This Saturday, Don't Miss The Eighth Annual Smith Street Soup Festival

I am pleased to announce that the Smith Street Soup Festival will take place on Saturday, October 21 from 1 to 4 pm for its eighth year. It is one of the funnest events in the neighborhood and perfectly timed, now that the weather has gotten colder. Many favorite local restaurants along Restaurant Row will participate by serving samples of their special soup. For a small fee, people can sample and judge all the entries. A final Gold Laddle winner will be chosen and announced at the end of the event.

This beloved event was first organized by Bette Stoltz, the director of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation. The "Festivale Des Soupes", as she liked to call it, promoted local eateries and provided vital founding for the culinary arts program at High School For International Studies on Baltic Street.

After Bette's passing in 2015, daughter Erica has kept her mother's organization as well as the Soup Festival and the Smith Street Fun Fair alive.

From Erica:
Join us for the eighth annual Smith Street Soup Festival! We have amazing restaurants such as Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge, Bar Tabac, Hanco's, Stinky Brooklyn, Kittery and many more participating. 5 Tastings are $7, 12 Tastings for $15. Tickets sold at the corners of Bergen, Butler, and Union Street.
All proceeds go to the Culinary Arts Program at the High School for International Studies!


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Wonderful News: The Smith Street Soup Festival Will Take Place On October 22

I am pleased to announce that the Smith Street Soup Festival will take place on Saturday, October 22 from 1 to 4 pm. This year, as in years past, many favorite local restaurants along Restaurant Row will participate by serving samples of their special soup. For a small fee, people can sample and judge all the entries. A final Gold Laddle winner will be chosen and announced at the end of the event.

This beloved event was first organized a few years back by Bette Stoltz, the director of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation. The "Festivale Des Soupes", as she liked to call it, promoted local eateries and provided vital founding for the culinary arts program at High School For International Studies on Baltic Street.

Bette sadly passed away in November 2015, but her daughter Erica and her friend Natasha Simons are organizing the Festival this year to continue Bette's wonderful community work.

Erica and Natasha write:
"By connecting the restaurants to the community through a fundraiser for the Culinary Arts Program we are doing Bette's work.
This exercise in community development comes at at time when the program is in desperate need of an upgrade. The state of the art kitchen needs maintenance an the school has begun to look at ways to incorporate the community into the program as it hopes to expand.I have attached a flyer. Please forward to your various media contacts we want a great turn out for these kids."

Participants for the 2016 Soup Festival are:
Bar Tabac
Vinny's
Red Rose
Avlee
Jolie Cantina
Provence en Boite
Angry Wade's
Stinky Brooklyn
Fawkner
Bornholm
Sunken Hundred
Spice
Kittery
The Culinary Arts Program at the HS for International Studies
And more!

Tickets will be available at the corners of Bergen, Butler and President Streets along Smith Street the day of the event.
So mark your calendar and don't miss it.

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The Smith Street Funday Sunday Will Take Place In 2016 As A Tribute To Its Founder, Bette Stoltz

Bette Stoltz, founder of South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation

When Bette Stoltz, South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation's founding Executive Director, unexpectedly passed away this past November, she left a huge hole in the neighborhood. For decades, Bette had been deeply committed to the community and to the merchants and restaurateurs who took a chance on Smith Street when the area was not yet popular and before Smith Street was called "restaurant row."

Besides founding SBLDC, she served for years as a member of Community Board 6, was involved in the creation of the beautiful Transit Garden at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place, served on the EPA Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Board and was a member of several neighborhood associations, including Friends And Residents of Greater Gowanus.In addition, she helped fund and bring a full fledged Culinary Arts Curriculum and facilities to the High School For International Studies at 284 Baltic Street and was so proud of its students and graduates.
In the past year, Bette was hard at work on creating a joint Business Improvement District (BID) for Smith Street and Court Street.

Bette did many things, and she did them all well and with a big smile on her face.  It was clear, however, that one of the things she loved most, was to nurturing new businesses and advise its owners on how best to succeed on Smith Street, or as she called it "the little street that could."

To insure their success, Bette organized wonderful community events like the Smith Street Funday Sunday Fair, Bastille Day and the Smith Street Soup Festival, which brought local residents out to meet the business owners in their neighborhood.  All were amazing successes.

After Bette's passing, it was unclear what would happen to SBLDC and Bette's Smith Street events.

I am so excited to report that Bette's daughter Erica Stoltz will be stepping into her mom's footprints to host the Smith Street Funday Sunday Festival in 2016.

