Battle Royale – Fulton/Lafayette vs. Dekalb

The two main drags of the neighborhood are the triangle between Fulton and Lafayette (F/L) and Restaurant Row (DRR)on Dekalb. Which one reigns supreme in a street fight when compared by 3 metrics: 1) options for inebriation (bars), 2) gastronomic delights (restaurants), and 3) retail therapy (stores)?

TALE OF THE TAPE (in no particular order and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few)

F/L

Bars: Moes, Frank’s, Stonehome, Mullanes

Restaurants: Stonehome, Mullanes, Smoke Joint, Pequena, Cafe Lafayette, Habana Outpost, Not Ray’s, 67 Burger, Scopello, Night of the Cookers, Thomas Beisl, Academy Diner, La Bagel Delight, Cake Man Raven, Epoca, One Greene Sushi

Stores: Addy & Ferro, Stuart & Wright, Cloth, Moshood, Ralph’s, Green Grape, Greene Grape Provisions, Fresh Garden, East Coast Video, Fort Greene Pharmacy

DRR

Bars: The Hideout, Alibi

Restaurants: Madiba, Kif, Red Bamboo, Bonita, Black Iris, LouLou, iCi, Chez Oskar, Good Joy, Sushi D, Amin, Andy’s Restaurant, Bagel World, Mario’s Pizza

Stores: Thistle & Clover, Tessan, Kiki’s Pet Spa, Thirst Wine Merchant, Fort Greene Food Market, Elly’s Grocery, that hat store whose name I can’t remember/spell, Brooklyn Sporting Goods (I’m trying to do this from memory), Behrens Pharmacy

COMMENTARY

Bars: F/L

If you included restaurant bars in this category it would be more competitive but with heavyweights like Moe’s and Frank’s, F/L wins in a first round knockout. There is a need for another bar on DRR that’s not as grungy as Alibi and not as nice as The Hideout. As for restaurant bars, Madiba, Red Bamboo and Bonita have somewhat lively scenes.

Restaurants: DRR

In the restaurant category, this is not really a competition. F/L does have a few honorable mentions… I like Smoke Joint, lasagna at Epoca is great, Stonehome is good, Cakeman Raven is always a nice indulgence… Not Ray’s destroys Mario’s Pizza but DRR’s sheer volume, quality and diversity of restaurants has F/L on the mat in the first round and knocked out in the middle of the 2nd.

Shopping: F/L

I was reaching to even list the DRR stores I did. You don’t really think of the area beyond it’s restaurants. I prefer Greene Grape to Thirst. GG does a great job with customer loyalty and requests. Addy & Ferro has great gear at reasonable prices. I go into Stuart & Wright to laugh at the prices , lament the pending doom of total gentrification, and and ridicule anyone who would spend $75 on a t-shirt. Greene Grape Provisions is a nice addition. I’m also one of the last known people to still go to the video store on occasion. Other than Stuart & Wright, retail in F/L still feels a little like old school Fort Greene.

OVERALL WINNER: SPLIT DECISION

Luckily both areas are close so there’s no need to decide a winner….

FYI…

For those of you that have been asking, the first sentence of this post the closest I will ever get to providing addresses. As I stated in a comment, this isn’t a guide to the neighborhood or a marketing scheme for the establishments I mention. It’s not like FG is a big area. The weather is nice, go explore and find out what I’m talking about…