Archives for April 2013

The Lowdown on an Upright Citizen: Comedian Anthony Apruzzese

April 15, 2013 By Keith R. Higgons Leave a Comment

Williamsburg resident Comedian Anthony Apruzzese performs a weekly “live late-night show… on stage” at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater

Comedy is as much a part of the DNA of Brooklyn as country music is of Nashville. The list of comedians who have called Brooklyn home reads like a history lesson of the hysterical: Mel Brooks, Larry David, Woody Allen, Jackie Gleason, and current late night warriors Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, among countless others. Hoping to one day count himself among those names is Williamsburg resident Anthony Apruzzese. He is currently blazing a trail in the super competitive world of comedy with his improvisation/theater/sketch late night talk show at the Upright Citizens Brigade East Theater called “Showtime with Anthony Apruzzese”.

I first met Apruzzese a few years ago in prison. Not a real prison, mind you; we worked in the same office. He was always quick with the clever retort or with sharing a skewed point of view, which made me realize his humor was slightly beyond his years. I was relieved to have finally found a kindred spirit to help ease the mind-numbing pain of white-collar work. At the very least, it curtailed my budding Xanax addiction.

Zizi Limona—Middle Eastern Cuisine—Beyond Falafel

April 14, 2013 By Mary W. Yeung Leave a Comment

By Mary Yeung, Photos by Todd Barndollar

A few days after I had lunch at Zizi Limona, I found myself telling all my friends about it. I haven’t been so excited about a new restaurant for a long while, but Zizi Limona really meets my criteria for what good Middle Eastern food should be. Colorful dishes that are smoky and tangy, with layers and layers of exotic flavors. You can taste the cumin, peppers, tahini, mint, dates, preserved lemon, and toasted olive oil, and, occasionally, even basil and Thai fish sauce will make an unexpected appearance. The flavors are intense and complex, but never muddled or overwhelming.

Goodbye La Villita Bakery

April 13, 2013 By Genia Gould Leave a Comment

The birthday and wedding cakes in the La Villita Bakery window would turn brown over time, and with figurines of bare-breasted mermaids and muscular men, the result was camp (which most in the neighborhood appreciated, or some piqued by). The cakes were made of styrofoam but decorated with meringue and sweet cream. White-haired Alfonso Sosa, the owner of La Villita for 17 years, said he replaced the prop cakes with fresh ones every six months or so.

Patricia Meza, Alfonso’s wife, would be at the grill making egg sandwiches with generous portions of bacon tucked into the fresh breads or croissants made on the premises. Sosa’s sister-in-law, Maribel Meza, an outgoing woman, employed at the bakery for 13 years, managed the customers, took orders, and worked the cash register. My guess is Maribel was teaching Spanish to several dozen regulars, including myself, in short exchanges while buying coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. “I love to talk with people, and to be in the front of the shop,” she said, revealing her ideal job description, as she’ll need a new one soon. Her people skills were widely known and already new job offers are in the works.

New Yorkers Want a Statewide Ban on Fracking and are Building a Movement

April 11, 2013 By WG News + Arts Leave a Comment

By Corinne Rosen,
Williamsburg Resident, New York Organizer, Food & Water Watch

The people of New York have made themselves clear that fracking has no place in their state, and they’re building a movement that might just force the governor to ban it. While Governor Cuomo and his administration insist they are focused on making a decision based on the science, the fact is that the science is already available and it clearly shows fracking cannot be done safely.

Horizontal high volume hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is an extreme drilling technique used to extract natural gas. The studies that have been done show that fracking is a nightmare, because of water and air pollution, toxic spills, and ruined landscapes. The evidence is clear that fracking is extremely dangerous.

Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”

April 11, 2013 By Brooke Parker Leave a Comment

By Brooke Parker

This year, the parents of public school 3rd to 5th graders received a letter from Chancellor Dennis Walcott offering suggestions on how to ease test anxiety in their 8- to 10-year-olds. Walcott’s talking points included, “Let your child know that these tests are meant to be really hard. That’s because they are designed to measure whether students are on track for college and a good job when they finish high school.” Leaving aside the absurdity of explaining what “on track for college” looks like to children who say “Justin Bieber” when asked what they want to be when they grow up, Walcott would have gotten his message across more succinctly by simply sending a barf bag to parents.

What makes this year’s tests so different that they require a preparatory letter from the Chancellor? For starters, no one is prepared for them. The tests will be based on the new Common Core Standards that New York State implemented this year. The new curriculum was released only a little over a month before the test is to be administered. Principals and teachers are panicking, but not to worry, they got a Walcott letter, too, acknowledging that “these tests will be more difficult to pass,” but assuring educators that, somehow, these tests were in the best interest of their students.