Relaxing At The Riviera

My idea of stopping off for a bite to eat in Brighton Beach to avoid the over-crowded subway proved to be brilliant. The first restaurant we spotted was Riviera Grill & Sushi and we didn't bother looking further.

Riviera Grill & Sushi


I guess the only dress code they had was one that included wearing a shirt because this guy, coming from the beach, was putting one on before entering.

Dressing For The Occasion


For some reason the "outside" area seemed more crowded than the inside. Maybe that was because the inside was only for dining. They did have a little bar inside, but it looked to be a serving bar only. Everyone inside was pretty much fixated on the football game featuring Russia against the Netherlands. If you read my previous post you will know that Russia won 3 to 1 to advance to the Euro Cup quarter finals.

The Serving Bar


The first thing I did was order a large beer because I had worked up quite a thirst by that time. It was some kind of a French beer, but I didn't quite catch the name.

Just What The Doctor Ordered


Why a French beer in a restaurant that obviously catered to Russians in a decidedly Russian neighborhood? Well, why a sushi bar?

Fresh Fish


The decor had a French look to it, although like nothing I actually have ever seen in France, and I guess the name of the restaurant referred to the French Riviera.

The walls depicted what I took to be a hectic kitchen in a French restaurant.

Tony Bourdain Might Approve


Here is a closer look:





The French theme was carried forward to the decorative plates at the table:





I thought the artwork in the bathroom was appropriate as well:





Okay, so the decor was nice and the beer was cold, so what about the food? It was delicious and plentiful.

We started out with an appetizer that you don't see too often, grilled tongue.

Hold Your Tongue


This was thinly sliced beef tongue that was lightly grilled. Very tender and served with ribbons of mustard along side that added just the right bite. I think there were five slices, maybe six, to start with so you can see that it was a pretty healthy serving.

I ordered duck with some kind of a tart berry sauce and it was fantastic. Really tender with a nicely crisped skin. Even the mashed potatoes that it came with were tasty and they weren't instant.

Delicious Duck


The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered the veal saltimbuca with couscous and it was delicious as well.

Saltimbuca With Couscous


It was exceptionally tender with a very flavorful sauce. The couscous was the large kind but it was done just right. A bit of a crunch on the outside but nice and soft inside.

All and all it was a most excellent meal and I wouldn't hesitate to go back again. As I said, the portions were large so we asked for a doggy bag. They packed everything up in a separate container instead of lumping it all together, which was thoughtful. I ate the duck cold the next day and it was still great. The veal held up to the microwave just fine too.

Oh, the bread basket was good too. My favorite was a rye bread roll with raisins and nuts inside. It came with a herb butter. They also set out a little plate of mixed olives.

You can find Riviera Grill & Sushi at 3100 Ocean Parkway just a block or so back of the boardwalk and only a block or two from the subway stop. A bit out of the way, perhaps, depending upon where you live. But you can always stop at The International, the biggest and most popular Russian deli in New York, on the way home and pick up some exotic treats that you aren't likely to find anywhere else. They also have a large selection of Russian beers.

As you can see, my plan to let the crowds thin out worked just fine.

No Crowds


And just like that, the Q train arrived to take us almost home.

Right On The Dot, The Q


We transferred at Atlantic Avenue, although we could have walked from there. We had been walking enough though.

Mermaid Parade - Part Deux

Still having some time to kill before the parade started, I decided to head to my all-time favorite beach dive bar in the whole, entire world.

I Bring You - Ruby's


It was more crowded than usual, as you might expect. In fact, it was downright packed.

Like Sardine's


There was still room for a mermaid to preen a bit though.

Water Repellent Lip Gloss


And I managed to find a place to belly up to the bar and have a hot dog and a beer. Actually, I was just holding the hot dog for the Mysterious Chinese Woman while she took this picture. Jeez, she ate a whole pulled pork sandwich and now she was eating a hot dog. She said it was a tradition to eat a hot dog at Rudy's. Who am I to argue.

Just Holding


Notice the authentic Ruby's tee-shirt that I am wearing. This is one that Sam, the manager, gave me a couple of years ago. Note the mustard stain that was there when I got it. It has faded a bit, but I hope it never disappears.

I had a couple of beers and gin and tonics and then the parade started to arrive. The combination of my alcohol ingestion and the huge crowds blocking the way made it difficult to get many good shots of the paraders, but here is what I got without further ado:

Mermaids? On Parade

































Well, as you can imagine, there were many more mermaids, or whatever, than that. Thousands even. Way too many to endure. I decided to head out a bit early and try to beat the crowd. I got side-tracked by Beer Island though.

As you can see, it was really crowded. There was a line waiting to get in and they were carding just about everyone.

A Crowded Beach


I mentioned that the wait staff here was very eager. They were, however, a bit confused about just what they should be doing. When we got there in the morning we bought our beers at the stand by the entrance. As soon as we sat down someone came over to ask us if we wanted anything to drink, even though we had just walked to the table with full glasses. We said we were going to order something to eat though. She said she would send someone over. Well, someone did come over, but she didn't have a menu so she had to go back and get one. We ordered and she left only to come back a few minutes later to ask us if we wanted lettuce, tomato, or onion on our sandwiches. The Mysterious Chinese Woman didn't want anything but I asked for onion. I didn't get it though.

This time around we got seats at a table and I ordered a beer and a water for the Mysterious Chinese Woman. She decided she wanted to head back to the boardwalk to take some more pictures. After a bit I had to use the toilet so I told the waitress that I would be back and to not take my beer. Of course when I got back another waitress had cleared the table and seated someone. I had enough to drink so I wasn't going to complain too much, the operative word being "too."

We headed back to catch a subway home and passed by another of my favorite sights in Coney Island.

