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Who Knew?!? San Remo Pizzeria, a Restaurant Review 1408 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11226 In Italy, practically every pizzeria has a sit down restaurant in the back room. They all serve pasta and they almost all are great places for dinner. The food is carefully cooked, the portions large and the prices much lower than the Restorante's or the Trattoria's. San Remo has been a fixture on Cortelyou road for decades and they always made good pizza, but no one would take a date or a spouse there. It was certainly not a place for making a good first impression or quiet conversation with the kids screaming for their slices and sodas. But things have changed!!! Cortelyou is now a hot spot with several good restaurants and this marvelous evolution has now spread to San Remo. San Remo has opened up its mysterious back room and is serving beer and wine. While the restaurant room is not elegant, it is clean and homey. The first three rules about restaurants are The FOOD, The VALUE and The PORTIONS and San Remo wins on all three. Real standouts are Caveletti with sausage, broccoli rabe, white beans and garlic and the Lassagna, real plate fillers and done with care. The service is friendly and prompt. There are many wines under $30 and a dinner for two, appetizer, pasta, dessert and tip is easily under $40. for mor see www.ditmasestates.com
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Chinese Indian Fusion-Confusion Reigns
O.K., I am a sucker for any new cuisine. Tell me about a restaurant that features a cooking from a country, that I never heard about and I am there.
According to Indomunch "Indian Chinese Cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. It is widespread in certain localities in India, and is also enjoyed by people in Malaysia, Singapore and North America."
I was hooked!!!
IndoMunch is a very pleasant looking small and clean restaurant at 182 Lexington Avenue, near 32 Street, NY, NY. The food was fresh and the portions adequate, but what was missing is taste. I expected the "Prawn Munch Special", to beshrimp cooked in a Chinese style with curry, to have a curry taste, but I was sadly disappointed. There was no heat and very little curry. The "Lamb in String Bean" was cooked with a black bean sauce and there were black beans in the dish, but none of saltiness and distinctive flavor of black beans. You could get a side dish of rice (basmati) or hakka noodles, a nice touch.
Chinese and Indian cuisines are known for their great unique tastes, but this restaurant could not make up its mind and got confusion, not fusion. In general, the preparation was not amateurish, the ambiance pretty, the service o.k. but the food had no soul.
The cost for two complete meals, about $70 with an automatic 20% tip.
for more see www.ditmasestates.com
Lupa-The She Wolf gets it right
We are just back from Rome and have essentially ate our way across the city, so going to an Italian restaurant in New York is definitely taking our chances. BTW, there is no bad pasta in Rome, but there is terrible Pizza.
Lupa, the she wolf, symbol of Rome, is wonderful bistro that gets it right. The waiters are extremely knowledgeable, (do you know the difference between Borsci and Lucano digestifs) and are actually helpful, rare in New York.
Appetizers are served in soup bowls and are tasty and distinctive. I liked the Winter Squash alla Romana. Pastas are bountiful and have interesting twists; the Bavette Cacio has a bread crumb topping. The major compliant is that the selection is small. The main courses fish or meat are seasoned just so. Sorry, Vegans need not apply. While the wine list is not cheap the variety is amazing and half carafes are available. Desserts are definitely Italian style and even the Tartufo, an ice cream bombe, has a certain savior faire.
Italians entertain at restaurants not usually at home and Lupa always has several large groups going at one time. Rather than assign a single waiter to a large table teams of waiters work together and that way everyone gets served together.
Warning the front room is noisy and reservations are not only a must, but weekend reservations are hard to get. Dinner for two with an inexpensive wine comes to about $140.
for more see www.ditmasestates.com
Shopping for a new home is an emotional experience. It is, however, also a business transaction, and must be treated as such. Three of the most devastating things that can go wrong are:
When you have a systematic plan before you shop, you'll be sure to avoid these costly errors. Here are some tips on making the most of your home purchase:
Get the information you need
What price do you offer a seller? Is the seller's asking price too high? Is it a deal? Your own research is important, as is the assistance of a Realtor®. A professional Realtor® can offer an unbiased opinion on the value of a home, based on many factors and a great deal of information. Without knowledge of the market, your offer could be too much. Or worse, you could miss out on a great buying opportunity. Hire the right person and trust that person to represent your interests.
Buy YOUR home
What do you need and want in a home? Sounds simple, but clearly identifying your needs and bringing an objective view to home shopping leaves you in a much better position. How much space do you really need? Too small and you may feel like you live in constant clutter. Too big and maintenance may become too daunting. Outline all of your priorities, and work on finding not just a great home, but a great home for you.
