The Smoke Joint

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The Smoke Joint87 South Elliott Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-797-1011
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I love BBQ.

It's one of my favorite food groups.

So when I heard that the Smoke Joint was opening in the LaFu* I was ECSTATIC.

But I was also a little wary.

BBQ is one of those simple foods in concept but very difficult in execution. There has been a lot of BBQ places that have opened up, mostly in the city, and very few have managed to do it right.

Luckily, the Smoke Joint does it right.

(*I will continue to call the area around Lafayette and Fulton LaFu until it sticks. I'm stubborn, even a little stupid, like that.)

The inside of the Smoke Joint is very sparse in decor. Just a few wooden tables and some lights and a view of the very open kitchen where you can easily spot Craig and Ben busily preparing the food. I really like that as it's like built in entertainment - and they are both extremely friendly and willing to talk to the customers. I thought that was a nice touch and definitely made it feel like a "neighborhood" place.

Craig
Craig hard at work.
Full Slab
Full slab of ribs.
Full Slab 2
So nice I took it twice.
Brisket
The Brisket.

The Smoke Joint's dining system is cafeteria style. You look at what's on the board, you place your order and you sit down. No waiter/waitress service here but there were a couple of runners to bring the food to your table as well as assisting the diners with anything they needed like sauces, more napkins, etc. They even have plastic utensils instead of real silverware.

All this is more than okay with me.

BBQ is not fancy dining.

It's messy dining and this was set up for you to get down and dirty.

And boy did I get down and dirty.

The meal started off with what I thought was going to be a small tasting plate. Just something to tie me over as I waited for the rest of my party. It consisted of (Freedom) Fries shaken with jointrub ($2), Brooklyn Wings ($7) and Tips and Bits ($7).

Oh.

My.

God.

The jointrub on the fries gave it a nice spicy-ish flavor making it like "a BBQ potato chip, only better" as one diner commented.

The Tips and Bits were amazing. One of my favorites of the night.

The Brooklyn Wing were plentiful, I think I got 7 or 8 in my order, and flavorful but not very spicy. A quick dip into one of the hot BBQ sauces, Hollapeno or Hotbanero - I'm not sure which, took care of that little problem.

The above alone could have been a meal as it was quite a bit of food for the price.

But I'm here for BBQ and BBQ means Meat and by Meat I mean RIBS.

Pork Ribs.

Mmmm...Pork.

So I got a half slab of the Spare Rack ($10) along with the Corn on the Cob ($2).

Spare Backs

The ribs are of the dry rubbed variety and cooked to perfection. There's a selection of BBQ sauces you can choose from, Ben was nice enough to bring our table a tasting of all of them for us to try, and I have to say that my favorites were the Jointsmoke and the Brown Sugar-Chile. While the hot BBQ sauces were good my personal preferences is towards the sweeter flavored sauces.

BBQ Sauces

I tried some of the Baby (Got) Backs ($9) and I have to say I thought the Baby's were slightly better. A little smaller, a little leaner but a little more tender in my opinion. It's really close and neither one will disappoint but if I had to go with one over the other I'd get the Baby (Got) Backs.

Baby (Got) Backs

At this point I was about to explode so some of the other meals on the table - the Brisket, the Hacked and Stacked Chicken sammich, the Hacked and Stacked Pork sammich along with the Mac and Cheese and coleslaw - I didn't get a chance to try but there's always next time.

And, oh yes, there will be a next time.

Brisket
Hacked and Stacked Chicken
Hack and Stacked Pork

And since everything can't be positive...my complaints are that the napkins are kind of flimsy, you'd need like a hundred to get through a meal, and I would like a few wet naps afterwards.

And maybe a bib as I happened to get BBQ sauce all over my shirt.

The Smoke Joint 87 South Elliott Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-797-1011 www.thesmokejoint.blogspot.com

Couture on Fulton??

