La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
After the Kid Brother and I said good-bye to our cousins outside the Brooklyn Museum, we headed down the stairs for the subway. That’s the day I learned The Kid Brother eats dinner at 1 p.m. and lunch and breakfast “in the morning,” and it was long past dinner time. The Kid Brother didn’t want to go to our regular hamburger place, which we both love, near the hotel. “Let’s go someplace different.” I inwardly groaned. In the past, someplace different with The Kid Brother could be a challenge. But I suggested we just walk through the neighborhood and select something that looked good to us both. There are loads of choices.
We walked a bit and came upon a place called “Court Street Bagels.” I could see through the window that it was more of a deli with sandwiches of different kinds. “What do you think of this?” I asked. “They have pastrami…” It turns out he loves pastrami, so he stopped me right there. We ordered sandwiches, picked up bags of Fritos corn chips and drinks, and we sat at one of two tables. The place wasn’t much to look at inside, but the owner was a charmer and the sandwiches were beyond delicious. We were both very happy with our choice. If you’re in the neighborhood, I highly recommend it. But, word of warning, it’s a rare cash-only place.
I didn’t have enough cash and the owner told me to come back when I got some. In Brooklyn!!! After we ate, we made a quick trip to a bank thinking I’d change some Euros because my bank card was working for charging but not in the ATMs. The bank we went to couldn’t exchange foreign currency. So I tried their ATM and it did work!. We ran right back with the money. Had I known, I would have just used the ATM inside the deli.
I haven’t been sleeping great, waking up just about every hour through the night. This morning I woke up at 7:30, went back to sleep at 8, and didn’t wake up again until 11:15. Three hours of uninterrupted sleep. I think the wake-up was only because Moose was yowling at my door for his next treat. San Geraldo gave them their first two treats of the day, the second at 10 a.m. He said Moose started begging for the third at 10:30. It’s now nearly 1 p.m. and he’s still begging. Who’s in control here?
The top image is from the hallway in my hotel in Brooklyn.
Después de que El Hermanito y yo nos despediéramos de nuestros primos afuera del Museo de Brooklyn, bajamos las escaleras hacia el metro. Ese fue el día que supe que El Hermanito cena a la 1 p.m. y el almuerzo y el desayuno “por la mañana”, y hacía mucho que ya había pasado la hora de cenar. El Hermanito no quería ir a nuestra hamburguesería habitual, que a ambos nos encanta, cerca del hotel. “Vayamos a un lugar diferente”. Gemí interiormente. En el pasado, estar en un lugar diferente con El Hermanito podía ser un desafío. Pero sugerí que camináramos por el vecindario y eligiéramos algo que nos pareciera bien a ambos. Hay muchas opciones.
Caminamos un poco y llegamos a un lugar llamado “Court Street Bagels”. Pude ver por la ventana que era más bien una delicatessen con sándwiches de diferentes tipos. “¿Qué piensas de esto?” Yo pregunté. “Tienen pastrami…” Resulta que le encanta el pastrami, así que me detuvo allí mismo. Pedimos sándwiches, recogimos bolsas de Fritos chips de maíz y bebidas y nos sentamos en una de las dos mesas. El lugar no tenía mucho que ver por dentro, pero el dueño era encantador y los sándwiches estaban más que deliciosos. Ambos estábamos muy contentos con nuestra elección. Si estás en el barrio, te lo recomiendo mucho. Pero, una advertencia, es un lugar poco común que solo acepta efectivo.
No tenía suficiente efectivo y el dueño me dijo que volviera cuando tuviera algo. En Brooklyn!!! Después de comer, hicimos un viaje rápido a un banco pensando en cambiar algunos euros porque mi tarjeta bancaria funcionaba para cargar pero no en los cajeros automáticos. El banco al que acudimos no podía cambiar moneda extranjera. Así que probé su cajero automático y ¡funcionó! Volvimos corriendo con el dinero. Si lo hubiera sabido, habría usado el cajero automático dentro de la tienda de delicatessen.