Erica writes:
The death of Bette Stoltz was a shock to all of us. She was woven into the fabric of Smith Street and the public events she produced are an important part of the flavor of Brooklyn. The outpouring of love from the community she served brought tremendous comfort to my family and I. In her honor I am producing the fair this year so that we all can continue to celebrate the wonderful community she helped build.

We are going to open the fair with a Second Line procession to give all the vendors a chance to celebrate Bette's life as well. I look forward to seeing you there.
Erica Stoltz, Executive Director of SBLDC 

Erica produced this wonderful video below on her mother's work and her legacy here in South Brooklyn.

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Reminder: Come Celebrate The Life And Work Of Neighborhood Champion Bette Stoltz Tonight

Bette Stoltz (left) during one of Smith Street Soup Festivals she organized

***Reminder***

Please join family and friends of activist and neighborhood champion Bette Stoltz tonight at 6:30pm at the Carroll Gardens Library to celebrate what would have been her 75th birthday. The film "A 1000 Individual Conversations: The Life And Work Of Bette Stoltz", made by Erica Stoltz, Sabine Aronowsky and Steve De Seve about this extraordinary woman  will be screened for the occasion.

Tonight's get-together will give the community an opportunity to begin the conversation about how best to honor and remember Bette. Perhaps, together, we can carry on some of her work.
Bette, who passed away this past November, was behind the revitalization of Smith Street in the 1990s. Through her non-for-profit organization South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC) she organized the much loved Smith Street Soup Festival in the fall and Smith Street Funfair in the summer. She helped put together the the incredibly popular Bastille Day Pétanque Tournament. She also made sure that Smith Street was decorated for the Holidays in December.

In addition, Bette served for years as a member of Community Board 6, was involved in the creation of the beautiful Transit Garden at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place.

I had the great pleasure of serving with Bette on the EPA Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Board.  More importantly, in 2010, Bette and I both helped to represent the community as part of the "South Brooklyn Coalition." The Coalition was made up of grass roots organizations lead by activists who worked tirelessly for a clean Gowanus Canal and for the placement of the polluted waterway on the list of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund sites.

Together, South Brooklyn Coalition members reached out to all of our representatives to urge them to support the nomination of the canal during the EPA's public comment period. Our perseverance, our determination and our united voices contributed in part to the Gowanus being listed, despite the powerful political forces of then-Mayor Bloomberg and then-Councilman DeBlasio.
Of that, I know, Bette was very proud.

Below is a little clip featuring Bette with some of the other Coalition members during Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats 41st Anniversary dinner, where she and the other activists were honored.

And here is a photo taken that same night
sitting from l. to r. :Katia Kelly, Bette Stoltz, Rita Miller, Gerry Miller
standing l. to r. :State Senator Daniel Squadron, Betty Lester, Steven Miller, Gary Reilly,
Roy Sloane and Glenn Kelly

To read more on Bette and her achievements here.



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Come Celebrate The Life And Work Of Neighborhood Champion Bette Stoltz On January 26

Bette Stoltz (left) during one of Smith Street Soup Festivals she organized

Please join family and friends of activist and neighborhood champion Bette Stoltz on January 26th, which would have been her 75th birthday. The film "A 1000 Individual Conversations: The Life And Work Of Bette Stoltz",  made by Erica Stoltz, Sabine Aronowsky and Steve De Seve about this extraordinary woman, will be screened for the occasion.

Bette, who passed away this past November, was behind the revitalization of Smith Street in the 1990s. Through her non-for-profit organization South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC) she organized the much loved Smith Street Soup Festival in the fall and Smith Street Funfair in the summer. She helped put together the the incredibly popular Bastille Day Pétanque Tournament. She also made sure that Smith Street was decorated for the Holidays in December.

In addition, she served for years as a member of Community Board 6, was involved in the creation of the beautiful Transit Garden at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place, represented her organization on the EPA Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Board and was a member of several neighborhood associations, including Friends And Residents of Greater Gowanus.

Th January 26 get-together will  give the community an opportunity to begin the conversation about how best to honor and remember Bette.  Perhaps, together, we can carry on some of her work.

The event will take place at the Carroll Gardens Library, 396 Clinton Street

To read more on Bette and her achievements  here.



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Please Help Celebrate The Life Of Neighborhood Activist Bette Stoltz This Saturday

Please join the family of Bette Stoltz this Saturday, December 12th from 3-5 pm at the School of International Studies, 284 Baltic Street, to celebrate her life and her achievements.

