Open and Shut

Coney Island
Nathan’s Famous has reopened! Eater found the above photo from the Nathan’s Facebook page. They say that the layout of the dining room is slightly different and Nathan’s added a new clam bar which serves oysters. In other Coney news, a Nets boutique opens tomorrow right across the street from Nathan’s. It will sell beach balls, flip-flops, visors, Nets gear, and Nets bikinis. Finally, an Applebee’s will open this summer on Surf Avenue between Stillwell Avenue and West 12th Street.
North Brooklyn
Greenpointers has a great roundup of bars, restaurants, and cafes just open and soon to open in the nabe. Oslo Coffee opened its Bedford Avenue location after a fire ripped through the space four months ago. Andrew Tarlow’s newest bar/cafe, called Achilles Heel, is now open at 180 West Street. Odd Fellows Ice Cream, already getting hype for its crazy flavors, will open on Kent Avenue for Memorial Day Weekend. The owners of Boerum Hill’s Rucola are opening a second outpost, a Ligurian-inspired restaurant, on the premises of the 3rd Ward workspace in Williamsburg. It’ll be called Fitzcarraldo.
Ditmas Park
Ditmas Park Corner checks out the new facade at under-construction Milk and Honey. They are hoping the venue, at 1119 Newkirk Avenue, will open within the month. They also checked out the grand opening of Anarkali, a new Indian restaurant at 1125 Church Avenue. Also coming to Church Avenue, Noah’s Ark Pet Store, which should open in August.
Park Slope/Prospect Heights
Melt Kraft Grilled Cheese, a grilled cheese restaurant from the folks behind Slope cheese shop Valley Shepherd Creamery, will open in the old Almondine space on 9th Street. Popular New York City restaurant Fonda, which serves high-end Mexican food, applied for a liquor licence at 427B Seventh Avenue, the old Beer Table space. And over in Prospect Heights, a mac and cheese/BBQ spot is under construction on the corner of St. Marks and Flatbush Avenue.
Elsewhere
Eater picked up some juicy details about new restaurant planned for Red Hook by the guys from Frankies Spuntino, to be called RES. Not far away in Carroll Gardens, PJ Hanley’s Tavern is set to reopen after it was closed due to financial issues. Dinosaur BBQ will open on Union Street in Gowanus later this month. Gowanus is also getting a bridal boutique on 3rd Avenue and 12st Street in about a month. Out of the Closet Thrift Store is open in Boerum Hill, at 475 Atlantic Avenue. The store benefits the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. And finally, a Caribbean restaurant called Island Seas will open in the next month in Crown Heights, on the corner of Franklin and Sterling.
Bread Love Opens in Stuy Heights
A farm stand-cafe of sorts called Bread Love has opened in the yard of 375 Stuyvesant Avenue, complete with picnic tables under a magnolia tree. They have farm-fresh eggs, milk, pastries and sandwiches. “Staff was super friendly,” said a tipster who checked it out. “I had a delicious ginger scone. If they can expand just a bit to include things like fresh flowers and bread, I think it’ll be a homerun.” This is the same space that was home to a Christmas tree stand a few years ago. The hours are 7:30 am to 9 pm seven days a week. GMAP
Ideya Soho Is Moving to Prospect Heights

Ideya Latin Bistro, formerly located in SoHo, is opening a new location at the old Carlton Park space, on the corner of Park Place and Flatbush Avenue. Dubbed Ideya Brooklyn, it will open by mid-June, the owner estimates. She says you can expect the same menu as in SoHo with some tweaks — the original chef will be cooking at the new spot. There will be an emphasis on Caribbean food such as jerk, salt cod, and curry dishes. The restaurant is also known for its mojitos, which will be served from the restaurant bar. Ideya just received approval from the community board and is working on cosmetic changes at the new space. Nice addition for the summertime! GMAP
Open and Shut

North Brooklyn
A gas station at 445 Troutman Street in Bushwick will become an eating/drinking establishment. Wyckoff Heights reports that the space, pictured above, will be transformed into a “country-style” restaurant by the new musician owners. Photo by Wyckoff Heights. A shop called BKLYN Curated is open at 88 Franklin Street in Greenpoint. Bushwick Daily checks out Falansai, a French–Vietnamese restaurant that is now open on the corner of Porter Avenue and Harrison Place.
