Brooklyn Flea

Dig It

Hannah — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:37:09 +0000

The spring version of our Record Fair arrives this Saturday with the promise of ideal weather, vinyl-only tunes on the hi-fi all day (check the DJ schedule below), rare and limited-edition nuggets from labels and collectors (that list's below too), and of course the 100 or so Smorg food vendors to sustain you during this trying time. (As New York mentioned in its preview, look for the debut of the Miss Lily's jerk-chicken drum!) There will also be DFA mugs (above) and tote bags featuring Jess Rotter's awesome Record Fair design (below). See ya there! (11am-6pm, inside Smorgasburg.)

DJ SCHEDULE
1:30pm - MAHSSA TAGHINIA (FINDERS KEEPERS)
2pm - OJ FELIPE (XRAY EYEBALLS/KANINE RECORDS)
3pm - ANDY FRENCH (FATCAT/ RAVEN SINGS THE BLUES)
4pm - GERALD HAMMILL (OTHER MUSIC)
5pm- TRES WARREN (PSYCHIC ILLS/SACRED BONES)

VENDOR LINEUP
Aaron Vandeursen
Amish
Ba Da Bing
Bert Q
Brian Turner
Cakeshop
Captured Tracks
Dead Oceans
DFA
Domino
Eat Records
FatCat
Finders Keepers
Glassnote
Goodnight Records
Halcyon the Shop
Have A Killer Time
Jagjaguwar
John Allen
Kanine
Knitting Factory
Lectric Sands
Matt Radune
Minimal Wave
No Quarter
Other Music
Partisan
Rael Lewis
Record Grouch
RVNG
Sacred Bones
Secretly Canadian
Temporary Residence
True Panther
Wierd

SPECIALTY ITEMS
Captured Tracks: Medicine box set, Cleaners From Venus box sets and Wake box sets from RSD; Blouse Limited Edition LPs
FatCat: PAWS limited edition cassette (200 made) & new Fatcat tee shirts
Finders Keepers/B-Music: Exclusive Out of Print Andy Votel Mixes, Jean Rollin 10"s, Possession OST cassette release(200 made), Fallen By Watchbird Remix 12" with Booklet, Record Store Day Silkscreened Poster (100 made)
Glassnote: Oberhofer & Childish Gambino RSD 7"s
Kanine: Eternal Summers "Correct Behavior" LP (original street day July 2012), Surfer Blood "Floating Vibes" 7" (which has been out of print for 2 years now but they discovered some hidden)& Chairlift debut LP vinyl (also out of print)
Knitting Factory: Fela Kuti Complete Works Box Set (CD), Fela Kuti RSD Limited Edition 10", Fela Kuti Hand-Screened Zombie Poster, signed by the original artist, Lemi, Phantom Family Halo Vinyl & Seun Kuti Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Green and Red)
Minimal Wave: unreleased In Aeternam Vale - Dust Under Brightness 12" & Minimal Wave Cupcake Raffle: winning prize cupcake receives $50 in records!
Partisan: Middle Brother Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Black& White Swirl / Includes Extra 10"), Mountain Man Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Cokebottle Clear), Deer Tick Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Green Splatter), Diamond Rugs Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Gold)& Holy Sons Limited Edition Color Vinyl (Gold)
Sacred Bones: Copies of the new Led Er Est "The Diver" and Moon Duo "Mazes Remix" LPs (usually mail order only)

Hannah's Big Score

Hannah — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:16:36 +0000

I’ve been coveting this Species by the Thousands dagger ring for a long, long time. Whenever I walk around the Flea, I inevitably end up at Erica's booth to try on ring after ring. I’ve probably tried on every one of their pieces a hundred times, but in the end, I always fall back on the same one—the silver dagger. It’s just a tad bad-girl without being too much for my slightly conservative tastes. This weekend, after trying it on for the 101^st time, I finally took it home and haven’t been able to stop looking at my hand since. I feel like Joan Jett, like Pat Benatar, like I need to throw on The Cure and a leather jacket—basically, I feel really cool. For only $20, I have no idea why it took me so long to pull the trigger on the dagger.

Fan Fotos

Hannah — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:57:23 +0000

With the plethora of stuff at the Flea, we decided to focus on fan photos featuring the amazing array of things found at both markets. The first two pictures come from a series of close-ups posted on the NYC blog NotSoLolita, make sure to check out the rest at the site.

Nicoletta, who runs the blog Up Gemini, sent this pic to us— thanks so much for the photo Nicoletta, what a fun find!

Remember, you can send your own photos to us at info@brooklynflea.com or post them on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr Photo Pool or Instagram (@bkflea, #bkflea).

What's New? (Smorgasburg)

Hannah — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:44:58 +0000

In honor of Mother’s Day, a hardy Smorg welcome to these new (and returning) faces, who are bringing the best in comfort food to the Williamsburg waterfront.

