I stopped by Eat Greenpoint yesterday for lunch.  Run by two brothers (Jordan & Seth Colón), the restaurant sources all of its products from local organic farms.  That means no olive oil, no cane sugar and no coffee.  Instead, they replace those staples with sunflower seed oil, butternut squash seed oil, maple syrup, honey and herbal teas.

The grape sage tea is a heady purple brew of local grapes and pungent sage.  It was perfect. You must try it.

Eat Greenpoint is a communal place where you order with the chef and grab your own silverware and water. The menu changes regularly based on locally available ingredients. I had egg noodles with leeks, tomatoes, garlic and Merlot grapes.  Noodles made in-house, of course.

Seth (one of the Colón brothers) was kind enough to chat with me while he cooked.  He takes some of his culinary inspiration from months spent in Tuscany, eating and cooking in the old Italian tradition. He also learned to make noodles and bake bread in Italy, and he puts those skills to use baking fresh bread for the restaurant as well.

Eat Greenpoint sources some of their produce from farmers who you can find on WhatIsFresh!  They hit the Union Square Greenmarket regularly.  They also source from Garden of Eve, Cayuga Pure Organic and Consider Bardwell.

EAT GREENPOINT
124 Meserole Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211
http://eatgreenpoint.com

Call ahead for fall hours:
718-389-8083

Eat well,
Mike

Spotted in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Proving that plants can grow in nearly anything, one boot was sporting healthy vegetation and the others were waiting for their next plantings (which were sitting close by!)

Happy Marketing!

-Meaghin

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The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is the second largest New York and Brooklyn based farmers’ market, after Union Square Market.  Yet despite the constant crowds and number of vendors, the Grand Army and Union Square markets are decidedly different experiences.

Grand Army Plaza market is located in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, at the intersection of Prospect Park West, Union Street, Flatbush Avenue, and Eastern Parkway.  A New York City historic landmark, Grand Army Plaza is an eleven acre plaza adjacent to Prospect Park. (Source: Wikipedia)  Grand Army Plaza was one of the first features of Prospect Park to be built. (NYC Dept of Parks and Recreatation)

The most iconic feature of the plaza is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, a memorial in commemoration to the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War.   At a certain angle, you can spot the Empire State Building through this arch!  In addition to the 585 acre Prospect Park, the plaza puts visitors in easy walking distance to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the many restaurants and shops in Park Slope.  Farm-to-table, locally source restaurants include Rosewater (my favorite place for brunch), Applewood, Franny’s, and Bussaco.

For all of Grand Army Plaza’s positives, the convergence of all of those roads has led to traffic woes and congestion.  Crossing from Prospect Park West into Grand Army Plaza is not always an easy task.  There is a plan in the works from the Department of Transportation, based on a 2008 year-long study and competition from the Design Trust, to expand pedestrian space and ease traffic flow.

The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is a neighborhood gathering place with a passionate and loyal customer base.  As one Brooklyn Yelp review shared, “I try to go every week.  Great food, really friendly people, and I always feel so good voting with my dollars here.”  Open year-round, the greenmarket is not a tourist attraction but rather an incredibly valuable (and integral) part of many Brooklynites’ Saturday.   Wandering the market provides you with a close up view of people at their most ‘real’, whether they are connecting with each other, getting excited over the market offerings, or forming relationships with the farmers.

Over half of the farmers accept credit card and EBT/food stamps.  The market provides true one stop shopping.  Your milk needs are taken care of by Milk Thistle or Ronnybrook.  There are a plethora of vegetable farmers, including but not limited to Kernan Farms, Williams Fruit Farm, and Evolutionary Organics.  If you’re looking for extra protein in your diet, DiPaola Turkey, Arcadian Pastures, and Blue Moon Fish are all well-loved vendors.  It’s highly unlikely that you’ll return home empty handed, whether you’re looking for cheese, flowers, lavender, or fruit!  For the full list, see our Grand Army Market page.

Mark your Calendars! Several Upcoming Events:

May 15^th:  The Tour de Farmers’ Markets will be stopping at Grand Army Plaza

May 22^nd: Book signing with Max McCalman, author of Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager. You’ll be able to sample cheese and chat with Max.

Happy Marketing!

-Meaghin

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