Despite weeks (or often months) of planning, it’s mostly impossible to tell which stories are going to take off. Sometimes the post that took one hour from conception to finish will spread like wildfire on social media, while a story that went through several drafts may only garner a small handful of readers. Story popularity is almost always unpredictable.
There are some patterns, though. According to our data, you largely like learning where to go and what to eat. You also like learning about local food tech, the city’s best markets and beer. Sounds good to us.
As we close out 2014, here’s a recap of your favorite stories of the year. Your favorite didn’t make it to this list? Let us know by leaving a comment.
- A Dumpling Tour of Sunset Park — Elana Carlson
In place of facsimile shops, Sunset Park has dumpling haunts — and enough amazing ones that we decided it warranted a full-blown tour of our favorite spots.
- Dinner Under the Stars: Tickets Now on Sale for a Prospect Park Pop-Up Picnic — Lydia Warren
Thousands of guests, dressed only in white, will descend upon a secret location with food, drink and decorations to seize the night.
- How Fermentation Saved One Woman’s Stomach — Marie Viljoen
Through her bakery and community-supported baking (CSB) enterprise, Sarah Owens brings sourdough to Brooklyn. - PHOTOS: A Look Inside Threes Brewing in Gowanus, Brooklyn’s Lastest Brewpub — Niko Krommydas
The unconventional venue features an open kitchen, Ninth Street Espresso’s first Brooklyn outpost, an events space, outdoor seating, a brewery and a bar pouring 24 drafts of beers, wines and ciders.
- Iran, at Last: A Williamsburg Chef Finds Persian Family Ties—and Feasts—Are Long Lasting — Louisa Shafia
While Louisa Shafia suspected her welcome would be loving, little did she know that a Persian epic of food would unfold.
A Persian feast. Photo credit: Lauren Volo - 10 Brooklyn Markets to Eat at While It’s Fall — Karen Seiger
Get it while it’s good. Here are the markets you shouldn’t miss this season.
- Nutritious Protein Bars with a New, Sustainable Ingredient: Cricket Flour — Rachel Nuwer
A couple of Williamsburg roommates have just launched Exo: a protein bar–producing company named for the exoskeleton of its key ingredient.
- An Ice Cream Tour of Park Slope — Rachel Wharton
We’re not sure if it’s the proximity to Prospect Park or the area’s famously large number of small children, but Park Slope boasts some of the city’s best frozen desserts. Here’s our tour of the best.
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home — Caroline Lange
If you have a large, clean glass jar — even an old, thoroughly cleaned pickle jar — you can make enough cold brew to get you through the week.
- Taste of Haiti: 5 Places to Try Kreyol Cuisine — Rachel Wharton
Thousands of Haitians live in Brooklyn; here are five kitchens serving them a taste of their West Indian home. - Evil Twin: A Gypsy Brewer Puts Down Roots in Brooklyn — Rachel Nuwer
Watching a critical mass build from across the Atlantic early on, brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø eventually realized that Brooklyn was where he belonged.Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø at Tørst in Greenpoint. Credit: Vicky Wasik - Park Slope Welcomes Taco Santo — Cindy Augustine
The newest taqueria on the block (specifically Union Street in Park Slope) is Taco Santo.
- RECIPE: 2 Summer Pies from Four & Twenty Blackbirds — Gabrielle Langholtz
The sweet sisters behind the beloved pie shop shared two recipes from their book and now we’re even more eager for the arrival of peaches and corn.
- 10 Brooklyn Markets That You Should Eat and Drink at While It’s Summer — Ariel Lauren Wilson
Karen Seiger, author of Markets of New York City, tells us where we should go to get some of the season’s best local food and drink.