We're Humpty Dumpty-level cracked up here at HQ that mega-popular 'Burg brunch spot Egg debuts tomorrow—under the brilliant nom de Smorg Hash Bar. Every week George and crew will serve a new take on, yes, hash, one of the resto's most delicious dishes, and probably the best breakfast food ever. Pork belly, duck confit, vegetable, and more, all sourced from Egg's own Goatfell Farm in the Catskills. Rejoice!

Rachel’s Pies makes a welcome return this weekend after being a huge hit last year. Her homemade pies are just like her Pennsylvania Dutch Grandma used to make, with organic and sustainable ingredients, and she's now doing savory flavors too. We’re excited to bite into the Classic Apple, it’s been too long!

Regulars Sunday Gravy will be celebrating Mother’s Day weekend with a dish that always reminds us of our mothers, lasagna. With their delicious homemade "gravy" (meaty, addictive tomato sauce), it is sure to be just as good (if not better) than mom's.

What's New? (Flea)

Hannah — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:24:05 +0000

Looking for treasures is the perfect way to spend a Mother’s Day weekend. Whether your mom is a vintage lover or more of a crafty gal, these new vendors will provide the perfect gift.

American Hand brings a new type of salvaged furniture, with pieces taken from industrial backgrounds. Whether you are into some old time lab equipment or an old school map of Africa, American Hands has it. (Fort Greene)

Attic Angel is the result of over 30 years of collecting and salvaging. Diana Samponaro has roamed all over the rural parts of Texas, her home state, and now has such a giant collection of clothing, pottery, collectibles and furniture that she decided to come show it off at the Flea. (Fort Greene)

Chris Han's Natural Crafts are nothing if not lovely. Chris makes all his bowls, spoons and other kitchen items (above) from organic and sustainable wood, but the true beauty comes from his expert refined woodworking. All items are handmade and designed, so they are as unique as they are gorgeous. (Williamsburg)

Sanford and Sven started with a moving company and some unwanted furniture and turned into a Williamsburg staple. Sven Wechsler started selling discarded furniture that people he helped move left behind and now has a collection of funky, chic retro furniture that’ll blow you away. All the pieces are from the '70s and before and all are priced for a budget. (Williamsburg)

Sasha Leibowitz makes her living as a celebrity stylist and now she's bringing her expert eye for fashion to the Flea. She travels around the world looking for high-end vintage fashion for her clients, bringing them the highest quality and diversity of vintage digs. With her incredible collection of clothing, we all get to shop like bigshots.

Stars and Space proves once and for all that NASA and art are not mutually exclusive. Alexandra Ruben worked at NASA in college (wow!) and now infuses her experiences there and her love of space into her crafts. From cards that recapture man’s greatest space adventures, to moon samples (below) that glow in the dark, her lovely pieces are equal parts science and charm. (Williamsburg)

Featured Vendor: Blank Frames

Hannah — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:38:27 +0000

Susan Blank has a philosophy that many Flea vendors share: the more useful, the more beautiful. That “a little black frame” can be as arresting as one wrought in gold. Blank Frames has both plain black and gilded frames. And ones made of hand carved wood, and mirror, and ironwork, and, well, you get the "picture." We sat down to talk to Susan about her frames and learn a little about how prop scouts for movies and galas work along the way.

What brought you to the Flea?
There was a lot of buzz and it was something different, so one day I finally tried it. Brooklyn is very fresh—it’s a different take on the market. We just have a lot of fun here.

What drew you to frames?
It was a metamorphosis. We did them with art, and people often like the frames more than the art, so we finally got a clue: “Hate the art, like the frames.” I’m really drawn to so many of them, the more elaborate and exotic ones especially. But all of them are lovely. If you have a glass chandelier in your home it may not throw the best light—yes it’s beautiful but you still need the basic thing. A little black frame can be just as beautiful as an exotic metal one.

Describe something that could only have happened at the Flea.
We sell so many frames to so many different people. We have regular clients, a lot of hotels and set dressers. One time we had a Coen Brothers film come in and get some frames. The prop scouts like us a lot.

What is working with the prop scouts and stylists like?
Once a stylist told a friend who was doing one of those fancy charity balls, one with George Harrison’s wife, about us. I think the guy who gave our name didn’t even buy from us, just liked what we had. Then the charity ball people came in and bought something like 50 really fancy frames, all because of this guy who just happened by one day. It was wonderful.

Hannah's Big Score

Hannah — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:02:21 +0000

My trick at Smorg is simple: There are way too many options for someone as famously indecisive as myself, so I let everyone else choose for me. When I saw someone munching on an egg-shaped cake covered in powdered sugar, I just had to know what it was. “A Hong Kong cake from Noodle Lane,” the friendly stranger said. “It’s really good, you should go get one.” I was off to Noodle Lane.

Lane Li, cake-maker extraordinaire, has been working on the recipe for her favorite childhood snack for months, and you can tell. The moment the citrus-vanilla batter hits the cake-press the air fills with the most mouthwatering aroma. It’s hard to wait the two minutes for the cake to be ready. But once it is, oh is the (admittedly short) wait worth it .The cakes are light, sweet and before you know it, completely gone. As I walked around Smorg, scarfing my cake in an unsightly manner, someone stopped me and asked what I was eating. “A Hong Kong cake from Noodle Lane,” I said with my mouth full. “It’s really good, you should go get one.”

