Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Di Fara Makes a Fashion Statement
Slice took their intern to Di Fara to celebrate his last day on the job, and they spotted the new t-shirts for sale behind the counter. It ain’t the prettiest tee on the planet — though it does come in pink! Still, we appreciate that the scissors Mr. De Marco uses to cut his fresh basil were worked into the design.

Two Restaurant Openings
As we mentioned on Friday, an Italian restaurant called Dino is now open in the old Loulou space in Fort Greene. Grub Street shares some details: “Neighborhood residents and owners Thiru and Heather Rajamani remodeled the backyard, interior, and façade of the 70-plus-seat restaurant and named it after their 2-year-old son… The rustic, Italian comfort food on the menu recalls Heather’s Northern Italian heritage with bucatini all’ amartriciana, veal meatballs in brood with lemon zest, a green and black kale Caesar salad, and an array of fresh pastas and salads, all in a $12 to $18 price range.” … Plus, Feast reports that Cafe Collette is already drawing crowds to the old Silent H space in Williamsburg: “[Part-owner Vinh] Nguyen told us during construction that the menu would be standards, but done better than you can find them in the neighborhood now… A fairly perfect omelette with tomato, goat cheese, avocado, and basil arrives flopped into a layered mountain of egg, and the breakfast potatoes are roasted with whole cloves of garlic.”

After the jump: Four newly reviewed spots, the new menu at the Charleston, and the shunning of strollers at the Gate…

New Spots, Ne Reviewed
Peter Freeman, owner of the new Brooklyn Farmacy — and his Mained-based mother — share the heartwarming story of his new business with his hometown newspaper, the Kennebec Journal… The Brooklyn Paper takes note of the house cocktails at The Narrows in Bushwick, recommending “the Que Bonita, which includes two types of tequila and a cool crunch of cucumber, and the rye- and maple-based Caulfield’s Dream has spearmint plucked from the bar’s backyard garden.” … Off The Presses ventures a guess that Lady Jay’s, Chef Sam Mason’s new Williamsburg bar, might evolve from basic watering hole it is now: “Why? Something about the way he meticulously prepared a couple of Bloody Marys. He was very chef-like about it. It took him forever, as he carefully dosed the tomato juice with hot sauce, tasting it often until he hit upon the right level of hotness… Then, as he handed the cocktail over, he mentioned something about a shellfish Bloody Mary making an appearance next week.” … And the Underground Gourmet gives The Commodore 4 stars, claiming that their crispy fried chicken thighs are “among the best fried chicken in town.”

New Cajun Menu at the Charleston
174 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg; (718) 782-8717
A new Cajun kitchen is now up and running in the Charleston, a Williamsburg dive bar. PaperMag says: “On the menu are jambalaya, crawfish, and vegetarian po’boys, with daily specials of game meat like gator and pheasant. As befits a rock and roll clientele, the kitchen will be open until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 3 on weekends.”

Strollers Banned (Sometimes!) at the Gate
FIPS declares undying love for The Gate in Park Slope after reading their new signage: “Sorry Friends, owing to severe stroller and chair overcrowding as of late, we are now enforcing a NO STROLLER policy on WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS at The Gate.” Guests can still bring baby along on weekdays. Fair enough?