A Fun Facade


That, again, like Ruby's, is something that probably will not survive whatever redevelopment takes place here. Just too much valuable real estate that has, according to some, been under-utilized for far too long.

In some respects, I have to agree. There are few cities in the world that have a beach as nice as the one at Coney Island, and no cities that haven't utilized the beaches to much better advantage. Take a look at this piece of land just behind the boardwalk. Where else would you see something like that other than in New York. Think Far Rockaway, for those of you familiar with this neck of the woods.

Vacant, But Not For Long


We headed back to the subway but couldn't cross the street to get to it. The parade was still going and this was its route. This, however, turned out to be ill-advised. The crowds were starting to pile up from behind and it was just about impossible to turn around and go the other way. Luckily we were at the front of the back and managed to head to the right towards Brighton Beach. I didn't read about any deaths in this morning' paper so I guess everyone got out alright.

The Crowd And An Icon


It looked way too crowded at the subway stop so we decided to just walk down to Brighton Beach and have a leisurely dinner at an air-conditioned restaurant and wait for the crowd to thin And that is just what we did. I will put up a short post on the place tomorrow. Let me say though, the food was delicious, the service was attentative, and there was a Russian crowd glued to the many televisions (even in the restrooms) watching Russia play the Netherlands in a quarter-final match in the 2008 Euro Cup. This is a big deal, almost as big as the World Cup. Only one team has ever won the World Cup and then followed up by winning the Euro Cup. That was France who won the World Cup in 1998 (I was in Paris, too) and then the Euro Cup in 2000. Last time Italy won the World Cup and they are now out of the tournament so it won't happen this time either.

Russia won the match 3 to 1 so there were a lot of happy Russians toasting each other with vodka when it was over. I would have hated to have seen them if they lost. I think they weep and eat boiled potatoes when that happens.

Mermaid Parade - Part One

Let me simply say this this was a fun day and a lot was done. Will take at least a couple of posts to cover it all. Don't expect too many pictures of mermaids, though. This was the 25th annual Mermaid Parade and to say there was a crowd would be like saying there was a little sand on the beach. It was packed. I read where last year the crowd was estimated at 850,000 and I bet there were more this year.

It has been about three years since I went to my last Mermaid Parade, and man, I was not prepared for this. There was a crowd the last time I went, but nowhere near as large. You could even mingle with the paraders to take pictures. This year the route was barricaded off. But then it would have to be. With this big of a crowd the parade itself would just get lost in it.

It was more fun with the smaller crowd though. I guess what is happening here is what happened to the Halloween Parade in the Village. It just grew and grew and the crowds kept getting bigger and now I just watch it on television. I am still glad I went, though. In fact I think I am going back to Coney Island with friends next Saturday as well.

As always, the trip to Coney Island begins with a subway. I can pick it up just a few blocks away though, and getting there is half the fun.

The Coney Island Line


And Here Comes The Train


Appropriately enough, the Coney Island exit includes Mermaid Avenue.

How Appropriate


There are plans underway to transform Coney Island into some kind of an upscale tourist attraction complete with shopping malls and hotels. In my opinion, that would be tragic. It would probably end up like the once praised South Street Seaport in Manhattan. A place that is going broke because nobody goes there.

Nothing could ever replace the first glimpses when you get off the subway. A bit garish and tacky but with that seaside amusement park ambiance that is the essence of why you come here.

First Appearances Are So Important




The parade didn't start until 2:00 PM and we got there before noon so we had some time to kill. The crowds hadn't really begun to arrive in mass yet either. As we headed toward the boardwalk we decided to pop into Beer Island for a beer and a bite to eat.

Beer Island


The last time I was here this was a minature golf course and a cheesy waterslide. This is a much better use of the land. It is new this year and is owned by John Ciarcia who also owns the nearby Cha Cha's, a pretty funky place in its own right. John is also known for playing Albie Cianflone during the last two seasons of The Sopranos.

The Bar


The bar, mostly a serving bar, is small but they have a better than average selection of beers. You get it in a plastic cup though, which I don't particularly like. Given the beach-like atmosphere it seemed appropriate, though.

Having A Yuengling


The people here were very nice. Quite chatty and obviously proud of the place. They offered to take a picture of the Mysterious Chinese Woman and me out front.

Say Cheese


We went and had a seat on one of the beach tables. It was lunchtime and we were getting a bit hungry. Luckily there was more to Beer Island than just beer.

Is It A Mirage


There menu was limited but it had what I wanted, a brisket sandwich. The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered a pulled pork sandwich. And when it arrived it looked great.

Beautiful Brisket


It smelled delightful as well and the only thing left to do was to...

Eat It


Hey, it was really great. Smooked just right and nicely crisped on the outside. Served on a whitebread bun with a decent side of barbecue sauce, it was well done indeed. If I got this in one of the Manhattan barbecue places that have sprung up I might expect a larger portion, but no better taste.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman liked her ribs too. I thought they were good, and they probably only suffered in comparison to the outstanding brisket.

The coleslaw was pretty lame though.

On the other hand, the staff was almost overly attentive and kind of stepping all over each other. It was pretty interesting and there wasn't much of a crowd. Wonder what it will be like when the parade is over and the crowds disperse. Oh yeah, I know already, I stopped by after the parade.

No expense had been spared to replicate an authentic tropical resort beach.

An A For Effort


It looked like some kind of a film crew was sitting at a nearby table. Probably for some cable TV show.

A Classic In The Making


I stuck with the Yuengling but, I have to admit, this ad on the wall by the porta-potties made me thing about switching.

Hmm, Not Sure If I Want To Try It Or Not


Okay, that is it for today. I am about to head out to a nearby street fair and you will hear about that too.

Oh, I did get some pictures of mermaids, so here is a teaser: