M.a's Fish & Chips Plus

Brooklyn has extended its arms to welcome the highly anticipated addition M.a's Fish & Chips Plus to its Bed-Stuy family of restaurants. Nestled in amongst the ever expanding Nostrand Ave. and neighboring soul food, seafood and fast food spots, M.a's was sure to have some competition. I must admit that because this grand opening has been in the making for years I was expecting booming flavors, fresh fish and long lines, what I got however was completely different. When I ordered the catfish fingers and fries ($8) I definitely finished my fries, the homemade tartar sauce was excellent and flavorful but the catfish fingers were undercooked, lightly fried and still very moist inside (and not in a good way). Since I am aware of trial and error I decided I'd speak with the cooks/owners and wait awhile before I gave them another try. After about a month I returned and this time I was ready to chow down. I noticed desserts like cupcakes and pie had been incorporated into the menu. They also have different flavor iced-teas which are a bit on the sweet tea side and might need to be watered down if you're a diabetic. However, at $2 for a small and $3 for a large its well worth it. There are seats to sit and eat if you'd like to have your food to stay. you can also catch a show on their tv or enjoy the neighborhood with their large window seats onlooking the bustling Nostrand Ave. On my second return I ordered the whiting fish & chips ($7) because this is after all what their named for. Into my second bite of the fish,, before I added any tartar sauce, ketchup or hot sauce I realized that this was not fresh fish at all. From the texture of the fish I immediately knew this was frozen fish which is very unlikely for a restaurant that specializes in fish. On my most recent visit I stopped in to grab a tea and decided to try something different so I ordered the fried chicken breast dinner ($10.95) with macaroni & cheese and collard greens. There was a minimal wait for my food, the macaroni and cheese was skimped on the cheese and some of the noodles were really hard and the collard greens were good but had meat (smoked turkey) in them which I was not told until I inquired. All prices are plus tax (not including tax) and they only accept cash but they do deliver. With Halsey Street Grill just down the way offering better, fresher seafood at an affordable price and Magic Soul food coming to Nostrand soon M.a's may have to come up with some specials or rethink their whole menu as far as the pricng goes, there's too much competition to skimp on anything and I want people want their moneys worth. Hopefully they haven't tanked out yet, they have potential and I'm rooting for the underdog.

Royal Rib House

If you have the taste for some down home Soul Food you've come to the right place! Unfortunately, if its not Thursday, Friday or Saturday the Royal Rib House won't be open to serve you. Locally known for classic ribs and their original fantastic barbecue sauce Calvin's Royal Rib House has been a neighborhood favorite for years. The lines are always long so be sure to have at least 30 minutes or more to spare when visiting. Although they only do take out the phones are rarely answered so calling ahead is out of the question. One of my past time favorites (back when I ate pork) used to be the chopped barbecue sandwich, served on a soft sandwich bun and topped with cole slaw. However, nothing compares to the fall off the bone ribs and the ALWAYS tender and fresh rotisserie chicken. Dinners at this 3 day work week BBQ pit will run you between $10-$13 plus tax. The dinners include two sides: mac & cheese, yams, collard greens, string beans or cabbage, rice & peas, potato or macaroni salad and a cornbread or dinner roll. The meat serving of the entree is always filling, the downside is that you'll run out of sides before you run out of meat. Seafood availability varies by the day and even when they do have it they run out quickly. If you're looking to top off your meal with dessert the banana pudding is THE BEST! Be sure to get your order in at a reasonable time because closing time is whenever the food runs out. If you're a health conscious hippie or vegan looking to try something new this might not be the spot for you seeing as they only have one vegetable plate on the menu, which basically consists of any three sides and they don't sell any steamed fish or veggies. Don't have time to wait in lines and prefer to cook your own chicken and sides? Well luckily Calvin's Royal Rib House Sauce is sold in stores and online for shipping directly to your door! Be sure to walk with cash because cards are not accepted!

Island Salad

Who said salads had to be boring? Island Salads offers a salad bar with lots to choose from including homemade salad dressings to give any salad that extra kick! Salads include any add ons you can think of: different cheeses, chic peas, avocado, turkey breast and even sunflower seeds (to name a few). The pressed wraps and burritos, like everything else are made fresh when you order. One of the downsides however is that you cannot get a pressed wrap or burrito unless its pressed on the panini grill, meaning it has to be hot, unless you opt to get a salad in wrap. Island Salad also makes fresh signature drinks (non-alcoholic) my favorite is "Jamaica Me Crazy", this drinks plays on layered colors which makes the look of the drink more intriguing then the taste. Two of my favorite picks are The Caribbean Cobb Salad which is made with romaine lettuce, roasted chicken, tomatoes, carrots, hard-boiled egg, smoked turkey bacon, blue cheese, avocado and a jerk Dijon dressing. My second favorite would be the "Buffalo Soldier" wrap named after the famous song by the late great Bob Marley. Not only is the wrap delish but if the song is actually on or comes on while you're ordering you get 50% off the price. Most salads and wraps start at $7 and up, which may be a little pricey for some but with Applebees just across the way selling dry chicken Caesar's for $13 its almost half the price and you'll be more then satisfied. The salads are very filling and so big that you can actually share with your spouse or even children. This particular location does not serve pork and they have different fish salads which either include: salmon, tilapia, tuna or shrimp. The customer service in Island Salads is great but they could use a boost of energy, or because this restaurant is modeled after west indian tradition and Jamaicans in particular, the workers should "lively up themselves"

Halsey Street Grill

I like to think of Halsey Street Grill as the new rival to its neighboring soul food spot Royal Rib House which located just down the block. Unlike the Royal Rib House, Halsey Street Grill offers inexpensive combos and they are open 7 days a week. Behind the partitioned glass the food is laid out buffet style allowing you to get a good look at your food before you order but because of the small size of the restaurant and antsy servers sometimes you may feel rushed into making a quick decision. The sides range from steamed veggies, yams and rice and hand cut french fries. The seafood has to be the best value with a 10 pc. jumbo shrimp and chips combo for $7! The turkey wings were a bit under cooked, vegetarians may want to skip the collard greens because they are cooked with some kind of meat, the macaroni and cheese reminded me of a trini "macaroni pie" being as the cheese was mainly on top of the noodles, the whiting fish and chicken wings are delicious as well. There is the option to order online or by phone and have your food delivered opposed to picking it up. However, you'll be lucky if someone answers the phone and I've heard the delivery wait is ridiculous! On a 1-10 I'd rate this place a 6.5. Although there is a variety of menu choices the most important thing is quality over quantity