Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Eating down the road: Iconic Caribbean foods line Brooklyn streets as J’Ouvert returns
By
Reece T. Williams
and
Enrico Denard
Published Sep 5, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Reece T. Williams
By
Reece T. Williams
and
Enrico Denard
Published Sep 5, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After a two-year hiatus, Labor Day Carnival celebrations returned to Brooklyn along with a variety of Caribbean food stands, which lined the streets in Flatbush and Crown Heights during the early-morning party that is J’Ouvert.
J’Ouvert is a French word that translates to “day-break.” Throughout the Caribbean, the celebration signifies the beginning of Carnival, and traditionally begins before dawn.
Revelers grooved to drums and steel pan orchestras starting at 6 a.m. on Monday morning for the first J’Ouvert since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival began at Grand Army Plaza and ended at Nostrand Avenue and Rutland Road. To keep their energy up, people celebrating ate and drank a variety of Caribbean treats, which were available along the procession.
Perhaps most popular among them is corn soup.
Andy, also known as "Soupman," (orange hat) doles out helpings of his popular corn soup to hungry and happy patrons on Empire Boulevard.
Reece T. Williams
On Empire Boulevard, between Rogers and Bedford Avenues, Andy, who insisted on being called “Soupman,” doled out helpings to hungry and happy patrons.
“Well, it’s a staple from Trinidad,” Soupman said. “A staple [of] J’Ouvert in Brooklyn. One of the best to ever make it,” he said before blowing a chef’s kiss.
Gaylene Durant, who is originally from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines said Soupman’s corn soup hits the mark.
“It was really good,” Durant said. “It’s an island thing, you know! The taste and everything like that; the spice and everything that was in it. And corn is good overall.”
Marcia Bartholomew and her boyfriend David Hunte serve doubles, a Trinidadian snack of spiced chickpeas between two pieces of fried dough, during the J'Ouvert festival in Brooklyn on Monday.
Reece T. Williams
Down the road, at the corner of Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue, David Hunte and his girlfriend Marcia Bartholomew are serving doubles, a Trinidadian snack of spiced chickpeas between two pieces of fried dough.
“It’s healthy stuff,” Hunte said. He’s been serving doubles at J’Ouvert for more than 10 years. People are excited to see him, he said, “because people need food!”
Bakes waiting to be stuffed with savory saltish for the popular breakfast and snack: bake and saltfish.
Reece T. Williams
Near the end of the J’Ouvert procession, the fluffy and warm bakes often used for housing savory saltfish made an appearance. Bake and saltfish, as the treat is called, is a common breakfast dish throughout the Caribbean and is popular in Brooklyn on J’Ouvert morning.
There was also Haitian fare: griot, fried pork shoulder; pikliz, a condiment consisting of pickled cabbage, carrots, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet peppers; and fried fish. And a variety of natural-made drinks, like sorrel: a hibiscus-based beverage.
After J'Ouvert, the Carnival celebrations continued along Eastern Parkway with the West Indian Day parade, which ends at 6 p.m.
Reece T. Williams
Read more
Enrico Denard
Enrico is a former Gothamist and WNYC intern.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .