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485 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

If you’re headed to Court Street Grocers, get off at Carroll Street, and not Bergen. This slyly named shop is actually a forward-thinking, chef-driven take on the classic New York sandwich shop. Everything about it is unassuming, including the “about” page on the website, which simply says,

COURT STREET GROCERS is a food shop in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. We carry foodstuffs, mostly from around here, some from not around here; all are things we love.

Well, they let the menu speak for itself. It sports twists on many classic sandwich components like corned beef, roast beef, and even bacon, but the meats are mostly prepared from scratch in house. See if this makes your mouth water – “short ribs corned in house,” “heritage pork shoulder,” “house made roast beef,” “confit dark meat [turkey], roast white meat.”

My personal favorite is the Macho Man, or Woman, if you prefer. One bite and you can tell no detail was left to chance. The meat is perfectly marinated and prepared, and the flavor balance is both simplicity and perfection.

While not my pace, CCG also offers a range of homemade baked goods that my friends assure me are luscious and delightful. (The carrot cake, if you can come by some, got rave reviews.)

I’d recommend CCG for a quick and hearty lunch before walking around the neighborhood. The store offers limited seating, but we recommend taking-out.

How to Get There-

Court Street Grocers is about a five-minute walk from the Carroll Street F/G train stop.

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122 Smith St  Brooklyn, NY 11201

Ki Sushi is a case-in-point for the limitations of Yelp. Don’t get us wrong – Yelp is the single most important recreational resource invented in the last 10 years, and has practically single-handedly changed the restaurant landscape. But it’s a little like IQ tests: predictive to a certain point – say four stars – after which it fails to distinguish between good and great.

Take Ki, and some if its neighborhood competition. All have four stars, but they’re not even in the same league. Comparing Ki to an average neighborhood sushi joint is like comparing your uncle who rolls some jiujistu to Anderson Silva. In fact it’s worth a trip from Manhattan just to eart at Ki, etc. You get the point.

Astonishingly, Ki is neither extremely expensive nor particularly hard to get into. (Of the tens of times we’ve stopped in we’ve never once waited for a table.) The decor is typical Cobble Hill trying-too-hard, but you’re not here to sight see.

Menu highlights-

Everything is good, including entres, salads, and appetizers. But you’re here for the fish. Don’t mess around – order the Ki Roll and the Spicy Girl Roll. Then thank yourself. The fish is, obviously, fresh. On the spectrum between traditional artisanal and experimental, Ki falls a bit on the experimental side. The Ki Roll is decadence embodied – layers of fish, bonito, topped with gold flakes. The Spicy Girl starts with tuna and adds multiple other dimensions.

If you’re feeling conservative, try one of the roll combinations, or the more traditional sushi variety dishes. (The sushi lunch and dinner can get a bit pricy, though – that’s why we recommend sticking with rolls.)

Word of caution to the late-risers: Ki takes its last lunch order at 2:45pm.

How to Get there-

Ki is a mere block from the Bergen Street F/G train – one reason it’s the keystone of the Cobble Hill daytrip.

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