"So Jazzy, So Brooklyn, SOCO!"

Peter Best, Malissa Browne and Slim Walker are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to serving up some of the most mouth-watering Southern Fusion cuisine in Brooklyn. Half restaurant, half cocktail bar, SoCo has been described as "the Brooklyn Bridge turned into a restaurant." The designer Andres Aladin, cleverly incorporated things into the space so it feels "relaxed enough for casual lunches but sexy enough for dinner dates," and for that he will always hold a special place in my heart.

When you enter SoCo, it's as if life outside those doors do not exist. The atmosphere is relaxing yet chic and the menu is so creative and unique that it's hard not to order one of everything. SoCo describes their menu style as "a mixture of cajun/creole, barbecue and soul food dreamt up with everything else you can imagine."

 While keeping true to roots of Southern food, one of their most popular menu items is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. This dish is two pieces of organic buttermilk chicken served on top of a red velvet waffle with Bourbon syrup on the side.  Another dish that will tempt your taste buds is the Mac and Cheese served in an iron skillet. From the B.Q.E. Salmon Burger to the Smoked Butternut Squash Ravioli you can't go wrong. Craving more? Check out the full menu here. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Mac and Cheese

Pecan Crusted Pork Chop

B54 Burger

Strawberry Shortcake

SoCo is open seven days a week from noon to at least 11pm, with a daily intermission from 3:30pm - 5pm. They are located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill at 509 Myrtle Avenue and dinner for two will cost you around $50. What are you waiting for!? Grab a date and head on over to SoCo. You are going to love it!

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Some photos from: Brooklyn Bred Brooklyn Fed

Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizza

While meandering throughout Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend, I stumbled upon something I knew had to be delicious. From a quarter mile away I could see people lined out the door and around the corner anxiously waiting to get into Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Over Pizzeria. Naturally, I was very curious and  jumped right in line.

Look for the Rayban's and you'll find me!

 After an hour wait, we finally made it to the front of the line and a few moments later we were in the door. We sat at the bar and patiently waited for our half cheese, half pepperoni coal brick-oven pizza and admired the decor. The walls are filled with photos of famous celebrities that have dinned at Grimaldi's, the tables are cozy and the pizza's are hand crafted by their hard working team in the center of the restaurant.

To serve the loyal fans of Grimaldi's, the coal brick-oven must heated by 100 pounds of coal a day, with temperatures that reach 1200 degrees. That's one hot mamma.

The menu is pretty standard and simple. Choose your pie size: small or large, then choose your toppings. Some of the toppings they offer are pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onions, basil and fresh mozzarella. Check out the full list here. The pizza's range from $12-$16 and toppings range from $2-$4 per topping.

Because the pizza is so good and the fans will do anything to experience this piece of heaven, they have some rules: no credit cards, no slices, no reservations and no delivery.

After every inch of our pizza was devoured, it was easy to understand why Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Over Pizzeria has been voted "Best Pizza" year after year by Zagat. Grimaldi's  has locations throughout New York City and Hoboken, NJ. Check out the full list of locations here.

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