Messages When You Need Them Most

But great news always manages to come my way when I need it and for that I am so grateful.

1. One of my old students started his own programming club. I’ve seen many of my students do well in high school, but I love that this student just wants to share his love for technology with others. Seriously how often do you hear about a busy high school student doing that? This student even figures out a way to get funding to get his group t-shirts. AMAZING AMAZING! 

2. A parent of a student who graduated a long time ago managed to send the best message in the strangest way to me – his son has a career in computers! 

3. I posted a project that needed funding online. A parents of a former student funded most of the project….sooo cool   

4. I sent an old colleague a message and his response was fast, on point and funny.

Thank God for sending me these people at the right time.  It’s Veteran’s Day and I have the day off so I will be doing some things to spread hope, as people have done so well for me this week.

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Stores and Restaurants that Deliver Thanksgiving Dinner in Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge Bakeries for Desserts

2020 Restaurants that are serving Thanksgiving Dinner

2020 Restaurants that are serving Thanksgiving Dinner

2020 Restaurants that are serving Thanksgiving Dinner

2020 Restaurants that are serving Thanksgiving Dinner

You may be having a lot of company or you just don’t feel like cooking a turkey so here are places in Bay Ridge or Brooklyn that will deliver precooked turkey and sides.

**Just saw 95th Street Diner – 95th Street and 4th Avenue – $15.95 complete dinner 

1. Panentico makes half and full trays of food. Great for sides. See menu

2. Mejlander & Mulgannon -718-238-6666 – pick up before 2pm on Thanksgiving

Full turkey with all the sides for small gathering of  people $150

Full turkey with all the sides for larger group $300 

They also have individual meals for $13.95

Order at least a week ahead of time.

3. Pig Guy is delivering Thanksgiving dinner. Here is the menu 

4. Simply Di-Delicious – organic meals.   Place your order by Sunday 11/15
From soups to stuffing, relishes, potato dishes, vegetables and hearty salad with roasted winter squash, farro, shiitakes and greens with honey-tahini dressing and with variety of DiDelicious daily baked Pies and Tarts to offer. All prepared freshly with an emphasis on local, seasonal, natural and organic ingredients whenever possible.
For complete menu and pie list or any other inquiry email me at [email protected]

5.  ALC Italian Grocery – Their Thanksgiving Menu is here.  [email protected] Thanksgiving Catering from simple cheese and  platters, dessert, all natural pasture fed turkeys, to the entire feast are available.  8613 – 3rd Avenue

5. Meats Supreme has Thanksgiving dinner. -$169 – feeds 6-8 people. Must order 5 days before. 1949 86th Street  718-373-7045

6. Brooklyn Market   8102 3rd Avenue  (718) 567-8600  Ask for the Deli  – $200 – dinner for 10 to 12 people – delivery or pickup 

7. Terranova delivered the whole Thanksgiving meal last year. Expect the prices to be a bit higher. Terranova/Bake Ridge Bagels  94th and 95th Street & 3rd Ave 718-680-6353 

8. Ravioli Fair does 12-15 lb turkeys  16th Ave & 80th Street  718-256-5288. 

9. Fairway in Redhook – 2015 Thanksgiving menu 

10. Whole Foods has classic Thanksgiving dinner, vegetarian and vegan options too. You have to order it the week before – pick up or delivery.

11. Benchmark Restaurant in Park Slope delivers Thanksgiving dinner for a family – around $300 – see menu

12. Jive Turkey – Two of my friends ordered the fried turkey from Jive and they loved it – $80 for the turkey. They sell sides to. No delivery, but five locations in Brooklyn

13. Popeyes (fast food place) sells a 9 – 13 pound fried turkey that has been frozen. It has to be heated in the over for an hour. We didn’t get it for Thanksgiving, but Lee’s family tried it one year and it wasn’t worth the $40. It was just okay –  couldn’t tell it was fried. (looked like this) No sides are included in that price.  

14. Naturally Delicious in Caroll Gardens – $40 per person – delivery extra  See menu

Places Closed on Thanksgiving

Trader Joes is closed on Thanksgiving.

The Family Store  is closed.

If you are alone and don’t have anyone to have Thanksgiving Dinner with in Brooklyn, there is a place open offering free Thanksgiving Dinner.  6324 – 7th Avenue Brooklyn 11220  – 1 to 3 pm

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Thanksgiving Desserts from Bay Ridge Bakeries

Robbicelli’s has an amazing chocolate cream pie that has to be ordered ahead of time. This will be Robbicelli’s last Thanksgiving here in Bay Ridge. Order here

Panentico – 9124 3rd Ave  718-680-2347 – great seven layer cookies, raspberry sandwich cookies, Napoleon, Sfogliatelle, canoli and lobster tails all fresh (slow service because there are so many people). Get a coffee while you are there – it’s so good (great bread here too) – Pies are just okay here.

