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August 5, 2009

Brooklyn Food and Drink Round-Up

bark.jpg
Brooklyn Restaurant and Bar Openings
We mentioned yesterday that Bark (474 Bergen Street) is scheduled to open in about a week. Grub Street posted the interior photo above, posted Bark's menu, and calls the place "a thinking man’s wiener shop run by two frankfurter fanatics, Joshua Sharkey (formerly of Café Gray) and Brandon Gillis (an ex-Franny’s man)." ...Gothamist reports on Luckydog (303 Bedford Avenue between South 2nd and South 1st): "Of the 20 beers on tap, the menu spans the spectrum from lesser-known beers like Troegs to 24 oz pours ($4) of Genny Cream Ale, which [owner Bill] Mack describes as 'the beer we used to steal from our fathers.'" ..Grub Street mentions the new tenant set to occupy the old Cafe Doré space (270 Smith Street): "first-time restaurateur Benoit Rousan will open a yet-to-be-named French restaurant there at the end of August or in early September. Rousan says to expect 'French countryside cuisine with an upscale twist.'"

Trout + Pacifico + Since 1963 + Bueno = Smith Street Food Court?
Chowhound lambretta76 passed the old Gravy/Trout space on Smith Street and "noticed the sign hanging in the window announcing the arriving Bueno, featuring the cuisine of 'the romance languages' or something." Fellow 'Hound bhill adds, "From reading the sign, the way I understand it is that the entire compound is going to be some sort of food mall. It looks like 'Bueno' is opening in the former indoor trout area and will use the indoor kitchen behind trout. Both Trout and Since 1963 have their own little contained cooking/ heating areas."

$25 and Under: Saraghina
435 Halsey Street (Lewis Avenue), Bedford-Stuyvesant; No phone
This new Bed-Stuy trattoria gets a very positive review in today's NY Times: "Outside of the pizzas, you don’t go back to Saraghina for your favorites. You go back to try something new. Which might be grilled octopus salad ($13); or mussels steamed with garlic and crushed pepper ($11); or burratina ($11), a thick slice of burrata drizzled with olive oil and served with a pile of grape tomatoes. It tasted like summer. Or baby artichokes ($10), which were sautéed in white wine and olive oil and served with a leafy pile of shaved fennel."

After the jump: Schnitzel on wheels, vareniki in Brighton Beach, brunch at Papacitos, and Brooklyn Bowl's full menu...

Schnitzel on the Go
Chowhounds are buzzing about the Schnitzel & Things truck that has been spotted on Smith Street and around McCarren Park. Chowhound bergengirl reports back: "I had the chicken schnitzel with Austrian potato salad and beet and feta salad. The schnitzel was thin and crisp, and was topped off with lemon juice and Sriracha mayo (which the guys in the truck said is their favorite sauce, hands down). The sides were tasty too, especially the potato salad, which was flavorful without being creamy. The price was right--$9 for the platter, and almost enough to satisfy 2 hungry adults."

Quick Bites
Greenpointers samples the vegetarian-Mexican brunch offerings at Papacitos, and says that "the poached eggs with white corn polenta, which incorporates shredded pork with green chili sauce and roasted peppers" was her favorite dish... Grub Street shares a first look at Brooklyn Bowl's food menu... And Chowhound flo discovers the cheap and delicious Varenichnaya in Brighton Beach: "The cost of a 5 dish meal for two (you can share most dishes, they are big), no drinks except for their home made compote, came to $29 before tip, astonishing. Overall the meal was quite impressive, the service was nice, an unexpected afternoon treat."




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Comments

Holy crap, that Bark menu looks DELICIOUS!!!

And love that they will be open till 11:30pm every night.

Can't wait to try it out.

Posted by: 11217 at August 5, 2009 11:37 AM

Anybody heard any word on when Der Schwarze Kolner is going to open? It's looked like renovations have been done for a while now. When I talked to them in early July, it was supposed to be just a few days away.

Posted by: kdescher at August 5, 2009 11:48 AM

While I am sure I will try Bark and Love it - why oh why does BK have so many hot dog joints?

Can't I open a place up that's just devoted to let's say Mashed Potatos? would that do well?

Posted by: gemini10 at August 5, 2009 11:55 AM

Since 1963 had the WORST excuse for bbq food. Closed after only 3 months tops. Why can't these guys get it right on this corner?

Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 5, 2009 12:02 PM

g10, we've been talking entrepreneurial ideas on the OT all morning, including bars and restaurants (and porn websites). I'm up for opening a great comfort food restaurant, and mashed potatoes top the list!

Posted by: CarrollGardened at August 5, 2009 12:03 PM

Its hard to go into Pacifico-Trout-Snce 1963 because they look so dirty. I live in the area and want to like these places but you have that empty spot next to Pacifico with all that garbage and crap just sitting there and all 3 places seems like the need to be torn down and start over.Its hard to feel comfortable eating there when the outside is a mess and it seems like they just want a quick fix to have these restaurants to start working. On another note Pacifico's ritas are awesome.

Posted by: THAL at August 5, 2009 12:06 PM

I love me some mashed potatoes.

I wish a good Jersey diner would open in BK, and have turkey club sandwiches and milkshakes on the menu, the way a diner should.

Posted by: tiptoe at August 5, 2009 12:07 PM

Gem and CarrollGardened:

Have either of you tried Pinch and S'mac in Manhattan? There are two locations and they specialize in the MOST DELICIOUS mac and cheese with all kinds of different toppings. They also have GREAT salads and pizza by the inch.

Something like that could do great out in PS...

http://www.pinchandsmac.com/

Posted by: 11217 at August 5, 2009 12:07 PM

> turkey club sandwiches and milkshakes

Try Fifth Avenue Restaurant between 8th and 9th Street.

Posted by: DitmasSnark at August 5, 2009 12:10 PM

11217 - my husband and I lived at S'MAC for the first 6 months they opened - I LOVED it - I think we ate there too much though and grew bored - but will revisit
such a great idea and it's packed all the time

Posted by: gemini10 at August 5, 2009 12:11 PM

11217 - No (or should I say, not yet), but it sounds great!

Posted by: CarrollGardened at August 5, 2009 12:18 PM

Building on Bond has great mac-n-cheese. Just saying.

BOD, you are SO RIGHT. They should spend a fraction of the energy the spend on naming and decor on actual food preparation. I had nearly the worst food I've ever had in my life at Gravy.

I don't know why the Health Department hasn't shut them down. It's not just the lot next to it that is filthy. One time, my spouse had a quesadilla at Pacifico that appeared to be blue corn. On closer inspection, it was covered with MOLD. Now you know why the lights are so dim and the margaritas are so strong.

Posted by: Brooklyn Chicken at August 5, 2009 12:23 PM

We order from Smac at work when we stay late. Awesome, and typically induces a coma afterwards, so not much work gets done

Posted by: dirty_hipster at August 5, 2009 12:25 PM

How about a real Southern-style restaurant? Nothing gimicky like Char, and not just BBQ.

Posted by: BH76 at August 5, 2009 12:27 PM

How about a real Southern-style restaurant? Nothing gimicky like Char, and not just BBQ.

Posted by: BH76 at August 5, 2009 12:27 PM

BH76 I agree totally a good old fashioned southern bbq place thats casual similiar to a Brother Jimmys menu.

Posted by: THAL at August 5, 2009 12:39 PM

does trout offer food now? or just drinks? that whole area confuses me.

Posted by: boerumjn at August 5, 2009 12:45 PM

Best Milkshakes in Brooklyn as stated by Edible Brooklyn: Hinches, 86th and 5th

http://www.ediblebrooklyn.net/magazine/pages/issues/lowsummer2008/shakes.pdf

Posted by: italiana71 at August 5, 2009 12:48 PM

First a $5.00 slice o pizza, now a $4.25 plain hot dog, I am sure I will try it, i just must be getting old, "I remember when.... pizza and hot dogs were ¢.50", oh, i'm old.

BTW, Trout has their own mini menu, and you can eat the 1963 out back there too, I believe.

Posted by: lifer at August 5, 2009 12:53 PM

Re the category of $25 and under....is there really such a thing anymore?

Posted by: mopar at August 5, 2009 1:33 PM

No more Frank Bruni starting October:


http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/sam-sifton-is-named-restaurant-critic-for-the-times/?hp

Posted by: 11217 at August 5, 2009 1:56 PM

There used to be a restaurant in Chicago that did mashed potatoes with a gazillion mix-ins. That was the entire menu.

Posted by: WTbound at August 5, 2009 1:57 PM

Yeah - 11217. Shame, I liked Bruni. Some of his zero star reviews were pretty damn funny.

Posted by: dirty_hipster at August 5, 2009 2:01 PM

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