Bette passed away unexpectedly last month, leaving a giant gap in the life of her loved ones and in the community that she worked so hard to improve.
Bette wore many hats and was involved in absolutely everything related to South Brooklyn. She was the Executive director of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC), a non-profit which she founded. She served for years as a member of Community Board 6, was involved in the creation of the beautiful Transit Garden at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place, served on the EPA Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Board and was a member of several neighborhood associations, including Friends And Residents of Greater Gowanus.

She helped fund and bring a full fledged Culinary Arts Curriculum and facilities to the High School For International Studies and was so proud of its students and graduates.

In the past year, Bette was hard at work on creating a joint Business Improvement District (BID) for Smith Street and Court Street.

Of all her many accomplishments, the one she always seemed proudest of was her role in revitalizing Smith Street in the 1990s.  She lovingly referred to Smith Street as"the little street that could" and helped nurture the first businesses that took a chance and opened stores and restaurants there after the City repaved the street, installed new sidewalks and lighting.

Bette was the face behind the much loved Smith Street Soup Festival in the fall,  Smith Street Funfair in the summer, and helped organize the incredibly popular Bastille Day Pétanque Tornament. She also made sure that Smith Street was decorated for the Holidays in December.

It is incredibly hard to believe that we will never have the pleasure of walking a few blocks along Smith Street with her, or to celebrate the Holidays in the Transit Garden in her company, but she will never be forgotten.




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On The Passing Of Bette Stoltz, Who Helped Revitalize Smith Street, "The Little Street That Could"

 Smith Street, Bette Stoltz's"the little street that could"

 Bette Stoltz 

 Smith Street Soup Fest, one of Bette's events.

Bette Stoltz with one of the students of High School For International Studies' Culinary Arts Program

 Bette at Smith Street Funday 2013, which she organized

Bette Stoltz with Carmen Farina of New York City's Department of Education

Many in South Brooklyn had been hoping for the last few days that long time neighborhood activist Bette Stoltz would recover from a heart attack she suffered at the beginning of this week. Sadly, last night came the news that she had passed.

My thoughts go out to Bette's husband, children and her beloved grandchildren, of which she so proudly shared photos and updates.

Bette was such a lovely person who was fully dedicated to the community and worked tirelessly for its residents.

She wore many hats and was involved in absolutely everything related to South Brooklyn. She was the Executive director of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC), a non-profit which she founded. She served for years as a member of Community Board 6, was involved in the creation of the beautiful Transit Garden at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place, served on the EPA Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Board and was a member of several neighborhood associations, including Friends And Residents of Greater Gowanus.

She helped fund and bring a full fledged Culinary Arts Curriculum and facilities to the High School For International Studies at 284 Baltic Street and was so proud of its students and graduates.

In the past year, Bette was hard at work on creating a joint Business Improvement District (BID) for Smith Street and Court Street.

Of all her many accomplishments, the one she always seemed proudest of was her role in revitalizing Smith Street in the 1990s.  She lovingly referred to Smith Street as"the little street that could" and helped nurture the first businesses that took a chance and opened stores and restaurants there after the City repaved the street, installed new sidewalks and lighting.

Bette was the face behind the much loved Smith Street Soup Festival in the fall,  Smith Street Funfair in the summer, and helped organize the incredibly popular Bastille Day Pétanque Tournament. She also made sure that Smith Street was decorated for the Holidays in December.

Recently, Bette's health was failing and she seemed to reflect on the changes in the neighborhood and on Smith Street.  When I reached out to her in October to ask if the Soup Festival would take place this year, she answered in a long email to let me know why she had decided to cancel the event for 2015. She was nostalgic that the Smith Street Restaurant Row that included Patois, Saul, Robin des Bois and Grocery which she had help create in the 1990s was changing again.

I am sure Bette would not have minded me sharing this email she wrote to me on October 20.  I could not know that this would be my last conversation with her, but reading it again makes me realize that she was concerned about the future not only of small businesses in the neighborhood, but also of the quality of life here in Brooklyn.

Here is what she wrote to me.

Hi Katia,

     Yes the disappointing news is that there will be no Soup Festival on Smith Street this October.  Last year we had 22 different soups for people to taste.  This year, after reaching out by phone, e mail and/or personal visit to all the usual suspects I could only come up with 13 soups, and I felt that people would be unhappy with such a reduction of choices and we would be better off just not having it.  

