The Seventh Heaven Fair that runs along restaurant-lined 7th Avenue in Park Slope is on Father's Day. But Father's Day is not this Sunday, contrary to my belief. Father's Day is the 21st! So wait a week or so, and then go to this Fair. It is great. There are so many unique tasty treats, not just at the Fair proper, but behind the tents at all the cafes and restaurants. Everyone joins in the fun, from Flatbush Avenue to 19th Street. You won't want to miss it.

We are definitely going back to Cocoa Bar near 4th Street for an icy chocolate treat. My Dad requested it, and I totally concur. Yum!

Cocoa Bar is still at 228 7th Avenue, 718.499.7080
(I called to confirm. Phew!)
[image from Tenement City]

Fresh from the oven. But wait until you see the oven! Scroll down.

I mean, where can you find a beehive oven in a street fair turning out fluffy clouds of heaven (that would be the pizza), like this? Only Brooklyn. I am so happy to live here.

I neglected to photograph the menu and get the name of this place, but apparently it is Lunetta, although they show no pizza on the menu. I hope my photos will be seriously sought-after once I post this. Read Dear Slice. I like how he signs it "Hasta la pizza." I wish I had thought of that.


Photographed at the Atlantic Antic this past Sunday. Read more Atlantic Antic food buzz on Chowhound.

The wood-fired beehive oven turning out amazing pizzas
on a trailer bed in open air. At the Atlantic Antic this past Sunday.

Look at that beautiful fire burning.

Delectable mini cupcakes by Brooklyn-based Ninecakes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter [L] and Vanilla Bean Cinnamon [R].

Can anyone really resist a cupcake? I mean, yes there is the calorie factor, and the too-much-frosting-to-not-enough-cake ratio that one encounters at a certain famous downtown purveyor. But in a city as great as ours, there are options.

I will repeat my question, can anyone really resist a cupcake, especially one so visually appealing and petite as one from Ninecakes? I personally would have to answer no. When baker/owner Betsy Thorleifson offered me one to sample so that I could write this piece more accurately, I chose the chocolate with a flourish of sprinkle-dotted frosting -- this was the cupcake that called to me as the crowds parted at the Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn yesterday.

And now I can say the following with confidence. Ninecakes mini-cupcakes have the perfect frosting-to-cake ratio. They are a delectable two-bite haute treat. The buttercream frosting, Betsy's signature, is beyond cupcake. You must try one. Order online! Or go to Brooklyn Indie Market on Smith Street in Carrol Gardens, and try Ninecakes in person.

Ninecakes come packaged in 9-packs or 4-packs. Ideal for gift-giving.

Pumkin Walnut Maple. Wow.
The frosting is so beautifully sculpted.


Chocolate Vanilla Bean.
This is the cupcake I sampled. Now I want another.

Now this is what I call exciting. Brooklyn-sized street fair lemonade. A full soup container's worth with fresh limes and lemons for just $3. Found at the street fair next to BAM on Memorial Day. We also found super-delicious vegetarian curry at Nyota's Ting.

Czech Street Festival, NYC
Yes I am aware that this is a lousy picture.
No I don't know those people.

The Fall Festival in Philadelphia. One of the restaurant tents.

The crowd on S 13th at the Philadelphia street fair

My husband and I are suckers for a good street fair. We'll go to any one and browse (and find the popcorn sample guy). We found two street fairs in Philadelphia. One seemed to only serve cheese steaks. We left. Another, on S 13th and Sansom that I mentioned, was in the shape of a giant plus sign, which was not optimum for crowd flow, and was really just a giant outdoor patio where restaurants put up tents in front of their establishments and served drinks mainly. Here is a blurb about the Philly Fall Festival, with a great graphic.

I think I like the New York Street fairs better. We wandered up to the Czech Street fair on 83rd between Madison and Park on Saturday, which was filled with not unsimilar food to our Polish neighborhood restaurants, and then gradually wandered our way down Lex to pick up still more Click Clack containers at The Container Store on 58th. What we found in between those two points was pretty fabulous, but I will describe more about that later. Here, a gratuitously visual post: my tales of three street fairs in two cities.

The phamous Philly cheese steak.
Yes I was a tourist and took a picture.
So what, I was a tourist.

A flattened Sumo wrestler costume at the Fall Festival, Philadelphia
Inexplicable, yet amusing.

The activated Sumo wrestler costume.
As I was photographing this event, a man asked me
how much it cost and did he have a partner and what was
this thing anyway. I stared back blankly. I don't know.
Oh I thought you knew him, he said. No I don't.
I would have said, no I am a blogger, but I don't
really engage people on the street anymore since I've lived in New York.
Philly is strange. People make eye contact and talk to you there.
I am not used to that anymore.

Grocery, an upscale corner mini market on 13th and Chestnut in Philadelphia is just one of the retail ventures of dynamic duo Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney. They also own and operate Open House, a dazzling home accessories store just two doors down, as well as Lolita, a Mexican restaurant across the street, and Bindi, an Indian restaurant sandwiched in between Grocery and Open House that is slated to open in November in the old Grocery Cafe space.

Don't their cupcakes look good? The jimmies sparkle in the sunlight. The cupcakes are prominently featured in the store, which also offers Dean and Deluca-style lunch options such as lovely yet pricey sandwiches, panini, salads, and the like, as well as a small selection of cheeses, and packaged goods. We ran into a fun, but mini by New York standards, street fair on Saturday on S 13th and Sansom and had the opportunity to browse Safran's and Turney's retail offerings at length. Grocery is about one third of the size of a New York deli, but hey, it's Philly. Judge it on its own merit. I still say, Philadelphia is a great town for eating.


Grocery
105 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA
215.922.5252

Bindi
105 S 13th St
opening in November

Open House
107 S 13th St
215.922.1415

Lolita
106 S 13th St
215.546.7100

Thomas Paul melamine bird plates come in so many cheery colors,
you really want to gather them all up for your own nest.
Available at Open House, $6-18 each.

Images D'Orient coasters which imitate Persian Rugs and tiles.
Made of die-cut rubber. I love all the different elevations, like a hand-cut carpet.
Available at Open House, $26 for a set of 6.

We went to the Seventh Heaven Street Fair on 7th Ave in Park Slope for Father's Day. My husband took pictures of the crowd and made this compilation. I like it a lot. Had to show you too. Click on the pic to enlarge. The street fair went on for miles. We did a bit of the middle more towards Flatbush Avenue. It was a hot one yesterday but very much fun. The best booth: Divine Foods. Was that the name? I am not sure, but WOW! Food from heaven. And a great place to cool off with a white chocolate frappe, or a mocha frappe, or a vanilla latte frappe was Cocoa Bar.

I think I found I good link for all your Street Fair needs in NYC. Check out this listing by month and day. Today is the Romanian Festival on Water St between Broad and Fulton. We're going! And don't miss the great 9th Ave Food Festival this year. It is on May 20 & 21, on 9th Ave between 37th - 57th Streets.