A new cafe on Nostrand and Clifton has been making quite a splash with the locals. This adorable cafe is called Tiny Cup and it has brought a welcome change in dining options to this section of the neighborhood. I first heard about the opening of this spot on Brownstoner, and soon thereafter New York Magazine got in on the opening buzz.
Ok, Alexa11211 and I were going to do a food review with pictures but the food tasted so good that we forgot to take the photos. When we remembered it was too late, but we took the picture anyway. What you see here is half of my turkey panini and a leaf of salad greens (it all disappeared soon after this photo was taken) and Alexa’s empty plate. I don’t remember what Alexa ordered, but if the speed with which it disappeared from her plate serves as any indication, then it must’ve been tasty. I gave my panini two thumbs up.
Yes, that is the New York Times. Yes, you may touch it.
Tiny Cup has a cool rustic vibe and wi-fi. Plus they realize that the only two newspapers worth reading are The New York Times and The Onion, and they have copies of both for you to read over your afternoon latte.
Ariel was working the counter the day we dropped by, and she was nice enough to chat with us and show us the Tiny Cup candy selection, from rope length red licorice to Bit O Honey bites. I love the way Tiny Cup displays their candies in glass jars along the counter. It reminds me of the store owned by Nellie’s parents on the old “Little House on the Prairie” show.
Ariel tempts us with rock candy!
In addition to the great sweets they even have free dog biscuits for the customers’ canine companions. You definitely have to try the ice cream–it’s rich and creamy and delicious.
As God as my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.
Just because you probably won’t find a copy of Jet Magazine laying around in Tea Cup don’t mean they’re a bunch of racist whiteys who have crossed bridge from Manhattan to take over this sprawling oasis. This is becoming a rainbow coalition neighborhood, the white folk are back. So EVERYONE, of all ethnic persuasions, needs to accept that.
oh, debbie i like you, there is no shame in your game. you are the in “your face type”. Who the hell reads crains. go to park slope and scream out blacks and whites have to live together. Have you been to park slope lately they love racism there. Debbie, stop it because you are going to get me started. Just prove me wrong and have new york magazine do some write ups / free publicity on businesses in bed-stuy, not one but many. nobody read crains, please…
This is a case of the “who you knows” if you have the friends at the mag they will do the write up. I think we need more good food over here and I am happy for all the businesses that will pave the way!! I am looking at opening a small cafe over in bed stuy and have white and black investors. the COLOR IS GREEN WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. Let us all learn to play the game. Oh, when i open I have a CRAZY ace in my pocket, please dont hate on my write up cause it will be REAL BIG! All people together in love
Texasstuygrl I wish you the best of luck! Bed-Stuy still has lots of underserved areas where they could use a cafe (or a grocery store, or a bank or a pharmacy or a…). Please keep us updated as you move forward. We’ll all show up to support your business.
And artroom, that’s what I like to hear. The proactive nature of your last post is much more palatable. As you suggest I think we should all work to get the word out on wonderful businesses in our community. Not only should we support them with our dollars, but we should also assist them in getting the high profile publicity they deserve.
I would just point out that investors read Crains.
im very curious about this place. it looks very interesting. Im more inform with solomon’s porch, which i attended some days ago. the cafe is located down the block from me. i might say that solomons a little expensive for someone such as myself, who likes to snack on things. anyway, whats the prices like at this place, does anyone know?
does it offer anything other than sweet stuff? maybe burgers or something of that sort?
I seem to remember that they had sandwiches, salads, drinks and sweets. Alexa11221, do you remember whether they had burgers? Although I’ve heard only good things about Solomon’s Porch I never got over there because it’s so far from my home, so I’m not sure how Tiny Cup’s prices compare.
Deb, for the record, in my comment, I didn’t “blame” fried chicken on White people–male or otherwise. I pointed out that Whites have long invested in businesses that I view as “poisonous” in Bed-Stuy, including fried chicken spots. I’m disappointed that I made an effort to be completely honest and upfront and my words were twisted.
Also, since you don’t like racism (and neither do I) then I suggest you do something about it…start here.
interesting discussion happening here and i think everyone has a valid point. i wish i had more time to comment this morning, but i’m headed to the green market before all the flowers are gone.
my honey & i visited Tiny Cup last week – he had the turkey & roasted pepper pannini & i the portabello & goat cheese. thumbs up on both. the lemonade was VERY lemony (see bitter) but the communal sugar & honey remedied that issue pretty quickly. the owner is a great lady who is FOCUSED on the betterment of the community & providing a alternative to the residents AND kids in the neighborhood – how can we begrudge that?
i’m surprised no one has mentioned Bushbaby on Bedford and Fulton. cute black owned & operated cafe. GRREEEAT brunch, yummy teas, coffees, soups, desserts and sandwiches even if the service is slow at times.
if you’re adamant about supporting black business, support these folks. if you’re more adamant about supporting BED STUY business, do the same! And Tiny Cup! And Abu’s! There’s plenty of green to spread around! let’s ALL get that money folks & pump it back into the Stuy!
hm, i had time to rant afterall… off to the market!
