Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

World’s Best(?) Meatball Hero Coming to Williamsburg
Looks like the Meatball Shop is coming to Brooklyn. The New York Times says, “A branch of the Lower East Side specialist opens in the spring: 170 Bedford Avenue (North Seventh Street), Williamsburg.” The place has gotten tons of press, and according to a Village Voice review, “The world has never known a more perfect meatball hero.” Photo by Dont_Shoot_The_Messenger.

More Openings and Buzz
The New York Times confirms that Smashburger, a “cultish burger chain,” will open 3 shops in Brooklyn “early next year.” Eater seems excited about the chain’s arrival because “the meat is pressed with a heavy, metal stamp when it hits the grill so that it gets those crunchy edges that burger-geeks are always freaking out about.” A Hamburger Today shares a positive review of the burger, too. Any thoughts on where these shops might open? … Plus Bed-Stuy Blog reports on the neighborhood’s newest bakery: “SCRATCHbread‘s retail window (located at the corner of Bedford and Lexington Avenues) will be open this Wednesday, November 24th from noon-5pm with a Thanksgiving Day menu of breads and sweets, plus ready-made stuffing. Starting December 1st, their retail window will be open every Wednesday from 4-8pm for the neighborhood.” … And Eater says that Bushwick’s New York Loft Hostel “is getting a full-service bar and live music venue soon.”

Mile End‘s Revamped Dinner Menu
97A Hoyt Street, Boerum Hill; (718) 852-7510
In addition to their famous smoked meat, Mile End’s Noah Bernamoff and chef Aaron Israel (the former sous-chef at Torrisi Italian Specialties) are gearing up to expand their dinnertime offerings of Jewish-American(-Canadian) cuisine and, according to Grub Street, “breathe new life into traditional dishes with elevated technique and a fresh approach. Israel has been running new dishes like veal-tongue polonaise, chopped liver with a house-baked pletzel, and schmaltzed radish salad as specials over the last couple of weeks, and will make his new menu official after the holiday weekend.”

After the jump: Brucie, and Cariño…

Recently Reviewed: Brucie
234 Court St. at Baltic Street, Cobble Hill; (347) 987-4961, brucienyc.com
“The menu changes frequently, featuring items such as a panelle sandwich with ricotta, vinegar peppers and honey ($9) or sweet potato ravioli with brown butter and fried sage ($12)… The food may be enticing, but the atmosphere is even more so. [Chef-owner Zahra] Tangorra gut-renovated the entire space, formerly home to sushi spot Cube 63, to create a homey space, reminiscent of an eat-in kitchen in some other, magical place where eat-in kitchens and massive square footage aren’t quite so sparse.” [Brooklyn Paper]

Recently Reviewed: Cariño
82 South Fourth Street (Berry Street), Williamsburg; (718) 384-8282, carinonyc.com
“A moment of blissful silence greeted the arrival of the gordita ($7), a fat deep-fried masa dumpling sliced open to reveal chorizo smoking at its center. Oozing crema, tomatillo sauce and cheese, it is a direct challenge to the hegemony of the burger… Ricardo’s guacamole ($8), [is] made with papalo, an herb native to Mexico that has a peppery jab and a lemony afterglow. It evokes cilantro, but with more va-va-voom.” [New York Times]