Brooklyn Kitchen Labs: A Sneak Peak
Our new hometown cooking school, the Brooklyn Kitchen Labs, has a lot of work to do before their proposed opening date of November 16, but this huge, raw space — with one 1500-square-foot teaching room, another 1000-square-foot cooking lab, a butcher shop, and a Bulk Room where cooks can stock up on locally-sourced oils, vinegars, beans, rice, flour, chocolate, and spices — is a Brooklyn foodie’s dream-come-true. Classes should start up in early December.

Restaurant & Bar Openings
An insider at last night’s Brooklyn Kitchen Labs preview party told us that a neighborhoody cocktail lounge is getting set to open at 177 South Fourth (between Roebling and Driggs) in December. Cocktail maven Tom Chadwick is running the joint and thinking about calling it Dram. This place is a long time coming — Gothamist reported a couple of years ago that it was set to open in early 2008… Le P’tit Paris is now open at 256 Prospect Park West (at Prospect Avenue) in Windsor Terrace, and local Chowhounds are loving it: “I had the duck dish, which was great–large slices of perfectly done breast, along with nice crispy confit… The best thing on the plate though was this amazing timbale of roast potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic which was incredible, I could have eaten a full dish of it.” … Plus, Time Out reports that Café Mei Mei, a “seasonal American restaurant” from a River Cafe alum is getting ready to open this week at 231 Court Street (between Baltic and Warren) in Cobble Hill: “Wines and beers are planned, but until the license clears, expect free pours on the Friday and Saturday.” Not sure which Friday and Saturday they mean, but we’ll be keeping an eye on this place.

Sam Sifton Hits Prime Meats
465 Court Street (Luquer Street), Carroll Gardens; (718) 254-0327, frankspm.com
We’re really liking the new New York Times restaurant critic, and he likes this place: “The menu is currently small. But it delivers… The hamburger ($13 and up) is one of the better in this burger-mad city: Black Angus meat on a sesame roll with pickles, lettuce, tomato and a slice of Gruyère if you like, and you do, alongside a tangle of excellent salty French fries.”

After the jump: A rum-lover’s hideout in Williamsburg, Pit Stop closes, the Frankies make a cookbook, Williamsburgh Cafe goes Korean, and a blogger keeps watch on Roman’s in Fort Greene…

Williamsburg is for Rum Lovers
As regular patrons of Caracas Brooklyn (291 Grand Street), we’ve been getting our papelón con limón spiked with rum since the summertime — but now this Venezuelan restaurant is pushing their in-house bar as a destination of its own and calling it Roneria Caracas: “We feature more than 30 sipping rums from the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America and offer a unique cocktails menu with classics and not so classics recipes where rum is used as the main spirit .” Plus, Time Out ruminates on the value of sipping rum.

Now Closed: Pit Stop
We’ll miss this cozy French bistro on Columbia Street. Lost City writes, “There’s a sign in the window of the joint that says a new restaurant called New Formulae, ‘Bistro 4 Kids,’ is opening soon in the space… I’m sorry. I have a kid, and the concept still makes my shudder… Pit Stop has always been kid-friendly. Maybe they’re just talking the concept a step further.”

Quick Bites
Grub Street reports that the The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual will be published in May 2010… Eater says that Williamsburgh Cafe is now Williamsburgh Cafe: Korea, but “Details about a new menu/major concept change are scarce and calls to the restaurant have gone unanswered.” … And, finally, Clinton Hill Blog is keeping an eye on the progress at Roman’s in Fort Greene.