Where to Eat in Brooklyn This Week

By Brooklyn Magazine

Keeping up with the culinary action in Brooklyn is almost futile. Even with our help, there aren’t nearly enough meals or minutes in the day to hit them all, which is why we’ve been trying something new these last few weeks, sending some suggested destinations directly to your inbox, so you always know where to eat, no matter which corner of Kings County you might be exploring. 

Like seemingly most of New York, we spent the weekend outside. It was hot, it was muggy, it was glorious. And summer still hasn’t officially begun. Anyway, if you, too, were outside, you no doubt noticed the ice cream carts, which were out in force, serving up cones, milkshakes, and steeply priced bottles of water. 

Although the temperature dropped overnight, our appetite for sugar did not. With that in mind, we pounded the pavement in search of the best new bakeries in the borough. We came back with a list of spots including Welcome Home in Bed-Stuy, Birdee in Williamsburg, and Vato in Park Slope. That prompted us to revisit our guide to Brooklyn’s best dessert shops, which ultimately brought us back to ice cream—an ouroboros of sugar consumption brought on by the promise of three months of sweltering weather. 

Here’s what you should check out this week.

(Photo by Scott Lynch)

The Best New Bakeries in Brooklyn Right Now

It was just a couple of years ago that BKMAG first celebrated the borough’s new “Golden Age” of pastry, the rapid influx of fun and delicious new bakeries popping up all over Kings County.

Which isn’t to say we don’t also love our Brooklyn institutions: those Polish bakeries of Greenpoint, the Russian bakeries of Brighton Beach, the Caribbean bakeries of Crown Heights and Flatbush, the Asian bakeries of Sunset Park, the Mexican bakeries of Bushwick (and Sunset Park), and the Italian bakeries of Carroll Gardens. Support your neighborhood favorites! It’s too sad to see them go.

he notable newbies, though, just keep coming. So here are eight more great spots that opened recently, setting out baked goods that not only have the locals swooning but are also worth a special trip for the rest of us.

(Photo by Scott Lynch)

The Best Ice Cream in Brooklyn Right Now 

Ice cream tastes exactly as delicious in February as it does in July, which is why I’ve eaten at least one serving of the stuff every single day for the past two decades or so. Maybe that’s excessive? Possibly, but also I don’t care. Joy is joy, get it whenever and wherever you can.

That said, I totally understand that we’re in prime ice cream parlor season right now, when a trip to your local makes for the perfect cap to a long summer’s day, or a special treat on a too-hot afternoon. Often the best place to go on such occasions is simply whatever’s closest to you, but if you’re looking for actually amazing ice cream, with luxurious texture and flavors that are strong and true (not just “cold” and “sweet”), these eight spots represent Brooklyn’s elite class of parlor.

(Photo by Precious Fondren)

The Best Dessert Shops in Brooklyn

Life is all about celebrating moments with a little “something sweet.” Made it through a hard day? Obviously it’s time to grab a slice of key lime pie to make it all better. Had a great day? Clearly you have to stop and get apple cider donuts at your local Trader Joe’s to keep the good vibes going. Made it through the whole week only eating healthy food? Time to reward yourself with a sweet little treat.

With Thanksgiving just days away, people will be whipping up an assortment of desserts—sweet potato pie, banana pudding, and pumpkin pie, just to name a few. But that isn’t all Brooklyn has to offer by a long shot. From classic bakeries serving the best slice of cheesecake to trendy spots reimagining pastries with a twist, you can pretty much find anything to satisfy your sweet tooth here.