As 2023 comes to a close and the final quarter of the year is upon us, there is still time to try new things and do something on your bucket list. I don’t think it’s too ambitious to make a list of 23 things we want to do in the remainder of the year. Why not? Whether it’s checking out a new neighborhood, reading a new book or magazine, calling an old friend or making time to get to know someone new, or trying a new cuisine, you still have time to make the most of the last several weeks of 2023.
My new goal for the rest of the year was to make time to check out Fat Fowl, a new-age Caribbean spot located in the City Point Mall in the Dekalb Market in downtown Brooklyn. I’m always excited to try new food. I always joke, “If it runs, swims, or flies, I will try it!” Luckily for me, founder and executive chef Shorne Benjamin has created a menu that has something for everyone.
Can you believe this chef has created an oxtail grilled cheese? Yes, you heard that right. As someone who absolutely loves oxtails and the comfort food of grilled cheese, this is the merger of two amazing things that go together. The menu has everything from an organic lavender rotisserie chicken to vegan jerk tamarind mushrooms, sweet plantains to charred broccoli, and black fried rice and a curry shrimp burger.
I love supporting local restaurants where you can meet the chef and hear more about their story and their journey into the culinary world. After leaving the finance world, Chef Shorne (@Chefshorne on IG) attended culinary school and learned classical French techniques. Using technical skills, new recipes, and passion he learned from his grandmother, he’s created a new style of Caribbean cuisine with a nod and reverence to his native St Lucia.
In addition to trying new foods and new restaurants in the final weeks of 2023, I plan to explore new neighborhoods, read a few more novels, and visit some museums before the end of the year. I’ll be starting with the Henry Taylor exhibit at the Whitney Museum and the Barkley Hendricks Collection at the Frick.
What will be your adventure for the rest of the year? As these past few years have shown us, life can be fleeting and we must savor the people, sights, sounds, and tastes that surround us. It doesn’t have to be something major—it can be something that takes you out of your normal routine just a little. If you do find time to try something new, start with a visit to Fat Fowl at Dekalb Market (455 Albee Square, Brooklyn, NY 11201).
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of the Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and a 2023–24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.