     I hope this loss of a community loved event will be a wake up call to the realtors and property owners in the neighborhood.  It was a very slow and tough summer after a disappointing year for many businesses, especially restaurants, many of which closed.  What is replacing them is mainly bars with minimal food ( "tapas"/small plates) which have become the entrepreneur's choice since things to drink do not spoil while foods do. Then the American Urban economy has changed to the point where one cannot make a living/support a family with just one store,  People are opening 2 or 3 or more locations, partnering with a variety of others, and are stretched so thin that even if they do live in the neighborhood they cannot devote as much of themselves to just one location as before.
     Those who do not own their buildings are rightfully fearful of huge rent increases in the near future. This is no secret.  The Realtors blame the "greedy" property owners.  Yes, this may be partly true, but where does the line fall between a realtor advising the client or the client giving orders to the realtor??
Do we need a Nuremberg Trial for the Real Estate Industry?  Some property owners already retired to the sunbelt and just want to maximize their retirement quality of life.  Those who recently bought at very high prices say they need to seek high rental incomes just to make their numbers work.  The "old timers" are dwindling and to top it all off the big developers are buying the large footprints and letting them sit while taking years to put together plans for new construction which will be designed for high rental retail operations.  

     And the demographics of the neighborhood are constantly changing. There are pendulum swings between a young single customer base, and a family and child oriented customer base.  Brownstone buildings that used to be home to 4 or more families are now one family homes.  People have more money, but at the same time they have to work much harder and for longer hours so they have much less time to shop in their neighborhoods.  But then again with Lightstone building 700 mostly studio & 1 bedroom rental units, will we suddenly get a new influx of the young singles?

     A generation of Community Builders fashioned what we all thought was the perfect mix for an urban neighborhood and then along comes CHANGE.  Too soon for me.  

Bette

I will miss Bette very much. She was an integral part of this community. Farewell, my friend. Thank you for teaching me the importance of staying involved and to speak out.




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5th Annual Smith Street Soup Festival Is This Saturday

Now in its 5th year, the Smith Street "Festivale Des Soupes" has become a favorite neighborhood event. Organized by South Brooklyn Local Development Corporations (SBLDC), the Food Festival will allow people to sample and judge about 25 soups made by some of Smith Street's best eateries as they stroll along the sidewalks of Smith Street from Atlantic Avenue to Second Street.

Not only is it drawing bigger crowds every year, but the list of participating eateries is getting longer.
So come early. Below, please find all the pertaining information.

SOUP FESTIVAL 2014/FESTIVALE DES SOUPES 2014

A 14 Block Soup Crawl On Smith Street

Saturday October 18^th, 2014

(Raindate Sunday 10/19/14)

1PM to 4PM

Thousands of people come to Smith Street to enjoy this Family Friendly Foodie Event. Some 20 of our Restaurants & Food Shops simmer up their favorite soup recipe in sufficient quantity to serve at least 300 4oz tasting cups each, and provide a person with a smiling face to collect the tasting tickets and serve up the soup at their business location. They are: BAR TABAC,  CIBAO, CEOL, HUNTER’S,  THE H.S. FOR INTN’L STUDIES,  STINKY BROOKLYN,  ANGRY WADES, PAZZI PASTA,  JOLIE CANTINA,  PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF BKLYN,  RAMNA INDIAN RESTAURANT,  PROVENCE EN BOITE,  DASSARA RAMEN,  CUBANA CAFÉ,  MAD DOG AND BEANS,  ZAYTOONS,  THE JAKE WALK, KITTERY,  CLAUDINES, and AVLEE GREEK CUISINE.

Tastings are served in 4oz tasting cups, with plastic soup spoons and napkins. Restaurants must be sure to save enough soup for our panel of Celebrity Judges who will taste them all, and rate them on Appearance, Texture, and Taste to award Gold, Silver, and Bronze Ladles to the winners. The judges are the only ones allowed to “cut” the lines – and there will be lines. This year’s Celebrity Judges this year will include Mr. Brooklyn Foodie himself – Marty Markowitz, Peter DeNat of YELP, and others TBA.

It is all for a good cause as well because SBLDC shares the proceeds of the day (and the work) with the Culinary Arts Program at the High School For International Studies on Baltic Street between Smith & Court. Keeping a Public High School Culinary Program running properly all year long takes a bigger food budget than the Department of Education provides so this event is a very important Fund Raiser for them. Students man the ticket selling tables, 3 of them at the corners of Smith & President, Butler, and Bergen Streets, as well as serve up their own soups.
Prices are 5 Tastings for $7.00, 12 Tastings for $15.00, or 25 Tastings for $25.00 – affordable for everyone!! This is a real community building event and we hope you will be a part of it.

No reservation needed, but arrive early so that you can sample as many soups as possible.  You don't want to miss this event.



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Smith Street Getting Ready For 4th Annual Soup Festival

Now in its 4th year, the Smith Street "Festivale Des Soupes" has become a favorite neighborhood event. Organized by South Brooklyn Local Development Corporations (SBLDC), the Food Festival will allow people to sample and judge about 25 soups made by some of Smith Street's best eateries as they stroll along the sidewalks of Smith Street from Atlantic Avenue to Second Street.