Bay Ridge Bakery – good butter cookies , mini strawberry cheesecake and Greek pastries (avoid their bread and chocolate mouse cake – sorry BRB) 

Jean Dante  7526 5th Avenue 718-836-7566  [email protected]  – great eclairs – good pumpkin and apple pie. They have a turkey cake – I’ve never had it so I have no idea what it’s like. Turkey Cakes are filled with canolli cream, vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, butter cream, etc.

Leske’s – 7612 Fifth Avenue  718-680-2323 black and white cookies are amazing. Pumpkin custard pie is what this place is known for (it’s Lee’s favorite)

Tasty Pastry on 13th Avenue

Villa Abate – sorry it’s in Bensonhurst, but it’s worth the visit – expect a line out the door the closer you get to Thanksgiving. EVERYONE GOES HERE.

Your Baker and Mona Lisa Bakery on 86th Street closed. 

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Bay Ridge Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving – November 26, 2015

2018 Restaurants here

2018 Restaurants here

2018 Restaurants here

2018 Restaurants here

2018 Restaurants here

A lot of people enjoy cooking, but many don’t. I am asked every year: What restaurants are open on Thanksgiving in Bay Ridge? Remember most require reservations.

If you want a cooked turkey, sides or a turkey dinner delivered to you or a loved one, see this page.

1) Forget about Chadwick’s (they are booked by the beginning of October) – 8822 3rd Avenue  718-833-9855  Adult menu – $40 a person/ Child’s menu $19   Crab cakes, Pumpkin ravs, Butternut squash soup, salad, turkey dinner, pork loin NY strip steak, Salmon, Pecan pie, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie or Chocolate lava cake

2) Greenhouse Cafe 7717 – 3rd Avenue  718-833-8200   $36.95 for adults/$16.95  for kids    See Menu  Huge selection

Traditional  turkey meal,sweet potatoes, sausage bagel stuffing, cranberry sauce,pumpkin or chocolate mousse. (Also have other regular menu items like shrimp scampi)

3) Case Pepe is open from 12-8 pm   114 Bay Ridge Avenue, Brooklyn  718-833-8865   $30 adults/ $15 kids under 15

Shrimp cocktail, pumpkin cream soup, thanksgiving dinner, walnut and chestnut stuffing, string beans almondine, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or flan, coffee and tea. 

4) Hunters Steakhouse – see menu on site

5) Pearl Room – $52 a person  8201 – 3rd Avenue (718)833-6666

Circles Cafe 310 Bay Ridge Avenue 718-748-4611

6) Offshore Diner on 78th and 3rd Avenue is open until 4 pm. Third Avenue between 78th and 79th Streets

7) Grotto Italian Table – $45 a person 8901 3rd Avenue Brooklyn    718-921-9100

8) Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens 465 Court Street  (718) 254-0327   $51 a person   Reservations online

9)  Hometown BBQ  454 Van Brunt Street Redhook Brooklyn 

10) River Cafe 1 Water Street  718-522-5200

11) Stone Park Cafe

12) Buckleys in Mill Basin 2926 Avenue S at Nostrand Avenue 718-998-4222 around $26.95 a person  (More info here)

13) 95th Street Diner – 95th Street and 4th Avenue – complete $15.95 Turkey dinner

14) Emphasis Diner – 6822 – 4th Avenue  (718) 748-1319  $25.99 for the complete dinner

I forgot to make reservations –  where can I get lunch or dinner in Bay Ridge?  Chinese Food!

95th Street Diner – 95th Street and 4th Avenue – complete $15.95 Turkey dinner

Emphasis Diner – 6822 – 4th Avenue  (718) 748-1319  $25.99 for the complete dinner

Other restaurants open for  Thanksgiving Dinner. 

Places in Bay Ridge that are not open on Thanksgiving Day: Cebu,  Tanoreen, Wicked Monk, Le Sajj

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Repairs for Electronics in Bay Ridge

Where can I get electronics and old machines repaired in Bay Ridge?

Ridgeway Typewriter Company   515 72nd Street  718-745-2880

There’s a guy who fixes old typewriters,  business machines, cassette recorders and other old machines.  

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Bay Ridge Cares Providing Meals for Thanksgiving

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Guitar Repair in Bay Ridge

Patrick’s Guitar Repair  514 77th Street

Excellent service – affordable prices.

