Eat Like a King

Brooklyn vs. Manhattan

Lately, whenever I eat out in Manhattan, I've been disappointed. As I'm eating my overly-salted moules frites in a faux French bistro, my thoughts always return to Kings County, where I feel you can eat like a king and pay like a pauper (at least by Manhattan standards.) I maintain (and I will probably get slack for this) that restaurants in Brooklyn are simply better than in Manhattan.

Has the long, slow demise of the Manhattan neighborhood bistro begun?

Without turning this into a battle of the boros, in Brooklyn it's possible to find the old New York. Whether it's a new-fangled restaurant or an old-timer's haunt, Brooklyn encapsulates the spirit of hard work and determination that sets it apart. They try really hard and often succeed. In Manhattan, unless you are eating at the top, the restaurants have become part of a theme park, resting on past laurels (and taking foot traffic for granted) as a restaurant city. Don't get me wrong. Manhattan has many fine restaurants that don't require a second mortgage and are not part of a theme park, but they are becoming few and far between.

There's been a lot of press about the Brooklyn renaissance. One writer in 'New York' magazine went as far as proclaiming his hate for the boro. Many other bloggers can only deride Brooklyn as they panic about the epicenter of cool shifting across the East River. The emergence of new restaurants and the survival of the old attest to Brooklyn's revival. I hope to treat myself and my readers to the diverse offerings of Brooklyn's bounty.

So, let's not bash Manhattan. Let's celebrate the glories of a food and restaurant scene fit for a king.