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Open and Shut
Columbia Street Waterfront
This week the blogosphere wondered, “Is the Columbia St. Waterfront the new Smith Street?” Brooklyn Paper points to the opening of Pok Pok, the coming Greenway and park, and new restaurants vying to move in. The neighborhood is still limited by its lack of transportation, construction, and geographic isolation. So what do you think? Meanwhile, the Columbia Street Post Office will be forced to close due to budget cuts, according to CG Patch.
Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens
Grub Street posts the menu for Arthur on Smith, the organic/local restaurant from Southfork Kitchen chef slated to open March 19th at 276 Smith Street. And Sweet Melissa closes at Court and Douglas after being in the neighborhood since 1998. Says PMFA: “Melissa’s will be missed by many.” A little further north in Brooklyn Heights, construction workers are combining the retail space at 214-216 Hicks Street – past home to Overtures and Dara Ettinger. No one’s leased out the larger space yet.
Park Slope
Owners of much-hyped restaurant Talde are opening another at the old Aunt Suzie’s place, says Park Slope Patch. The name and cuisine type has not yet been revealed. The owner of Prospect Perk is expanding to 253 Flatbush Avenue, the new spot will be called Hungry Ghost Cafe. They tell HPS, “It will be a little more upscale than Prospect Perk, with a full bakery in-house and lots of room to sit.” A burger bar is filling the old Oko Frozen Yogurt space at 152 5th Avenue, between Degraw and Douglass. And new Italian joint Feluccio opened at 364 Prospect Avenue.
Elsewhere
A roll-your-own-smokes place in Sheepshead Bay is being threatened by the city to close down. The White Castle on Willoughby has shuttered in Downtown Brooklyn. BHB wonders if it closed due to the recent arrival of Shake Shack. Greenpoint club Europa was temporarily shut down by the cops due to some previously violent incidents. And lawmakers are pushing to bring a summertime plaza to Third Avenue between 81st and 89th Streets in Bay Ridge.
Photo by Jay Woodworth
02/08/2012 11:30 AM
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New Carroll Gardens Burger Joint Opens
Smith Street’s newest burger joint/pub, Burger on Smith, recently opened for business. It’s serving up grass-fed beef grilled on cast-iron in the old Faan space on Smith and Baltic. Grub Street’s got the menu and PMFA’s got the interior photos. Anybody checked it out yet? GMAP
02/03/2012 2:00 PM
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Locavore Restaurant Opening on Classon and Fulton
A new restaurant is coming to 549 Classon Avenue, right off Fulton Street. The owner says it will be called Alice’s Arbor and that the cuisine will be based on “local farmer’s farming goodies, and the specials based on seasonal fares.” He didn’t get back to us about an opening date, but construction looks like it’s coming along. GMAP
02/02/2012 2:00 PM
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End of a (Short) Era: Morton’s Closes in Downtown BK
Yesterday afternoon several readers got in touch to let us know that the Downtown Brooklyn location of Morton’s the Steakhouse had shut down, and the news was confirmed by a woman who answered the phone at the restaurant. As the Brooklyn Paper notes, the chain was recently purchased by the Texas-based company Landry’s Inc.. The firm has abruptly closed a few other Morton’s locations, including restaurants in Boston and Atlanta. Here’s what a Landry’s spokeswoman had to say about the Brooklyn shuttering (emphasis ours): “Over time, demographics shift and so do the areas in which businesses thrive and it’s because of this that we must close the Morton’s location in Brooklyn. We will continue to operate Morton’s The Steakhouse in Manhattan on 5th Ave. and White Plains on Maple Ave and look forward to serving our guests at these locations.” Morton’s opened to a great deal of fanfare on Adams Street in late 2008. Does the closing cast a pall on the retail renaissance in Downtown? Not according to a statement from the disinterested parties at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership: “While it is a sad day for Downtown Brooklyn, there is a still a strong appetite for dining options in the district. A dozen restaurants opened in the area in 2011, nine more coming this year, and Downtown Brooklyn property owners get calls daily from eateries interested in space.” Exhibit A: The thriving Shake Shake steps away from the Morton’s location.
Over, Done: Morton’s Closes [BK Paper] GMAP
Photo by Yogma
02/02/2012 9:00 AM
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Bringing a New Eatery to Life in Old Abistro Space
The folks who are opening a restaurant called Lulu & Po in the old Abistro space on Carlton Avenue are blogging about their renovation. Some neat details from the work done so far: “At this stage Gerrett and I have most of all of the inside gutted. We took the sheet rock off the walls and brought the place back to the 1990′s. It was a little socal club from what we are told. There are some calendars and postings on the walls made out of cardboard and old newspapers all in Spanish. The names and dates on the calendar are either birthdays or deaths. We think both.” The small restaurant will feature local ingredients but focus on European rather than American fare, according to reports.
Lulu & Po Renovation Blog [Official Site]
Original Abistro Location Now Up for Rent [Brownstoner] GMAP
02/01/2012 2:00 PM
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Open and Shut
Coney Island
Amusing the Zillion posted this awesome picture of an old rathskellers that sold under the Boardwalk sometime in the 1940-50s. The owner of Brooklyn Beach shop was renovating the first-floor space of what was previously Coney Island Souvenirs when she found this menu up on the basement wall. Beer and milk: 10 cents, coffee: 5 cents. Not bad!
