at the table: New York Eats, Part 3

This is my 3rd and final post about food we ate in New York. Find the first post (about the Brooklyn Flea) here, and the second post (about Manhattan) here. This post focuses on Brooklyn.

Is it possible to have one of the most delicious and the most disgusting things pass your lips during the same meal? I wouldn't have really thought so, but this is exactly what happened to me at Ba Xuyen. The Bahn-mi are amazing. Kirk and I split two of these Vietnamese sandwiches: meatball and grilled pork. The bread had a crisp crust that wasn't a chore to bite through, with a tender white middle. Perfect. The shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, pickled daikon, and other veg were fresh, and the meat was flavorful. And they're only $3.75 a pop.

I might also add that Kirk ordered an avocado shake and it was very tasty.

(Thanks Kristin for the recommendation!)


Oh - as for the most disgusting thing? An iced pickled lemon drink. It tasted just like a glass half filled of lemonade and half filled with pickle juice. I know, I know. What did I expect, right? But somehow, I thought it might be this amazing combination of flavors. Kirk says that's the pregnancy talking.

Anyways, it's on the menu, so some people must love it. I think it's one of those things you have to grow up drinking to appreciate.


The Mediterraean is my favorite region for food out there. Greek, Lebanese, Provencale, Tunisian, Moroccan, Italian....I love it all. I'd love to go on a sailing cruise around the Mediterranean sampling the cuisine from all the different countries, swimming in the ocean, taking an occasional trip into a seaside town to peruse the markets and bazaars. But I digress.

While in Brooklyn, we ate at Zaytoon's and the Bedouin Tent. Both were tasty, affordable, and had nice backyard patios. And the Bedouin Tent had amazing homemade pitas. But neither were out of this world. I still prefer Mazza in Salt Lake City....that is, until I take my cruise and discover the real deal.

(Thanks to Francesco and the Design*Sponge Brooklyn guide for the recommendations!)


This is the Scuttlebutt from Saltie in Williamsburg. It's a good thing I ate it sitting on a stool with my face about 12 inches from that brick wall so that no one could see the orange colored aioli slathered and dripping all over my face and hands. I couldn't help it. It was too good to put down, and I just would have gotten messy again. As far as I could tell, this sandwich had arugula, slices of hard boiled egg, capers, sliced feta cheese, pickled green onions, and the aforementioned aioli piled between two thick pieces of foccacia. Yum.

Thanks to Sarah for the recommendation!)

image via Food in Mouth

And for dessert? Blue Marble Ice Cream. The only company I've found to rival Jeni's Ice Cream. I went there twice and tried cinnamon, yogurt, and mango. So flavorful, fresh, creamy, and not too sweet. Perfect for a muggy New York day.

That's it for my New York eating adventures. I'm already planning the next trip in my head...

p.s. Happy Canada Day to all my readers from our northern neighbor!