Brooklyn Bites Archives - Adventure, baby!

Betty Bakery; Kid-friendly Bakeries and Cafes, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York

March 26, 2013 / Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food / 2 Comments

Betty Bakery is the place to stop in Boerum Hill when your sweet tooth is getting the better of you. The bakery was opened in 2006, by renowned cake designers Cheryl Kleinman and Ellen Baumwoll. A touch retro, a touch modern, it’s the go-to place n the neighbourhood for cupcakes, custom cakes, cookies and hot chocolate.

Kids hoping for snacks. Betty Bakery, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

What to try: In summer, you absolutely have to have their strawberry lemonade. They also do a strawberry lemonade cupcake that will delight your tastebuds. In winter, get a hot chocolate and mini palmier to go – or perch on a stool in the bakery and take cover from the nasty elements outside.

Mini palmiers. Betty’s Bakery, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

Betty’s loves to celebrate special occasions and seasons, so it’s the perfect place to drop in and pick up last-minute Easter and passover treats.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No. There is space for a few strollers in the store however – we’ve fit three at once and still had room for other customers.
Easy access: No. There is only one step, but it’s a narrow door frame and tricky to manoeuvre the stroller in.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Betty Bakery
448 Atlantic Ave,
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 246 2402
Prices: $$
Hours: Tues-Thurs 7:30am-7pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Closed Mondays.
Get directions.

The New Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park; Brooklyn, New York, Playgrounds

March 25, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Brooklyn Heights, Cheese, New York, New York Life, Outdoor Play / 3 Comments

Something miraculous happened over winter. Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park, opened to the public on a suitably arctic day, too cold for most New Yorkers to check it out.

We had a chance to take a look soon after it opened, and fell in love with the sweet little toddler play area, perfect for kids Cheese’s age (she’s currently 19 months old).

New playground at Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park.

As well as the little toddler area, there is a playground for slightly older kids, with a spiders web to climb.

Not a bad view. Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The new pier also features a 200,000 square feet sporting field and a picnic peninsula with tables, grills and umbrellas for some much needed shade come summer.

What to eat: After Memorial Day weekend, Prospect Heights’ Ample Hills Creamery will be serving crazy flavours like Maple Baon and Ooey Goey Butter Cake at the pier. You’ll also be able to walk to Pier 6 next door and grab a slice of pizza from Fornino, who are opening up for the season. Enough of this cold already, bring on the summer!

Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Joralemon St,
New York, NY

Superfine; Kid-friendly Restaurants, DUMBO, Brooklyn

March 20, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, DUMBO, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

On a cold, unexpectedly snowy day, we trudged on down to check out Superfine in DUMBO. It’s such an in-the-know-only hipster joint – if you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk straight past it.

Inside is a spacious bar and restaurant, where kids are welcome and the cocktails run strong.

We wheeled our jumbotron stroller up the ramp to the eating area and were given a massive table next to some strollers. “Great,” I said to the hostess, “stroller parking!”. “Actually, there are babies in there”, she confided, as she slipped away again. We peeked inside the strollers and, sure enough, there were babies asleep in there. We sat down, baffled as to what to do with the slumbering babes, when their mother came over and let us know that they could sleep through a hurricane, so not to worry about them. Ok!

And that, really, sums up the atmosphere at Superfine. Super casual. Anything goes. Park your stoller (and potentially babies, too) wherever they fit.

We also found some spare toys they had lying around for Cheese to play with when she wasn’t running up and down the ramp like she was possessed by a demon.

We were super keen to try out Superfine’s brunch menu, but I didn’t realise it was only served on Sundays, so we had the Saturday lunch menu instead. My sandwich with fries was fresh and tasty, and the fries were devoured by Miss Cheese.

The cocktails are a must-have. If you’re a lightweight, be prepared to have someone escort you home after just one, as, yes, they are that strong.

