RESTAURANTS
BEST CAJUN
RESTAURANT
TWO BOOTS
284 5th Ave.
(718) 499-0008
Two Boots Park Slope aims to carry on
the amazing Cajun tradition of Two Boots
Brooklyn, which had a great run of 24+ years
(1989-2014). John Touhey, their original
partner, moved to Park Slope in 1989, and
wanted to open a branch in his new ‘hood.
Two Boots Brooklyn went on to become a
neighborhood favorite, with live music, a full
bar, a kids step-up to the pizza station and a
broad menu that included Cajun favorites.
In October 2013, TB Brooklyn closed, but in
November of 2014, a new incarnation of Two
Boots opened in Park Slope at 5th Ave. & 1st
St., featuring Two Boots pizza, plus sliders, po’
boys, salads and a great selection of tap beers.
And the Home Pie, “The Hogwallop,” honors
local resident John Turturro for his role in the
great film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
BEST CARRIBEAN
GLADY’S
788 Franklin Ave.
(718) 622-0249
Glady’s Jerk Center launched in 2013, serving
a vast array of expertise in Caribbean Jerk
and BBQ, along with a love for the culture and
cuisine of the islands. It’s a breezy, colorful
Caribbean eatery with curries & other regional
dishes, plus cocktails. Their jerk meat restaurant
opened in 2018. The foodis always hot and
smells oh, so good. The portions are good.
Perfect for family style dining. They’re extremely
vegan friendly. The chicken is well seasoned and
so fresh. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable
and prices are competitive. Glady’s Jerk Center
also has counter service, making for an excellent,
casual trip to the islands for some delicious food
and good times. There’s nothing quite like it in
Brooklyn, you’ll have to taste it for yourself.
BEST CHINESE
RESTAURANT
XIN CHINESE RESTAURANT
8320 3rd Avenue
(347) 662-6222
Xin is upscale Chinese cuisine in the heart of
Bay Ridge. Join them for a great meal, specialty
martinis and a dessert menu unlike any other.
You’ll love their portions, making Xin excellent
family cuisine. Some signature dishes include
T-Bone Steak with black pepper Sauce, Filet
Mignon with Baby Bok Choy, Mongolian Beef
Cube, Three Peppers Steak Kew, Volcano Steak
Kew, Xin Steak Kew, Gold Coin Filet Mignon,
Xin Rack of Lamb, Dragon & Phoenix and their
Chicken and Three Peppers, although that
doesn’t even begin to list all of Xin’s excellent
specials. It’s all at a great price and offering
convenient, timely delivery service, making for
the best Chinese food experience in New York,
a place where having the best Chinese food
experience matters more than anywhere else.
BEST COFFEE SHOP
CAFÉ GRUMPY
193 Meserole Ave.
(718) 349-7623 – www.cafegrumpy.com
Café Grumpy Greenpoint, the chain’s first
and most spacious café, opened in 2005 in
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, next door to the Café
Grumpy Roastery. They also feature “Coffee at
Your Doorstep” offering a subscription service
online to access some of your favorite brews.
They strive to foster a welcoming atmosphere
where everyone can come in and enjoy a
great cup of coffee in one of their cafes. Cafe
Grumpy aim to promote specialty coffee–from
sourcing to roasting to brewing–in a socially
and environmentally responsible manner by
maintaining transparency and developing
positive relationships with the people they work
with every step of the way.
BEST COFFEE SHOP FOR
GETTING WORK DONE
HUNGRY GHOST
253 Flatbush Ave.
(718) 483-8666 – www.hungryghostcoffee.com
If you’re looking for a relaxing place to work
remotely, look no further than Hungry Ghost.
Many cafes can master the art of steaming milk.
Once you drop a ristretto (1.5oz of espresso)
in a latte, many of the nuances of the espresso
blend are masked behind all that creamy
goodness, and it’s probably going to taste
good. But how many times can you walk into
a cafe and with confidence order an espresso
and expect a perfectly balanced extraction?
In Hungry Ghost’s opinion, not very often.
From the roasting, to the grind setting, boiler
temperature, tamp style, even the humidity and
temperature of the air inside the cafe affects
the way espresso falls into your cup. At Hungry
Ghost, baristas are trained to know all these
elements and how to channel them into the
perfect shot.
BEST CUSTOMER
SERVICE
MICHAEL’S OF BROOKLYN
2929 Avenue R
(718) 998-7851
Family owned and operated since 1964,
Michael’s of Brooklyn offers three generations
of pride and excellence at their restaurant in
Brooklyn, New York. Loyal customers visit from
near and far to enjoy generations-old family
recipes, lovingly handed down as a legacy of
Italian tradition. So come and join them as they
celebrate the tastes of Italy in their elegantly
appointed dining room. From delicious
warm and cold antipasti and tantalizing
pasta creations, to delectable seafood, veal
and poultry entrees and tempting desserts,
Michael’s has it all — and serves to you by a
warm and friendly staff. Visit them today and
find out why Michael’s has been a Brooklyn
institution for nearly half a century.
BEST DELICATESSEN/
JEWISH DELI
MIKE’S DELI
9510 4th Ave.
(718) 238-5200
Mike’s Deli is a classic New York deli
experience. Come in anytime of the day for
a delicious home cooked meal. Enjoy their
famous macaroni and cheese or try one of
New York City and Brooklyn’s best lasagnas.
Try Mike’s many daily specials of hot foods,
all homemade. They are famous for our
homemade salads, roast beef and corned beef.
