Friday night we visited friends in Brooklyn in the neighborhood called Fort Greene.

In the 1970s, “pioneers” could pick up a brownstone for a song. The neighborhood was pre-gentrified and it was tough and scary and crime-ridden.

Now the prices for the same brownstones are tough and scary! Millions!

The row of homes I am going to present were built before the Civil War and are landmarks, subject to preservation and strict codes. All renovations must be approved. That goes for façade color and railings.

Our friends have an incredible place which they have been renovating for years. They recently moved downstairs and rent the upstairs. It is a double duplex with a garden in back.

Recently the façade began to fail and brown sandstone began to fall. They quickly had to get a contractor to set up scaffolding and protect the street as well as the building. We are talking eighty thou before repairs! Get the picture?

Three houses on the block were undergoing renovations. Need a job, get into landmarks preservation.

Brownstones are found all around Central Park in Manhattan and in other neighborhoods. They are a window into New York City history when life was elegant, you left a calling card in the parlor, the floors were inlaid with intricate designs, fireplaces were detailed marble, the hearth was in the basement. the downstairs staff hoisted meals to the hungry in gowns seated at formal dining rooms in a dumbwaiter, streets were cobbled, horses and carriages were your taxi, and slavery was still part of our country. How’s that for a time marker?

Now that I have waxed poetic, here’s a restaurant reality bite. We made our way to Fulton Street a short couple of blocks away, where there was even a subway entrance, talk about convenience. There are many ethnic eateries and as I had never had Ethiopian food, we decided to try it, although this particular restaurant wasn’t our friends first choice for same.

There are no utensils so wash them hands! Food is served on injera, a bread made from a grain called “teff.”  It was rubbery and sour and I have to say that for a person like myself who loves food, when I tried the stewed lentil appetizer (you rip off a piece of injera and scoop up the stuff) I was startled. It was sour, bread and lentils, not my favorite flavor or consistency. Then I realized the lentils must have been stewed with mustard greens which gave them a kick. It took some getting used to.

The dish we four shared was presented on a large tray and we all dug in to scoop up the saucy varieties of meat and vegetables. I expected spicier. I was more startled when another type of injera was presented on a plate. I can’t describe what if felt like. Foam rubber sheets? Upholstery? Playground padding? You could pick it up and jiggle it. The fact that everyone was ripping it apart with their saucy hands kind of turned me off so I ripped off my pieces from what was on the plate, but that was quickly becoming saturated with an oily red sauce.

This was not my favorite cuisine but it was interesting adn might have been better elsewhere but I’m glad I tried it.

You should be able to regulated the speed of the slideshow. Linger over the beautiful buildings.

A view of Brownstone architecture in Brooklyn, New York
Ethiopian food at Bati