Crown Heights
Brooklyn Based tests grilled cheese sandwiches at Glady’s, the new grilled cheese specialty restaurant on Franklin Avenue. And a Brooklynian commenter reports that Lula Bagels is opening on the corner of Nostrand and Lincoln. Lula will serve bagels, coffee, pastries, fresh bread, and paninis starting in June.
Elsewhere
Long-in-the-works Italian restaurant Mezini should open in Park Slope in about a week. A cafe called Tip of the Tongue is opening in Prospect Lefferts Gardens next week; it’ll serve take-out food and coffee. 773 Lounge on Coney Island Avenue in Ditmas Park is opening a kitchen next week. And Prospect Heights Patch reports that the southern restaurant Elberta’s is expanding into the space next door.
Pilar Cuban Eatery Opening Second Locale in Bed Stuy

Pilar Cuban Eatery, the popular but tiny joint on Classon Avenue, is expanding into a larger space on the corner of Bedford and Greene avenues. Singage up says they will open soon, and the manager tells us they are shooting for October. As for what to expect, they plan on including everything at the original location and more. So on top of a menu of soups, salads, empanadas, and rotating daily entrees, expect a small plates tapas menu and sangria. They are also building out a bar and adding outdoor seating. The original location at 393 Classon Avenue will remain open. Nice news for Bedford! GMAP
Open and Shut
Coney Island
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade may be cancelled this summer because the organizers have so much debt due to Hurricane Sandy. Just this week a Kickstarter campaign popped up with a goal of $100,000 to fund this year’s parade. More than $20,000 has been raised in a few days. Photo by Luna Park Coney Island. And more sad news from Coney: A fire broke out at Nathan’s Famous, still under construction since Sandy. Luckily the fire was under control within 20 minutes, although there’s no word how badly it damaged the building.
Park Slope
Beer Table closed its locale on Seventh Avenue between 14th and 15th; it’s reopening in a new, unannounced location. The owner of the old space already has another business lined up that will likely be food related. The 4th Avenue cafe/bar Supercollider is finally open, and the grand opening party was last Saturday. And Chinese takeout joint Far East Restaurant will open in the old Sun Bo Bo space at 471A 5th Avenue on May 9.
North Brooklyn
Bar and seafood restaurant The Bounty is open at 131 Greenpoint Avenue. Right now they’re serving a limited menu but plan to open the full kitchen soon. Grub Street checks out Bushwick’s newest bar/restaurant Sweet Science at 135 Graham Avenue. The menu features burgers, fried chicken, and some fun bar snacks. And the restaurant Desnuda opened in Williamsburg at 221 South 1st Street. It’s serving ceviches, tea-smoked oysters, and creative cocktails.
Elsewhere
Eater floats a rumor that the chefs behind Battersby are eyeing the old Vinzee’s Magic Fountain space on Smith Street to open a Carroll Gardens restaurant. Popular Crown Heights vegan spot Imhotep’s has closed on Nostrand Avenue. And a yogurt joint is moving into 800 Franklin Avenue near Eastern Parkway. Just north over in Bed Stuy, two brothers are opening a bar called Dynaco at 1112 Bedford Avenue. Finally, Rihanna’s hair stylist is opening a hair salon at 66 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene.
Restaurant, Bakery Back on Track for 250 Smith Street?
Work has resumed and permits have been renewed at a trio of long-shuttered storefronts at 250-254 Smith Street, Pardon Me For Asking reported. Just weeks ago, the buildings received X’s from the Fire Department warning of structural damage inside, said Carroll Gardens Patch. All three buildings were emptied for construction about seven years ago, which was then halted by the DOB for lack of permits. The stores have been empty ever since, according to PMFA. In April of 2011, permits were issued for the owner to convert the first floor and cellar at No. 250 into a bakery and restaurant, as we reported at the time.
