Field Guide: Julia Turshen's Brooklyn

Photography by Sasha Israel for Bonberi. Find Sasha here on Instagram. 

When we spotted the relaxed and enticing snaps of Brooklyn's best food offerings on Julia Turshen's Instagram, we knew we needed an afternoon exploring her neighborhood. A longtime friend of terrain, Julia's warm personality and love for all things local make her the perfect guide to the best snack spots and parks for kicking back in her corner of the city. Also one of our favorite food writers, her credits include Vogue, Bon Apetit, and bestselling cookbooks with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow. Julia's latest endeavor finds her chatting with chefs, farmers, entrepreneurs, and more as the host of Radio Cherry Bombe, the on-air counterpart of Cherry Bombe Magazine. Listen in on Heritage Radio, and read on for Julia's favorite places in her neighborhood. 

1. McCarren Park Greenmarket on Saturdays: My favorite ritual ever is waking up on Saturdays and taking a very short walk to McCarren Park with my wife, Grace, and our dog, Hope. We watch Hope run around with the other dogs and we pick up armfuls of produce and bread from Hot Bread Kitchen at the nearby greenmarket. I get an iced coffee on the way back, then at home we make breakfast together with everything we bought and read the paper (we get it delivered on the weekends— old school!) while Hope naps off her morning run.

2. Five Leaves: We get coffee at Five Leaves all the time, especially because they sweetly have a bowl of water for thirsty dogs, so it's a particularly happy stop for all of us. I love eating outdoors at Five Leaves, but it can get really crazy on summer weekends. Luckily, I'm a freelancer so I can get over there when it's not quite as busy, or Grace and I will sneak in an early dinner.

3. The Brooklyn Kitchen: A nice walk from our apartment and I can get so many wonderful products here including amazing sausages, homemade salsas, and great produce.

4. Transmitter Park: Greenpoint's best-kept-secret, if you ask me. This park is small but gorgeous and has the greatest views. Grace and I love meeting for a weekday picnic lunch here.

5. Word: A great local bookstore-- I love stopping by here when walking home from Transmitter Park.

6. Paulie Gee's: The best pizza in the neighborhood. The Greenpointer and the Hellboy are my absolute favorites.

7. Selamat Pagi: I can't begin to tell you how much I love the Balinese food here. The fact that it's an incredibly short walk from our apartment is such a plus.

8. Grand Ferry Park: One of the best parts about this neighborhood is a quick walk to the water and this little park -- it's a gem.

9. McGolrick Park Greenmarket on Sundays: I think McGolrick Park looks like a slice of France in the middle of Greenpoint. I love coming here on Sundays and checking out their greenmarket.