This is not your father’s Coney Island Ave. When I lived in that part of Brooklyn in the 80-90s, Turkish places like Sahara dominated. Turkish, car washes, ice cream, and affordable divorce lawyers to be exact. Nowadays, the business hub, that doesnt quite lead to Coney Island, features even better Turkish (Taci’s Beyti), respectable Moldovan (Moldova), Uzbek royalty (Nargis), swanky Russian nightclubs like Chinar, and a plethora of Pakistani joints between Foster and H. And when I want to kick it up a notch, there’s always Z-List fave Werkstatt (I’m overdue). Coney Island Avenue is a foodie paradise. And the divorce lawyers now speak 17 languages.
With that said, you can drive the entire length of Coney Island 100 times, and miss one of its biggest gems, Village Cafe. The restaurant is hidden inside a parking lot of a liquor shop (yes you can park inside). Its like one of those Staten Island mini malls where you pick your laundry. You’ll see a “Village” sign in what looks like an oversized temporary tiki hut. Its a strange name for an Azerbaijani restaurant considering almost all other Azerbaijani restaurant names contain Baku or Azerbaijan. But I’m sure “Village Cafe” just rolls off the tongue for the Azerbaijani.
What is Azerbaijani food you ask? Its not too different than some of its neighbors like Georgia, Uzbekistan and Turkey. Kebabs and Plov (rice pilaf) dominate, although the latter is sweetened with dried fruits so quite different than the Uzbek version. Soups, meat filled flatbreads, kebabs wrapped in flatbread, kebabs in soup, and something called Guru Hingal (more on that later). Just please dont call it Russian food. Yes, you will get your Russian classics at Village like Borscht and Pilmeni, considering the location of the place and this is a former soviet republic after all.
The bread (they call it Turkish bread) is good, but who needs that when you have Kutaby, Azerbaijani flatbread filled with minced chicken, lamb or greens. Its a must order. The salads are your typical central Asian/Russian (Ok, only this one time) tomato, avocado, and the Georgian Lobio among many more. I’m intrigued by “Unexpected Guests”, and “Simple & Delicious”. I believe the former is only for walk-ins. The soups get a bit more foreign sounding, though the only one I tried is the familiar Kharcho, which isnt quite as potent as Tone Cafe’s version 2 miles south, but good enough.
Meats in a form of kebabs and lamb chops dominate the menu. Lulya kebab (minced meat) here is thick and juicy. But what sets them apart here is they are wrapped with thin dough. Get the lamb over chicken. Guru Hingal is a thin pappardelle like noodles topped with a “ragu” of onions, and lamb cooked in its own fat. You wont find better tasting pasta in south Brooklyn.
The village people (staff) are friendly and efficient. No alcohol or pork as its Muslim, but as with many such places in south Brooklyn, you can bring your own alcohol. You just cant bring your own pork. The desserts here are good. The Napoleon is fresh and huge. But try the “Pakhlava”, denser, nuttier, not as sweet and better than your average Baklava. Looking forward to try more here, especially when I arrive unannounced.
Village Cafe
1968 Coney Island Ave (Ave P/Quentin, Brooklyn)
Rating: 2 Z’s (out of 4)
Stars range from Good to Exceptional. Simple as that
Recommended Dishes: Kutaby, Lamb Lulya Kebab, Chicken Kebab, Guru Hingal, Pakhlava
Sometimes I cringe when I read my old posts. Ever so often it starts with the title. Why did 
I’ve come to realize that I’m not much of a beach reader these days. The heat, the glare, the turquoise water, way too many distractions out there. But what’s my excuse at home? Dont know. But at the beach I prefer long walks, listening to music, and sometimes just aimless staring while getting lost in random thoughts. Albert Einstein got much of his ideas from aimless wandering. I’m getting there. The best I came up with in 6 days is “What the heck is a Post Malone”, and “How do you spell Rendezvous, anyway”. Silent Zs just seem so annoyingly wasteful, especially these days for some New Yorkers (Verrazzano is missing a Z in all 96 road signs and business names).
