Brooklyn's Belly: Leisure Day Weekend

Am I the only one who thinks they should rename Labor Day to Leisure Day? I mean really, what is this weekend about if not soaking in the last rays of summer, relaxing with friends, or laying at the beach? Believe me, I’m pretty sure no one is working – that is if they can help it.

So, in honor of Leisure Day Bryan and I made sure we had no plans, no obligations, no one calling our names this weekend. We spend Sunday morning at the dog run with Carmella and a couple of iced-coffees, and with no other agenda but to feed ourselves we headed over to Siggy’s in Brooklyn Heights for some brunch. One of the best things about a holiday weekend spend in New York is that everyone else leaves. We arrived there, and within minutes we got a table outside – something that would have taken at least 20 minutes on any given Sunday.

Starving we both immediately ordered smoothies. I got the Berry Buzz which arrived a gorgeous deep red, thick, creamy, and a perfect balance of sweet and tart. Bryan made his own smoothie of dates, strawberries, bananas, and almond milk. I tasted his and it was milky and mild, with a really nice honey taste from the dates. Knowing the smoothies would be filling I decided to order light, two eggs over medium which came with toast, salad and potatoes. Bryan however, did not have the same thought, and ordered the breakfast burrito, which turned out to be as big as his head. It, however, proved to be the winning dish. It was savory and fresh – the avocado and tomatoes were bursting with flavor. After I inhaled my breakfast, I reached over and helped him with his.

Looking to work off some of our meal we headed over to the Brooklyn Flea for a look around. We spotted a new stand called Goober Peas, which we learned are boiled peanuts. Something of a favorite snack food to Southerners I couldn’t help but reach in to try one. I grabbed a peanut and followed the (very cute) instructions on the board. Crack and slurp, eat the peanut, discard the shell. It was, well, an experience. As someone who loves fresh crab, I can see why people love these things. They’re fun to eat – it gives you something to do other than just stuffing your face.


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For me, I just couldn’t get into the texture – something about a boiled, soft, peanut just isn’t what I look for in a snack food. I wanted to like them, I really did. But I’m going to stick to the good old crunchy kind – I guess it’s just what I’m used to. However, if you’re a transplanted southerner, or just looking to try something new, be sure you check them out.


Brooklyn’s Belly is a column written by Nicole Cummo Tereza, a graphic designer, food lover, food blogger, and a Dumbo resident. Read more about her food adventures on her blog, Mangia Vita.