New Permits (and Hope?) for 250 and 252 Smith Street? [PMFA]
Bakery Planned for 250 Smith Street? [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by Nicholas Strini for PropertyShark
Park Slope Food Coop Considering Opening New Branch
Buried in a New York Times story about the Park Slope Food Coop joining the fight to save Cobble Hill’s Long Island College Hospital from closing was this tidbit: The Coop is mulling whether or not to open a new branch of the hugely popular and overcrowded grocery store. The coop has helped other coops form, by offering advice and volunteer workers, but those coops don’t benefit from the buying power of the Park Slope store, where high-quality groceries cost at least 30 percent less than is typically the case elsewhere in New York City. The issue has made it onto the Coop’s packed meeting agenda, but the group has not yet had time to discuss or vote on it, the story said.
Park Slope Food Coop Takes up New Cause: Saving a Hospital [NY Times]
Photo by tory_s
Shocking Flavor Combos From Mayonnaise Mogul
The guy behind Empire Mayonnaise in Prospect Heights seems to be an expert at courting culinary controversy. Sam Mason’s latest venture, an ice cream fountain at 175 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg called Odd Fellows, will serve chorizo-caramel ice cream and milkshakes with cornbread in them, DNAinfo reported. (Not that he’s the first or anything: Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco is probably the king of this trend, which seemed to start with bacon ice cream.) Odd Fellows will open sometime later this month. The article also revealed that Mason used to work at WD-50 as a pastry chef. We remember when their caramelized spicy pineapple was the last word in adventuresome. Ah, now it all makes sense.
Chorizo-Caramel Ice Cream and Cornbread Milkshakes Hit Williamsburg [DNAinfo]
Photo by Odd Fellows Via Indiegogo
French Pizza Place Opens in Bed Stuy
French pizza restaurant Little Beny’s debuted Thursday at 352 Malcolm X Boulevard. This is basically pizza and pasta French style, and the menu is in French. Yes, they have the tuna pizza we remember from our exchange student days, as well as merguez, mussel, and reine, or queen, a mix of ham, tomato, cheese and mushrooms. They also serve soup, an impressive variety of green salads, and croissants and other baked goods. The restaurant is an offshoot of bakery-cafe Beny’s Delice in Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights, which get pretty much rave reviews on Yelp for their pastries. GMAP
Open and Shut
North Brooklyn
LES institution Max Fish is moving to Williamsburg. According to Eater, “The bar will close in late August and look to reopen in Brooklyn soon thereafter.” The owner, who ran through his three-year extended lease after previous issues with the landlord, is looking for a space on Metropolitan Avenue. Photo by russbengtson. A Korean restaurant called Little Dokebi will open in June on the corner of Driggs and Monitor. Also in Greenpoint, the American bar/restaurant Alameda is now open on Greenpoint Avenue.
Park Slope
Let’s Yo!, a yogurt chain, is coming to the retail space at the Barclays on Flatbush Avenue just east of Fifth. Starbucks is open in the old Five Guys space on Park Place and Flatbush Avenue. Forty Weight Cafe closed in the South Slope, but are looking for new locations in the same area. Hotly anticipated bar/cafe Supercollider had to delay its grand opening by one week. And a sushi joint put up signage at 847 Union Street — no official opening date yet.
Elsewhere
Get your summer drink on: the Gowanus Yacht Club has officially reopened for the season. Mini chain Bare Burger opened in Cobble Hill, on Court Street, last week. Eater pins down the Red Hook location of Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo’s latest restaurant: 372 Columbia Street. Also in Red Hook, restaurateur Erin Norris is trying to fund a sausage and beer garden after plans were derailed due to Hurricane Sandy.
