Dinner at Mai

There's a somewhat under-the-radar Pan-Asian restaurant on Atlantic Avenue that goes by the name of Mai (497 Atlantic Ave., between Nevins St. & 3rd Avenue, 718-797-3880). It's simply decorated inside, but it's the peaceful garden that's the big draw, along with the fresh and not-your-usual-Pad-Thai dishes. We ordered take-out from there recently and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

We started with a classic appetizer of Chicken Satay. The meat was tender, slightly juicy and just a bit charred and the peanut sauce was thick with pieces of peanut. It's one of my favorites.



For my entree, I chose to get the Bun Tao, a glass noodle dish with vegetarian duck, shitake mushroom and asian greens sauteed in a ginger sauce. It was delicious. I love veggie duck, and Mai does it the best. It's not greasy, more like baked and a bit crunchy, and there were plentiful slices of mushroom. The greens were crispy, not boiled to death and the sauce was sharp, astringent and light.



My boyfriend got an order of Mee Rojak, a Malaysian style egg noodle with steamed vegetables & tofu in peanut lime sauce. The sauce is more like a curry, and a bit spicy. The noodles were thick and a bit chewy, but in a good way, the veggies nicely cooked and there was a perfectly cooked egg on the side. Very tasty.



I really like Mai. The food is fresh, quality and different from the standard Thai/Pan-Asian places around. Definitely go when the weather is good to sit in the beautiful back garden!

Cookies & Cupcakes

There's a relatively new Coffee Shop/Art Gallery on Atlantic Avenue called Clover's Fine Art Gallery & Cafe (338 Atlantic Ave., between Smith & Hoyt, 718-625-2121). It's a huge gallery space in the back and seating in the front by the large window. I stopped in recently for a little pick-me-up and walked out with a Madeleine. It was dense yet light, and I could note the delicate flavors of citrus & vanilla. Their coffee was decent too - full-bodied, rich and mellow.



Further on down the road you'll find Downtown Atlantic (364 Atlantic Ave., between Hoyt & Bond, 718-852-9945). This is the restaurant that's also a bakery and has all the amazing looking cupcakes in the window. These babies are HUGE, and come in various flavors of cake and frosting (standard vanilla & chocoate, plus coconut, mocha, strawberry and more!), plus they've got cakes and pastries as well. Stop by for a box or call to place a special order for a special celebration.



They're really impressive and will delight young and old.

Food News!

Big news from the Hattie Carthan Garden in Bedford-Stuyvesant! First up is the 6th Annual Food Heritage Festival on Saturday, June 12th. From 12 noon until 9pm there will be tons of homemade dishes like Stewed Oxtail, Fried Okra, Rice & Beans and other dishes native to African, Latin & Caribbean cuisines. There will also be home-brewed beverages and live Blues music!

Also from the Hattie Carthan Community Farmer's Market is a different take on the CSA. Instead of shelling out all the big bucks in the beginning of the season for your weekly veggie deliveries, you can pay a pretty low monthly fee for a Single Basket ($12/week) or a Family Basket ($20/week) that will be full of seasonal fruits, veggies, herbs and eggs. Check out the flyer below for more info or go to the Hattie Carthan website for info on how to sign up.



Art Walk 2010 will take place this weekend along Atlantic Avenue on both Saturday & Sunday, with a block party on Saturday night and a Beer Garden set up at Atlantic Assets. Restaurants in the area will be offering special deals from 10% off to Happy House specials. There will be live music and other special events throughout the weekend. For a full line-up, go here!

And for your long-range planners, it's the Fundraiser BBQ for PortSide, produced by Brooklyn Based and sponsored (so far) by Brooklyn Brewery and Realty Collective. The event will take place on Saturday, July 3rd and the funds will go toward supporting summer programming (which includes free shows on the piers!). Food will be provided by the Red Hook Lobster Pound, Uncle Louie G's, and The Good Fork. Yum! For more information and to learn about PortSide, check their website.

Chocolate from Nunu Chocolates

This is going to be short and sweet, but that's fitting as I'm writing about CHOCOLATE! Nunu Chocolates (529 Atlantic Ave., between 3rd & 4th Avenues, 917-776-7102) was started by a husband & wife team and initially their chocolate treats were sold at stores and markets around town. They were able to open their Flagship store in Downtown Brooklyn about a year ago. It's a sweet little spot on a busy stretch of Atlantic Avenue, with a few tables, a window seat and a small couch at which you can stop to enjoy their wonderful wares.

I went in for a Hot Chocolate (on a recent cool afternoon) and if my taste buds could do a double take, they would have. This was the richest, fullest, creamiest hot chocolate I've ever had. AND the dusting of chocolate flakes on top! Gorgeous!



I also picked up a caramel-filled chick for later. Nunu uses only the finest chocolate from a family-run farm in Eastern Colombia that practices sustainable farming, and you can tell. This little chick was super sweet & creamy, and filled with an almost salty and toasted-tasting caramel. You can see some of it oozing out of the side!



Check this place out. Their chocolates come boxed in pretty little packages that make perfect little gifts. They also do custom orders!