Repairs all guitars including vintage acoustics. 

Used guitars for sale in Bay Ridge – good for a beginner. 

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I love Halloween

I love Halloween – not because of the costumes or decorations….I do love those things, but I love Hallowe because I have good memories of Halloween as a child. My old neighbors are the reason I have such good memories of Halloween. None of them had any crazy decorations  – just simple -pumpkins or paper decorations. But as a kid, you learn how much your community likes kids (or doesn’t like kids). My neighbors in Sunset Park loved Halloween – every house but two on the block had candy and some made extra treats, like candy apples and popcorn balls.

I feel like it’s our job to carry on the tradition so children today know we care as they candy-gather in the neighborhood. We deck out the entire house and buy good candy.

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VP Joe Biden Knew the Truth

Joe Biden is a terrible politician – he’s too honest. How many politicians would say they knew they could’t win? How many use their family, friends and supporters money event though they KNOW they won’t win.

I mean there are times when elections have looked close and then there are times when someone calls it and says – this guy is going to lose BADLY. On those situations, the person shouldn’t be running. Even worse is when they try to run again for the same position. When the people said NO, not you, they meant it the first time.

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Why Funerals Suck…

Everyone gathered at a funeral parlor

which charged $10,000

to put a lifeless body in a box and on display.

Then people discussed how you died

and how terrible you looked because

you had on thick dead person makeup.

But mostly funerals suck because

I realized I will never hear your voice again.

RIP G.

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RIP George Dunne – October 26, 2015

I just heard the news that my old friend, George Dunne died and  I’m numb. George died unexpectedly at someone else’s home in Brooklyn.

George and I have been friends since I was a kid.  Growing up, he lived a block away from me, but often came to my block to see a friend of his. I dated George’s younger brother many years ago, but after that fell apart, George and I remained friends for  20 years.  We both came from Irish families and  easily understood each other. Ten years ago, he and I and another friend went to Boston to celebrate a birthday.  It was a trip to remember as George almost missed the bus due to his procrastinating. We toured around Boston and George insisted that we eat lobsters. If you know George, you know we did a lot of laughing that weekend.

George loved science and philosophy. He loved discussing the news and conspiracy theories. He loved Brooklyn and Brooklyn’s history. Actually he loved history and war stories in general. George loved rocking out to old Rock like Pink Floyd and The Who.  He took classes at many colleges and universities in NY. George worked at Verizon and took advantage of their online degree program as well.

George was someone who could easily make a friend. He loved talking to people. He liked going to all you can eat sushi places after he hadn’t eaten all day. He loved meeting up with old friends who he moved away and reconnecting with them. He loved drinking beer.

George loved dogs. When I got a new puppy, he wanted one too. In Bay Ridge, an animal rescue bus came to the neighborhood. I saw some cute dogs on the bus and I called George. I knew what dog he was going to pick before he even went on the bus so I took a picture of him because he was so cute. I didn’t send the picture to George, but he came to my house with his new pup, Wilson.  Both of them were so happy. My dog was very afraid of Wilson because Wilson is a large dog so George would come over without Wilson. George liked cats too though.

What many people don’t know about George is that he was a talented artist. I took an art class with George about 15 years ago. I’m terrible at art and the teacher was an older man who was very sympathetic to me. But I think he saw George had real talent and he gave George a hard time.

Over the last three years, George and I hadn’t been close. Another friend and a secret came between us. When he found out the secret, he was angry at me and rightfully so. He and I reconnected early  this Summer when I met him on 3rd Avenue. He had a huge smile and we talked as if we had always been speaking  (he was such a good storyteller). In August, I saw him again on the Avenue and  we went for sushi a few days later. After we ate, we stood on the avenue chatting for  over almost an hour. Before I left him, I hugged him and told him I loved him. This wasn’t something  we regularly did, but I am so glad I had that moment with him. Most people aren’t that lucky to know their last words with a friend were ‘I love you.’    

Thank God for that moment.  I am lucky to have had him as a friend.  When I saw this prayer….I remembered this day. I’m glad I didn’t know it was our last because I wouldn’t have been able to laugh as much as I did.  God knows that I don’t handle death well, so I am sure why He allowed me that moment with George.

RIP my old friend. I’ll miss hearing your stories and your voice.  I bet the angels are enjoying your jokes.  BTW, George would love that I wrote all of these things about him. When someone died, he loved to talk about that person and tell all the old and funny stories he could remember about them.