Closing Bell: Food Book Fair Happening This Weekend
The second annual Food Book Fair is hitting Williamsburg in early May, from the 3rd to the 5th to be exact. The fair features 10 cooking demos, six panel discussions, a tasting event, and more than 200 foodie books on display at the Wythe Hotel and the Brooklyn Kitchen. Check out the schedule here. Guests include food author Marion Nestle, chef Nate Appleman, and Food52 founder Merrill Stubbs. And the programs include a Coffee Crawl, a fundraiser at the Brooklyn Winery for Hurricane Sandy, and a talk by the folks behind Fleisher’s Meats. Bon Appétit Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport will even be grilling ribs at Smorgasburg Saturday. You can purchase tickets to specific programs, or the entire three-day festival, here.
Food Writer Mark Bittman to Speak at Brooklyn Benefit
Mark Bittman will speak on “The Future of Food” in Downtown Brooklyn Tuesday. The $20 admission will benefit the Brooklyn Food Coalition, which describes itself as a “grassroots organization dedicated to the vision of a just and sustainable food system in Brooklyn.” The event is co-sponsored by Long Island University’s Public Health Program. Bittman is a New York Times cooking and food policy columnist. His latest book is “VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6 PM To Lose Weight and Restore Your Health…For Good.” The event takes place at 6 pm April 30 at Long Island University at the Schwartz Athletic Center at 1 University Plaza. For more details or to buy tickets, go here.
Open and Shut
Hurricane Sandy
Popular Red Hook watering hole Sunny’s has been rebuilding since Sandy hit in October and is aiming for a June opening. They are holding a May Day benefit at the Bell House to help raise runds for the last of the work. You can buy tickets to the event, which takes place May 1, here. Photo by michele y. Last week, the liquor store Dry Dock quietly reopened at its original storefront on the corner of Van Brunt and Van Dyke; it had temporarily relocated up the street after Sandy. And in Coney Island, NY1 checks up on a Neptune Avenue body shop that needed a month and a half to reopen after the storm.
North Brooklyn
Williamsburg’s first med spa opened at 47 North 4th Street this week. Brooklyn Based posted the spa’s entire press release in all its glory: “After all, even hipsters want Botox,” it says, as well as, “So for the Brooklynite who may be regretting that full sleeve and in need of laser tattoo removal, or simply seeking a bit of pampering after a hard week doing the hustle and grind, N4 offers everything from organic seaweed leaf wraps to an Infinity Sun Tan, for a full spa and med spa experience.” Zagat checks out Isle of Skye, a new Williamsburg bar serving over 200 bottles of Scotch. The Scottish pub is located at 488 Driggs Avenue, with the owners already eyeing an expansion to Park Slope. And the plywood is down at Motorino Brooklyn, opening later this year at 191 Broadway.
Park Slope
Signage is up on the Flatbush Avenue Starbucks and the old Fornino space will likely go to a chain restaurant. Are chains taking over the Slope? Not entirely: The Brooklyn antiques/gifts shop Sterling Place will open its third location on Seventh Avenue between Garfield and Carroll. And South Slope bar Supercollider, under construction at 609 4th Avenue, will open up this Friday for biz. It’ll be a cafe/bar hybrid, although the bar won’t have its grand opening until May 4.
Elsewhere
Cake Man Raven is considering Bed Stuy for his new Brooklyn location, after he shuttered the bakery in Fort Greene in November 2012. Upscale home goods store Dunham Home opened up shop in Cobble Hill, at 213 Court Street. A food truck lot opened up in Dumbo this week — you can follow @dumbolot on Twitter to keep track of participating trucks. Finally, Grub Street got an early peek at Glady’s on Franklin Avenue, Crown Heights‘ newest grilled cheese restaurant.
Oxford Kitchen Bound for Fulton
Looks like the old One Greene Sushi space is getting a new business called Oxford Kitchen. This signage went up at the end of last week at 1 Greene Avenue at the corner of South Oxford and Fulton in Fort Greene. We presume Oxford Kitchen is a new restaurant (and building permits show no change in use for the space) but we can’t find any mention of it anywhere. Anyone know more?
