Taco Santo Was My Favorite Explorer in 4th Grade

Hey guys? Remember when BBQ was the hot new thing in Park Slope? Get with the times, jerks. That's SO 2013. These days, it's all about the taco. As one of life’s most versatile foods, the taco's become SUPER TRENDY. GET ON BOARD. Though I'm already on board and love tacos like I love my own mother, I for one can not wait until dosas or some shit eventually bump tacos from their mighty perch. Then we can finally pass the DREAM Act.

In Park Slope, there was the 2012-2013 BBQ revolution. We had nothing. Then we had everything. It all started with Ft Reno. Then there was Fletcher's and Dinosaur and Morgan's. Different styles. Different levels of quality. Talk about filling a five-dollar whore with a forty-five dollar penis! As a result, BBQ got way overblown in Park Slope and  forerunner Ft Reno lasted just two years, with owner Jacques Gautier (also of Palo Santo) deciding to shut Ft Reno down at the end of 2013 & reopen the space on February 1st, with taco-flavored kisses for everyone, as the creatively-named "Taco Santo."

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[FIPS Was There...] How to BBQ at Brooklyn Brewery

'Tis the SUMMA, people. Get down with your bad selves. 'Tis the time of beaches & vacations & backyard BBQs. Personally, I don't even own a grill but I do actually have a backyard & should probably own a grill sooner than later. In the meantime, it’s the SUMMA & when this time of year comes around, I make sure to take in as many BBQs as humanly possible. Eventually, some time in 2014, when I do get that grill, I'm going to need to be on top of my game so I can host my own BBQs. I mean, I'm not entirely off my game around a grill but my duties have always been in more of a "sous chef" vein, as it's never been my grill.

One night a few weeks back, I came across an event listing for a "How to BBQ" class at Brooklyn Brewery as part of their regular schedule of events. The hosts: Heartbreaking Dawns (a local sauce company), Delaney Barbecue (of Brisket Town fame) & Q Drinks (a soda company with their roots in Ft. Greene). Samples included. The price: $5. You can't even get a good BJ for that price these days! As such, I picked up a ticket quicklike.

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Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Gets All Jurassic Park Up in This Piece

Jeff Goldblum is welcome at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The T-Rex is NOT.

YEEZUS CHRIST, PARK SLOPE. One word: T-Rex...& if I may, please allow me to use a poorly-though-out dinosaur metaphor to tell you...

Early Tuesday night, after an exciting day of drone work, I made my way back to Brooklyn & more specifically, Union St. to fill my face with BBQ & beer. The reason: The Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Premiere Party. That's right, jerks. For one night, I was part of some exclusive club who got to experience the seventh Dinosaur BBQ locale a full twenty-three hours before it opened to the general public on Wednesday.

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[What You Should Order At...] Fort Reno Provisions

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.

Over the last few years, Park Slope has gone from a nabe with zero legit BBQ joints to one with a few respectable spots sprinkled around the Park Slope/Gowanus border...& NO, Pork Slope does not count as a place to get legit BBQ, no matter how many times people refer to it as one. Sorry, LJ. It just isn’t.

Before Fletchers & (soon to be) Dinosaur BBQ, there was Fort Reno Provisions, the place owned by a group including Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo. Since opening back in January of last year, the tiny restaurant on Union just above 4th Ave has gone through a number of menu tweaks & while it hasn't earned the same acclaim as Fletchers & probably isn't worthy of it, it's continued to pump out pretty solid BBQ. For most of this time, they've offered up a dish called the "Hot Mess." While one might hope that a dish with such a name would have clumps of LiLo's, er...Amanda Bynes' hair in it, that's unfortunately not the case.

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Mimosas Are For Pussies (Oh, and Fort Reno Provisions Will Soon Be Offering Brunch)

Let's be honest. Let's be straight. Let's consider calling me a boozehound. Brunch in NYC is pretty much two things:

1. A weekend event where folks stumble out of bed in the early afternoon to gather together after a night of drinking. This is done so that they may consume a late breakfast in an attempt to fend off the previous eve's hangover.

2. A weekend event where folks stumble out of bed in the early afternoon to gather together after a night of drinking. This is done so that they may consume a late breakfast alongside copious brunch beverages in an attempt to delay the effects of the previous eve's hangover.

This coming weekend, you could drag your sorry ass AGAIN to the same stale Park Slope brunch spot you've been going to every weekend for a while now, but I suggest you try something new. Be adventurous, damnit! If you try said new thing, people will think you’re "hip" because you followed the suggestion of a lush who writes for a neighborhood blog with a slightly offensive name.

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