Brooklyn's Best Bites Near the RBC Brooklyn Half Course

Photo provided by Agi's Counter.

David Paradela is on the internal communications team at NYRR and worked at Wine & Spirits Magazine handling their news and restaurant coverage.

Since the earliest wave of immigration in the mid-19th century, Brooklyn’s neighborhoods have constituted a mosaic of communities from around the world. To run the RBC Brooklyn Half is to trace the histories of these communities as they built new lives through sharing their food, music, and culture. Brooklyn’s culinary scene continues to produce new ways of storytelling through restaurants old and new. For spectators, runners, and their family and friends, we recommend visiting the below businesses near the race course to gain a deeper understanding of the borough that brought the world to America.

Near the Start Line

Agi’s Counter

A few blocks from the race’s start line is Agi’s Counter, an all-day café inspired by chef Jeremy Salamon’s Hungarian and Jewish grandmothers' dishes. While the seasonal menu often rotates entrees such as chicken paprika or semolina dumplings in a parmesan broth, some of the café’s best dishes are all-year staples like the green devils (deviled eggs in a zesty dill and chive sauce topped with anchovies). Another must-try is the chicken liver mousse—generously spread on crispy, griddled pullman bread, the mousse’s earthy flavor is offset by a sweet, caramelized cherries flecked with fennel seeds. The café’s in-house bakery also doles out cheesecakes in a syrupy blueberry sauce and Hungarian-style donuts on Sundays.

Near the 10K Mark

SYKO

Not far from the 10K mark is SYKO, a Syrian-Korean restaurant started by brothers-in-law who took the best of both their cultures and combined them to form a small eatery. One of the restaurant’s most notable items is the chicken shawarma hotteok, a fusion dish that stuffs a Korean scallion pancake with chicken marinated in Middle Eastern spices, pickles, kimchi mayo, and French fries—it really is as good as it sounds. To complement your sandwich, order from a number of banchan (Korean side dishes) like cucumber kimchi, which is crunchy, spicy, and refreshing at the same time. Temper the heat with ayran, a salty yogurt drink available in both plain and mint flavors, and walk over to Dukan Syko, the restaurant’s grocery store that carries hard-to-find products like Vimto, a British soda made with a variety of dark fruits. Also try the kimchi made by one of the owner’s mothers.

Between Miles 7 and 8

Ghoroa Restaurant

As runners exit Prospect Park onto Ocean Parkway, one of the first neighborhoods they’ll pass is Kensington, home to Little Bangladesh. A strip of restaurants and businesses along McDonald Avenue, the area hosts a Bangladeshi population that has tripled in number over the past decade. In the middle of it all is Ghoroa, which specializes in beef tehari, a flavorful rice dish made with a short grain varietal called kalijira. The rice is so flavorful, it could be eaten on its own—with pieces of cardamom mixed in and aromas of mace wafting from the steaming heap accompanied by succulent chunks of beef. To add even more flavor to the rice, spoon sauces from the various other dishes that line the steam table such as chicken roast and the multitude of curries on display. Order a side of chili chicken, an Indo-Chinese staple in a sweet and spicy glaze and wash it down with mango lassi.

Near Mile 10

Village Café

From Midwood into Homecrest, there's a thriving population of immigrants from the Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). Tucked inside the inconspicuous parking lot of an adjacent liquor store, Village Café evokes an immediate warmth, especially on Sundays, where groups of friends and families bring their own bottles of wine and indulge in their homeland’s cuisine. Azerbaijani food is at once familiar and completely unique from the cuisine of its neighboring countries as exemplified by kutaby, a crispy, stuffed flatbread reminiscent of Turkish gözleme, accompanied by a yogurt and dill sauce ubiquitous throughout the meal. A true standout is guru hingal, a spiced ragu of minced lamb garnished with cilantro and served over silky, diamond-shaped noodles. The meatball-like chicken lulya kebab has a firm, charred exterior that contains a juicy, savory bite. Order a pitcher of kompot, a sweet and lively iced tea infused with mixed berries, apples, and lemon, and you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t tried Azerbaijani cuisine sooner.

Near Mile 11

Joe’s of Avenue U

When the Sicilian waitress at Joe’s of Avenue U asks if you want to make your panelle and arancini “special,” just say, “Yes.” You’ll be rewarded with ricotta and caciocavallo cheeses topping chickpea fritters on a brioche bun or covering a sumptuous rice ball stuffed with pork and beef and drowning in thick tomato gravy. The Gravesend institution has been plating crowd-pleasing Sicilian specialties including pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines) and pasta con cavolfiore (pasta with cauliflower) for close to 70 years. Both pastas, unique to Italy’s southern-most region, come in a sauce made with fennel, golden raisins, pine nuts, onions, and their nominal ingredients with a side of breadcrumbs for topping. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert—especially the tiramisu, which is one of the best in New York City.

Near the 20K Mark

Ocean View Café

On the way to Surf Avenue, you'll bypass Little Odessa, an area that has attracted Russian and Ukrainian immigrants since the 1960s. Perched on a bustling corner of Brighton Beach Avenue and surrounded by signs in Cyrillic, Ocean View Café serves as a cozy nook for its patrons to munch on a variety of dumplings that originate from Eastern Europe. Here, diners can admire the restaurant’s quirky turquoise tables and watch a game of soccer while trying out vareniki, pelmeni, and blintzes. Vareniki, a Ukrainian staple that most closely resembles pierogi, is filled with sour cherries and dipped in sour cream (an accompaniment for every dumpling order). Ear-shaped pelmeni, filled with beef and pork and topped with a creamy mushroom sauce, are a more savory option compared to blintzes. Bright green tarragon soda highlights the eclectic nature of the café, a unique brunch option and meeting point before exploring the neighborhood’s various markets stocked with Russian goods.

Near the Finish Line

Coney’s Cones

There’s no better way to celebrate your RBC Brooklyn Half finish than with ice cream! But not just any ice cream—handcrafted, artisanal gelato created by an Italian gelato master. Almost any ice cream would do on a warm, sunny day along the boardwalk, but Coney’s Cones provides exceptional, rich gelato with real ingredients that transport you to the Amalfi Coast. Try the cappuccino gelato which contains flecks of crunchy cacao nibs mixed in or the pistachio, which rivals the best examples of this classic flavor in Rome or Naples. The stand, located right in front of Luna Park, also offers dairy-free granitas in flavors including green apple, cherry, and blue raspberry. You’ve worked hard for this accomplishment, so give yourself a little Italian vacation in a cone or cup.

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