Ditmas Park/Windsor Terrace
Am Thai Bistro opens on Church Avenue in Ditmas Park and plans to serve traditional Thai dishes to the nabe. Le Paddock extended its hours to be open Friday for brunch and for take-out. The cafe Oak and Iris should ropen on Fort Hamilton Parkway today.
Park Slope
Long-time Slope concert hall South Paw is closing down and a tutoring center is moving in, in a shift that seems catered to the changes of the neighborhood. The owner told the Brooklyn Paper: “I’m kind of over Park Slope — it’s not a destination for nightlife anymore.” V Spot is closed due to health violations and the old Timboo’s Bar will be replaced by a new bar run by the owners of Abilene Bar on Court Street, says Here’s Park Slope. HPS notes a third BBQ joint is moving into the neighborhood and Gothamist takes a tour of Fort Reno Provisions.
Elsewhere
Chocolate Earth opens in Dumbo at The Shops at 145 Front Street with over 20 brands and 80 types of artisan and craft chocolate bars. Burgersmith opens on Smith Street and Baltic in Cobble Hill serving up grass-fed beef burgers grilled on a cast-iron. East Village restaurant Max is expanding to South 2nd Street and Driggs in Williamsburg. Also in the neighborhood the Camel Art Space joins the gallery migration from Williamburg east into Bushwick. BoCoCa Land rounds up a few Italian newcomers he’s noticed in the neighborhood. Indian restaurant Baluchi’s opened quickly on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. Finally, Patch profiles Crem Puff Cafe, a coffe/juice bar on 6th Avenue between Dean and Bergen.
02/01/2012 11:28 AM
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Stone Park Cafe Expanding With Catering Hall
Last week CB6 heard an application for Stone Park Cafe to expand into the pizza joint next door, at 357 3rd Street. The plan is to add a catering hall to the Park Slope restaurant for scheduled events only. The extra space adds about 1,600 square feet with seating for 63 at max capacity. Nice to hear the restaurant is expanding. GMAP
01/30/2012 2:04 PM
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Candy Store Opening on Myrtle Avenue
A reader passed along this shot announcing the impending opening of a candy store called Huey’s Chueys at 378 Myrtle Avenue, near the corner of Clermont, noting that it’s “a good use of that space that used to be a hair salon.” We got in touch with the owner, who said the business will be opening this coming Wednesday if all goes as planned. The store will carry candy by the pound (prices aren’t completely set, but it will probably run $2.99/pound and up), homemade chocolate, ice cream, pastries and snow cones.
GMAP
01/27/2012 2:00 PM
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Speedy Romeo Opens Tonight
The new Italian joint Speedy Romeo is scheduled to open tonight on Classon and Greene. The menu will feature pizza and classic Italian entrees, and Patch notes that homemade mozzarella is likely to make an appearance too. The restaurant will only serve dinner at first, but lunch and brunch are planned. Pumped?
Stirrings at the Speedy Romeo Space [Brownstoner]
Wood-Fired Pizza Coming to Greene and Classon [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/24/2012 2:00 PM
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Franny’s Moving to Bigger Digs on Flatbush
This weekend Patch confirmed a rumor that the beloved pizza restaurant Franny’s is going to move into a new, larger space a few blocks away from its current location. The restaurant is going to move to the former Blockbuster storefront on Flatbush near the corner of Sterling Place (shown at right before the video store closed). Grub Street has more details on the move: The new iteration of the restaurant will take reservations for parties of six or more, offer takeout and serve lunch. The current Franny’s space will reopen as a new Italian restaurant called Marco’s. As Here’s Park Slope notes, local landlord Michael Pintchik has been renovating the string of storefronts on Flatbush that will include the new Franny’s and had promised that a restaurant “everyone’s familiar with, and that everyone will love” was going to move to the spot.
Confirmed: Franny’s Moving to Former Blockbuster on Flatbush [Patch] GMAP
Franny’s 2.0 To Open in November [Grub Street]
Photo by threecee
01/23/2012 12:00 PM
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Williamsburg Bar Fight Rages On
Crain’s has a story about Community Board 1′s attempt to crack down on the number of bars in Williamsburg following the board’s decision last month to not vote in favor of any liquor license requests involving outdoor spaces unless the businesses also serve food. The article touches on residents’ complaints about the neighborhood’s bars, most of which center on how noisy the patrons are (“We’re trying to tame the Wild West of bars,” say CB1′s public safety chairman Mieszko Kalita), while also quoting bar owners who say the board is overreaching. Matt Webber, who owns the bar Soft Spot and is looking to expand, says the board is “trying to stipulate us to death.” Meanwhile, Felice Kirby, who has run Teddy’s Bar and Grill for three decades, says “no bar should be demonized that doesn’t deserve it.” Bar owners have banded together as a group called Brooklyn Allied Bars and Restaurants to try to protect their livelihoods.
