Eating In Translation

David's Bakery

On the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, the first home of this bakery's owners, rock cake would have arrived during two centuries of British colonial rule. This small fruitcake is named for its craggy contours, not its texture; under the surface my rock cake was rather yielding. I can't imagine that one would ever be regifted. Also shown: a slice of carrot cake that rivaled pound cake for richness.

H/T Colin, a fellow food lover encountered at the most recent GIPSVG Annual Culture Pot

David's Bakery
4918 Ave. H (Utica Ave.-East 49th St.), East Flatbush, Brooklyn
917-601-7790
Closed Sunday

New York-area food events, April 4-11

The Origins of Kimchi and Soju
Thursday, April 4, 6:00-???
The Korea Society, 350 Madison Ave. (at 45th St., 24th floor), Manhattan
www.KoreaSociety.org/education/item/1276-the-origins-of-kimchi-and-soju
Tickets: general admission, $25

Madeleine Kamman, Culinary Luminary
Thursday, April 4, 6:00-8:00
The New School, University Center, 63 Fifth Ave. (at 13th St., room UL103), Manhattan
www.Eventbrite.com/e/madeleine-kamman-culinary-luminary-tickets-55604267862
Free admission with online registration

Tastings at the Tenement
Thursday, April 4, 6:30-8:00; repeats periodically
Event begins at 97 Orchard St. (Delancey-Broome Sts.), Manhattan
www.Tenement.org/tour/tastings-at-the-tenement/?tour_date=2019-04-04
Tickets: general admission, $40; students and seniors, $35

Don't ... Eat ... 'Til Brooklyn
Thursday, April 4, 7:00-???
The Dumbo Loft, 155 Water St. (at Pearl St.), Dumbo, Brooklyn
www.CityMeals.org/get-involved/events/dont-eat-til-brooklyn
General admission: $85

Max and Mina's Ice Cream

A little salty peanut butter ice cream is delicious. More can seem too much; I split my small serving with a palate-freshening cardamom pistachio, held in reserve at the bottom of the cup. More recently: peanut butter pie partnered with blackberry and eggnog, procured by Ethnojunkie.

Max and Mina's (Minn-ahs) Ice Cream
71-26 Main St. (71st Rd.-72nd Ave.), Kew Gardens Hills, Queens
718-793-8629
www.Facebook.com /MaxAndMinas
Open most afternoons and early evenings; closed from late afternoon Friday until Saturday after sunset

Zirkin's

A satellite dish and a cellular array are relatively new additions to this rooftop. Across the avenue, a marquee still memorializes the Canarsie Theatre, which opened in 1927; it closed in 2004 before making the transition to digital projection.

Zirkin's came and went sometime during the theater's long run. This kosher butcher shop was a going concern in 1955, according to an ad that also helps in deciphering the smaller text of the painted sign. Evidently one could have "orders delivered" by calling NI[ghtingale] 9-2700. It's unclear, however, when the owners settled in, or when they closed shop and took wing.

Zirkin's
Surviving signage at 9303 Ave. L (East 93rd-East 94th Sts.), Canarsie, Brooklyn

Dolphin Transmissions

When the first dining destination of the day proves disappointing, and the second is shuttered, the most unlikely fusion food begins to look appealing.

Dolphin Transmissions
8501 Flatlands Ave. (at East 85th St.), Canarsie, Brooklyn
718-209-0800
www.DolphinTransmissions.com
Closed Sunday
Vending-machine situation unknown

Royal Rib House

Friday night at Royal Rib House: a chopped BBQ sandwich worth the wait.

Royal Rib House
303 Halsey St. (Throop Ave.-Marcus Garvey Blvd.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-453-9284
www.RoyalRibHouseNYC.com
Takeout only, Thursday through Saturday, noon to 9:30 or when the food runs out

Soft Swerve

Earthtones remind me of spring, ice cream sends my mind racing ahead to summer. Matcha swirled with Vietnamese cold brew coffee — the latter, a collaboration with Madame Vo.

Soft Swerve
85 Allen St. (Grand-Broome Sts.), Manhattan
646-476-6311
www.SoftSwerveNYC.com

New Yemen Convenience and Halal Meat Market

Particularly when these bags of chips are heaped in a bin, the text at bottom, which names the flavor in Arabic and English, is hard to read. It's the artwork that must carry the message, in this case, "kebab." The flavor is mild, bespoke barcode notwithstanding.

New Yemen Convenience and Halal Meat Market
Frederick Douglass Blvd. at West 150th St.

New York-area food events, March 28-April 4

The Serious Side of Food Reading: Food Politics, How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, with the author, Marion Nestle
Thursday, March 28, 5:30-7:00
NYC Department of Records and Information Services, 31 Chambers St. (Elk-Lafayette Sts., in the Rebecca Rankin Reading Room), Manhattan
www.Eventbrite.com/e/the-serious-side-of-food-reading-series-w-jane-ziegelman-and-andrew-coe-tickets-49503054970
Free admission with online registration

Smorgasburg x Vice Night Market
Friday, March 29, 6:00-midnight
The Villain, 50 North 3rd St. (Wythe-Kent Aves.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.Eventbrite.com/e/smorgasburg-x-vice-night-market-2019-week-5-tickets-54797867898
Free admission with online RSVP; after 8:00, ages 21 and over only

Indonesian Gastronomy Association bazaar
Sunday, March 31, 10:00-4:00
Elmhurst Memorial League, 8824 43rd Ave. (near Whitney Ave.), Elmhurst, Queens
www.Facebook.com/IGAUSA2018/posts/331999994327798
Free admission

Phagwah Parade and Celebration
Sunday, March 31, noon-late afternoon
Parade proceeds west along Liberty Ave. from 133rd St. to 125th St., then north to the festival site at Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto Park (also known as Smokey Oval Park), Richmond Hill, Queens
www.PhagwahParade.us
Don't wear your best clothes: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2018/04/phagwah-celebration-in-richmond-hill.html
Free admission

Yong Gung

Garlic whisperers: shrimp mandu with minced pork and beef. Thanks to Sam, a fellow customer, for providing translations from the Korean, background on the business, and mandu, too.

Yong Gung (Dragon Palace)
163-24 Northern Blvd. (163rd St.-Sanford Ave.), Murray Hill, Queens
718-344-1494