Flea to Expand to Seaport With Smorgasbar
The Brooklyn Flea’s Smorgasbar is coming to Manhattan’s South Street Seaport this summer. Food and drink will be available at 40 tables outside on Front Street. The developer of the Sandy-ravaged area, the Howard Hughes Corp., invited the Flea, which can put together an operation and attract lots of people quickly, Flea partner Eric Demby told Gothamist. The outpost will be open daily through October. It will stay open until 10:30 pm on weekends. This is not the Flea’s first Manhattan venture. It also has a pop-up shop in Whole Foods Market on the Bowery and runs the concessions at Central Park SummerStage.
Open and Shut
Park Slope
Here’s Park Slope spotted signage for the Brooklyn Skybox, a “sports viewing experience” near the Barclays Center. We hear that the exact location is 604 Pacific Street, right off Flatbush Avenue, where it will open by the end of this year. The owner, Michael Drummond, plans to set up a restaurant, rooftop dining, big-screen TV and arcade. He’s also in touch with the North Flatbush Avenue BID with the assurance that the venue is community friendly and will be a good neighbor. Here’s the Facebook page for the new space. Photo by Here’s Park Slope. Eladia’s Atelier just opened at 264 Flatbush Avenue. It’s a new dance, art, and music studio for children that also offers classes with parents and after school programs. Parents can register their kids for classes now. Kahawa Cafe, a bakery on the corner of 5th Avenue and 15th Street, reopened after a five month absence. Dragonfly Boutique, which sells men’s and women’s clothing, held its grand opening last weekend at 145 5th Avenue. Fusion City, a Chinese-Indian fusion joint, is open at 310 9th Street. This space near the subway has had an eclectic variety of restaurants come through in the past few years.
North Brooklyn
Grub Street gets the first look at newly opened Fatty ‘Cue, which is back after closing twice for renovations. The bar Over The Eight moved into 594 Union Avenue, the former Royal Oak space. Over The Eight is planning readings, art shows, dance parties, food and music. The dance club TBA has opened in a former auto repair garage at 396 Wythe Avenue, at South 6th Street. And La Villita, a Mexican bakery on the corner of Grand Street and Bedford Avenue, recently closed after the rent went way up. They had been at that space for 17 years.
Ditmas Park
New Ditmas cafe Coffee Mob will hold a soft opening this Saturday at 1514 Newkirk Avenue, on the corner of East 16th Street. And the under-construction Milk and Honey Cafe has taken down its scaffolding.
Manny’s Returning Soon
For our readers who may be wondering if Manny’s will ever reopen, the answer is yes! They’ve been closed for a few months now to put in gas for cooking three meals a day, not just warming up items from sister businesses Choice and Dough, and we began to wonder if they had gone out of business altogether. But General Manager Derek Anasiewicz emailed us to say they just hired a chef and plan to reopen in about two weeks. They will start with breakfast and add lunch, dinner and brunch. They are also working on a beer and wine license. “We’re very excited to be opening again and look forward to seeing everyone in the neighborhood in the next few weeks,” he said. “If you could apologize for me to everyone in the neighborhood that it has taken us so long and I will apologize myself once we start seeing everyone.” We miss their chocolate chip cookies and are looking forward to the reopening. GMAP
Big Expansion for Gorilla Coffee in Gowanus
Buried in the Wall Street Journal article about Gowanus late last week was the news that Park Slope’s Gorilla Coffee is expanding to Gowanus. They plan to open a 4,000-square-foot cafe and coffee roaster at 500 President Street, between Nevins Street and 3rd Avenue. They will also remain at the Slope location at 97 5th Avenue. The above rendering comes from the Gorilla Facebook page, where they write, “Super excited to start roasting and serving coffee out of here. Stay tuned.” There isn’t an opening date yet.
More Signs of “Gowanus A-Go-Go” [WSJ] GMAP
New Drinking Spot for Brooklyn Heights
Looks like a new restaurant or bar is moving into the empty space at 72 Henry in Brooklyn Heights, previously home to Diva Salon. So far, the new exterior is looking very spif. The application for a liquor license posted in the window ID’s the owner of the new business as Sociale LLC. With all the new amenities in the area these days (including further down on Atlantic), maybe Brooklyn Heights will have to shed some of its fuddy-duddy image? GMAP





May 21, 2013 | 09:56 AM