I believe the enthusiasm behind this has more to do with the fact that there is NOTHING in this area of bed stuy than the fact that it is white owned (which I didn’t even know until posting here.) I live on lafayette and bedford and this is the ONLY place in this area that offers this type of food and Wifi- all of the abovementioned places are a good hike from this G train stop and thats why I don’t visit them- because they’re not convenient to me.
i’ve been to tiny cup and i think its great. my original comment was about the double standard. That article in new york magazine was a great
opportunity to “encourage” many more “tiny cups”. They should have included many of the cafes and restaurants that have opened in the neighborhood in the past couple of years. Then in reading this blog i kept hearing about how great tiny cup is and eveyone kept highlighting all the flaws in the other businesses that have paved the way for tiny cup, that was very unfair.
and changeling let see it happen,it will be great. new york magazine will finally give black businesses in bed-stuy some press and you will finally drop by and support salomon’s porch…
Texasstuygrl, why don’t you share the ace you have in your back pocket, “all people together in love”.
Deb, I know you are not saying that racism is just a perception and it doesn’t exist, are you kidding me? More often than not, it is real, it exist. we can all agree that things are getting better in bed-stuy right, why do you think that is? well let me tell you, its because you are here
urqhardtian mathematics, where are you coming from with that comment. nobody accused the people from tiny cup of being racist, where did you get that from. the conversation is more about the review they recieved from new york magazine and how n.y. magazine ignored the businesses that are owned by blacks. “jet magazine” who the hell read jet magazine. changeling do you see the double standard, “white folks are back” changeling are you gonna respond to that comment. this is exactly what i am talking about…
@artroom: No, I don’t need to respond. I think you adequately addressed the comment.
Changeling,congratulations on your most responses ever.
Thanks! Who knew it would be so lively a discussion?
wrt Tiny Cup, I agree with Carmen–I am excited about it because IT’S NEAR ME!!! there’s a dearth of cafes up here in the North Stuy.
And I’m happy because I am not doomed to Dunkin Donuts or a bodega when I want a cuppa.
And because the food is YUMMY.
I never read NY mag, and wouldn’t even have seen this blog mention had someone not sent me the link. I heard about Tiny Cup through word of mouth!
Alexa, please continue to spread the word!
@ Alexa…okay first I want to say I don’t think that there is anything wrong with Dunkin Donuts I actually love the Dunkin Donuts located in my neighborhood, but I wish there were more cute cafes
around my block…hopefully that will change soon!
FYI that would be more central Bed Stuy or west central.
I took the hike to Tiny Cup for breakfast today and my vegetarian palate was quite impressed! I completely understand why it’s getting the press it is, as any local business in Bed-Stuy should. Though they were out of my first two drink choices (Egg cream & Iced coffee), I’m sure I’ll be back to try those orders again soon.
quincy, i understand and partially agree with what you’re saying, but I’m still on the fence on some things.
Changeling, thank you again for giving us all the chance to be heard.
@at leo….I am not sure if you were talking to me but I live in Bed-Stuy cusp Bushwick..
Leo enough already with the personal agenda, your BSBA sounds like a local free for all, gimme a break
The BSBA is absolutely my personal agenda along with the success of our 23 businesses and Bed Stuy. You would have to explain the local free for all comment, and consider it given BS Baby.
deb, where are you, quincy, texasstuygrl bed-stuy baby where yall at? leo,true, olivia, changeling what up, holla at a sister…
just want to point out that from my vantage point, bed-stuy is fairly economically diverse, in the sense that not all of the newcomers are all white and all rich. my building is black-owned, and my neighbors are black homeowners who were able to put years of work into their brownstones. i can’t afford to buy property, and i got priced out of the neighborhood i grew up in. so do you think i should have moved into a cheaper white neighborhood instead of bed-stuy? i’m not really a fan. bed-stuy is a beautiful neighborhood. let’s have pride in that and not get bogged down in oversimplified sterotypes.
i think that we agree. i know that there are many black homeowners in bed-stuy, and they’ve been working hard to keep them up, thus you have a beautiful neighborhood. my problem is with people who are new to the neighborhood, and they believe in the stereotype that bed-stuy is this “bad neighborhood” and they are coming here to rescue us poor souls who don’t know what to do. for example you have all the block associations, the “brownstoners”, “black men against crack”, “the december 12th movement”, the list can go on. all of them are grassroots organizations that helped to save bed-stuy. us black folks can walk up and down bed-stuy and not feel like aliens from another planet. be a black person and visit park slope, brooklyn heights, boerum hills and feel the difference…
peace
p.s. windowbox,where are you gonna find a cheap white neighborhood in new york.
I want to drop a note for TT’s Sports bar & Lounge, and Sips liquor store on Tompkins. Booze brings people together. To the predictable whites: while you are happily revolutionizing the neighborhood and world, can you get a Duane Reade to open by the Bedford/Nostrand stop? And maybe get Key Foods and/or C-Town to gentrify their own stores so they become better shopping experiences? Ask the Tiny Cup owner to enlist her “customers” for the fight.
Only a C-list gentrifier brings in/improves a C-Town or a Key Food. I’d like to put out a request for any and all (regardless of color) A-list gentrifiers to bring Bed-Stuy a Trader Joe’s. Now.
larkparker – there is a Duane Reade in the courtyard behind the Super Food Town.
& Changeling, I am with you – TRADER JOE’S PLEASE!
yeah, TJ’s!! or gourmet garage!! Or Fairway! At least they have decent prices on luxury items, instead of charging extra.
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