No he dormido muy bien y me despierto cada hora durante la noche. Esta mañana me desperté a las 7:30, me volví a dormir a las 8 y no me desperté de nuevo hasta las 11:15. Tres horas de sueño ininterrumpido. Creo que el despertar se debió sólo a que Moose estaba aullando en mi puerta pidiendo su próximo regalo. San Geraldo les dio sus dos primeras delicias del día, la segunda a las 10 a.m. Dijo que Moose comenzó a pedir la tercera a las 10:30. Ahora es casi la una de la tarde. y todavía está rogando. ¿Quién tiene el control aquí?
La imagen superior es del pasillo de mi hotel en Brooklyn.
• Fuera del museo con nieve ligera antes de entrar a la estación de metro. Créame, es El Hermanito.
• Excepcional. Lo recomendamos y volveremos la próxima vez. Con efectivo.
• Sí, se lo comió todo. Y me comí todo el mío.
• La torre es de apartamentos y el edificio de 4 pisos adjunto al centro es mi agradable hotel boutique con una hermosa vista del Centro de Detención Juvenil en renovación.
• Antes de que El Hermanito y yo encontráramos nuestros sándwiches de pastrami, pasamos por este negocio, Las herrajes de Vinnie (Vincente), en Bergen Street. Me gustó el aspecto. ¿Es San Vicente Ferrer, patrón de los constructores, el que está en el tejado?
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Oooh, a fresh bagel! I don’t think I can even find anything like a real, fresh bagel, out here in St. Louis. They’re never soft enough.
During a visit to London, our little guided tour of pubs, took us to a bagel-and-salt-beef spot… order at the counter, stand and eat your sandwich… it was the BEST. And, it had hot mustard… so stinkin’ hot… it felt like my nose was going to explode (that part wasn’t great). They also spelled bagel with ei, I think? Beigel?
Judy C:
When we first moved to Brooklyn there was a bagel bakery up the street. I had to go to Hebrew School after school for a few years. I would go with friends first to the pizza place opposite the bagel place, then to the bagel place to make us smell more Kosher, and then to class. I had never had bagels that fresh. I’ve never seen the beigel spelling. I hear it’s a subject for argument in London. Corned beef (English salt beef)… oh so good.
I only wish I could find a really good pastrami sandwich in New Mexico. (Or cappicola, or mortadella). It’s all Boar’s Head here.
Frank:
I wish I could find the same here. We don’t even have Boar’s Head.
I believe that’s St. Joseph, patron of Carpenters and also patron of Italy.
wickedhamster:
I knew you’d have an idea. He didn’t look like any St. Vincent I could find.
“Who’s in control here?”
Now THAT’S funny!
I love the streets of New York and the shops and the old neighborhoods; we really need to get back up there.
First off, the rarity of cash only, and secondly, the absolute rarity of “Bring me the money when you can” is sunning.
And lovely.
Bob:
I hadn’t used cash for anything until that day at the deli. What a surprise. But worth going back. And, yeah, I was stunned when he told me to bring him the money when I had it.
You have an honest face, and it shows.
David:
Whatever it was, what a nice surprise.
Ahh….a freshly baked bagel. Sounds wonderful!
Nothing like city neighbourhoods for interesting ‘finds’.
Jim:
And this is a great cluster of neighborhoods with anything you want.
The trusting response of the bagel server means you must have looked like true Brooklyn people! Boud.
Boud:
Or NOT like true Brooklyn people. Although The Kid Brother is pure Brooklyn.
Ah, bagels and pastrami in Brooklyn. Sounds serene, even though it’s neither summer nor 1912!
Kirk:
Pretty amazing.
I know there were serene spots in Brooklyn in 1912. My uncle used to drive me around and tell me stories about the farms and fields when he was a child. But I think the population of Brooklyn was already approaching 2 million by 1912, so I don’t know how serene it ALL was.
