Dandelion Wine

I popped into Jen A's local wine shop a while ago--Dandelion Wines in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She had raved about it to me a few times before we went together.

It's a super-cute spot just one avenue from the G train's Greenpoint Avenue stop.

Inside they have a nice, long chill case for your whites, and an even-longer display of room temperature reds, rosés and more whites.

The staff are friendly and have put recommendations and easy-to-understand descriptions for all of their favorite wines. I'm not an oenophile, I just like delicious wines, and Dandelion makes it super simple to find those.

I was also delighted to find: WHITE PORT! I haven't found this since a few years back when Alfama owner Tarcisio Costa introduced us to it at a Murray's Cheese class (a port and cheese class). (Note: Alfama was one of my favorite places for years. The West Village location had to close in 2009 but it has reopened in Midtown East--stay tuned!)

I snagged the white port and a summer red and we headed back for some outdoor dining and drinking--what a delicious summer this has turned out to be! If you want something that's sure to be a hit at your next party, dinner, dinner party, etc, stop by Dandelion for a surefire winner!

Dandelion Wine
153 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(347) 689-4563

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Peter Pan Donuts

While walking through Greenpoint with Jen & Tom, I found them leading me towards Peter Pan Donuts. Tom was a bit annoyed that his favorite donut spot had gained some recent fame thanks to a certain celebrity (*cough* Tina Fey *cough*) who proclaimed this spot her favorite donut outlet.

It was late and most of the donuts were gone by the time we got there, but I figured it was still worth checking out, right? DONUTS!

Peter Pan looks super old-timey, but what you get you first is the smell. The warm, wonderful smell of freshly-baked deliciousness.

There are lots of frosted beauties in the window, but everyone: Jen, Tom, and the unexpectedly friendly, though low-key, server told me I had to get the cream chocolate sprinkle donut. Okay!

This multi-colored creation caught my eye, too, so that came home with me.

And finally, Jen is a fan of the red velvet, but this one didn't have the customary glaze. I opted to try it anyway.

After our feast at the Polish restaurant, I had absolutely no room for donuts, so these had to wait for the next day.

I did a cross-section of the cream filled chocolate sprinkle, and holy FILLING Batman! Look at that!

Oh yeah, this was good. A soft, pillowy donut with a hefty amount of filling. The filling is like a cross between frosting and whipped cream. It's got some texture and some weight to it, but it's not heavy. Oh no, my friends. This is all too easy to eat. I was pleasantly surprised to see that these donuts are NOT sicky-sweet, either. Just sweet enough!

The red velvet looked gorgeous, but tasted like any other cake donut to me. I have a feeling the glaze is key.

And I'll be honest. This last one? Creeped me out. Yes, the chocolate icing is delicious and the donut is soft and fresh, but that fruit topping is the WORST. The strawberries are...rubbery. You know that canned fruit that's just a bit too...chewy? I can't deal with that. I got halfway through a bite and made the "Oh gah NO" sound. Ick ick ICK. It's a texture thing. Some folks might LOVE that kind of fruit filling. I cannot abide it! I'll be sticking with the cream chocolate sprinkle.

My overall thoughts? These are very, very good donuts: fresh, delicious, and tasty, but I'm not ready to call them the best donuts ever...yet. I think I need to go back in the morning when they're super fresh, and I can linger at the counter with a hot cup of coffee, too. Hear that, Jen? That's me inviting myself back to your neighborhood!! :)

Peter Pan Donuts

727 Manhattan Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 389-3676