Daydream about the Best of Brooklyn with Local Female Entrepreneur
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Though some advise no sleep 'til Brooklyn, we recommend resting up to experience the best small-batch, artisanal goods the borough has to offer before you hit the pavement to do some exploring. And boy, are you in luck: we at Batch can help you with both the goods and the recs. We’ve created a special Brooklyn Batch box and we’ve enlisted Alex Crosier of Granola Lab to share her favorite Brooklyn restaurants, parks, and bars with us. This librarian-turned-granola entrepreneur has prepared some excellent snacks that are ready to ship to you, so grab a bag of granola and sit down to daydream about your next trip to Brooklyn.
Read on to learn more about Alex Crosier’s favorite spots in Brooklyn, New York!
The new Waking Up in Brooklyn Batch gift box features the Granola Lab Activation Energy granola alongside other small-batch, locally made, artisan goods from Brooklyn, New York including Greenpoint Trading Co. Everything Seasoning, The Jam Stand Raspberry Jalapeno Jam, a Batch "Good Morning" Flour Sack Hand Towel, and a Batch "Rise & Shine" Camp Mug.
Where do you take out of towners?
Brooklyn has an overwhelming number of excellent restaurants. I tend to stick to cozy, consistently excellent favorites like Piccoli Trattoria in Park Slope, Falansai in Bushwick, and Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint. Sadly, restaurant-closings have been coming fast and thick in recent months due to Covid-related regulations. I fear many more losses by the end of 2020— worst year EVER!
What’s one place that no one outside of Brooklyn knows about, but everyone inside the borough loves?
Calling something “the best” is controversial, but I’ll argue that Brooklyn’s best tacos are served by the two Tacos El Bronco food trucks in Sunset Park (not the sit-down restaurant, which somehow isn’t nearly as good).
[Read more about our makers’ inside scoop on their hometowns.]
What is your favorite hidden gem tourist attraction to recommend to your out-of-town guests?
It might not be hidden, exactly, but the Green-Wood Cemetery is an unexpected gem for those not in the know. Green-Wood is an arboretum as well as a cemetery. It’s a stunning, pastoral idyll, with amazing views of Manhattan and the harbor. It’s huge and hilly—the perfect place to get lost!
Where is the best art in town?
Pre-pandemic (and hopefully, post), I loved watching musicians from around the world perform at Barbès, a small, local music venue/bar in Park Slope.
What is your favorite park in Brooklyn?
I’m mightily impressed by Shirley Chisholm State Park, which opened just last year. It’s a rugged, well-designed landscape, great for bird-watching, biking, chasing butterflies, and daydreaming while staring out at Jamaica Bay.
And one more question about being a small business owner…
What’s it been like to keep on making during a global pandemic?
This spring was terrifying, and I definitely lost sleep over the decision to keep Granola Lab open. My employees were all willing to work, but most of them take the subway, and I felt that weighty responsibility for putting them at increased risk. Thankfully, we’ve remained Covid-free, though I want to add, for your readers across the country, that we ALL know folks who have died. On a positive note, now that the NYC-area has really low infection rates, business is rebounding. Many of our restaurant customers have reopened, and Granola Lab is starting to approach pre-Covid production and sales.
[Read more about our makers in the Meet the Maker series.]
Are you ready to take a virtual trip to Brooklyn? Check out Alex Crosier’s Granola Lab granola in the new Waking Up in Brooklyn Batch gift box and browse our site to see all the new Brooklyn goods we have recently added to the Batch lineup. If you need high volume Brooklyn, New York gifts for your business or event, give us a call!