How to Spend Your Final Summer Fridays
Sunbathe in Brighton Beach: We’re not exactly Rockabus types ourselves, nor do we relish being deafened by boom boxes while sprawled on the garbage-strewn shores of Coney Island. And while this Eastern European enclave doesn’t have much in the way of a boardwalk scene, it’s a heck of a lot quieter and cleaner than those other, more popular beaches. We’ll never get over the loss of Ms. Stahl’s Knishes, but there’s still plenty to appreciate here food-wise, including the Samsa (lamb-filled pastry pockets) at Café Kashkar, Pelmeni (Russian-style tortellini) at Varenichnaya, and the sticky sweet Gata (honey, date and walnut squares) from La Brioche.
Café Kashkar; 1141 Brighton Beach Avenue, Brighton Beach
Varenichnaya; 3086 Brighton 2nd Street, Brighton Beach
La Brioche; 1073 Brighton Beach Avenue, Brighton Beach