Friday night we went back to Bay Ridge to go to the place with, hands down, the world's greatest fried calamari. Now, I am prone to exaggeration, but it is unwarranted in this case. The place is PHENOMENAL. The calamari is fresh, the breading is slightly seasoned but doesn't overpower the calamari, and the sauce is the same - not too much but not too little. It is really exquisite.

It was recommended that we dine there after our ultrasound 6 (?) weeks ago. It was divine. We went back on Friday.

This place, I will be happy to share with everyone. I think it's that good. I want them to succeed. Plus, most Brooklynites don't go out to Bay Ridge so it's not like there's some chance there will be a mad dash of people from around the country headed there.

The place is called Rocco's. Yes. Rocco's. It is on Ft. Hamilton Parkway...and about 60thish. If you seriously plan on going, email me and I will get more specific.

Also, they gave me a free canoli for being pregnant. Which is always a bonus.

I go to pay and am eyeing the dessert tray - by the way, their desserts are amazing too - and he says "Lots of pregnant women in here tonight, have a dessert on me. Congratulations." And I practically shout "CANNOLI!!!!" and he laughs and says "The pregnant ladies always love the cannolis." So he gives me a free cannoli. It was damned good too.

Living in Brooklyn is like living in 30 countries at once. I'm learning this more and more now that I have a car. And not just like, oh I am on the subway and people are reading newspapers in Russian and Chinese and that guy over there is clearly from Trinidad. And not just "Oh yeah, if you go to Brighton Beach, old Russian men and women sit outside in the sun when it is 40 degrees. They sit and look at the water and occassionally go into some bar for a glass of vodka..." but the way that Brighton Beach FEELS and LOOKS and the stores that are there, it's clearly not your standard white bread America.

And to a large extent, there's no move in that direction either.

On Saturday I went back out to Bay Ridge to go get something CUTE to wear (I bought this) and then wanted to find some fabric. I drove over to some store that the women in the maternity place recommended. And I drove through Dyker Heights which is close to Bensonhurst. And it just feels DIFFERENT than Bay Ridge. More isolated, more Italian, DIFFERENT.

I cross over into Borough Park and forget that everything will be closed. But the entire area is closed. There are few cars on the streets but the sidewalks are crowded with families. Women in wigs and men in black coats and hats. Little boys with the beginnings of ear locks and little girls with those cute black coats with shiny brass buttons...

And it is like a whole different world. I can't get fabric so I go home. Through the next orthodox neighborhood, into the working class irish neighborhood, and into my slowly gentrifying neighborhood. I feel like I've been a million miles away. The total trip was 9.2 miles.

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