A happy tummy week in Park Slope

As I've transitioned out of my friend's apartment and scoped out the neighborhood New York Sports Club as part of my 30-day membership (thanks Groupon!), I've had three positive experiences in dining this past week in the Slope.

Positive Dining Experience #1: Cocoa Bar on 7th Ave (between 3rd and 4th Sts.) where I met a friend to have coffee and have a productive "let's do work in each other's company" date. The coffee was yumcious but what really stood out was the vegan lentil pate sandwich--veggies, salad, and lentil spread on a small baguette. The size was adorable--I liked that it wasn't as overwhelming as some baguette-based sandwiches can be. Of the three experiences, I'd say this was my aha!/duh! moment. I should totally add spreads to my sandwiches to make them more interesting. I mean, not entirely a surprise to me as I've often used hummus as a base for pita sandwiches and wraps. But for some reason I never thought to put things like mashed lentils into my sandwich. This sparked a plethora of ideas to try: Trader Joe's olive tapenade spread (it's not just for crackers anymore), Trader Joe's eggplant with red pepper spread, etc. etc. Once I can afford to stock up on these yummies at TJ's, I'm totally experimenting with different sandwich flavors.

Positive Dining Experience #2: An impromptu lunch while I waited for my clothes to dry at the laundromat. Looking for somewhere close by and, in particular some place with soup options, I walked into Luna Burrito on 22nd St. and 5th Ave. I ordered the veggie soup ($4.50) and the guacamole with chips ($5.25). The chips were nice and crunchy and had that thicker tortilla taste than say a bag of Tostitos. I like it, it feels heartier, like the chip is working for me and I'm not working for the chip. The guacamole was somewhat weak.* I downed it mostly out of hunger but, as I find with many restaurants, it's hard to get that perfect bowl of guac.

The soup was better than I expected to be. I don't know if my generous squeeze of lime boosted it immensely (give me lots of lime and I'm a happy camper) or if on its own it stood up to my hunger, but it was very filling and satisfying--veggie broth, tomatoeyness, potatoes, carrots, and maybe a few other things. Very simple but very comforting on a cold day.

Positive Dining Experience #3: Shinju on 7th Ave (between 3rd and 4th Sts.). A great place for sushi on a budget, this provided the most bang for my ever-dwindling bucks. For a Thursday dinner for 2--that's four 6-piece maki rolls, the total with tax came out to $10.90. The mango/avocado roll I had was refreshing and the pumpkin roll (very apropos-for-the-season) was delicious. I don't know what else to say about this place except that I will be going back sometime soon to try out more of their rolls. If I can have a sushi smorgasbord for less than $10, then so be it! My dreams are coming true!


*Notice to readers paying careful attention. I'm still looking for the best guacamole recipe so if you think you have it, please send it my way. Also, if you have tips on picking out winning avocados, I'd appreciate those as well. So far I've just been crossing my fingers and coming out about 50-50.