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Just noticed this new awning on Fulton between Waverly and Clinton: design studio on fulton

I did a little research, and discovered that they do original clothing design as well as sewing and pattern-making classes! Here's a post I found on Craigslist:

Interested in PATTERNMAKING or SEWING CLASSES, well read on......

We're starting our Fall/Winter '06 semester of fashion classes with an OPEN HOUSE!!

* A FREE Sewing lesson for Adults and teens * Demonstrations * Door Prizes and give aways * Tuition discounts (if registering during Open House)

Where ? ESAIE COUTURE design studio 915 Fulton Street, 2nd flr loft (btwn Clinton Ave & Waverly Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11238 718-284-2942

When ? Saturday October 14, 2006 12 noon to 4 pm Missed it or can't make it? Then call for a brochure and class schedules

About Us & our classes: Novice to experts are welcome. Adults and teens can sew and fashion design. ALL sewing skills are covered. There's also a separate class for flat patternmaking fundamentals. We will help you progressively build your skills, as each level’s lessons builds on the knowledge of the previous lessons.

Nothing is left out!

Our instructors are designers in the fashion industry working with Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Eileen Fisher, Beyonce Knowles, etc.

If you are interested in learning a skill, building on your skills, or fine tuning your skills...see you there on Saturday!

Registration is on a continuous basis. New classes open every 6 weeks.

Call to RSVP for the OPEN HOUSE.

Guess we missed the open house- crap. But I've been wanting to take sewing for years now. I'm going to investigate further.

Clinton Hill Society's 12th Annual Halloween Walk

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Tuesday, October 315:30-6:30 pm Pratt-Clinton Hill Community Garden (corner of DeKalb and Hall)

All costumed Trick-or-Treaters up to age 12 invited! The parade route winds through the neighborhood. Maps to the most generous homes will be provided.

PARENTS: PLEASE ACCOMPANY YOUR CHILD!

Also, be sure to check out a popular carriage house on Waverly between DeKalb and Willoughby -- I'm told the landladies put on quite a show for the kids!

Broken Angel: Update from Chris Wood

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Update Broken Angel 10/29/06On 10/10/06 Broken Angel suffered minimal damage from a fire at the top of the structure. The cause of the fire is unknown and still under investigation. Broken Angel has been an active project of construction by my family beginning in 1979. Major construction was finished in 2002, and all work done thereafter has been for the purpose of maintaining the building. The fire brought the attention of the Department of Buildings (DOB), previous interactions had occurred in 1986, and 2002 with no action taken against the building. During the course of building and maintaining the structure there have been no accidents or complaints. Compared with most modern construction projects, such as the Time Warner building in NYC, this is an excellent record. It raises questions as to why large developers are allowed to continue construction when they pose a risk to the community, whereas Broken Angel, which has no history of construction problems, has been singled out as a danger. My mother and father, the legal guardians and owners of Broken Angel were threatened with eviction for 6 days. On the 7th day they were vacated by the police without a court order or engineer's report. We question the necessity and the humanity of this action. They were told that this was done for their safety; however action was taken prior to any inspection of the interior of the building by an engineer. Furthermore, we were told that the building would be demolished in 3 weeks if an architect did not submit plans to bring it to code. We have been compliant with this request. We are thankful to the firm of Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture http://www.jpda.net/news.html for all of their help and support. On Thursday (10/26/06) an engineer from the DOB toured the structure, and the next day the DOB released a different story. A DOB spokesperson recently commented to the Daily News (10/27/06) that any demolition orders, if warranted will take approximately 3 months to begin.

The Great PUPkin!

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Thank god for rain, as I was able to attend the Great PUPkin this afternoon! My precious little pup took fifth place. dorothy!

I'm proud to have a ribbon, of course, but I personally think Mallow should have ranked higher. I mean, come ON! I made those ruby dog slippers, and the wig, and attached the Toto on her back.

More of my favs: incredible hulk the incredible hulk

ratner's atlantic yards ratner's projects

fireman NY's bravest

Fifty dogs participated this year, and the weather was gorgeous (and also very windy).

