The Dirt Talk Series digs into 2012 with a second discussion at Sycamore, this one featuring Dr. Charles Merguerian of Hofstra University and Duke Geological Laboratory to provide an ample overview of regional geology. The talk will zero in on the geology and soils of Brooklyn.
For Valentine’s Day, why not treat your loved one to a locally grown fig tree? Sycamore Flower Shop is selling 17 local fig cuttings for $20 each. They look great in a sunny window (many have baby figs already on them) and can be planted in the ground in the spring and turn into a real fig tree. 100% of the purchase price from the first three cuttings will go to the Flatbush CommUNITY Garden.
The fig cuttings came from Nelson Ryland’s backyard, which he has renamed Flatbush Fig Farm.
“Flatbush Fig Farm is our attempt to involve our children in starting a business,” Nelson says. “The result is we spend time together getting messy, making stuff, and the kids earn their allowance.”
When they first sold fig trees last year, they donated $150 to the Flatbush CommUNITY Garden. “Our goal this year is to raise some money for a local organization we like…and for my boys to earn some Lego money.”
The cuttings are taken from fig trees in the family’s backyard and are propagated in a jar of water for six weeks.
“Sam, age 3, and Jack, age 5, climbed up a ladder and helped bring the cuttings to the kitchen,” Nelson explains. “They also change the water once a week.”
They have two unknown varieties, which they’ve named Flatbush White and Flatbush Dark. These cuttings will usually produce figs the first year if they’re planted properly.
How do you help ensure your fig cutting will become a tree? Nelson includes these care guidelines, which makes it seem pretty foolproof:
Keep cutting in a warm sunny window, changing the water weekly. If your cutting has baby figs they will usually drop after a few weeks–this is sad but normal. The plant needs to focus on growing roots.
After the threat of frost passes, usually early May (USDA Hardiness Zone 7a/6b), the cutting is ready to be planted outdoors directly into the ground or a 14-inch wide (or larger) pot. Dig a large hole 1-2 feet wide and deep. Mix lightweight soil mix with the native soil. Set 2 to 4 inches deeper than the root line. Plant if possible a few feet from your foundation on the southeast corner. Water will settle the soil firmly around the roots. Do not apply fertilizer at planting time.
Your cutting may lose some leaves as it adjusts to the outdoors. It will grow new leaves and usually produces figs at the end of the first season. Insulate base over the winter with leaves or straw.
Flatbush Fig Farm plans to have young fig trees available in late May in case these cuttings sell out.
Sycamore’s hosting a new, monthly weeknight event–complete with prizes:
Come join Professor Ariel Speedwagon, your best friends, your neighbors, and that cute stranger you’ve seen walking along Cortelyou for brand-new Wednesday night bingo at Sycamore. Everyone’s new favorite work-night neighborhood night of fun, intrigue, drama, whiskey, prizes, and suspense. B10? N38? ONLY TIME WILL TELL. Make your gramma proud–come on down!
Bingo at Sycamore
Wednesday, January 25, 7-9pm – $5 for 2 cards, and additional cards for a dollar.
Upcoming dates: February 29 and March 28.
Calling all homebrew masters! The Brooklyn Wort, presented by Brooklyn Homebrew and Sycamore, has a new format for the next event, taking place on Saturday, April 28. Though the judging at the competition will be the same, getting into the competition will be done differently to make it more fair. Previously, brewers were picked at random, but for this event, brewers must submit a bottle for a preliminary qualifying round.
Brewers will have to drop off an unmarked bottle of homebrewed beer at Sycamore between February 1 and February 8 for the preliminary round, then the top 25 brewers will be picked to attend and compete in the Brooklyn Wort. The beer submitted in this round doesn’t need to be the one served during the Brooklyn Wort.
For more information on how to submit an entry, visit the Brooklyn Wort site.
If you’re not a brewer but you enjoy drinking beer, we’ll let you know when tickets for the event go on sale.
Warm up this winter with a few new drinks at Sycamore. A four-part winter tasting series kicks off on Monday, January 23 at 8pm with Eau de Vie: Brandy & Cognac:
Chris Hiatt of Park Slope Cellars takes you on a journey through a special tasting of the mysterious and wonderful genre of brandies and eau de vie. Cheeses to accompany these spirits will be provided from our friends at the Market & Mimi’s.
$30 per person. Limited availability, sign up here.
