At the Counter of L&B Spumoni Gardens, in Bensonhurst

Photo by myself at L and B Spumoni Gardens at 86th and West 10th Streets, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

At the counter of L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst, I asked the fellow taking my order whether I could take a photo. He said to me gruffly, 'Okay, but don't expect me to smile.'

Haha. This tough exterior is typical of this neighborhood, a tell-it-like-it-is attitude. The deep dish Scilian pizzas here are possibly the best in Brooklyn. And we loves and knows our pizzas!

My fiance Mark returned from LA on Friday and one of the first things he said to me was 'L and B Spumoni'. Hence our trek out to Bensonhurst, a 15-minute ride east by car from Park Slope.

The pizza is light, fluffy and doughy, with a wondrous layer of sauce. I know it sounds odd to wax poetic about pizza, but I cannot help myself. A half-tray of Sicilian (12 slices) costs $19. Somehow, we resisted digging in until we got home.
  Outdoor seating in front, for families. There is a pizza area, a take-out counter and an ice cream place.

The pizza was delicious as it is always, when we got home.




Above, L and B was featured on Man v. Food.
Check out their website here.

Related posts: Mad. Sq. Eats, in the Flatiron District, Eat Here, Eat Now, in the West Village, and Shining Bright, at Live Bait.

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Under the Tracks, in Bensonhurst

Photo by myself around New Utrecht Avenue and 64th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

In some parts of Brooklyn, the subway is raised up from the street. This is the 'N' line, in Bensonhurst. We made a special trip for Sicilian pizza, when I took this photo.

I don't know too much about Bensonhurst, except that its name still connotes some danger. It has a history of some racial conflict in the 90's and was a location for the mafia. In recent years, this neighborhood has kept a low profile.

For the wiki entry on Bensonhurst, click here.

Related posts: Welcome to Bensonhurst, The Elevated Tracks, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Under the Overpass, in Harlem.

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Welcome to Bensonhurst

Photo by myself in a Russian supermarket in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

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This morning Mark and I drove Clive, a Mini Cooper, out to Bensonhurst to mend his front windshield.

A couple weeks ago, we'd driven down the BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) when a big piece of gravel dinged us, cracking the glass. Clive had to have his windshield replaced.

If you've never driven on the BQE, please don't start. It is riddled with potholes and uneven terrain. There are concrete dividers marking the median, which shifts constantly since they're 'repairing' the road. Mark will frequently drive and curse at the roads and drivers because it's downright dangerous.

Bensonhurst is 20 minutes away from where I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It's best known for a period in 1989 when a racially motivated murder provoked riots and protests. I think to most New Yorkers, the name connotes strife and danger. Mark and I found it to be quite benign, with large avenues and freestanding houses. Everything had an old timey look to it and it was hard to believe we were in New York.

According to Wikipedia, a motley bunch of well known people grew up in Bensonhurst, including Scott Baio, Carl Sagan, Harvey Fierstein, Elliot Gould, Larry King and Marisa Tomei.




The neighborhood has large populations of Russians, Italians and Hasidim. Mark and I ventured into a huge supermarket with many Russian items. The sheer amount of sausages in one aisle and Russian beer in another was amazing. There was a separate caviar counter. There was a aisle full of chocolates and candies, wrapped in colorful and cryptic paper.

We could have walked out with armfuls of sausages, but Mark and I are trying to cut down on our red meat. We opted instead for a whopping bag of mixed candies, gathered from the open bins. Yum!

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