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Streetlevel: Locavore Restaurant to Replace Cafe on Clinton

Categories: Cobble Hill, Streetlevel

breuckelen-on-clinton-0310.jpg
breuckelen-logo.jpgA month ago, we wondered aloud what the heck was going on with Cafe on Clinton, the formerly-beloved-but-now-forsaken neighborhood spot at 268 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill. The restaurant had sat, ghost-town-like, since the New Year with tables set but doors locked. Now we have the full story: A new restaurant under new ownership is taking over. To be called Breuckelen, the new spot will be a locavore "field to fork" experience. According to the owner, the menu will most likely have a Roman's-esque three-course approach (apps, small pastas, mains) and include ingredients from the garden that will soon be planted out back and on the roof of the one-story building. Weekdays there will be lunch geared toward the stroller set plus dinner, and on the weekends the standard brunch-and-dinner combo. Seems to us this should be a great fit and much-welcomed addition to the neighborhood. GMAP



By Brownstoner at March 9, 2010 2:01 PM | Comments (20)

20 Comments

By BSD on March 9, 2010 2:36 PM

2 things:
- "lunch geared toward the stroller set ": what exactly is that?

- I like the idea of locally sourced ingredients, but growing it in the backyard/roof in brooklyn, next to atlantic ave. and 2 blks from the BQE, makes me LESS excited than if it came from a Jersey farm.

By Putnamdenizen on March 9, 2010 2:43 PM

Isn't there a clothing store on Atlantic called Breuckelen?

By crank on March 9, 2010 3:00 PM

Yay!

By lambretta76 on March 9, 2010 3:24 PM

email address on that site is aokarasz - perhaps it's this chef: http://www.chefdb.com/nm/5158

By BH76 on March 9, 2010 3:32 PM

"lunch geared toward the stroller set ": what exactly is that?

It really isn't sited near offices so if you do lunch during the week it has to be geared to the stay-at-homes mommies and daddies.

By BHS on March 9, 2010 3:44 PM

that's awesome that they're growing food on site. very impressive. wishing them the best.

By Butterfly on March 9, 2010 3:46 PM

one question about growing food on site, just how much can they actually produce? i can't imagine there's a huge amount of space to grow stuff, but then again i have no clue just how fast vegetables and fruit grow..

*rob*

By cobblehook on March 9, 2010 3:59 PM

Chef is Andrew Karasz- he worked at Bruno Jamais and Django

By Petebklyn on March 9, 2010 4:01 PM

not a big restaurant at all so don't need to grow much.

By duckumu on March 9, 2010 4:19 PM

"It really isn't sited near offices so if you do lunch during the week it has to be geared to the stay-at-homes mommies and daddies."

and there's plenty of that in cobble hill. in days i've had off, i've noticed the park is full all afternoon and every restaurant and cafe in the area is getting a good amount of business. don't forget about the nannies, either.

"one question about growing food on site, just how much can they actually produce?"

a lot, surprisingly. and it depends on the vegetable too. you can get a radish from seed to full fruit in about a month, and they don't take up much room. plus, if you have a smart garden designer, you can grow things vertically in containers -- and choose plants that like shade for the lower containers.

By shillstoner on March 9, 2010 5:30 PM

Hmmm, locovores in Brooklyn sounds tricky. I recently visited friends in westchester who are rabid locovores--there's evidently a big movement up there. They only eat things from a 15 miles radius--but they're close to a cattle farm, a dairy, and lots of fresh produce and foods so it isn't so tough.

By DitmasSnark on March 9, 2010 5:43 PM

> They only eat things from a 15 miles radius

That must limit their food choices, particularly in the winter.

By cobblehook on March 9, 2010 5:44 PM

The term Locavore is so darn annoying....why doesn't someone just open a good restaurant and use locally sourced products,etc BUT not have to boast about being a locavore,farm sourced,blah blah...do you think they make their own toilet paper or do they get it from the highly acclaimed artisan toilet paper maker on Clinton Street?

By shillstoner on March 9, 2010 5:50 PM

"That must limit their food choices, particularly in the winter"

I believe it does limit the greens and veggies, yes. When I was there we had lots of poultry, meat, bread, cheese, and yogurt -- it was delicious, but that could be a problem on a regular basis.

By Brenda from Flatbush on March 9, 2010 6:05 PM

Yes, we have no bananas!

By Heather on March 9, 2010 6:30 PM

It's funny how most locavores manage to find things like olive oil and spices because I never see olive trees around here.

Maybe they're on Farmville?

By Ariane Ben Eli on March 9, 2010 6:43 PM

LOL @ Heather. I'm thrilled with this news, actually. As a card carrying member of the stroller set, I have to say that sometimes Ted & Honey just doesn't cut it. Looking forward to more dining west of Court Street.

By lesbiman on March 10, 2010 11:27 AM

" include ingredients from the garden that will soon be planted out back and on the roof of the one-story building"...i.e. herbs, maybe some greens, green beans, peas, squash. The roof won't get a ton of sunlight. Don't know how much the yard would get either. The roof and yard might be able to supply a few people for a season or two with all kinds of vegetables. But a restaurant, even a small one...doubt it. Think of how much they would use two meals a day, 6-7 days a week. A LOT! Maybe you'll get a slice of squash or zucchini on the side of your meal from the garden. Then they can maintain their claim.
Plus they'd have to strip off the topsoil and replace it for organic (they'll likely tout that)

By mandboy on March 11, 2010 5:47 PM

This is GREAT news for the neighborhood! Finally a chef smart enough to grow his own veg and herbs... Best of luck!!

By DER on June 13, 2010 12:23 PM

"Locavore." Oh dear. The replacement of what was a Cobble Hill bastion of normality and comfort with yet another precious little Sillyburg outpost (see 'Ted & Honey') of trust fund snarkiness does not bode well for a neighborhood increasingly filled with planet killing money boys and their grasping ilk.

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