Check the title
Before you sign any document, be sure the property you are considering is free of all encumbrances. As a part of his or her services, a Realtor® can supply you with a copy of the title to ensure there are no liens, debts, undisclosed owners, leases or easements against the title.
Update the survey
Before the purchase is completed, an updated survey is essential. This report will indicate boundaries and structural changes (additions to the house, a new swimming pool, neighbor's new fence which is extending a boundary line, etc.), and will guarantee that you are indeed getting what you pay for.
Minimize the unexpected
For $300 - $500, a professional inspector will conduct a thorough inspection of the home. Their expertise can mean the difference between uncovering major flaws before or after you own a home. Make the final contract subject to the report's findings.
Get pre-approved
It only takes a few days to get financing pre-approval. When you are shopping for a home, this gives you more power. A seller is more likely to consider an offer from a serious buyer.
Remember additional costs
Besides the funds for the purchase of a home, you'll need funds for items such as loan fees, insurance, legal fees, surveys, inspections, etc.
Take a deep breath
Before you sign, ensure that all documentation clearly reflects your understanding and conditions of the transaction. Has anything been forgotten? Don't rush. You could lose money, financing, or even the sale if you attempt to push things through too hastily.
for more see www.danshapirorealestate.net
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It's easy to fall in love with certain features of a home, but to find out that those same features, in the long run, are your least favorite. Here are a few common ‘extras' and a quick assessment of their relative values.
Against: In-floor heating systems are still considered a luxury, and can add a fair bit to the value of a home. They are new, and potential long-term issues have not been entirely worked out. A handful of people also are leery about the prospect of piping a significant amount of water throughout their cherished home for fear of potential leakage. All relatively minor concerns. Assessment: Find someone with in-floor heating who doesn't love it. I dare you.
For: A 2004 4-state NAR study found that having a pool increased property values from 8 to 15%. The idea of kicking back all summer with a piña colada, sitting next to the lapping water with friends can be quite attractive. And rightfully so. Against: Safety issues have not been blown out of proportion by the media. Pool deaths happen all the time, there's no getting around that fact. Pools are expensive to maintain, even without hiring a pool cleaner, and are a lot of work. As beautiful as a pool can be when it is maintained properly, it can be an eyesore if it is not. A pool tends to negate having any significant usable space for a backyard. Am I missing anything? Assessment: The issues involved with owning a pool can be overcome, and many people enjoy having a pool very much. You just have to want one really badly for it to be worthwhile. For: Kitchens are finally being designed with maximum utility in mind. When shopping for a home, focus on the kitchen - it is where you will likely spend a great deal of your time, and the room in which every party tends to congregate. Before you fall in love with that Kohler faucet, however, analyze the kitchen's layout from a purely utilitarian standpoint. Is the magic triangle of sink-stove-fridge arranged conveniently? Are cabinets and other storage in logical places? Is there sufficient light? And most importantly, is this a space you will feel comfortable and happy in? Don't underestimate the importance of a functional and attractive kitchen. Against: Be careful not to fall in love with the impermanent fixtures in a kitchen. While those glass-front, backlit uppers may brilliantly display the seller's Royal Daulton bone china, will your mixed collection of garage sale Melmac have the same effect? Likewise, if your idea of cooking is heating up last night's pizza, perhaps space would be better used elsewhere.
For: Having the right setup for a particular activity can be inspiring. Having a single power tool in each room of your house and each corner of the garage and shed is not exactly the ideal situation for building that crib you started on for your daughter and are determined to finish before the birth of you granddaughter. Likewise, if you have the latest elliptical trainer and weight set in a room next to your bedroom with a 12 foot plasma TV facing it, perhaps you will find that six-pack after all. Against: If you can't make a dovetail joint, all of the tools in the world will not give you that knowledge. If you haven't lifted anything heavier than a handful of pork rinds in the last decade, a workout room will likely soon become just a TV room with uncomfortable seating. Unreasonable expectations usually develop into unreasonable decisions. Assessment: Your home should inspire you and will, to a certain extent, dictate your lifestyle. Be rational in your decisions, however, and aim for versatility rather than rooms that are locked in to a particular use that may not be as useful in the future.
With all of your dream home features, try to let reason prevail (or at least get a word in edgewise). You may absolutely worship the tumbled marble rainforest shower with the heated towel rack, but it will be of little comfort every morning and night when you are cursing the home's lack of closet space. It is often the most boring attributes of a home that will give you the most pleasure. Now, off to luxuriate in my rainforest shower. I had to take out the bedroom to install it, but that's okay, I don't mind sleeping in the kitchen . . . for more see www.danshapirorealestate.net
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