Mike’s Deli offers a full line of Boar’s Head
Cold Cuts, groceries, beer and soda. Check out
their Catering Menu for both hot and cold eats
for your next party. Call in your order for pick
up or delivery or stop in and check out Mike’s
daily specials! You even get a free 2 Liter bottle
of soda with any $25 purchase. It’s truly one of
Brooklyn’s finest.
BEST DINER
PARKVIEW DINER
2939 Cropsey Avenue
(718) 333-9400
The Parkview Diner is a truly timeless, 24/7
eatery serving an extensive menu from
jambalaya to chicken piccata. Their burgers
are everything people love about diner food in
New York City — juicy and delicious, and made
to order by Parkview’s excellent kitchen staff.
Why spend your time at a fast food joint when
you could hop into your local diner and grab
that special bite to eat? The wait staff is friendly
and prompt ,and will help make your time at
Parkview Diner exactly what you want out of a
New York-area diner.
32 DIME BEST OF BROOKLYN 2019 • WINNERS GUIDE • BESTOFBK.COM
BEST DINING VIEW
THE RIVER CAFE
1 Water St.
(718) 522-5200 – www.rivercafe.com
If you want to wow your date, take that
special someone to The River Café, where
they can enjoy both an amazing meal and
an equally amazing view of the Manhattan
skyline. Opened in June of 1977 by Michael
Buzzy O’Keeffe, The River Café has been
dedicated to serving only the highest level of
cuisine prepared from the freshest and finest
ingredients available anywhere. As a result,
the restaurant emerged at the forefront for
the arrival of Classic American cuisine on the
East Coast, searching out the finest and purest
ingredients in every aspect.
BEST DINNER DEAL
IL FORNETTO
2902 Emmons Ave.
(718) 332-8494 – www.ilfornettorestaurant.com
Get plenty to eat without breaking the bank at
Il Fornetto in Sheepshead Bay. Whether your
quest in a restaurant is for romance, celebration
or business, Il Fornetto’s beautiful waterfront
setting on Sheepshead Bay enhances your visit,
either at lunch, dinner or for a private event.
While enjoying the ambiance of upscale but
casual surroundings, you can savor the flavors
of authentic Italian cuisine, inspired by the sea.
Specialty dishes from their extensive menu win
raves from customers, from our incomparable
fried calamari to wood-fired brick oven pizza,
pasta dishes and fresh fish. Be assured that at
il Fornetto, our culinary skills and attentive
service is all about you, your comfort and your
dining pleasure. Buon appetite!
BEST EUROPEAN
RESTAURANT
BABA’S PIEROGIES
295 3rd Ave.
(718) 222-0777 – www.babasbk.com
Baba’s is a cool, modern eatery spotlighting
Eastern European pierogi with classic &
nontraditional fillings. Their journey began
one summer when they decided to set-up shop
in our home kitchen in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
They opened a pierogi catering service starting
with two simple fillings, cheese and potato. The
demand was instantaneous and soon after we
began adding new fillings to the menu, leading
them to Baba’s Pierogies. Growing up, pierogies
were made every Friday at grandma’s (baba’s)
house. Everyone would excitedly wait for her to
drop them in the boiling water. Once they were
ready to eat, slow pokes didn’t stand a chance!
They were gone as soon as they hit the bowl!
The recipes used at Baba’s Pierogies have been
taught to the owners directly by Baba herself.
BEST FAMILY
RESTAURANT
GIACOMO’S WOOD FIRED PIZZA &
TRATTORIA
7902 3rd Avenue
(718) 439-6993 – www.giacomopizza.com
Take the whole family out to Giacomo’s Wood
Fired Pizza and Trattoria for a special meal
served by a warm staff that will make you
feel right at home. The restaurant features
authentic Italian cuisine prepared by renowned
Italian chefs and real brick oven pizza baked
in wood burning oven imported from Italy.
Giacomo’s takes pride in what they cook.
Giacomo, the owner, is always on site making
sure everything is to his standards and on some
nights he is making pizza or cooking in the
kitchen. They also contain an excellent dessert
menu that will make you hope that you left
room for more after dinner. Giacomo and his
family have been in the Restaurant/pizzeria
business for over 40 years.
BEST FRENCH
RESTAURANT
BAR TABAC
128 Smith St.
(718) 923-0918 – www.bartabacny.com
Ooh la la! Bar Tabac imparts the vibrant energy
of France into the Cobble Hill neighborhood
in Brooklyn and compliments Smith Street’s
bohemian spirit. The colorful corner storefront
embodies the spirit of the tabacs in France,
the ubiquitous small storefronts and annexes
in bars that sell lottery tickets, chewing gum,
and of course, tobacco. Bar Tabac may not
actually sell tobacco, but the lively camaraderie
and antique 1960’s bar conspire to compose a
unique place that is authentically French but
delightfully local. Live jazz four times a week,
storied weekend brunches and irresistible
Bistro Bites have led to Bar Tabac’s loyal
following. Guests return again and again to
enjoy themselves in the lively bar, or to spend
an intimate evening in the back room amidst
the glow of candles illuminated under the
atrium skylight.
/www.cafegrumpy.com
/www.hungryghostcoffee.com
/www.rivercafe.com
/www.ilfornettorestaurant.com
/www.babasbk.com
/www.giacomopizza.com
/www.bartabacny.com
/www.cafegrumpy.com
/www.hungryghostcoffee.com
/BESTOFBK.COM
/www.rivercafe.com
/www.ilfornettorestaurant.com
/www.babasbk.com
/www.giacomopizza.com
/www.bartabacny.com