News Round-Up

Patrick Stewart's First Pizza Slice in Park Slope, Brooklyn [MStars]
Report: Barclays to Host Food Truck Extravaganza [PS Patch]
Brush Up on Beer Knowledge at Terroir Park Slope [Park Slope Stoop]
Air Quality Health Advisory Issued in Our Area For Friday [South Slope News]

Scaredy Kat to Close in July

If you haven't heard already, this week Damond and Nora from Scaredy Kat announced that their gift shop (a Fifth Avenue institution) will be closing at the end of July. Here's their official statement:

To All Our Fabulous Customers And Friends On 5th Avenue,

When we opened in July 1999, we couldn't have imagined in our wildest dreams how SCAREDY KAT would grow as a business and all of 5th Avenue would grow into such an exciting destination! What changes we've all seen through the years!

After a fantastic 14 years, we would like to announce that we're loading up our wagon train and heading down to Asheville, NC. We are very sad to be leaving Park Slope and all our wonderful friends and customers, but also excited for the new adventures that await us. We are eternally grateful for all of our SCAREDY KAT memories and will miss all of the folks we have come to know throughout the seasons.

Which brings us to say… we are pleased to announce that ANNIE'S BLUE RIBBON GENERAL STORE will be opening in late August right here! She has been gracing Boreum Hill with her wondrous delights for the last 6 years and we are sure she will delight you as well.

We can't say “thank you” enough to everyone who has supported us over the years. We have always been touched by the kindness of the Park Slope community and of our many visitors. We know that we would not be here without you.

We will be supplying you with fun goods from now until near the end of July. After that, please come on down to Asheville and visit us at WHIST, our new retail venture!

While we are truly sad to see Nora and Damond leave Fifth Avenue, we are happy that their departure is part of a new life adventure of their choosing. Plus, they have a great new tenant, Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store, coming to their space. So, in a way, while this is a great loss for Fifth Avenue, it's also a bit of a win-win.

Interview: Salamander Hot Sauces

Last week, I had the pleasure of trying some amazing hot sauces, made and served right here in Park Slope. The batch we tried was made in the kitchen of Fifth Avenue's Backyard and served with their BLT, Meatloaf and Lobster Salad Sliders, as well as their amazing New England Clam Chowder (Photo below).

After the feast, we had some questions for Salamander's owner, Timothy Kavarnos:

Where are you from originally and what brought you to Park Slope?
I am originally from CT. I moved to Park Slope in 2001 because I had a friend that lived here and I always loved the vibe whenever I had come to visit. Once I settled in I took several jobs around Manhattan then eventually took a job at Stone Park Café. This is when I truly fell in love with the area. The food and the people are incredible here.

I tried your hot sauces and they really are amazing, especially with the great food at Backyard. Lots of flavor, plenty of heat but not overwhelming or distracting.
What made you want to create your Salamander hot sauces?
I have always loved hot spicy food and with my schedule it can be challenging to cook good meals. I needed something I could add to quickly take a boring dish and turn it into a fantastic meal. With these hot sauces I can sauté some meat or vegetables and easily add dimension. The commercial sauces in the stores are not great for this type of cooking so I created my own. I wanted sauces that complimented a variety of foods while adding flavor and heat, sauces that can take a simple dish to the next level.

Where can consumers buy or try your sauces?
Salamander Sauces are served in Brooklyn at Backyard and Stone Park Café’s brunch, if you are in Mystic, CT you can try them at Kitchen Little. Currently the sauces are not available for sale.

What's the next step for Salamander ?
The next step is to raise the funds for commercial production, to accomplish this I will be launching a crowdfunding campaign in the next few weeks.

Where do you see your company in five years?
Based on the response I’m getting on these sauces, in five years Salamander should be continuing to grow and thrive. There are several more sauces in development and near completion plus there are plans for a few other items but we’ll let those be a surprise!

You can follow the Salamander on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalamanderSauce, on Twitter (@SalamanderSauce) or sign up for the newsletter at http://eepurl.com/wKoYX

-Mark Caserta

Make Music NY 2013

It's popular to say that summer begins during Memorial Day Weekend but in reality, the solar system disagrees. Summer actually begins on June 21st during the Summer Solstice, when our Northern Hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun.

Save that date because and there's no better way to celebrate the official start of summer than with music. Park Slope's Fifth Avenue will be taking part in the annual Make Music New York event with musicians playing on nearly every corner of Fifth Avenue from Dean to 18th Streets from 7 - 9 pm.

Save the date and don't miss it!

Happy Memorial Day!

- from the merchants on Fifth Avenue and the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID.

While many of our business owners will be taking a much-needed day off, there are some that will remain open and celebrate the day in a special way. We'll try to keep you updated via Twitter (@AllAboutFifth) and Facebook when we hear about specials during the day.

For now, we do know that Freddy's is having a big Memorial Day BBQ and party:

News Round-Up

Dinosaur BBQ food fight coming to Park Slope in June [Daily News]

In Bay Ridge and Park Slope, Fourth Ave Traffic Calming Moves Forward [Streets Blog]

MTA to Run Extra Trains Memorial Day Weekend [PS Patch]

Make Music NY Party

On June 21st, Fifth Avenue will join the rest of the city in welcoming summer with Make Music NY (Schedule and music locations coming soon). It's one of the most anticipated events of the year, with musicians playing on nearly every street corner between Dean and 18th Streets (check out photos from last year here ).

First, though, you are invited to join Make Music New York and our very own Freddy's Bar at the first-annual MMNY 2013 Prelude Party. On June 5 from 6-9 pm at Freddy's, meet and mingle with all the Make Music New York Musicians, hosts, bar-owners & bartenders & neighbors. Pick up festival programs and other materials for June 21, and join in a huge acoustic jam from 8-9 pm. A MMNY Cocktail special designed by Freddy's bartenders will be available, as well as the Brooklyn Gin and Radeberger gin and beer specials.

See you there!