Photo by Hilary Frey

L’Epicerie’s Saturday Night Scene
270 Vanderbilt Avenue, Fort Greene, 718-636-1200
“By day, the tiny Fort Greene gourmet shop L’Epicerie is like something out of the precious French film Amélie: produce in baskets, artisanal cheese, a few pieces of meat in a butcher case, some prepared foods and a chalkboard list of sandwiches, which are assembled in the miniscule kitchen behind the counter… On Saturday evenings, the shop turns into a $40 per head, BYOB, family-style restaurant offering a casually sophisticated take on the dinner party—with no dishes to clean up afterward!” [NY Observer]

Brooklyn Bar Bandits Nabbed
According to an Eater tipster, the thugs who robbed Bait and Tackle, Floyd and Moonshine at gunpoint two weeks ago have been caught: “In what can only be described as a scary display of stupidity, the guy that robbed the Bait and Tackle actually returned to the scene of the crime – where he was recognized (maybe the teardrop tattoo was a bit of a tipoff) and apprehended. Though not before he had a shot of tequila and left a two dollar tip. Moron.”

Coming Soon: Southern Food in Downtown Brooklyn
372 Fulton Street
“Amy Ruth’s, the upper Manhattan restaurant that has become an institution status in just nine years, will open a second eatery in downtown Brooklyn. Its owners have signed a lease for the site formerly occupied by Gage & Tollner, a landmark Brooklyn restaurant that closed last year.” [Crain's via Brooklyn Heights Blog]

After the jump: Beso closes, Park Slope gets yet another French bistro, Atlantic Ave. gets a new coffee shop, and SuperVegan criticizes Brooklyn’s inaugural vegetarian restaurant week.

Closed: Beso in Park Slope
210 5th Avenue, Park Slope
“Walked by tonight, and saw they were auctioning off contents of restaurant. sign in the window said they were closing b/c it was simply time to move on, and took pains to note that it wasnt the landlord or the neighbors driving them out. Goodbye, mediocre but friendly neighborhood restaurant. I’ll miss you.” [Chowhound]

Now Open: Canaille
78 Fifth Avenue (St. Marks Place), Park Slope, (718) 789-8899
“With a look that does not announce its newly minted status and a bistro menu of French comfort food, this place, whose name means scoundrel, opened last week, cash only.” [NY Times]

Now Open: Frank White
936 Atlantic Ave at St. James Place, Clinton Hill, (718) 622-0840
“Named for Christopher Walken’s character in the cult film The King of New York, this coffeeshop-cum-gallery opens on Atlantic Avenue. A photograph of rapper Biggie Smalls, who used Frank White as an alias (popular name!), crowns the otherwise old-world interior.” [Time Out New York]

Brooklyn’s Inaugural Vegetarian Restaurant Week
This small-scale food event runs this Sunday, October 21 through next Saturday, October 27. You’d think that a blogger on SuperVegan singing the praises of this meat-free endeavor, but that ain’t the case:

“I’m a cheap bastard careful with money, so I hoped that at the very least there’d be some good bargains happening. But all we’ve got are two prix-fix meals: $40 at 4 Course Vegan and $28 at the V-Spot. The “deals” for the other places haven’t been announced yet… Brooklyn deserves better, right?”

A few more deals have been added since this was posted, including a $20 three-course meal at Jill’s, the not-so-busy organic cafe on Court Street in Cobble Hill… has anybody tried this place?