Not only is it drawing bigger crowds every year, but the list of participating eateries is getting longer.

So come early. Below is all the pertaining information:

Smith Street's 4th Annual "Festivale Des Soupes

Saturday, October 19th, 2013

from 1 pm to 4 pm

Raindate Sunday, October 20th (same time)

$5.00 for a 5 Tasting sampler.

$10.00 Couples/Gourmets for 12 Tastings,

$20.00 for Families - 25 Tastings

It's a "Soup Crawl". It's Delicious! It's Warming! It's a fun day with friends! It's family friendly!
It's amazingly affordable! It's everyone's favorite street event in Brooklyn.
And it's all for a good cause- South Brooklyn, LDC shares this fund raiser with a culinary arts program we help support at our local public high school. The School For International Studies. Unlike most courses where a text book or two per student is the semester expense, food, the raw ingredients for this course are far more costly and our soup festival helps meet the needs.
For your tasting pleasure: 4 ounce soup samples are from:

Listed in the order of a walk from Atlantic Avenue to 2nd Street,  4 OZ soup samples are from:
Lunetta, Bar Tabac, Coco Roco, Cibao, Ceol, Hop Hap Thai Restaurant, Hunter’s, The H.S. for Int’l Studies, Stinky Brooklyn, Angry Wades, Pazzi Pasta, Jolie Cantina, Peoples Republic of Brooklyn, Shelsky’s Smoked Fish, Bombay Dream, Provence En Boite, Dassara Ramen, Cubana Café, Savoia, , VIP Thai, Zaytoons, Etons, The Jakewalk, Kittery, Seersucker/Nightingale9, Avlee Greek Cuisine

A panel of Celebrity Judges will rate the soups and award Gold, Silver, and Bronze Ladles in three categories - Veggie, Meat/Chicken, & Fish/Seafood based. Compare your palate against theirs . Help us to give soup the respect it is due on the menus of New York!!

Purchase Tasting tickets from the High School students at tables on the corners of Smith & Bergen, Butler, and President Street starting at 1PM. Each ticket entitles you to a 4 oz tasting at the restaurants of your choice from the list above. F or G Train to Bergen or Carroll Street.

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Third Annual Smith Street Soup Festival Another Great Success

Kittery and Ciro's

The Jake Walk

Arthur's On Smith

Zaytoons

Cubana Café

Provence en Boite

Bombay Dream

Shelsky’s Smoked Fish

People's Republic Of Brooklyn

Jolie Cantina

Bar Tabac

The School For International Studies

Coco Roco

Ceol

Hop Hap

The judges of the Third Annual Smith Street Soup Festival

from left to right:  Jady Cupid, Molly Simms, Marilyn Gelber and Bette Stolz

Smith Street Soup Fest 2012 was held this Saturday afternoon and judging by the many people walking around with small cups and spoons in their hands, it was another great success.
Some of Smith Street's favorite eateries participated by providing a 4 oz. sample of their special soup for the day.
The event was organized by Bette Stoltz of South Brooklyn Local Development Corporations (SBLDC) and was a fundraiser for The School For International Studies, a public school here in the neighborhood which has a wonderful culinary arts program.

Some of Smith Street's favorite eateries participated by providing a 4 oz. sample of their special soup for the day. A panel of judges, which included Marilyn Gelber – President of The Brooklyn Community Foundation/Local “Foodie”; Molly Simms – Senior Editor, Bust Magazine/Local “Foodie”; Jady Cupid-student at The School Of International Studies and Bette Stoltz, rated the 27 different soups.
According to Bette Stoltz, 4 gold ladles, 2 silvers, and 3 bronzes were awarded.

The Gold Ladle winners are: *The Jakewalk for their Kabocha Squash Soup with Maple Creme Fraiche,  *Angry Wades for their Frito Pie Chili, * Shelsky's Smoked Fish for their Celeraic & Apple Soup with Kippered Salmon, and *Seersucker for their Heirloom Tomato Soup with Cheddar Crisps.

The Silver Ladles went to: *Ciro's for their Squash Soup, and  *Zaytoons for their Red Lentil Soup. The

Bronze Ladles went to *Kittery for their Seafood Chowder, *Jolie Cantina for their Poblano Oxtail Pozole, and *Provence en Boite for their Soupe de Poissons.

"It was a great day on Smith Street and a great day for the Culinary Program," Bette writes.  I couldn't agree more. 

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