Brooklyn Food and Drink Round-Up

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.”