I love a true deli sandwich with meat piled sky high! My go-to is corned beef on rye with hot mustard. That photo of Vinnie’s Iron Works is outstanding!
Debra:
Corned beef on rye is my favorite, too.
The Waffle House was cash only for eons but they finally had to make the change and accept cards. But what a cool thing to be told to come back with the cash when you could. Wow!
Fritos! I haven’t had one of those in forever. I used to really love them.
Tallahassee, Florida is an authentic deli-desert. The farther south you get in Florida, the more deli’s there are. I wish we had one.
Kid Brother is a true character. I can only imagine that spending time with him is always an adventure.
Whoever that saint is, he looks pretty cool up there on top of that building.
Ms. Moon
Ms.Moon:
No Fritos here in Spain, so that was a major treat for me. I used to love peanut butter, jelly, and Fritos sandwiches. Oh, that crunch. That was I think the one and only time I used cash while in NYC. A deli opened up a few years ago down the beach from us. The owners are English, so I know it will be different from what I was used to in the States (mostly NYC), but I just can’t bring myself to try it.
I rarely carry cash with me. All credit card
Adam:
Our friends here regularly ask us to explain it. Unbelievable.
Adam:
In Bergen Norway, we didn’t find a single restaurant that accepted cash. In New York this time, that was the only time I paid cash for anything.
I like the quotation at the beginning. We read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in my book club several years ago. It’s took awhile for me to get into it, but was worth the effort in the long run.
Kelly:
I never read the book (I should) but I loved the movie.
Good grief. American portions really are “American-size”, aren’t they?! Of course, the UK’s starting to go the same way…
Over here, there is still a smattering of old-fashioned Kosher salt-beef-and-bagel (or “beigel” – there’s a big kerfuffle about that in Yiddish circles) shops across London (and the UK). I’m not fond of the boiled dough taste and chewiness, however, so usually opt for a more conventional bread roll. Jx
Jon:
I remember being shocked the first time I had a sandwich in England in the ’70s. There’s was nothing between the bread! NYC deli sandwiches, however, are way over the top. I have never seen the beigel spelling nor heard of the controversy. I do love a fresh-baked bagel. But instant heartburn!
A bad night’s sleep can really throw off your day. Here’s to a better sleep, going forward.
Sassybear:
It’s been a bad night’s sleep since the start of my trip. I’m over it.
When I first read the title of your post today, I thought it was “Vinnie’s Iron Works & Pastrami Shop”, LOL!
Those pastrami sandwiches you and Chuck had that day look absolutely delish! I love a lean pastrami on rye bread with a sour pickle and a bowl of hearty chicken soup with matzo balls! Cholesterol be damned, full deli ahead….
Tundra Bunny:
I’ll bet that shop would get a lot of foot traffic at least. The Pastrami was excellent. I would have loved it on rye bread, but the place only had rolls and bagels (and one other thing I can’t remember). Ooh, matzo ball soup!
FIRST AND LAST… DID YOU BOTH EAT ALL OF THAT MONSTER OF A FABULOUS SANDWICH ?
CHEERS !
Parsnip:
Why, yes we did! And we rolled right out of the deli.
Ah… I miss bagels. I’ve made them myself from scratch, but I’m getting lazier about such things. And I love “Vinnie’s Iron Works.” Vinnie. Of course. 🙂
Walt the Fourth:
Before I moved to Boston, a friend arrived at the home of another friend’s mother where we always hung out. He dropped a paper bag filled with rocks heavily on the counter. When we all looked at him, he said, “I made bagels!!!” He took one out and cracked it against the counter. No knife or tooth, or chisel, was going to make a dent in those.
LOL! Mine came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Real water bagels. Plain, sesame, and poppy. Oh, drat. Now I’m hungry for bagels.
OMG, this is so funny. I remember both Court Street Bagels AND Vinnie’s iron works!
Steve:
I hope you have good memories of Court Street Bagels. We plan to go back. And, yeah, Vinnie’s Iron Works is not a place you can forget.