Open Thread Weekend 8/13/10

By on August 13, 2010 7:42 am in Brooklyn Heights

What’s on your mind? See any news happening? Comment away!

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  • lcd

    When do letter grades start appearing in restaurants? I’m rooting for Teresa’s to clean up its act. Maybe the fact that it’s a politico hang out will help (though it might “help” in wrong way).

  • nabeguy

    lcd, they already have in some cases. Facati’s and Breand and Butter both are sporting A’s in their windows. Of course, if you’ve received a C, chances are the sign is hanging in the kitchen.

  • http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com Flashlight Worthy

    Nabeguy, A, B or C — the sign has to go in the window. No hiding of bad grades or risk what I expect is a pretty massive fine.

  • nabeguy

    Any explanation as to why they handed out the A’s first? Are they giving lower-graded restaurants extra time to meet the standards?

  • Henry

    I think that those restaurants just happened to be inspected right after the health department started using letter grades and they just happened to get A’s. While others (C getters) may not be allowed to hang the grade in the kitchen maybe they are just a bit slower to hang them up than the A’s

  • MM

    Can anyone recommend someone to install a window a/c? My lease requires it to be installed by a professional company and after spending a week with my a/c on the floor in my apartment I can’t take it anymore. Preferably someone not too expensive–it’s frustrating enough to have to pay someone something I could just do myself.

  • AEB

    Yes–took myself to dinner last night at Bread and Etc. and was quite…startled to see the large A posted ABOVE the menu within the outside window. Well, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, I guess.

    By the way, I was, as mentioned, alone, and, declining to take a table that was mid-room and almost directly behind the entrance, had the happy experience of getting a small round table brought out from somewhere and placed in the reasonably cozy back, where I sat contently.

    A good move on the restaurant’s part, I think.

  • lcd

    This may be a little more info than people need, but here’s the explanation for posting letter grades (from nyc dept of health):

    Re-inspection. A restaurant that does not receive an A on its initial inspection does not receive a grade until it receives a re-inspection. The re-inspection will occur at least a week
    after the initial inspection, giving the restaurant a chance to improve its sanitary conditions. At the end of the re-inspection the restaurant will receive a grade card. If the grade is an A, the card must be posted immediately. If the grade is a B or C, the restaurant will also receive a card that says “Grade Pending.” The restaurant has the choice of immediately posting either the grade card or the Grade Pending card until it has a chance to be heard at the Health Department’s Administrative Tribunal.

    that’s all!

  • nabeguy

    MM, I can’t recommend anyone, but have you tried asking your landlord or super for a name? Given the requirement, you’d think they have a source. BTW, if you went the DIY route, would they actually check that? Be careful, though, not to drop it on someone’s head!

  • MM

    Nabeguy–I’ve tried calling the super twice to ask for clarifications on what the lease entails, etc… and have not heard back from him. After getting frustrated at no response I did think “screw it” and try to do it myself with my bf, but I freaked out that he was going to drop it out the window as he was pushing it into place rather than placing it. So the visions of my a/c falling 5 stories made me think it might be worth it to hire someone to do it.

  • jorale-man

    So many of the trees in the Heights look really brown and are losing their leaves. If folks can ask their supers or building staff to do their part in watering them, it would really make a difference. Even a watering can every day or two is better than nothing…

  • Matthew Parker

    Anyone know why the Calexico food truck has been missing from BBP Pier 1 for the last few days? Vacation? Gravel pavement installation keeping them away? Given up on the park?

    They’ve got me addicted to their $3 chipolte pork taco for lunch.

  • Cat

    jorale-man, I think you might be noticing the Sycamore trees, which started turning brown soon after they leafed out. Apparently they have a fungus and no amount of watering will help. I used to think it was a lack of water as well.

  • lori

    About 20 people were waiting patiently outside Crumbs this morning after 8 AM – they opened at 8:30 and three pleasant young ladies started handing out – not sample size, but large cupcakes. I asked her to choose my flavor and she gave me a delicious red velvet one. Yummmmm.

  • Andrew Porter

    There’s a difference between the Sycamore and the London Plane Trees that we have here in NYC. See info here:

    http://www.nysite.com/nature/flora/sycamore.htm

  • bklyn20

    Dear Jorale-man and friends, you don’t need to ask the super, etc. to water the street trees — although I do think that should be part of their job description. You can do it yourself. When I am hosing down the plants in front of my superless building, I always try to water the 2 closest street trees. As an alternative, save and rinse out any large plastic bottles you have at home, fill them with water and hydrate your closest tree on the way to work. I know it’s illegal to drop the household garbage in a sidewalk can, but if it’s a deposit bottle, it will probably be redeemed by someone on their way to Key Food anyway.