Jessica: "I get very excited about anything food related..."

I’m finally contributing to the BDC blog…and I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, anyone who knows me knows that I get very excited about anything related to food (and wine…): eating, cooking, restaurants, eating, drinking, eating. You get the picture.

So when my husband Tommy and I moved to Brooklyn last year after nearly a decade in Manhattan, we couldn’t wait to try all the great restaurants the borough had to offer. We found some early favorites in our neighborhood of Prospect Heights/Park Slope (i.e. Beast, Blue Ribbon, La Villa Pizza, Franny’s, Amorina, Brooklyn Fish Camp) but when Nick called and suggested we start the Brooklyn Dinner Club (now renamed the Brooklyn Dining Club so we’re not limited to dinner), I jumped at the chance. After all, it gave me a chance to see more of Nick, who, when I still lived in the city, spent every Tuesday night at my apartment for two straight years for our weekly American Idol get-together (with our friend Kristi)…and see his friends (now mine too) Liz and Ingrid, whom I loved the minute I met at Nick’s birthday party a few years ago.

For our first outing, we met at Beast, upon my suggestion, not only because it’s really close to my current apartment but also because the food rocks. You wouldn’t know it from the dark, gothic dungeon-like décor and teeny, tiny open air kitchen but it does. Tommy couldn’t come (I think he was working on a Sat. night, as usual) but I met Liz, Ingrid, Nick, and his very cool friend Betsy (who looked so familiar that we swore we had met – turns out we hadn’t but we both belong to the same gym and had probably seen each other early a.m. sans makeup) at the restaurant.

We had the best time – conversation and wine flowed easily – and we tried nearly everything on the menu, which is sort of tapas-style so it’s great for sharing. In fact, we had such fun, we didn’t want the night to end so we walked over to Fifth Avenue in Park Slope and had dessert and after-dinner drinks (we evidently decided we were from the 1950s) at a cute place called The Chocolate Room. We sat at the “bar” and shared yummy desserts (a banana, chocolate and peanut butter concoction that sounded better than it was and an out-of-this-world brownie sundae with homemade choc-chip mint ice cream). When we parted ways, we all promised that we would meet for dinner at a different place every month. Well, we weren’t able to meet every month, due to everyone’s busy schedules and the holidays, but we did go to Ici in Fort Greene (good food, awful service…and Tommy came this time) and then again recently to a new Pan-Latin restaurant on Union St. btw Fourth & Fifth Aves. in Park Slope called Palo Santo, which was awesome and made us feel like we were in a Mexican garden. So much had happened in the few months since we’d last seen each other: Liz and Ingrid shared with us the exciting news that they were expecting (we call the baby “Tiny”), Betsy had a boyfriend she was head over heels for (he’d have to be invited as a BDC guest so we could all meet him), I had gotten a promotion at work to VP (yes, Nick, I was referred to as a “PR maven” – and don’t forget “PR diva” – on Mediabistro.com), and Nick was dating a new guy (but that really wasn’t anything new…).

This time, we had invited my friend and neighbor Tia in place of Tommy and she was such a good addition to the group, that we all agreed she should be inducted as a permanent member (sorry, Tommy, but you lost your spot). She and Betsy showed up late because Liz told everyone to get on the N train instead of the R and they ended up in Bay Ridge on the express train. Despite the late start, it was a fab evening and we ate (and drank) ourselves silly…so much for my New Year’s resolution of not drinking during the week!

Last Saturday, I had a little dinner party (Betsy, Liz and Ingrid were extended an invitation but they had plans) and as I was about to leave the house with Tommy for brunch, Tia called and asked whether I had gone grocery shopping yet and, if not, would I like to go to Fairway in Red Hook. I gave a resounding yes and told her I’d call her after brunch. We went to Flatbush Farm, a new place on Bergen off of Flatbush Avenue, which we had never tried before but Tia had recommended. About halfway through our meal (which was yummy), guess who walked in? Tia! She had never been there for brunch either but happened to walk in, not knowing we were there. She sat down with us, Tommy left to go to work (yes, again on a Saturday), and I stayed with her while she ate (we both had the smoked salmon cakes – hers with poached eggs). After brunch, Tia and I drove to Fairway (I actually remembered how to get there from my bike-riding trips to RH over the summer) and bought a TON of groceries. Then we stopped at my favorite bakery ever, Baked, on Van Brundt Street, and got mini cupcakes for the dinner party.

By the time we got home, I only had a couple hours to prepare the food and shower, but it worked out. I had to borrow a card table and folding chairs from Tia to fit eight people for dinner but it was perfect. Nick, Tia, my friends Randy and her husband Jason and Kristi and Julian, who have the cutest baby on the planet, Blake, but left him at home so they could enjoy their night out, came. I had loads of apps – white bean and asiago dip, spinach-artichoke dip, olives, cheese, etc. – and then served turkey breast, salad and roasted asparagus (I didn’t have that much so each person was only allowed 1-2 spears). We drank lots of wine and then ate the cupcakes for dessert, which were moist and delicious (I can’t believe I just used the word “moist” – I hate that word). Despite a broken meat thermometer (Tia had to run back to her apt and lend me one – thank g-d she only lives across the building), the night was a roaring success. Nick slept over, which was fun, and we watched about half of Zoolander before we fell asleep.

I can’t wait until our next BDC outing but I have to forewarn the group that every person I mention it to wants to join. I know we have to limit the number so we can get a table at our restaurants of choice but maybe we should rotate guests every month. To be discussed….

by Jessica