Talk about food for thought!
The long-awaited DeKalb Market Hall opened in Downtown’s massive City Point complex on Friday. The food court in the mega-development on Flatbush Ave. between Willoughby St. and Dekalb Ave. is conveniently located just down the street from The Brooklyn Paper’s office, giving our hard-working team more options to fuel their long nights than ever. Our reporters hit the opening for the hard job of sampling its 40 vendors’ fare — here is a roundup of their favorites.
Steve’s Key Lime Pie
I make a point to grab a key lime pie from the original location of Steve’s every time I journey to Red Hook. And while chowing down at one of the bakery’s multi-colored picnic tables may be a tradition, its new location is much easier for me to get to, making my opportunities to indulge in a mini pie made with freshly-squeezed lime juice or frozen key lime coated with chocolate on a stick practically limitless. Its shack inside the hall is Key West-inspired, so even though I won’t be able to hang out at those bright tables, it still feels just like summer.
— Lauren Gill
Cuzin’s Duzin
If you are looking for pastry, a standout among the market’s abundant options is Cuzin’s Duzin. The donut maker’s miniature rings of dough, which can be topped with powdered sugar, syrups, or icing, satisfied my strong sweet-tooth. The fluffy treats are less dense than traditional donuts, and just small enough that you can eat several at a time — a good thing, because you will need to buy at least a dozen to get your belly’s worth.
— Alexandra Simon
Dulcinea
My fellow fans of over-the-top foodie creations should make a beeline to Spanish confectioner Dulcinea. It specializes in the flaky, sugary churro — an elongated, crispier version of a cruller that is dusted with sugar. The bakery’s culinary geniuses take the sweet treat to the next level by stuffing scoops of ice cream between churro discs for a one-of-a-kind sugary sandwich. I’m also a big fan of their latest concoction, unicorn ice cream, which rides the rainbow food trend wave with its bright lavender, mint green, and magenta swirls. The dessert’s brief and intense fusion of flavors left me with sticky, multi-colored fingers — and a sated sweet tooth.
— Caroline Spivack
Katz’s Deli
I am generally a skeptic of the overstuffed sandwich, which is exactly what Katz’s is famous for. When the Earl of Sandwich — the snack’s inventor — famously ordered his servants to fetch his meat between two slices of bread, it was so he could eat quickly and get back to gambling. That ease of consumption is what has made the sandwich an ideal lunch since the 18th century. But when pastrami is stacked so high that you cannot get your mouth around the bread, as it is at Katz’s, the sandwich loses the essential quality of convenience that makes it so appealing. That’s why I planned on avoiding the famous deli’s Dekalb Market outpost. But I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so when the kindly Katz’s server presented me with a plate of two pastrami strips and a knish, I ate it. And it was good.
— Colin Mixson
Try these dishes and more at Dekalb Market Hall [445 Albee Sq. West in Downtown, www.dekalbmarkethall.com].