Ki Xcholatl Brings the Sweet

Hannah — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:18:23 +0000

Like any good Cinco de Mayo celebration, we spent our 5^th of May drowning ourselves in chocolate. For the second of our monthly event series with The Brooklyn Kitchen, we paid tribute to the best export from Mexico with some delicious dishes and a demonstration. Ki Xcholtal gave anyone who was curious a peek into the in depth chocolate making process, but we couldn’t get over how big the cacao fruit was. Thanks so much to Ki Xcholatl for coming, chocolate tastes all the sweeter now that we know how it’s made.

We are doing events with The Brooklyn Kitchen every month this season—here is a sneak peak at what's to come:

June 9: Daisy Flour Pie Contest, open to vendors and the public. (Click here to participate.)
July 21: Our annual National Ice Cream Day celebration showcases local frozen-dessert makers of all kinds.
August 18: Kikuichi’s Master Craftsmen come all the way from Sakai City, Japan, for a live knife-forging demonstration.
September 29: Celebrate the harvest with a Smorgasburg County Fair.
October 20: Get ready for Halloween with a pumpkin-carving contest.

Fan Fotos

Hannah — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:22:50 +0000

It’s been a while since we took a look online for photos of Smorg, and boy are we glad we did. These foodie pics are great and guaranteed to make you hungry. Now excuse us, we have to go grab a donut.

The caption under this picture from @jaimenlee was “Micah meets a donut.” We’re glad you like the Dough donut, Micah—can we have a bite?

@ingaok caught the careful way they toast marshmallows at S’More Bakery that makes them golden brown every time.

@WithLoveFromBrooklyn makes Noshi’s Norwegian sushi look more like art than food. We promise, it tastes just as good as it looks.

Remember, you can send your own photos to us at info@brooklynflea.com or post them on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr Photo Pool or Instagram (@bkflea, #bkflea).

Cinco de Mayo

Hannah — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:54:07 +0000

After a rousing success with the (friendly) inter-vendor smack-down Smorg vs. Smorg, it’s time once again for our monthly “Kitchen Island” event with The Brooklyn Kitchen. This month we celebrate Mexican independence with a special Cinco de Mayo day filled with Mexican treats.

Brooklyn Kitchen will be celebrating with one of the greatest non-tequila exports from our southern neighbors, cacao beans. Stop by the Kitchen Island booth for a special demonstration on how chocolate is made in the Yucatan by Ki Xocolatl chocolate company. You can also stop by Brooklyn Kitchen’s partner the Meat Hook for a perro caliente con queso.

It’s not just Kitchen Island that’s bringing the Mexican flavor, here is a list of the special Cinco de Mayo dishes other Smorg favorites are bringing to the festivities:

Baby Got Back Ribs will be add a little spice to their meat for the occasion. The new Oaxacan Mole Baby Back Ribs not only fall off the bone, but have a mole kick that will set your mouth on fire.

The Brooklyn Salsa Company is brining the one thing no Cinco de Mayo party is complete without, their signature salsa. They will be selling their famous 5 Boro pack for the occasion—5 salsas on the 5^th day of the 5^th month!

Cutie Pies celebrates independence from Spain with Tequila-Key Lime pie and Mexican brownies made with cinnamon-cayenne. They’ll also celebrate the other big event of the day, the Kentucky Derby, with their signature Bourbon-Pecan pie.

Danny Macaroon, the big winner of last month’s Kitchen Island event, is adding a special Cinco de Mayo flavor to his array of now award winning macaroons —Hibiscus.

First Prize Pies are breaking out a Mexican Chocolate Cream pie for the festivities. With dark chocolate ganache, cinnamon, cayenne and ginger all served with cinnamon whipped cream and chili flakes there is no better way to get in the spirit of the day.

Heartbreaking Dawns has one thing every good Cinco de Mayo party is sure to need, hot sauce. They’ll be selling their Cauterizer sauce, which was recently named best tasting “hottest” sauce by Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, to those who want a party with a little more spice.

Kombucha Brooklyn brings a little health food to the day with a delicious and nutritious papaya lime mix called El Jeffe. The perfect non-guilty treat for such a chocolate filled day.

Salud shows their Mexican spirit with a special “Xocoatl Bar.” They will be serving up some of the best drinks in town, including their famous Mexican Hot Chocolate and will be debuting the summer ready frozen Mexican Hot Chocolate. Not only that, but they will be giving out “Free Salud Shots” of the two drinks all day to help you get in the Cinco de Mayo spirit.

Whimsy and Spice makes this Xocolatl filled day even sweeter with the debut of homemade fudgesicles. These delectable pops come in two flavors, Chocolate Curry and Thai Iced Tea—get there before we eat them all.