A new year means a new season of Brooklyn Dirt Talks at Sycamore. The first one will be on Wednesday, January 18, and it’s free to attend.
Created by Kensington’s Cantaloupe Alone (aka Naomi Donabedian) and hosted by Meera Bhat of Prospect Farm in Windsor Terrace, the first Dirt Talk will feature John Ameroso, who is responsible for about 18 tons of produce grown in NYC a year, and who has been sowing gardens since 1976. He’s got a lot of experience as an urban farmer, so drop by to ask some questions.
The first Monday Night Vinyl Club of the year is on January 2 from 8pm to midnight at Sycamore. It’s free to drop in and spin five songs of your choice.
Sycamore Flower Shop has all the bouquets, arrangements, and plants to make your holiday festive, and they’ll be open on Christmas Eve from 10am to 5pm (but closed on Christmas Day).
Open on Christmas Day (but closed Christmas Eve), the bar will be serving up burgers on the grill in the backyard for a new holiday tradition. I think that beats Chinese food!
While at Sycamore last week, a man seems not to have taken an opportunity to buy a lady a drink, but here’s hoping his Craigslist ad gives him a second chance:
You sat at the middle of the bar. I was standing opposite the bar with friends. We made eye contact a few times. Hope u read….
There’s still time to deck those halls, or bring something special to a holiday party, and Sycamore has a great option this week with mistletoe.
“We’ve got lots of it to cover everyone’s smooching needs,” says Justine, who adds that it’s actually a parasite that grows on other trees, but it has recently been noted as a keystone species very important to its ecosystems.
One large sprig with lots of mistletoe pearls is $5, complete with a bit of red string for you to hoist it up wherever you like.
Frank H. Jump, who lives nearby and runs the amazing Fading Ad Blog, just released Fading Ads of New York City. As he mentioned the other day, he’ll be signing copies of the photo book, which documents the disappearing ghost signs of the city, at Sycamore on Saturday, December 17 from 1-3pm. Stop by, have a drink, and ask him about some of the signs he’s photographed over the past twenty years.
Sycamore and The Fat Beagle will keep summer alive in December with a North Carolina BBQ on Sunday the 18th at 1pm. For $20, you get a plate of food, a North Carolina brew, and dessert!
Learn how to make some fun winter cocktails at Sycamore next Saturday:
Sycamore is pleased to introduce a series of Classic Cocktail Courses this winter. On December 17th at 5pm, we welcome Sycamore’s own Mike Mikos and The Farm On Adderley’s Wil Petre to host an evening of instruction in the art of the classic whiskey cocktail. These two expert barmen will lead us through a step-by-step demonstration of several classic whiskey cocktails and then divulge their own new recipe for a contemporary Brooklyn twist on a vintage classic. The session’s recipe booklets will be included for guests to take home. Complimentary snacks will be provided. $45 per person. Very limited space: sign up here!
Cohen will be at the bar with new, hardcover copies of this book for sale–he’ll have up to 10 copies available for $12 each (list price is $25.99), cash only. He’ll also bring copies of some of his other books, and neighbors are welcome to bring your own copies to be autographed.
Because so much of the book takes place in our neighborhood, and as previously mentioned there are some parts that are based on things that actually happened, at about 6pm he’ll talk about the true events in the book and the neighborhood-related material.
Whether you’ve read the book yet or not, this event should be a lot of fun, and we hope to see you there!
Book Talk with Gabriel Cohen
Author of The Ninth Step
At Sycamore, 1118 Cortelyou Road
Monday, November 28, 5-7pm
Every once in a while we get a question about a good tailor in the area, and here’s a unique one. I can’t comment on the skill of Sew Moni, but they’ve got a pretty great idea: on Monday, November 7, they’ll be at Sycamore for a Seamstress Happy Hour. From 4 to 7pm, you can bring in items of clothing that need minor repairs–a winter coat with buttons hanging off, pants that need to be hemmed, and so on–and drop them off (and grab a drink since you’re there), then pick up the clothes at Sycamore the following Sunday.
“Vinyl Club been one our most consistent, well-received events,” said John Hagen, the bar’s booker. “It’s very rare that someone can throw five records under their arm and walk to their local bar to share music with other people.”
MNVC takes place on the first Monday of the month, so the next event is coming up next week on November 8.
As someone who’s avoided amassing vinyl because I don’t need another heavy collection, I can only enjoy this from the sidelines–which is plenty enjoyable. What’s the best record you’ve brought or heard at MNVC?
