) restaurant at 791 Washington Ave., has finally made it to Yelp,  and the reviews are a bit equivocal at this point.

While it’s got a great location close to museum, and is pretty affordable thanks to its (for now) BYOB status and close proximity to  liquor store, there have been some order mix-ups, and the food has been characterized by some as “average” and “bland,” and there are extra demerits for playing the pan-Asian card; i.e. trying to cover more than one Asian cuisine, rather than specializing. “I’ll keep this place on reserve for those nights when I am making dinner plans with an indecisive or conflicted group torn between Japanese or Chinese food,” writes Nyota W.

On Brooklynian, however, the 4 of 4 reviews posted so far are positive and suggest this is going to be a great neighborhood option if you set your expectations accordingly:

“(We) had the Szechuan Beef combination, and … Mu Shu Vegetable. We felt the food was good. Bill was $21, before tip.”

“I agree the food is “good” … the food was ready and waiting for me at the register no later than 20 minutes after It was placed. What, no fortune cookies? No Crispy Noodles?”

“Had their cold noodle last night- it was really good, not nearly enough sauce though.”

“I shared their vegetable lo mein and the general tso’s tofu lunch specials yesterday with my gf. Pretty good! Would definitely try again.”

JENNIFER BLEYER wrote in the Sunday New York Times: “Gus Vlahavas, the owner of Tom’s Restaurant on Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights, watched the white flight from the neighborhood in the 60’s, and its descent into crime and drugs in the 70’s. By the late 80’s, Mr. Vlahavas saw that some people — Park Slope types, he thought — were trickling to Prospect Heights, but he became convinced that change was afoot only in 1992, when a photographer named Randy Duchaine appeared and said he was shooting a calendar about Brooklyn icons. ‘I was in it,’ Mr. Vlahavas said, proudly. ‘Mr. January.'”

LINK: The Day When ‘Back in the Day’ Ended [New York Times]
PHOTO of TOM’S RESTAURANT, INTERIOR: Food, NYC, Life is Good [Snap City]

THANKS FOR THE TIP!: Candicissima

1. JoshB informs us that the NY Times dining section just reviewed The Islands in their $25 and under column. Excerpts:

“The quirks make the Islands feel like a home kitchen. Ms. Letchford, a longtime professional chef, and Ms. Reid, who worked in the corporate world, sometimes sip wine as they mince and chop. They quiz customers about their spice tolerance and tickle their children.”

“But quirks don’t make it worth the visit; the food does. The women prepare meals with such unwavering care that the one night my friends and I received anything subpar – a partially cold roti and Calypso shrimp sauce with an irksome texture – Ms. Reid apologized without any of us having to complain…”

“If you don’t feel like waiting for food downstairs or outside under a canopy of fairy lights, there are steep stairs leading to a dining loft, lighted with candles and decorated with seashells, parrots and floral prints. It feels like a secret hideaway, with just four tables and ceilings so low that most diners slouch to their seats. Once there, you’ll want to sip brown-bag wine or beer, or homemade concoctions like gingery limeade sweetened with brown sugar, and sorrel so heavily steeped and spiced it seemed spiked.”

2. The Blog That Stirs The Drink writes about cashing in the Dinner for Four at The Islands Grand Prize he won in that DAILY HEIGHTS happy hour/raffle that you missed:

“The food was really, really, really good. Did I mention I liked it? They gave us complimentary rum punch, which was very tasty and a nice refreshing change from the party punches I usually drink, which are usually pretty nasty and make you go blind if you drink too much of it. Then we got our appetizer plate with BBQ chicken, plantain and some kind of fried cod thing. You know, I’m not going to go into this whole thing, because reading about a meal someone had is like reading about a dream they had. In other words, dull. So, I’m just going to say I heartily recommend this establishment. I’m not just saying that because I ate for free, either.”

ALSO NOTABLE: Also in the NYT: A brief take on Delicacies.

Post Punk Kitchen co-host Isa Chandra took time out from finishing her cookbook to ask: "Can you see if someone wants to open a cafe with me? … I’ve been planning on opening a veg cafe restaurant for awhile actually. I have a business plan and everything, I just don’t have enough money. But yes, I’m serious!"

Here is one location option: $1750; 720 sf + basement, corner of Washington Ave. and Dean St.
Here’s another: $3000; 900 sf, Washington closer to Eastern Parkway (WARNING: incredibly annoying ad copy)
Another: $2450; 1,000 sf, "up and coming" Prospect Heights area
Another: $3500; 1,300 sf, Carlton Ave. at Pacific St.

I think Isa is on to something. A well-done vegetarian restaurant would draw people from all over the city, and an up-and-coming corner like Washington and Dean would be a good place to start, if you can squeeze a kitchen and seating into 720 sq. ft. plus basement. Who’s in? (Bonus: Name the "up and coming" location of the storefront in the photo.)