Provini, which is coming to 8th Ave & 13th St in Brooklyn (the space formerly occupied by Pumpkin’s Organic Market), has been in the process of opening for a while now. They recently put up their window signs — does this mean they’re opening sooner rather than later?

You may remember a few months ago I was lamenting the state of falafel here in NYC. One of my co-workers suggested Fatoosh, and I’m very glad that she did. They may advertise pizza (or “pitza” as they call it) on their sign, but the falafel is the real reason to go (shown here in a wrap). The falafel is wonderfully seasoned and crispy on the outside, just they way it should be. I wish they had a wider variety of “salads” to put on top, but falafel beggars in Park Slope can’t be choosers.

Fatoosh — 437 5th Ave, Brooklyn

Blah, I’m actually too sleepy to pay attention. I just know there will be lobster meat tomorrow. G’nite

Oh frak! He just dumped 1 lobster into the hot boiling pot. So much for being humane.

So my apartmentmate, Mo, his friend just came down from Maine carrying 3 lobsters. We were planning to eat them for dinner but he just came in. A pot of water is heating up now.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to getting lunch at work. For a long time I was sticking to 7th Avenue, but eventually I got so bored I wandered down to 5th Avenue to try my luck. One day a sign caught my eye that read “Fresh Mozzarella” — usually a good omen. Upon reading Pollio’s sandwich menu, I was pleased to see they offered a broccoli rabe sandwich. You may remember that there’s a great broccoli rabe sandwich over at Russo’s (on 7th Ave, incidentally), so I was excited to see how Pollio’s matched up. Unfortunately I had to wait a while — they were out of broccoli rabe that day… and on my next visit. I had a few other dishes, some good (cold pasta with sundried tomatoes and mozzarella, homemade pasta salad) and some just bland (a mozzarella and pesto sandwich) before I finally got my hands on the broccoli rabe. Alas, it wasn’t nearly as good as Russo’s — the broccoli rabe was a little over-cooked and under-seasoned. Still, Pollio’s is a good place for fresh food and friendly service.

Pollio Fine Foods — 376 5th Ave, Brooklyn