Tag Archives: Brooklyn

Crazed for Cragels

Posted in Food, Random by
The Bagel Store Williamsburg

The Bagel Store Williamsburg

Hey Lovers,

I hope 2014 is treating you well. I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about my new favorite thing. . .cragels. The cragel is the newest addition to the hybrid food craze. It’s part bagel, part croissant and all delicious. Cragels are the brainchild of self-proclaimed “bagel artist” Scott Rossillo of the Bagel Store. I still have not been able to get my hands on one of Dominique Ansel’s cronuts. I’m all about a hybrid food item but what I will not do is wait in line for 3 hours. I learned of the cragel through NY1’s Zagat report.  When I realized The Bagel Store has one location in Williamsburg and another location in Bushwick, I knew I could not rest until I got a cragel.

I visited the Williamsburg location at 349 Bedford Ave. There was no line and they still had cragels at approximately 8:15AM. It is not hyperbole when I say the cragel is the best I’ve ever eaten.

Original Cragel

The cragel does not have the annoying get everywhere flakiness of a typical croissant but has more of the dough that every reasonable person loves. The cragel has such a rich glaze that it doesn’t even require butter or cream cheese (but those things are available at the Bagel Store). For those of you who don’t live in the neighborhood, the Bagel Store does deliver. 

After my first cragel, I was hooked. I had to have more. I couldn’t just eat cragels and jeopardize my Weight Watcher’s progress with impunity. Yesterday I became a woman with a mission. I had to try all the cragels and decide the best flavor.

Part cinna-bun part cragel

Cinnacragel

 The cinnamon cragel is a threesome of cinnamon bun, bagel and croissant. The taste is amazing but the sweetness can be distracting.

Chocolate Cragel

The Chocolate Cragel puts the “a” in aggressive. The mix of chocolate and cragel dough does make for an interesting taste. I am not a chocolate lover so this taste was a bit overwhelming. If you are a lover of all things chocolate this may be for you. For me, I’m satisfied with the memory.  

Vanilla Rainbow Cragel

Vanilla Rainbow Cragel

The Vanilla Rainbow Cragel is a twist on the original cragel. The colors are just for decoration, the flavor is vanilla. This cragel is the closest to original cragel. It breaks apart with the same ease as the original cragel and vanilla flavor gives it an additional sweetness that is more refined than straight sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cragel

Chocolate Chip Cragel

 The Chocolate Chip Cragel is a nice marriage between the original cragel and a hint of chocolate. I’m not into melted chocolate so this cragel doesn’t score well with me but an occasional lover chocolate would enjoy it.

So, what’s my verdict for the best cragel? 

The Original Cragel. The Vanilla Rainbow Cragel is a close runner up.  

Have you tried cragels? Have you tried cronuts? Have you tried any other hybrid food item? What are your favorite hybrid foods? 

Comment below and let me know! 

Starter Wives, will you watch?

Posted in Reality TV by

Starter Wives

Hello Lovers! I hope 2013 is treating you well. I have a question for all you beautiful people. Will you be watching Starter Wives with me? 

On Tuesday we’ll be introduced to new show on TLC called Starter Wives. At first I was not interested. You saw “Hollywood Exes.” It was a bunch of middle aged women discussing  the lives of luxury they used to have but not really giving us anything else.  I originally thought this show was going to be more of the same thing until I learned about the cast. Before we discuss the cast, I must warn you, the term “wives” is being used in “Basketball Wives” sense, which is not really. There are like 2 real wives but the majority of the women are baby mamas/ex-fiances. On to the cast members who have caught my eye and made we want to give this show a chance. 

  • Josie Harris: Ex-fiance of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Is she the one who was involved in that domestic violence case that landed Money Mayweather in jail? Will she spill the tea about Mayweather’s homoerotic bromance with 50 Cent? Depending how she plays this I foresee a  book deal in her future. I mean, they gave Toya Carter a book and she doesn’t even have a GED. 
  • Liza Morales: Baby mama of Lamar Odom. Will she be throwing shade at the Kardashian Klan?  How does she feel about not getting the ring after 2 kids then Lamar Odom went on to marry Khloe after knowing her only 30 days? Will she show her kids on this show while we’ve never seen them on any of the 5011 Kardashian shows? I’m rooting for Liza.
  • Tashera Simmons: Wife of DMX. I’m sure Tashera has some DMX crack tales we’ve yet to hear. On Couples Therapy we learned that DMX has approximately 7 side babies. The long history, rise & fall from stardom and all around messiness will make great TV.  
  • Monica Joseph-Taylor: Wife of DJ Funkmaster Flex. Am I the only one who thinks Funk Flex is hiding something? I don’t know what the something is but I want Monica to tell.
  • Zakia Baum: ex-girlfriend of rapper Maino. Maino is like a less classy version of Jadakiss (which I like). As a result, I know Ms. Zakia has some stories. I want to know if she was on the scene when Maino was incarcerated for kidnapping and a laundry list of other things. 

