Allie’s Snacking Spree in Brooklyn

My husband, Chris, and I, recently moved from the Lower East Side in Manhattan to a more spacious apartment in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. As much as we loved living in the city, it was time to grow up and branch out. Prior to the move, we had eaten out in Brooklyn many times so we weren’t nervous about limiting our eating options. Rather, we were excited to embark on different culinary adventures in our new borough!

After ordering meals via delivery more times than I can count the first week or two that we lived here, I finally ventured out in our neighborhood for some delicious snacks. My first stop was breakfast from the famous Bergen Bagels. Just about everyone I know who lives in or has lived in this area has commented on how amazing their bagels are, so I was naturally curious to see how they stacked up against others in the city. Chris was kind enough to join me for this meal.

Bergen Bagels Egg Bagel

Bergen Bagels Sesame Bagel

I ordered an egg bagel with blueberry cream cheese, something I had never ordered before. Normally, I order a Salt or Everything bagel with a savory cream cheese, but I truly wanted to try something different. It was fantastic! The bagel was huge; the crust was chewy; the inside soft and extra moist from the egg. I was in heaven once I tasted the cream cheese, as the blueberries added a wonderful sweetness. I would even consider ordering this as a delectable dessert treat.

Chris chose a sesame bagel with hummus, and the flavors were completely opposite from mine–savory of course. He ordered his toasted for an added crunch, and the sesame added another savory note. It was fun to try two completely different bagel creations, but I was partial to mine.

The next stop on the “Brooklyn Snacking” tour was Five Guys, which is one of my favorite burger joints.

Five Guys Little Cheeseburger

I wanted to save room for other snacks, so I skipped their delicious fries this time and ordered a “Little Cheeseburger.” One thing I’ve always enjoyed about Five Guys is they don’t compromise flavor for efficiency, which was apparent while I waited ten minutes for my burger in an empty restaurant. They cook their burgers to order on a flat top griddle, seasoned the meat well and use buns that are the perfect consistency for the juicy patty. The little cheeseburger was a great snack and not too filling.

After eating at Five Guys, I was in the mood for a hot dog so I walked over to Bark Hot Dogs. Mark my words, someday, I will dedicate an entire article to Bark. I love their hot dogs so much that I have argued with more than one person about why they have the best overall dogs in New York City. I’m heavily biased towards their dogs for two reasons: dedication to using local ingredients and overall flavor.

Bark Hot Dogs Slamwich

Bark Hot Dogs BLT Dog

I imagine that hot dog purists aren’t overly thrilled about the fact that I’m not reviewing a typical hot dog with mustard or ketchup. Bark offers a fun array of dishes you can order, so during this visit I elected to deviate from anything standard.

My first choice was a Slamwich–Nueske’s Smoked Ham, bread and butter pickles, spicy slaw, melted Grafton Cheddar and spicy mustard on Pullman Bread. The attention to detail on what could be a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich was amazing. The bread was grilled perfectly with the pickles and slaw offering a dual crunch. The spicy slaw and mustard added a nice degree of heat, and the cheddar delivered a sharp flavor to bring it all together.

I also opted for the BLT Dog topped with Nueske’s Smoked Bacon, lettuce, local tomatoes and sweet-pickle mayo. I’m the first to admit this dog was a little over the top. The all-beef dog (available by request only as their regular dog is pork and beef) was excellent, but the toppings were cut too thick for a hot dog. My suggestion would be to dice the ingredients into much smaller pieces, as most of the toppings fell off the dog. It was a fun idea, but the execution wasn’t very good.

For my last snack of the day, I walked over to the uber-popular Brooklyn Flea, known for hosting local food vendors hocking edible treats. I was pretty full from all of the snacking I did earlier in the day, so I picked one last savory treat from The Good Fork.

The Good Fork Pork Dumplings

I hadn’t eaten the pork and chive dumplings from The Good Fork since Chris and I ventured out to their restaurant in Red Hook at least three years ago. It was like re-kindling an old flame, literally, after we squirted Srichacha sauce on them. The skin is very light, a contrast to most dumplings you find in restaurants. This allows the flavors of the pork and chive to shine through in each bite. Topped with sesame for added crunch, these Korean-style dumplings are so tasty, that I would have easily gone back for seconds if my belly wasn’t completely stuffed.

After snacking for a day in our neighborhood, I am convinced that Brooklyn is a borough to be reckoned with when it comes to food. I look forward to sharing many future eating experiences with you, but I certainly haven’t forgotten about Manhattan. This, my friends, is what makes New York City so awesome, as there is something for everyone no matter which borough you’re in!

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