Crackdown Hits North Brooklyn Bars [Crain's]
Photo by Johnnie Utah
01/23/2012 10:00 AM
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Celestino Opens in Bed Stuy to Good Reviews
Celestino, the seafood-inspired offshoot of pizza joint Saraghina, is open at Halsey Street and Stuyvesant Avenue. Eater pointed out that it’s gotten positive reviews so far for its simple, affordable food. Here’s a shot of the menu, which includes calamari, mussels, scallops and codfish. Anyone been?
Details on Saraghina Offshoot Celestino [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/20/2012 2:00 PM
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Bombay Masala Adding a Bar on Franklin
Last week the Indian restaurant Bombay Masala, on Franklin Avenue between St. Marks and Prospect Place, petitioned Community Board 8 to open up a bar next door. The space, at 678 Franklin Avenue, is currently a liquor store. The business will be called “Bollywood Bar” and will only serve wine and beer. There are also plans to occasionally host live musical performances. It will not be an expansion, as Bombay Masala serves food and Bollywood Bar will only serve alcohol. CB8 approved the liquor license application. No word on the opening date, though. GMAP
01/19/2012 2:02 PM
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Brooklyn Tap House Has Opened on Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn Tap House, the large new bar on Myrtle at Taffee Place, on the Clinton Hill-Bed Stuy border, has opened, according to a tipster who sent in the photo above. The business’s website say it has 40 craft beers on tap, and the food menu shows they’re serving standard pub grub, with most items under $10. The bar opens weekdays at 4 p.m. and at noon on weekends.
Brooklyn Tap House [Official Site]
Big Clinton Hill Beer Garden in the Works [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/18/2012 2:00 PM
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Open and Shut
Park Slope
Park Slope is getting a BBQ restaurant! Here’s Park Slope reports that the old Mama Rosa space at 669 Union Street (pictured, via HPS) will soon be Fort Reno Provisions. There will be plenty of meat, cocktails and “other sundries.” The restaurant is slated to open in late January. Excited? Bario Plates, which we reported on last week, is now open. HPS writes that an English pub is coming to 5th Ave. between 11th and 12th and Animated Closet, a women’s boutique, closed on Fifth Avenue. FIPS notices that Mezcal’s, the Mexican restaurant on 5th Avenue, is up for sale on Craigslist. And not far off in Gowanus, Gowanus Your Face Off writes that “Juice Haven” is open on 3rd Avenue and Union Street.
Carroll Gardens
NY Times shares details on Arthur, a new restaurant at 276 Smith Street by Chef Joe Isidori, from Brideghampton’s Southfork Kitchen. It will open this spring. The L interviews Kim Ima about opening up a brick-and-mortar Treats Truck at 521 Court Street. The bakery/cafe will open in February or early March.
Williamsburg
Timeout checks out Mercado on Kent, a Spanish market-style restaurant. A philly cheese steak food truck called Phil’s Steaks now graces Bedford Avenue. A New England, eastern seaboard style restaurant/bar named Extra Fancy is coming soon to 205 Metropolitan Avenue, says Here’s Williamsburg. And Evolve, a motor scooter store, is open 155 Grand Street. In case you’re interested, scooter prices start at $2900.
Elsewhere
Grub Street takes the first look at Clinton Hill’s Speedy Romeo, a new wood-fire pizza and Italian joint opening today! opening January 24th. Dumbo NYC shares a Dumbo retail report for this month. And Monte’s Deli and Catering moved into a larger location at 1811 Avenue P, on the corner of McDonald Avenue, in Sheepshead Bay.
01/18/2012 11:30 AM
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Brooklyn Public House Expanding to Williamsburg
Last week owners from Fort Greene’s Brooklyn Public House spoke at a Community Board One public hearing to open a bar/restaurant with outdoor space at 51 Kent Avenue, at North 11th Street. The space has a working title of “The Lakes” and should open in early May. By the looks of the building, the space has a long way to go: recent DOB permits indicate the entire building is being renovated into a ground-floor storefront with two units for the second and third floor. GMAP
01/17/2012 2:00 PM
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Spanish Restaurant Opening Soon on Clinton Street
Last week Community Board 6 approved a liquor license request from the owners of La Vera, a restaurant opening in Cobble Hill. The menu will “celebrate the Jewish and Moorish legacy in Spanish cooking,” according to a sign posted in the window. The space in question is on Clinton Street between Warren and Congress and was home to the short-lived restaurant Breuckelen. Eater noted that La Vera is being opened by the husband-and-wife team that owns two Spanish-themed spots in Chelsea, El Quinto Pino and Txikito. GMAP
01/16/2012 2:00 PM
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Brooklyn Crab Construction Continues in Red Hook
We continue to be in the dark about exactly what the story is with a new seafood restaurant called Brooklyn Crab that’s opening in Red Hook across the street from Fairway, but we can say one thing with certainty: The building being constructed for it is very large. Just judging from the size of the building, it seems like this is an ambitious endeavor. One assumes the big deck is going to offer a fun environment for al fresco dining and have a nice view of the water.
Red Hook Getting Crabby [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/12/2012 2:40 PM
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megazoid
Feb 06, 2012 | 12:32 PM