The annual Fort Greene PUPS calendar is now available for purchase. It's $10, and features some of the many "regulars" at the park.

Haunted House 10/28

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classon between gates and quincy Location: Classon between Gates and Quincy

I've been meaning to get a photo of this one for awhile now, but only just walked over this past weekend. This is, by far, one of the most hauntedest places in Clinton Hill! Earlier this month, Brownstoner reported good news: The Pratt Area Community Council has purchased the building and is set to turn it into affordable housing! Nice to know this place will be saved.

(Stay dry, everyone! I'm headed to Jersey for a wedding, though I'd rather stay curled up in my bed. Pics to come from RePop's party in a day or two...)

we've got questions, we've got answers

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if you're a loyal reader, you'll remember that about a month ago lesterhead posted a shot of that beautiful blue storefront on myrtle ave and wondered what might become of it.... well wonder no more! thanks to a hot tip from the local playground gossip ring, we can now confirm that come 2007, that storefront will be housing something that is defintely cool, useful, and independent: it will be the new home of the pillow cafe.

if you're not familiar with the pillow, it's a fantastic spot that's been on myrtle over in fort greene between adelphi and clermont for the past 2-1/2 years. they serve awesome muffins, fantastic sandwiches (the egg salad, with sliced hard-boiled egg and capers, is a local legend), nice big cups of tea, and the "best coffee", according to a coffe-drinking friend of mine (i'm a tea lady myself).

they are emigrating to clinton hill for the prospect of a bigger and better location, where they will have a playspace for kids and a backyard. woohoo! the menu will remain pretty much the same, except that they'll add brunch, and will have a liquor license. and, as they do in their current location, they'll have wi-fi. (internet, beer + wine, and a place to stick the kid? it's a parent's dream.) and apparently the space is just as beautiful inside as it is outside---they said that every time they go in, they stop and gasp and realize all over again how gorgeous it is.

they're hoping to be in their new digs in january, so keep an eye out, then go on in and welcome them to the hood....

edited to add: realized i forgot to give the exact location when i first posted this: the beautiful blue storefront is on the north side of myrtle between ryerson and grand (hall and emerson, from the south side), across from the blockbuster.

WKND Overview

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I know there's a ton of stuff going on this wknd, and I wanted everything to have its own post. So, here's a little recap to help you (and I) stay organized: Friday, Oct 27:

  • Smoke Joint Opens (87 S. Elliott)
  • Wine Tasting at Olivino (905 Fulton)
  • RePop Halloween Party -- 8pm, artist's reception; 10pm best costume prize; DJs, dancing and drinking (68 Washington)
  • babyDia Gallery's first art show (64 Washington)

Saturday, Oct. 28:

  • Myrtle Ave Community Workshop --10am-2pm (100 Clermont)
  • Fort Greene Park Conservancy's Children's Halloween Festival -- free pumpkins! Event will be cancelled in the event of rain (Ft. Greene Park)
  • The Great PUPkin -- MOVED TO SUNDAY!

Sunday, Oct. 29:

  • The Eighth Annual Great PUPkin -- registration at 11:30; judging at noon. (Fort Greene Park)
  • DRESS REHEARSAL at 313 Clinton Avenue. For those of you who miss this yearly extravaganza on Halloween itself because of the crowds, this is a good opportunity to catch a glimpse.

Smoke Joint: Opening TONIGHT

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From the NYT: THE SMOKE JOINT This friendly cafeteria-style place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is owned by Craig Samuel, above left, and Ben Grossman, above right, who bring pedigree to pulled pork, hacked chicken, ribs and other smoky pit barbecue staples. Mr. Samuel is executive chef at City Hall and Mr. Grossman has worked at Picholine and La Grenouille. Seating is at bare wood tables inside and on a glass-enclosed porch. It opened briefly last weekend and will reopen to the public on Friday: 87 South Elliott Place (Lafayette Avenue), (718) 797-1011.