Charlie Hunter is doing another solo residency at Sycamore, starting tonight and with future shows on November 2 and November 9. It’s a great chance to see some world-class jazz at an amazing venue. Tonight, he plays at 9pm for $10.
Next Sunday, October 30, Sycamore has its once-a-month serving of vintage Jamaican tunes from Names You Can Trust, but this time they welcome the Jamaican Dutchy food truck alongside them. The truck will be parked outside the bar starting at 6pm, music starts at 8pm.
I used to work in an office in Midtown that was right around the corner from where the Jamaican Dutchy parked back when it was a mere cart, and besides making really great soup and fantastic jerk chicken, owner O’Neill is super proud of Jamaica. When Usain Bolt won Gold at the Olympics, he played his races on a loop on a screen mounted to the cart–and then Bolt showed up for a visit, which probably made O’Neill’s decade. Check and see if he still has the photo in the truck!
We have one more event at Sycamore this summer season, which is our Oktoberfest, happening on Saturday, 10/1 from 2pm – 8pm. Our own Johnny Lupiani (bartender) will be grilling up several types of homemade German sausages in the garden, and we’ll have some specialty German beers on draft available inside and outside. There’s no cover charge, either.
Oktoberfest @ Sycamore
Saturday, October 1, 2-8pm
1118 Cortelyou Road
If you like roast pork and you didn’t make it to the Farm on Adderley pig roast at Sycamore last weekend, take a look at what you missed, and remember to try it next year!
There’s still time to pick up tickets for this Saturday’s pig roast at Sycamore. Join the Farm’s Chef Tom Kearney on September 17 (rain or shine), for a 14-hour pig roast. Roasting of the 150-pound pig begins Friday evening, and carries on through the night.
To cool you off, Lagunitas Brewery of Petaluma, CA will be pouring $5 pints of five of their beers. Food will be available starting at 4pm for $25 per plate. Limited availability, sign up here.
Roasting begins at midnight on Friday (no tickets necessary), so drop in and take a peek or join the crew for a beer.
ALRIGHT THEN….i have rarely felt so fired up as i have the moment i heard that the susan g. komen breast cancer charity had made some politically-motivated back-room board deal/manipulation to pull funding from planned parenthood. and then listened to them spin spin spin during the vertigo-inspiring fall-out. but most people, it turns out, have […]
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You deserve a night out on the town, kid-free. So why not drop your child with us on Sat, Feb 11, 2012 from 6 pm to 9 pm for a night of pizza, fun, and games? […]
Article By ALISON GOPNIK Read the Wall Street Journal Brain research is often taken to mean that adolescents are really just defective adults—grown-ups with a missing part. Public policy debates about teenagers thus often turn on the question of when, exactly, certain areas of the brain develop, and so at what age children should be allowed […]
Urban Martial Arts rocked the house at the Long Island Winter Open Karate Tournament 2012! We took home two 1st place, five 2nd place, two 3rd place, and two 4th place trophies. […]
Susan G. Komen foundation has decided to cut funding to Planned Parenthood – having been influenced by political right-wing moolah. Screw them. Don’t give them a penny and let them know. I encourage you to unsubscribe their emails and post to your Facebook or social network site and email them also to tell them that […]
AMAZING story in this morning’s Arts section of The New York Times about folklorist Alan Lomax. Lomax, who was the first to record Woody Guthrie and Muddy Waters, dedicated his life to increasing the awareness of traditional music by doing radio and television programs, organizing concerts and festivals, and writing books, articles and essays. Next month, hi […]
Dirt Talk Two: Geology and Soils of New York City with Dr. Charles Merguerian Ample overview of regional geology, the talk will zero in on the geology and soils of Brooklyn by Dr. Merguerian of Hofstra University and Duke Geological Laboratory and the nationally recognized leading authority of the NYC area.Tuesday Feb 21st, 20128 - 9:00 pmDownstairs @ Sycamo […]
There are some pretty significant releases ahead in the next couple months. To get us all hot and excited about them, artists and labels typically put out a mini documentary or the first single video on YouTube a few weeks/months before the album is released. Here are three videos that precede three highly anticipated albums […]
Drew Grow & The Pastors’ Wives, the Portland alt-Gospel band, is about to join The Head and the Heart on a tour that will likely put the band on the map. Grow and his band will open up for their fellow Pacific Northwest friends with a sound that most THATH fans will eat up. Check […]
