While this winter has not yet dipped into freezing, it is certainly no longer summer. Tonight when I got home I made myself a big bowl of pastis, the most comforting winter food and a sure indication of the season. Pastis is mini star-shaped pasta and when it's boiled with salted water then mixed with butter, an egg, and a lot of Parmesan cheese, it is strangely soothing and simply divine. As I sat enjoying my go-to winter meal, I found myself being seduced into a daydream about Habana Outpost.
So, incredibly out of season, I am dedicating this post to Habana Outpost, one of my favorite places in NYC in the summer. It is in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and it features a large, cheerful outdoor space, complete with picnic tables and decorated with flowers and brightly-colored adornments. You can even blend your own smoothie by riding a bike! It seems illogical, but rest assured, I speak the truth. It's an eco-eatery, which certainly satisfies the inner hippie in me.
Beyond the welcoming, buoyant atmosphere, the food and drinks are what make the Habana Outpost a destination worth hopping on the C train for. I did not know I liked Cuban food so much until I tasted their grilled corn on the cob. Top that off with the best frozen mojito I've possibly ever had, and you had yourself a perfect summer afternoon in Brooklyn. Or, if I was hungrier, I would go with the Chicken Diablo sandwich (blackened chicken, roasted peppers, mesclun, and chipotle mayo) and locally brewed Six Point beer that was offered here at the amazingly low price of $2.50.
So this evening when I looked down at my empty bowl of pastis, I was remembering my polished-off corn on the cob from Habana Outpost several months ago...
