Tired of sitting alone, eating a great meal for a fraction of what you would pay in Park Slope or Manhattan, only to report the experience to your friends and have them turn their nose up at the notion of going "all the way out" to Bay Ridge? Tired of caving to their provincial chauvinism and riding the subway to pay way too much for mediocre Pho or barely passable Sauerbraten? I know I am, and would love to share my (and especially your) restaurant finds with some like minded locals. Singles in 30s and 40s sought to share dining experiences in diverse and under-appreciated Bay Ridge dining scene.
By the 30th, it was clear that a nerve had been struck, and the BRidgeDC took its first baby steps toward establishment.
If and when this club takes off, this blog spot will become its nerve center, this entry its founding document (subject, of course, to revision by the will of the membership!).....
Some of the principles on which the club is founded:
Our members would really just like to meet a few folks from the local area and enjoy some of what our under appreciated neighborhood has to offer. Having fun is the primary objective.
There are many terrific restaurants, lounges and bars in Bay Ridge. While other parts of Brooklyn are hyped in such publications as New York Magazine and the despicable Time Out New York, our neighborhood enjoys these assets without the glossy facade of hipness that elevate the image of areas like Park Slope, Bay Ridge shines in outerboro obscurity that keeps the prices reasonable, the dining tables available and the cuisine authentic.
The range of types of establishments is broad and delightful, from ultraslick Asian-fusion restaurants (eg. Fushimi, Dish) to comfortable family Asian (Pho Hai, Kim Chee), from Polish (Polonica) to German (Schnitzlehaus) to Middle Eastern (Oasis) to French to Spanish, from surprisingly good meals at Irish pubs (Bally Bunion) to astonishingly bad ones at local diners (Tiffany, lost, not lamented), and of course every possible variety of Italian food (about six-seven restaurants per block with a new one opening hourly, from 70th St through 101, including the restaurant 101).
The founder certainly holds no desire to be a "dictator", but as founder, I think some fundamental principles ought to be established, to wit:
1- There is a difference between a 'neighborhood institution' and a place that is actually any good.... the above-derided Tiffany Diner is a classic example. Having a loyal customer base from the early 60s, when no one knew the difference between Thai and Chinese food, and everyone smoked and drank coffee all the time making their tastes suspect, a customer base that keeps it afloat despite not having actually 'tried' since the mid 70s does not define a place as being any good! The outrageous costs of running a business in Manhattan , the relentless competition and the turnover in locals as well as businesses does have the tendency to prevent this from happening in there. No so here, necessarily. This is the hobgoblin of outerboro dining, that long-standing mediocrity can be tolerated and allowed to thrive, while something new that is actually trying can fall by the wayside. This club will be wary of this principle when choosing its meeting places.
2- On the flip side of principle #1 lies the notion that setting up a new super-slick establishment does not necessarily mean the food is any good. And a favorable write-up in Time Out New York is utterly meaningless. I have yet to find an example in Bay Ridge of this pitfall, but I need only point to a place in Manhattan (9th and 50th, around) called Eatery. Very slick looking. Good enough PR representation to get a glowing review from TONY. And, seriously, the worst food I have ever had. Corraborated by others who went on other days, the food they brought almost had to be a joke, it was so badly cooked. We should be on the lookout to avoid these.
3- Principles 1 and 2 aside, we should strive for variety in our club meeting spots. To that end, I propose a rotating process for weekly meetings, where we rotate through localities and restaurant types, example:
Week 1- Asian in the 90s
Week 2- European/American in the 80s
Week 3- Middle Eastern/Greek in the 70s
Week 4- Latin/Spanish/Mexican in the 70s
Week 5- Asian in the 80s
Week 6- European/American in the 90s
Week 7- MidEast/Greek in the 90s
Week 8- Latin/Spanish/Mexican in the 80s
etc etc.
I define the 70s as anything North of 79th and the 90s as anything South of 90th.
This system will prevent the group from getting into a rut. It will also make any mishaps from failure to recognize or appreciate the failings of a place in light of principles 1 and 2 be only a one-shot deal!
4- Ideally the group will build up to a few regulars, with any guests and newcomers always welcome.
5- We hold this truth to be self-evident: If you can get the identical meal in a shopping mall in a suburb of Cincinnatti, the Bay Ridge Dining Club has no business making that its meeting spot. How does Pizzeria Uno survive in the neighborhood of Nino's (my favorite) and countless other terrifiic Brooklyn pizza joints? If the club has any higher purpose than "fun" it is to draw the line on the mediocritization of our local culture by refusing to embrace any national chains.
6- Some etiquette comments that ought to go without saying:
- Promptness or at least cell phone contact with members when one will be very late is critical. Obviously, subway travel being what it is, forgiveness for lateness will be equally liberally administered.
- Members ought to be able to pay with cash the vast majority of the time. Of course if credit cards are necessary on occasion, that is fine, but the club ought not be reduced to one members' private ATM machine.
- Missing a week is always forgiven with no loss of priveldge, but if it was your turn to pick the place, your turn is skipped over.
- Sensitivity to the expense and its impact on other members is critical. We are not the "High-end Manhattan 5 Star Dining Club". So please keep that in mind when selecting your locations. A good rule of thumb is that if there are no appetizers under $10 and no entrees under $20, that may be a good sign that the place is out of bounds!
- Bills should be split equitably, tax and tips should be accounted for by all, 25% being a good guideline. Some weeks you might not be that hungry or want the $7 sandwich, and you ought not subsidize another members' $29 surf and turf.
