Open and Shut

Carroll Gardens
A reader sent along the above pic of the 16 Handles frozen yogurt spot opening at 349 Court Street, and boy, are residents hating that signage. PMFA calls the sign “garish” and says others have called it “hideous,” “out of context,” and “beyond ugly.” Lost NYC shares some choice words in his post Worst Sign on Court Street: “This is, by far, the worst, the ugliest sign in the 20-plus block of stretch of Court Street. It is worse than McDonald’s, Popeye’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, and that is saying something. The so-bright-they-hurt colors were obviously chosen to attract the attention of the freeway driver whizzing by a roadside rest stop.” Elsewhere in Carroll Gardens, BoCoCa Land notices the farm to table restaurant Chesnut closed its doors: “It served excellent cocktails, affordable wine and American Nouveau cuisine with a bent towards local ingredients. And there wasn’t much like it around. Fast-forward nine years and this pioneer has shuttered.” UPDATE: The sign is coming down. Finally up in Cobble Hill, the Spanish eatery La Vara officially opened, reported PMFA.

Park Slope
Grub Street writes that very popular Zitos Sandwich Shoppe will bring outdoor food carts to Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park this summer, probably by mid-May. Here’s Park Slope notes that Brooklyn Flea favorites People’s Pops are going brick and mortar at 7th Avenue and Union Street. It will open May 1st. And finally, the Latin and vegan restaurant V Spot at 5th and Degraw reopened after being shuttered by the DOH.

Elsewhere
James, in Prospect Heights, started serving lunch today. According to Patch, the menu is very vegetarian friendly. The Starbucks that moved eastward on Montague Street will reopen in May, says Brooklyn Heights Blog. They nabbed a picture of the under-construction interior at 134 Montague. The controversial Bay Ridge bar Crown KTV got its liquor licence reissued but owes $37,000 in fines. And in Gownaus, Brooklyn bakery Runner and Stone (and another Flea fave) is opening a store soon on 3rd Avenue late summer or early fall.