“I love Windsor Terrace more than you can understand,” begins TONY associate Web editor Jonathan Shannon. “I’m a saunter away from Prospect Park, the nighttime delights of Fifth and Seventh Avenue are in stumbling distance, and there’s a friendly stoop culture. Plus one of my neighbors has a cool collection of choppers (the bicycles, that is) and there’s often a mesmerizingly beautiful husky parading the streets. A slew of new spots are opening, and the classic haunts are hanging in there—all concentrated on, or just off, a few blocks of Prospect Park West. And if you’re feeling snobby (or you’re a realtor), you can say it’s the South Slope.”
Read about his favorite spots after the jump.
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His favorite restaurants:
Gialeti’s Café (1658 Eighth Ave at Prospect Ave; 718-768-0500, gialetiscafe.com) “Owners Gia and Leti are lovely people and will even serve you curbside. While I go there to satisfy my sweet tooth, my friend adores their crêpes. I also discovered they recently debuted soup served in a big, hollowed-out bread roll.”
Regina Bakery (485 Prospect Ave between Prospect Park West and Eighth Ave, 718-499-0377) “There are more sweet treats here, but I come for the bread—it smells amazing and is crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Head there on a Jewish holiday to bag a challah ($4.25), even if you’re a goy.
Le Petit Paris Bistro (256 Prospect Park West at Prospect Ave; 718-369-3590, lepetitparisbistro.com) “This French restaurant just opened on October 28, so while I haven’t tried it, I will soon. I stopped in chef Olivier’s kitchen and got a delightful whiff of that night’s special: beef bourguignonne, beef cheek simmered in red wine. Olivier has worked in the New York Times three-star Long Island restaurant Louis XIV and Bistro Cassis on the Upper West Side, while his business partner Matthieu was sous chef at Louis XIV before taking the top job at Bistro Citron. Although still waiting for a liquor license, they do offer wine cocktails, one with chocolate, the other in the style of a mojito. I asked if they were planning to serve cassoulet this winter, which they will if people ask for it. Start lobbying now!”
Clemen’s Taco and Burrito Place (252 Prospect Park West between Prospect Ave and Windsor Pl, 718-768-0909) “My go-to for comfort food: Big, tasty burritos slathered in chili sauce with fresh tamarind juice. I should have taken a picture of the inside of the burrito, but once you start eating, you’re committed to holding it until you’re done, lest it fall apart.”
Lia’s Ices (471 16th St between Prospect Park West and Tenth Ave, 347-689-4690) “If you’re hanging in the park on a sunny day, you should have a gelato from Lia’s in your hand, or a peanut-butter-cookie dough shake. Now that winter’s come, Lia’s is selling homemade soup.”
His favorite bars:
Double Windsor (210 Prospect Park West at 16th St, 347-725-3479) “When this spot opened toward the end of summer, I stopped slinking off to drink in Park Slope. The craft beer list changes practically daily (click here to see today’s) and there’s a happy hour (Mon–Fri 5–7pm, Sat–Sun noon–4pm). Even better, one night the owner came around and gave out free pies and sausage rolls. Free pies goddamnit! It doesn’t get better than that. I realize this makes me sound like a hobo. I don’t care.”
Fez Art Cafe (240 Prospect Park West between Prospect Ave and Windsor Pl; 718-369-0716, fezartcafe.com) “As the name suggests, there is art here, but it’s not to my tastes. What is to my tastes is the shareable tapas-style items on the menu enjoyed in their back garden on a balmy evening.”
His favorite shops:
Babbo’s Books (242 Prospect Park West between Prospect Ave and Windsor Pl; 718-788-3475, babbosbooks.com) “This shop has a wide selection, but for some reason, I’m always drawn to the politics selection. Now I have the Complete Watergate Transcripts gathering dust on my bookshelf. Babbo’s, however, has the two essential elements of any good bookstore: A comfy chair and a cat. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of Holly (the cat) above, as she has kidney problems–customers have already donated $1,109 to have her treated.”
Windsor Wine Merchants (216 Prospect Park West between Windsor Pl and 16th St; 718-768-2291, windsorwinemerchants.com) “Good for wine, better for bourbon. When I had to buy a bottle as a present, this store had a great range and explained the finer details, even if I did end up just taking a friend’s recommendation for Basil Hayden’s.”