Yesterday Wendy Williams reported that 50 Cent’s baby mama Shaniqua was supposed to be a castmember but pulled out at the last minute. I’m guessing 50 cut a bigger check than TLC did. The cast also includes Cheryl Caruso the ex-wife of alleged Mobster Phil “Philly” Caruso. We have a show for mob wives called Mob Wives so I could probably live without her but I’m not knocking the hustle.

All in all I think this show could get a spot in my Tuesday night lineup if these women spill the appropriate amount of tea. The appropriate amount being enough to keep it interesting but not too much where it seems like they’re bitter.  

So, will you be watching? Comment below and let me know! 

Ignorance Defense

Posted in Culture, Politics, Random by

Today I was on the train and I saw something amazing. Well. . .amazing in my opinion. Do you remember back when the bright young minds of Brooklyn Tech showed the fools of Westboro Baptist Church how it really goes down in Brooklyn? If you need to refresh your memory, read the Brooklyn Tech story here: http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/students-turn-out-and-westboro-leaves/

I thought of that story today. I was on the train and a woman stood in the middle of the car wearing a sandwich board, yes, a sandwich board that said gay marriage is one of the reasons why Jesus is coming. Another passenger asked her why she chose to deliver the word in such a way. The passenger went to on to say that she too does street ministry and she shares what Jesus has done for her. She wanted to know who told the woman in the sandwich board to wear a sandwich board with such an offensive message . I was happy I had a front row seat to what was sure to be an epic debate. Instead of answering the passenger with some scripture or logic, the sandwich board wearer literally turned her back and left. She left just like Westboro Baptist after the Brooklyn Tech students gave them a taste of their own medicine.

As I said “amen” to the passenger upon my exit, I began to wonder how come people don’t defend their ignorant positions? If you believe something so strongly you’re wearing a sandwich board, shouldn’t you be able to answer a question about the sandwich board? I would imagine that when a conviction compels you to wear a sandwich board, hold a sign, pay for a billboard or anything else, you wouldn’t mind answering questions.

Today I was proven wrong. While I don’t like to be wrong, I loved witnessing a supposed zealot fold faster than Superman on Laundry Day.

Hood Tales

Posted in Culture, Random by

NYC (specifically Brooklyn) gives me so much entertainment I thought it’s only right I share few tales with you.

Metropolitan Bound M Train Myrtle Ave
Guy calls his Baby Mama’s new man. Baby Mama has moved on; Guy has not. The following rant ensued: “Stay there. I’m over there right now to ***k you up. You ain’t got nothing to say? Are you still there or did you hang up like a p*$$¥?” Take away: If you know your Baby Daddy is unstable you should probably keep your new relationship a secret unless your new man is more crazy.

Bushwick/Bed Stuy Border
Girl with newborn baby strapped to her and at least 1 other child tells Guy who never leaves the block about another girl who she’s quote “looking for.” “I told her as soon as I see her I’m gonna run up on her. I can’t have nobody sneaking me. I got kids to worry about.” Now do you agree that people should be licensed before they’re allowed to reproduce? If you see nothing wrong with this scene 2 things: 1. I dunno how you found my blog because it certainly isn’t intended for your kind and 2. Rule: Once you become a parent, the only fighting you should be doing is to protect your offspring.

Bushwick Ave.

Boy: Your dirty pu$$y, talking about you got a yeast infection Girl: Get the ***k outta my face with your uncircumcised *i**. Boy: That’s okay, you was still sucking it! Take away: Arguing about whose genitals are worse makes you both look filthy. Just be thankful someone got intimate with your nasty junk in the first place.

J Train Myrtle Ave.

Puerto Rican dude wearing Dickies on the phone. “Why should we split the stacks? Those are your boys. I can just rob them. I’ll pop ’em the foot. They’ll live. You down? I’ll make it look real. I’ll just graze you in the hand.” Rule: If you think it’s appropriate to discuss an armed robbery over the phone on a crowded train, just keep a commissary fund handy because you’re going to jail.

There are more tales to come. Have you ever witnessed such hot ghettomess? Let me know!