Superfine is known for its live bluegrass music, but sadly we didn’t have any during our visit, so perhaps it’s only on Sundays – their website is a bit sparse, so I’d suggest you call them directly for more information on anything.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Superfine
126 Front St,
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 243-9005
Call for updated hours.

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Moo Burger; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

March 16, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 5 Comments

We’re at Moo Burger a lot – it’s our go-to place in the neighbourhood for burgers, shakes and fries. Despite Shake Shake being only a block away, we prefer to walk over to Court Street – for me, it’s because I dream about the uh-mazing sweet potato fries and shakes made with Blue Marble Ice Cream.

The Moo folks sure know their audience. We’re always sat at a table with no wait and Cheese is quickly given a cute little straw cup with water.

Moo’s pitch is “gourmet, organic burgers, sides and drinks, all handcrafted with fresh, local ingredients”. We bring a lot of visitors to eat here and everyone ends up full and very happy.

Especially Miss Cheese. She LOVES the fries. What makes them so great? They’re soft in the middle and crispy on the outside. Basically, your perfect sweet potato fry.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes (stroller must fold up however). On days when it’s not too busy you can fit a larger stroller at the tables.
Easy access: Yes (one step).
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.
Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥-

MooBurger
240 Court Street,
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 246 8259

Hours:
Mon 5pm-10pm Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun 12pm-10pm
Fri/Sat 12pm-11pm

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Afternoon at Brooklyn Bridge Park; Kid-friendly Things To Do in DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York

March 11, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Cheese, DUMBO, New York, New York Food, Outdoor Play, Snack & Play / 2 Comments

With an unseasonably warm forecast, we head down to DUMBO for lunch at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Since we’ve been craving sunshine for months, we decided to pick up a sandwich at Foragers City Grocer and head on down to the park to eat and let the Cheese run free.

Foragers have a great range of locally-sourced breads, groceries and snacks, as well sandwich and smoothie bars. While you can perch on stools and eat in, we prefer to take everything to go.

The area of Brooklyn Bridge Park directly under the Manhattan Bridge has possibly the best views of both bridges and Manhattan that you’ll see anywhere. It also has a huge grassy area, so bring a ball for the kids to kick around, or a blanket to sit on. The pirate playground that sits in this area of the park was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy – we were thrilled to see that it has been repaired and is due to re-open next month.

Brie and Granny Smith apple with watercress on a baguette.

Foragers City Grocer
56 Adams St,
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 801 8400
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-9pm Sun 9am-8pm
Get directions.

Nunu Chocolates; Kid-friendly Places To Eat, Downtown Brooklyn, New York

February 25, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Downtown Brooklyn, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

On a day with torrential rain and a toddler with cabin fever, we ventured out for hot chocolate and snacks at the nearby Nunu Chocolates.

It’s not exactly the most kid-friendly establishment around, but the owners are lovely and adore kids, so made us feel totally at home. Sure we could leave our giant stroller infront of their register. Sure they could fit us at a table (we then watch as they kick their employees off a long bench to continue whatever they were doing elsewhere). We love you too, Nunu!

Nunu Chocolates are sold all over the city, and made right here in their flagship store in Brooklyn. They serve a limited menu of beverages, chocolates and pastries, but what else do you want from a chocolate shop?

Cheese adored the hot chocolate – it turned her mood from feral toddler to charming kid. She also loved grabbing the teaspoon and feeding herself the hot chocolate. Bring wipes if you’re going to attempt to give your small child freedom with chocolately beverages.

Letting Cheese go to town on my hot chocolate.

We had a wonderful break from the nasty weather at Nunu Chocolate, and felt so welcome that we will most definitely return over and over again. Don’t let our low baby-friendly rating stop you from bringing your small kids. Despite physical limitations, it’s a real find for families in the neighbourhood.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Minimal. Bring a folding stroller or carrier if possible.
Easy access: No – several steep stairs.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Nunu Chocolates
529 Atlantic Ave,
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (917) 776 7102
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am–9pm Sat-Sun 9am–9pm

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Rucola; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York

January 4, 2013 / Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

This little neighbourhood joint is a hot spot for brunch on weekends. We turned up one chilly morning before Christmas with a group of 6 adults and the Cheese and were told it would be a 15 minute wait. So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. 45 minutes later, it turned out that there was a table who had finished up over half an hour ago but wouldn’t leave (don’t you HATE that?! Especially at peak eating times?!).

