Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Spuyten Duyvil’s Big Backyard 359 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg; (718) 963-4140 “Beer nerds, rejoice! The Williamsburg beer Mecca known as Spuyten Duyvil recently unveiled a patio roughly double its original size. The bar took over the backyard of the adjacent building and revealed it as part of their own back garden Wednesday of last week,” reports…
Spuyten Duyvil‘s Big Backyard
359 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg; (718) 963-4140
“Beer nerds, rejoice! The Williamsburg beer Mecca known as Spuyten Duyvil recently unveiled a patio roughly double its original size. The bar took over the backyard of the adjacent building and revealed it as part of their own back garden Wednesday of last week,” reports The Feedbag.
New Carroll Gardens Spot Blames the SLA
387 Court Street (at 1st Place), Carroll Gardens
Calpurnia, the new restaurant set to open in the old Hole in the Wall Video space on Court, has posted a sign that reads, “As you can see, the delay in obtaining our liquor license was not our fault.” Beside this message is a newspaper article about corruption in the State Liquor Authority. (Eater has posted a photo of the signage.) While we don’t recommend dissing the SLA, we’re into Calpurnia’s spunk. Any idea what kind of restaurant this will be? Tomorrow is opening night, and they’ll pour a free glass of wine for anyone who stops by.
Plus: Motorino in Williamsburg just got its liquor license, says Grub Street.
Spring Opening Report
Eater spots a Craigslist posting about available jobs at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, which will “open in May, serving coffee and lunch. Later, we’ll open for cocktails and light food at night. Staff will be trained by Counter Culture Coffee to make great espresso and coffee, and by Fort Defiance owner/food-and-drink writer St. John Frizell to mix drinks.” Eater also reports that Calexico‘s Union Street storefront “should be up and running in three weeks.” And Ditmas Park Blog says that Vox Pop is preparing to reopen.
After the jump: A human petting zoo at Brouwerij Lane, a fall in sales for Brooklyn Oenology, and food news from Park Slope, Crown Heights, and Adan Richman…
Greenpoint’s Human Petting Zoo
78 Greenpoint Avenue (at Franklin Street), Greenpoint
The Brooklyn Paper has the skinny on Brouwerij Lane’s May Day Bock Partay: “Five actors costumed in plush masks will confine themselves to a chicken wire pen at the May 2 party at the beer retailer Brouwerij Lane, in what organizers claim is an attempt to foster kinship between Brooklynites and beasts.” Huh? Maybe this will make more sense after you indulge in some free German sausage and beer on Saturday, May 2 (which is actually the day after May Day) from “1pm to 4ish.”
Hard Times for Brooklyn Oenology
“A growing interest in local products hasn’t offset the economic downturn for Greenpoint-based vintner Brooklyn Oenology. The company, which uses Long Island grapes, cut back production to 500 cases last year from 4,500 in 2006, ” says Grub Street.
Quick Bites
Chowhounds recommend Park Slope’s Athena and Mogador Falafels… Brooklyn the Borough chit-chats with Franklin Park co-owner Matthew Roff… And Park Slope’s own Adam Richman of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food grabs lunch at Marine’s Coffee Shop with the New York Observer.
Nevermind, found the answer, and it is good news!
http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/the-feed-blog/restaurants-bars/2009/04/breaking-trout-to-reopen-this-weekend/
Anyone know what (if anything) is going on with the old Trout space on Smith and Pacific? I walked by this morning and the gate was partially opened and a bunch of potted plants sat on a table. Something needs to open here very soon and they need to serve beer in plastic cups that I can drink while sitting outside. Last Friday was way too gorgeous not to be there, and Gowanus YC was way too crowded.
“I find your example interesting since the inquiry we responded to was not regarding an eating or drinking establishment.”
OK, I’ll flip it back to where we started. An eating establishment IS allowed to serve FREE alcohol at a pre opening party before they are open to the public doing business.
I’ll ask my attorney and find the exact law that permits it. Sorry I don’t have a “staff”.
PS, “commonly belived” is consistent with “I’ve seen it done dozens of times….” My staff researched this by telephone, so no link immediately at hand. I find your example interesting since the inquiry we responded to was not regarding an eating or drinking establishment.
Your observations about enforcability of a variety of laws are not uninformed. And every once and a while double-parkers get blitzed and then howl. Everyone is free to make their own decisions. I decided to share what I learned recently about giving away alcohol.
Mr Perris,
I’ve seen it done dozens of times with new restaurants all over NYC. Its as common as jaywalking or double parking, also illegal.
If you’ve recently researched this, please post a link or the specific law that prohibits it.
So if you open a clothing boutique and serve wine and appetizers at the opening ight gala, its illegal? Go try and enforce that.
PS, that’s not true, although commonly believed. My office recently researched this in response to a constituent inquiry about another establishment.
Robert Perris
District Manager
Community Board 2
rjm, folks:
You can serve free wine if you don’t have a liquor license. The problem arises when you CHARGE for it. If Capurnia wanted they could open today and serve FREE wine, beer, cocktails, whatever they darned well please. As soon as a dollar is handed over, even in a tip jar, then the SLA would have an issue.
The Snack Shop sign is horrendous. As for Calpurnia, could they serve free wine if they don’t have a liquour license? One of the blogs was reporting yesterday that they are still waiting for their liquor license.
How many fancy coffee places can Red Hook support? Baked (Stumptown), Stumptown/Frankie’s, the place on Union serving Gorilla, now this new one…. Just needs an Irving Farm outlet to get the top three (according to NY mag).