Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by Here is Park Slope

A Big Change for Bierkraft
191 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope
While shopping at Bierkraft, Here is Park Slope “noticed that a couple rustic-looking picnic tables now occupy the front section, formerly home to the checkout area… Bierkraft has applied for an on-premises liquor license.” If and when it goes through, they’ll be offering sample sips and possibly pints — plus you’ll be able to enjoy their sandwiches, piled charcuterie and cheeses, in-house.

This Week’s Openings
The Brooklyn Standard Deli, a “bodega with a conscience… with a focus on local and sustainable organic goods,” is coming to 188 Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint, and Nhà Tôi, a banh mi and Vietnamese summer roll shop that will serve dim sum on the weekends is coming to 160 Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg, says Time Out New York. And at Vutera, “Molly Del Monte, who was a sous-chef at Little Giant,” is serving up “a Mediterranean menu with dishes like wedding soup with meatballs, and scallops with farro risotto” at 345 Grand Street in Williamsburg, reports the New York Times. Plus, in case you missed yesterday’s Busy Chef thread, Brooklyn Heights Blog says that Melissa Murphy of Sweet Melissa is looking to take over this Brooklyn Heights storefront and the adjacent Blue Pig space.

The Top 5 Brooklyn Dishes
In a fun messageboard thread, Chowhounds are listing their favorite dishes in the borough. There’s wide range of recommendations, from “the slow-rendered duck breast at The Grocery” to “Chicken Soup with Heavily Buttered White Toast at 7th Avenue Donuts (followed by a Boston Creme and Coffee).” What are your top 5?

After the jump: A new-ish South Slope spot gets a rave review, Old Brooklyn meets New Brooklyn at Bar Matchless, breakfast at Prime Meats, Tini makes a move, and the Times visits Vinegar Hill House…

A Rave Review for Athena
Corner of Sixth Avenue and Fourteenth Street, South Slope
“We went to Athena the weekend before this last one and had an absolutely fabulous meal. The octopus app. was delicious – smoky but you could still clearly taste the octopus, just the right amount of chewiness vs. char. Fabulous shrimp saganaki that focused more on the shrimp that the cheese – it was smothered but not drowned… and the sour tang of the cheese perfectly offset the sweetness of the shrimp… And utterly warm and inviting service, with the chef visiting our table more than once to make sure everything was okay and ask our advice on whether to extend the specials.” [Chowhound cdj260]

An Old Brooklyn Snack for Bar Matchless
557 Manhattan Avenue (at Driggs Avenue), Greenpoint
“Bar Matchless, a Greenpoint hangout that occupies a former auto shop, has swerved unexpectedly toward Sicily. A recent addition to the short menu of burgers and sandwiches is panelle, the Palermo-style chickpea fritters, tucked into bread. ‘I’m certain that this is the first time the panelle sandwich has ever been served in this kind of environment,’ surmises FatRobbie. ‘Truly old Brooklyn meets new Brooklyn.'” [CHOW’s Outer Borough Digest]

Quick Bites
“Prime Meats is now open for coffee seven days a week at seven in the morning and soon…breakfast. In the next week expect Ceci Cela and homemade pastries, homemade granola, Evan’s Farm yogurt with spring honey, and more,” Eater reports… NewYorkolgy twitters that “Tini wine bar in Red Hook (next to LeNells) says in e-mail they’re moving this Sunday bz they fell victim to ‘greedy landlord syndrome.'” And Eater adds, “Fans should note they will be moving half a dozen blocks over to 293 Van Brunt Street.” … Plus, the Times has good things to say about Vinegar Hill House: “This is confident, flavorful cooking. Ms. Adamson is much more bold than when she was the chef at Freemans, where the food was usually more stylish than it was satisfying. A meal at Vinegar Hill House is both.”