A Wench Shops in Brooklyn

One of the things I like to do when I go back home to Queens is to go to other boroughs to find tasty treats. You see, when I was growing up everything was soooooooo far away from where I lived. Trips to Manhattan were to go to plays on Broadway, a celebratory meal, or to get some bootleg tapes in Harlem after having lunch at Sylvia's. I'd been to all the boroughs even Statten Island,*shudder* but I was a Queens girl. Why go to any other borough when Queens has everything you need?

Now when I go back home I find myself drawn to Brooklyn. This time I decided to go to a cheese shop called Stinky Brooklyn.

I started out in the p.o.s. rental car and headed out. Wonder of wonders, I found parking right across the street. It was 11am and I was ready for cheese. Unfortunately the Stinky Brooklyn-ites were not ready for me. They weren't ready for anyone. There was some scaffolding right outside their door where a man was spraying water and schmutz all over the place and S.B. was taking the brunt of this "cleaning". Water was coming into their store, and they were clearly-and justifiably-upset. I was advised to come back at noon.

Now what? I know nothing of the area. I only know where the cheese shop is. I went up to Court St. and started strolling. First stop was Sweet Melissa Patisserie. I got myself a few madelines the best I've ever had a bag of cinnamon marshmallows and continued my stroll. Then I smelled it. A smelly smell that smelled smelly. Coffee. I followed my nose past the gelato stand, past the ridiculously priced baby store until I found it. D'Amico. I entered and was transported to a world of smelly coffee goodness.

The only thing better than the smells was the passion of the people working there. I got information on how they roast, where they get their beans, how the roaster works, and by telling him what I like in a bean had a perfect love match made for me. I now longer have to bring my coffee beans from Chicago to NYC when I go visit. I just have to go to Brooklyn.

What's better than the smell of 25# of coffee beans being roasted? The 1/2 # of Jamaican whole beans that I took home with me. My coffee guys in Chicago have got some serious competition.
With a tummy full of chocolate hazelnut goodness, and a bag of beans I headed back to Stinky Brooklyn for some cheese. I popped in and was pleased to see that the store hadn't suffered much damage, although their daily breads had been ruined by the "cleaning" outside. I tried a bunch of cheeses, and found some new friends.

This is usually the part where I would put up a picture and talk about the cheese. Um...well...I forgot to take pictures, so just more blabber for now.

First up is San Joaquin Gold from Fiscalini in California. Nutty and firm this cheese was OK by itself, but really shined when melted into grilled cheese. It had a round richness like browned butter. Quite yummy.

Next is another California cheese-Tulare Cannonball from Bravo Farms. This cheese is made in the Edam style which makes it a cousin to Mimolette in my mind. Slightly salty this cheese kind of tasted like the love child between a sharp Cheddar and a Gouda. Another good melter.

I picked up some tasty chocolate from Mast Brothers Chocolate. I got the dark chocolate with dried cranberries which was phenomenal. I also picked up the dark chocolate with salt and pepper. The pepper wasn't really noticeable, but it was a tasty treat.

Lastly, I picked up a wild boar cacciatorini from Salumeria Biellese which was gamy and chewy and spiced just right and so good I didn't want to share. They've got a write-up in the October issue of Saveur.

All in all, my outing to Brooklyn was very satisfying. Yes, I did take the scenic route home I got seriously lost but I had yet another tasty experience it what is fast becoming my favorite borough.