January 2016: Many years ago, someone had George’s insurance card/wallet as he was admitted to the hospital (I don’t know if George gave it to them).  The man died at the hospital. The hospital looked in his wallet and found my phone number as an emergency contact. They called me and told me that George was dead. I was inconsolable. Forty-five minutes later, George retrieved his wallet and they told him that they called me. George called me and the shocking news made me cry tears of happiness.  I remember George being so touched that I cried so much.  I guess I wish the same would have happened this time. 

George was remembered by Xaverian  High School with his picture – here.

January 2021 update: George would have loved that I wrote this about him. I still think of him often as he was such a dynamic person. He felt so passionately about things. I was very lucky to grow up knowing him.

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Mark Treyger Stands By as NYC Attempts Eminent Domain in Coney Island

Don’t worry Coney Island – Mark Treyger is there for you. He is supporting the city’s 2009 Plan to Land Grab some property owners land to make you a walkway.

For years,  the City of New York has held property owners in Coney Island hostage declaring that land to be the area of future development. When the  City announced their plan to use the Coney Island waterfront  property, developers backed away because they weren’t interested in being part of the city plan OR they offered low offers and hoped to get the property from the city. In 2003, the city attempted to take my family’s property using eminent domain in Downtown Brooklyn. While the city fumbled in doing this, our hands were tied in doing repairs to the front of the building. We weren’t sure if we should throw our money into our investment property or hold on to it to pay the attorney in a  battle against the city.

The odd thing about the City’s use of eminent domain in Downtown Brooklyn was that the city’s plan was to make a park at the end of the block – it’s 12 years later and the park was never built. 

Why would Treyger stand by and allow the City of NY to use an old plan made during the Bloomberg administration?  Treyger should be defending the property owners in Coney Island as they invested in Brooklyn when no one else wanted to invest in Coney Island and they have been paying taxes all these years as well.  In 2009, the area was not viable like it is now. Walburgers and many other businesses are in Coney Island now. Commercial property in Brooklyn is a commodity so there is no reason the city should be threading on these owners.

Last week, a meeting was held in Coney Island by the City.  The EDC versus the property owners…..SIXTY – FIVE  people attended (how many of the 65  were employees of the city?)  The EDC and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce teamed up against the property owner.  Why would the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce be at the meeting if the EDC was already representing the city of New York? It’s 2015 and  city workers shouldn’t be able to say to a room loaded with other city workers at 1:30 pm.  Why wouldn’t that meeting be held at 7:00 pm when people aren’t at work? 

I looked at the profiles of EDC and Brooklyn Chamber employees who were present. Most are newer employees and the one who spoke on behalf of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce worked there for less than a year.  Why didn’t Mark Treyger call foul when several city offices tag-teamed each other to intimidate the property owner?

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has to know many NYC developers who are willing to pay top dollar for property. Could the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce not realize that developers are are in a battle to get their hands on even small commercial property in Brooklyn? Highly unlikely. If the president of the Chamber doesn’t know anyone like that, then think about getting a new job because there are four of us in Brooklyn who have spoken to these developers and we would be glad to help other property owners get a fair price.  

Treyger did not stop this ridiculous  meeting and he could have. Treyger can call many other city employees like Melissa Mark- Vivierto to help as his party is the leading political party in Brooklyn. He can easily call the Mayor and tell him to release the owners property from an old plan so the owner can get a fair deal. Leticia James, the council woman representing Downtown Brooklyn was far more vocal with her support for my family and the other property owners AND YES THAT MATTERED.  Ms. James was the only one who had hope when sometimes we lost ours. I will never forget the day she stood out in the rain as my family and neighbors held a rally. Leticia James invited all the local newspapers as well.

Why hasn’t Mark Treyger and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce gotten together and called interested developers for a meeting with the  Coney Island owners? Both have to know how valuable Brooklyn commercial property is, but are standing by as proceedings attempt to intimidate the owner.  I have lived long enough to know that what comes around goes around fellas.  For us, former Councilwoman Leticia James made several requests to the city plan. At no time did  Ms. James tell us that the plan couldn’t be changed as Mark Treyger has told me.  

Treyger wanted to know where I was in 2009 when the city made the plan.  We were buying a home in Bay Ridge because the property value slumped due to a failing stock market. We knew our time would come and we were ready with our paperwork so we could have  quick sale. It was a different time than it was now. People were afraid the market wasn’t going to come back,  but we knew it was coming back  so we were glad to finally be able to purchase our own home.

Our experience with developers is that those who are low balling, aren’t ready to build. They are just intermediary buyers who are looking to deal with the big developers. The real developers will offer a price, ask for the property owners price and then make their real offer.  

I was a fan of Mark Treyger’s, but his Robin Hood attitude of take from the owners and give to the developers doesn’t sit right with me. 

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