So by the time we sad down we were all hungry, freezing cold, and not in the best mood. And that was just the adults. Cheese had already run through her tolerance for boring adult outings and was ready to run around like a crazy turkey.

Rucola has a great little menu, and a really lovely, cosy ambiance. Lots of families were crowded inside, with plenty of other kids also loosing their brains at the dining tables. After our long wait for a table, we were left waiting for service too – it maded me want to grab a waiter and say, “Hello, sir, see this angry baby? It’s in both of our best interests to get us eating and out of here as quickly as possible”.

Waiting for food. Thank God for the iPhone.

Just before the food arrived I noticed that had high chairs tucked behind the bar and requested one. I’m not sure why they weren’t offered on arrival.

The food when it arrived was really delicious. I had the Nutella French toast and it was divine. We ordered Cheese her own “small side of scrambled eggs”. It came out with enough egg to feet two adults. I was amazed to see Cheese hoeing into it with gusto – until I noticed that over 50% of it had ended up on the floor…

Highchairs: Yes – remember to request it.
Stroller storage: Yes but minimal. Bring an umbrella stroller.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but there are kid-friendly options and they’ll make special items on request.

Rucola
190 Dean Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (718) 576 3209
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am–12am Sat-Sun 10am–12am
Get directions.

River Deli; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Brooklyn Heights, New York

December 3, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Brooklyn Heights, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

The River Deli is run by Sardinian expats Giovanna Fadda and her husband, Andrea Mocci. It’s a cosy, family-oriented restaurant, serving delicious, pan-regional Italian food.

We weren’t thrilled about leaving our stroller on the sidewalk, but we sat by the window so we could keep an eye on it and had no problems.

The food was really tasty, the staff friendly, and the baby happily entertained by other local families sitting around us. She made new fans, we had a great brunch – a winning situation all around.

Traditional Sardinian breakfast dish. Yum!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Strollers are parked out the front. There is no room inside for strollers.
Easy access: Yes – wide entrance door and one step in.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

River Deli
32 Joralemon Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 254 9200
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm–11pm Sat-Sun 11am – 11pm
Get directions.

61 Local; Kid-friendly Restaurants And Bars, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 30, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

A favourite with families, particularly those with babies, 61 Local sums up the general parenting attitude in Brooklyn – drink in one hand, baby in the other. On week days you’ll find mothers groups baby wearing their newborns, and SUV-sized strollers in the corners. Weekends see both parents drop by to meet groups of friends. The tolerant staff only ask that babies are changed in the bathroom rather than on tables. Fair enough. Food is simple and tasty – order and pay for food and drinks at the bar, making for fast getaways when the babes start fussing.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes – there is plenty of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

61 Local
61 Bergen Street (at Smith street)
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (347) 763 6624
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-12am, Fri 7am-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-12am
Get directions.

Extra image thanks to Yelp.

two8two Bar & Burger; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 29, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

The name says it all – this low-key joint is all about burger, burgers, and more burgers. They are super-welcoming towards families with kids of all ages too, so it’s a solid choice for a casual lunch out. Friendly, fast service certainly helps, as does the very kid-friendly interior, with very basic tables and chairs. No need to worry about toddlers acting up or throwing food around; they’ll certainly be in good company with the other kids enjoying a somewhat rambunctious weekend lunch with their families.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – lots of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

two8two Bar & Burger
282 Atlantic Avenue (Between Smith st and Boerum pl),
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 596 2282
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 12pm–12am, Fri-Sat 12pm–1am, Sun 12–11pm
Get directions.

Images thanks to Yelp.