Chris has been asking me for a while to create a food tour of in Brooklyn NYC and it finally came together when I was reading a new cookbook from the local library by Steven Raichlen: "The Brisket Chronicles". Inside there is a recipe for Canadian style smoked brisket that is historically related to the pastrami briskets that are so popular in the United States. Turns out there is a great deli in Brooklyn that makes their own "Canadian Smoked Meat".
Another must for the tour was to have a stop featuring Himalayan Momos. Momos are dumplings filled with meat and dunked in various sauces. We first came across them when vacationing in Mount Rainier National Park. It turns out the same area that provide guides for Mount Everest also have folks that immigrated to the town outside of the park to guide tourist to the top of Mount Rainier. One family opened a great Himalayan restaurant in town and we got hooked on their Momos.
The Brooklyn tour starts at Momo Ramen which is located near the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. To get there, Chris and I brought our appetites via the Path Train from Jersey City and then switch to the Subway either the 2 or 3 train getting off at the Bergen Street Station. If you take an express Subway you will need to get off at the Barclay Center exit which is one stop earlier the Bergen. Exit the Bergen Street Station and walk west on Bergen Street for 1 block to 5th Ave. Turn Left on 5th Ave and head south for 1 ½ blocks until you get to your first stop. It will be on the right hand side of the road.
The first stop is, Momo Ramen, and its located at 78 5th Ave Brooklyn (opens at 11:30AM)
Momo Raman is a combination Asian-Himalayan restaurant. They have both Momos and Asian Soup Dumplings. I wanted to order both, but Chris was the voice of reason. Save room for the later stops... We ordered the Chicken Momos. It came 8 pieces to an order and they are accompanied with house chili oil and black vinegar. They were everything I hoped they would be:) Next time we with try the soup dumplings. If you want to just have lunch here, I would recommend the Momo Ramen soup. It is Ramen soup that also has dumplings in it. The best of both worlds! A table near us was having ramen and the portions were very large. There would be no way to finish that and then have 4 other food stops to go. Momo Ramen has nice seating areas, a clean restroom but note that you need to pay cash unless the bill is over $15. The Momo appetizer was $8.
It's time to head to our second food stop. To get there head north on 5th Ave for 3 blocks to Flatbush Ave. Make a left on Flatbush and take it North for 2 blocks and make a left on Atlantic Ave. As you head down Atlantic Ave feel free to stop and browse in many of the unique stores including a Middle Eastern spice and grocery store. Head West on Atlantic Ave for 4 blocks until you reach Bedouin Tent on the right side of the street.
Our second stop, the Bedouin Tent, is located at 405 Atlantic Ave (Opens at 11AM). Here the specialty is Middle Eastern food. One specialty is called Pitza. It is slightly related to pizza. Basically it's a 10 inch round baked pita (made from fresh pita dough) that is topped with various goodies. Some options are Lambajin (ground lamb with all kinds of good spices), Lemon Chicken, or vegetarian. They also make their own Merguez sausage that is served up in a pita sandwich. We ordered the Lambajin and were not disappointed.
The weather was beautiful today so we sat and enjoyed the food on their outdoor patio in the back of the restaurant. The service was blazing fast so I assume their oven must be blazing hot. The pitza was definitely big enough for 4 people to get a good taste.
We both were getting full, but time to press on to our third stop. Feel free to continue to browse the stores as we walk and take time for the first two courses to settle. Continue West on Atlantic Ave for 1 Block and turn Left to head South on Hoyt St for 1 block.
Mile End Deli is on the left side
We are at the place for Canadian Smoked Meat (brisket). The Mile End Deli is located at 97 Hoyt St. (Opens at 8AM weekdays 10AM Weekends). The deli was the most crowded of all the places, but they have a take out window where you can order from the street. There are a couple of seats outside to eat takeout at, but these were filled with people waiting for a table inside. Right across the street from the deli is a park and on the sidewalk in front of the park is a bench that is perfect for eating. If you are more than two people you might consider the Smoked Meat sandwich, but we went full on Canadian comfort food with the Smoked Meat Poutine.
For those of you that don't know what poutine is, I feel sorry. Its french fried potatoes, topped with cheese curd, smoked meat, and then gravy. The takeout portion includes two containers of gravy on the side so as not to make the french fries too soggy. Pour one of the containers on the poutine and save the second for take home leftovers. Also you may want to ask for two forks for takeout, so that you can both dig in at the same time. The portion was way too big for the two of us. We brought it with us the rest of the way and had it for a dinner snack later. The poutine was amazing. I highly recommend it.
As you are waiting for your takeout you may want to check out the garden shop next door or check it out before you order. When you walk in the fragrance of the plants transports you to a place far from any city. They have lots of great plants to check out.
The feast must continue so it's on to the fourth stop, Soul Spot. To get there, head back to Atlantic ave and turn left to head west for ¾ of a block to find Soul Spot on the left hand side.
Soul Spot, located at 302 Atlantic Ave. (Opens 11 AM), is a great spot for caribbean and soul food. They have a couple of tables inside and all the food is already prepared for takeout or eat in.
By this point we were full, but in the interest of blog research we ordered the alacarte jerk chicken. The oxtails and curried goat looked excellent but must wait for a future visit. If you get a lunch portion, it comes with two side dishes and the portions of each side was big enough for a family of 4 to have a full meal. The jerked chicken was moist and spicy, just the way I like it. Don't thumb your nose at the food just because it's already made. FYI, we added some of the chicken to our leftover bag. A taste was all I could fit for now.
Our next food stop will be a little easier to eat, it's the MilkMaid Tasting Room for ice cream. There is alway room for ice cream to melt and fill in the open spaces of the stomach. To get there head west on Atlantic for ¼ of a block and turn left to head south on Smith Street.
Smith Street has lots of stores to check out, there is a great butcher shop and a place to get gourmet cheese and charcuterie called Stinky.
You will head south on Smith street for 10 Blocks and then turn right on to Sackett Street
Head west on Sackett Street for 3 ¼ blocks. MilkMade Ice Cream will be on the left.
The Milkmade tasting room is located at 204 Sacket Street (opens 1PM). They have their production facilities here for the pints of ice cream that are sold online and shipped to your home. At the tasting room they have 16 flavors for you to choose from. The flavors are not your standard. I got a small cup of Cobbler Hill which is cinnamon sugar ice cream with seasonal fruit cobbler mixed in. (Yeah it's as good as it sounds). The benches outside provide a great place to enjoy have conversations with your neighbors.
The food stops are done and now we can celebrate another tour with a cocktail and some people watching. We are heading to Leyenda. They are known for their 2019 James Beard nomination for outstanding bar program. To get there retrace your steps back to Smith street and turn left on Smith St. Head North on Smith for 3 ¼ blocks and Leyenda will be on the right. You would have passed it on your way for ice cream, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise or tempt you to cut the tour short..
Leyanda is located at 221 Smith St. (Opens Noon on Weekends. 5PM weekdays). Head on in and see if you can grab a seat by the open windows in order to watch the day go by on Smith street. The cocktails are impressive so splurge and pick something out of your comfort zone. Perhaps a Spicy Llama or Esmargar!. They also have a open courtyard in the rear of the restaurant. Sitback and enjoy the day.
Our tour of Brooklyn is over, but if you followed the path you will see that we just made a tiny scratch in all the food options here. Feel free to explore yourselves the next time you make the journey. Buen Provecho!
To get back we took the subway located 1 1/2 blocks north on Smith Street. The F train took us to Christopher street and from there, the Path train took us back to the car.