FINALLY!

SATURDAY: Myrtle Ave Community Workshop

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From MARP: Next Myrtle Avenue Community Planning Workshop Scheduled:

On Saturday, October 28, 2006, from 10 AM to 2 PM, at PS46 (100 Clermont between Myrtle & Park), we will be hosting a community planning workshop for Myrtle Avenue stakeholders in cooperation with Project for Public Spaces (PPS). The workshop will build on findings from last year's Envisioning Myrtle Avenue (the file is 2.3 MB, and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) Charrette held in cooperation with Pratt Institute's urban planning program. This year, PPS will facilitate a workshop with a focus on improving the streetscape and public spaces along three sections of Myrtle Avenue: (1) the Hall Street to Emerson Place corridor, (2) the intersection of Clinton Avenue, and (3) the Washington Park to North Portland corridor. The workshop will begin at PS46, and involve breaking up into groups to head out into the field to note existing conditions and make recommendations. A light lunch will be provided for participants.

RSVP to vkungys@myrtleavenue.org or 718-230-1689.

(Note: Next year, can FG/CH orgs spread some of this stuff out? Why is everything happening on the 28th? Ack!)

Wine Tasting @ Olivino

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Greetings from Olivino! This Friday, October 27th, from 6:30 ­ 8:30, Spencer from Winebow will be pouring four delicious whites perfect for this season's dinner table or cocktail party!

Argiolas Costamolino is 100% Vermentino di Saregna. Lemony and fresh, this wine will pair perfectly with any southern Italian seafood dish.

Westside White, from Treana Vineyards is a Rhone-style blend from California. It is rich and velvety with strong notes of overripe tropical fruits. This wine needs food. Its perfect accompanying meal? Roasted pork with prunes, raisins, apples, or figs. Anything sweet like red cabbage or homemade applesauce will be complemented by this luscious white.

Cederberg Bukettraube is a German grape varietal grown in South Africa. It shares characteristics with riesling, with more tropical overtones.

Finally, we have a new sparkling Vouvray in the store for holiday toasts! Domaine Champalou produces this Vouvray Petillat Brut and we think it's delicious!

Cheers!

905 Fulton Street (bet. Clinton and Vanderbilt) Tel. 718/857-7952

PUPdate!

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This email just in from Fort Greene PUPS, re: this weekend's Great PUPkin Contest:

Hello PUPS,We are hoping for a rain-free Saturday afternoon for the 8th Annual Great PUPkin in Fort Greene Park, but rain looks pretty likely.

If there is rain, we will move the contest to Sunday, Oct. 29th, same time and place. Registration begins at 11:30 am, judging starts at noon. Don't forget to move your clocks back an hour on Saturday night! Please pass the word along and come out for the fun and prizes (we have AMAZING prizes this year).

The Fort Greene Conservancy plans to make a decision on whether or not to hold their Halloween Festival at 12 noon on Saturday. If there is rain, they will not reschedule to Sunday.

And I'm pleased to announce that the 2007 PUPS Calendars will be available at the PUPkin. Donate $10 or more to PUPS and you'll get one of these rootin'-tootin' calendars.

Let's not let the rain spoil our party. Please, check your email tomorrow for the absolute latest decision, and spread the word. See you this weekend, with dogs in costume!

Kath www.fortgreenepups.org

From Lesterhead: Y'all better bring your best game on Sunday, as I am very serious about this competition.

Crossing Guard Observation

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Is it just me, or are Clinton Hill/Ft Greene crossing guards rather unfriendly? I pass by them every day and I automatically look at them to make eye contact and smile, yet they routinely scowl and look away. It wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't befriended my local crossing guard in Sunset Park circa 2001. By the time I left the neighborhood, after just a year, I knew her name, about her family, etc. It was just part of my routine to say hi and chat with the crossing guard on my way to the R train.

Maybe that experience wasn't the norm, but jeez! Would it kill our crossing guards to get into the spirit of the Hill?