Its that time of the year. The time we look back, reflect, and look forward. The time we argue about the spelling of Hanukkah, and wonder how impeachment works exactly. The time we look back at the wonderful things we ate during the year all over the world. The time to call your mom, and watch vacation pictures. In that order. Yes, call you mom, and buy her something meaningful this time. A puppy, a food tour, a trip to Anguilla. Something that will change her life.
Tacos, one of the four pillars of Hell’s Kitchen. Thai, Ramen, and bars are the other three. I cant think of many Hell’s Kitchen corners where you are not less than 5 minutes away from good tacos. But try telling that to the 100 or so poor souls standing on a long line in freezing temps at Los Tacos #1 (or is it #2) in Times Square because their notes say so. Oh its good alright. But in this Little Puebla there are options. Many options.
Olivier Bistro – Its beginning to sound like another cliche, but Olivier Bistro is the type of place every neighborhood needs. I’ve been frequenting Olivier for a few years now but for some reason never wrote about it. Talented French born Olivier Verdier is constantly on his toes, offering a mix of specials and a plethora of French classics for the steady regulars. Its the closest you’ll get to an authentic French Bistro in Brooklyn. The burger is always solid. As are the Shishito peppers, Cassoulet, Moules Frites, Hanger Steak, and make sure to ask about today’s poison! (fish). I’ve never had a bad dish here. 469 4th Ave (Gowanus)
When I was watching the Washington Nationals beat the Astros for their first title in the modern era (post iPhone), I never imagined that two days later we would be trapped on Constitution Ave, trying desperately to swim out of the Red Sea (parade crowd). We spent roughly 24 hours, which was also the amount it took me to plan for this last minute getaway. Arlington and Indian – that was pretty much my base, the starting point for this trip. I’ve never been to Arlington, and I got sick and tired of hearing the praises of Rasika.
3:48 PM – We peep out like Meerkats and it looks safe to come out and walk outside. After a Starbucks emergency (for Coffee…), we are off to walk the 2.6 miles National Mall, arguably the greatest outdoor museum and memorial in the world. The plan was to check out the National Museum of the American Indian (Free), but long lines and… jet lag kicks in. It was a 3.5 hour drive after all. From the outside the museum resembles something that belongs in Bilbao. Thats a good thing.
1:30 PM: We have important unfinished business in other states, so bye for now
Remember that old commercial.. “Stay Fresh a little longer… say goodbye a little longer..”, The actual products dont stick, but the songs often do. If you dont remember this one its probably because, well, it doesnt exist. Its actually a Wrigley Big Red gum commercial that goes “So kiss a little longer…”, and the fresh part was only in my head. But the idea of the commercial is that the gum will keep you fresh longer than normal so you could kiss longer, for some reason. Why would anyone want to do it in public is beyond me. Kissing in public for more than 3 seconds is rare, awkward and should be banned frankly for the safety of the individuals and motorists. You practically asking for herpes. And at home you have Listerine for that.
Much of Santina’s originality is attributed to one item, Cecina. While Santina bills itself as coastal Italian, mainly Liguria and Tuscany, this chickpea pancake is different than anything we had between Genoa and Lucca. Its softer and spongier, but not in a bad way. On recent visits I enjoyed it with tuna infused with Calabrian chili, and avocado thats essentially the best Guacamole within a two mile radius. Once wrapped with the Cecina ‘slice’, you get four tasty snacks. Add the accompanied red sauce to the second or third Cecina for a change of pace and maximum oomphness. The Cecina is reason #365 why you should stop reading 
This is it folks! The moment none of you have been waiting for you. Fresh, off the boat, Cinque Terre pictures that look the same or worse than the millions of CT pictures out there. It took me 8 trips or so to finally see the famous five villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Rick Steves, Monterosso. Its not official yet, but as you can see, there’s a strong push to rename one, so I’m just one step ahead.
Eating With Ziggy 