Zombie Prom Moves to Gowanus

Last Halloween, over 400 walking dead donned their finest for a night of dancing over at Brooklyn Bowl. They grooved to the tunes of Leslie DiNicola, Lily and the Parlour Tricks, and The Hollows, and those who braved it into the wee hours even got to do a little booty shaking with Big Freedia herself, the first lady of the twerk.

For those that think this sounds like Williamsburg nonsense: Beware! This year, the sixth annual New York Zombie Prom moves to PS’s neck of the woods. The venue is littlefield, the performance and art space over on Degraw between 3^rd and 4^th.

The 2014 prom theme is Toxic Zombies, inspired by the neighborhood’s romantic backdrop: the noxious Gowanus Canal. What exactly are Toxic Zombies, you ask? “I think they’re people who sort of became zombies after falling in the canal—probably mutants,” reports Nicholas Cotz, Artistic Director of Personal Space Theatrics, the nonprofit theater company responsible for the prom. “But don’t get too wrapped up in the toxic thing,” he adds, “zombies of all varieties are more than welcome.”

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[What You Should Order At…] Dinosaur BBQ: Vegetarian Edition

I’m a vegetarian for a variety of reasons, none of them having much to do with my health. Save your brown rice and grilled eggplant for some other sap. This cowgirl wants a plate of all the fixins (or just the fixins, as the case may be).

It’s hard to avoid Dinosaur BBQ. Because of the size (huge), the price (reasonable), and the atmosphere (fun), it’s the perfect spot for Park Slope 30-somethings who still expect people to show up to their birthday parties. Because of the noise level (high) and the lighting (dark), it’s the perfect spot for Park Slope parents who need to breastfeed their crying babies during lunch. And because of the sides (various) and veggie options (tasty), it’s the perfect spot for Park Slope vegetarians who are eating out with their carnivorous friends.

The Dinosaur offers two vegetarian sandwiches (which must have been created just for PS…I never noticed them at the Harlem location, nor at their flagship in Syracuse). First, the Smoked Veg Melt. It’s smoked cauliflower, Portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, caramelized onions, poblano peppers, BBQ mayo, and melted Swiss. It tastes just fine, but for my money, I’d rather have something fried. That takes us to the F.G.T.V., option number two. F.G.T. stands for Fried Green Tomato (I’m guessing the V. stands for Vegetarian). It’s served on a Portuguese roll and topped with pimento cheese, shredded cabbage, BBQ mayo, and chow-chow (a kind of sweet-and-sour tomato relish).

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[What You Should Order At...] Pino's La Forchetta

WHAT YOU SHOULD ORDER AT...is a recurring column designed in kind for your opinionated asses and our lazy asses. When the mood strikes, we pick one Park Slope resto and recommend our favorite dish. Are we right? Are we wrong? YOU KNOW YOU WANNA WEIGH IN. 

Summer 2008. The East Village. Hot nights, cold beer, Artichoke Pizza. I sneered at the suckers in line at Magnolia, but queued up at Artichoke time and time again. However long it took, however many cool kids clogged the sidewalk, however dismissive (flirty?) the greasy cashier, I stood and waited for my artichoke slice. Part cream of spinach soup, part artichoke dip, part saltlick, and part pizza, it was the kind of experience that made you feel alive.

Six years later, and Manhattan’s little more than a glittering mirage (I used to live where? How glamorous!). For us Park Slopers, what with our kids and our YMCAs and our alternate side parking arrangements, a trip to East 14^th Street is like a trip to the moon. Is there any hope?

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