Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

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Brooklyn Restaurant and Bar Openings
A tipster snapped these photos of the old Chicory space on Degraw between Court and Clinton, and Lost City reports: “A menu in the window hails the coming of something called Ultimate Burgers and Dogs. It will serve, yes, a wide variety of burgers and hot dogs… There’s also a breakfast menu. Most intriguing from that menu: Bowl of Tots. That’s a bowl of tater tots covered with whatever you want. There’s nothing over $8.” …The guys behind Buttermilk, Boat, and Great Lakes have opened the Canadian-themed Ontario Bar at 559 Grand Street (near Lorimer Street) in Williamsburg, says Grub Street… Eater says that “Armando’s, the 73 year-old classic Italian restaurant that shuttered last year, was replaced by a mistake of a restaurant called the Spicy Pickle, and then rebuilt in its original spot” is now open (again) at 143 Montague Street… Bar Celona, a new tapas joint is opening this week at 104 South 4th Street (between Bedford and Berry), says Time Out New York.

New Chinese Spot for Old Tempo Space
Stone Park co-owner and chef Josh Grinker told the Brooklyn Paper that he and co-owner Josh Foster are planning on opening “a traditional Szechuan-based, low-price Chinese restaurant” in the old Tempo space on 5th Avenue between Carroll Street and Garfield Place. Grinker’s plan sounds promising: It’s going to be a traditional Chinese restaurant, not a fancy restaurant like some of the Manhattan places have tried. We’ll cut out the stuff that Westerners just don’t go for … but the food will be traditional in the techniques, the ingredients and the recipes.

Restaurant Rave: Sue Perette
Chowhound Nehna says, “It’s really rare (as anyone who has read my others posts) that I gush about a meal,” but this picky ‘Hound is “so utterly in love” with Sue Perette (270 Smith Street) and recommends checking out the following dishes: “a trio salad (with celery remoulade, wine braised leeks, mushrooms), the Pastifret (which is a cross between pate and rillettes and absolutely delicious), the berkshire pork shank (stunningly good, pork falling off the bone, delicious cauliflower and greens), and the ‘Double Duck’ (breast, braised duck leg, brussel sprouts), and the fromage blanc with berries, honey and lemon zest (?) for dessert. They serve PORK FAT with the bread. Need I say more?” Has anybody else checked out Sue Perette yet?

After the jump: Flea favorites take home the Vendy Cup, Cobble Hill’s Tea Lounge is closing, and tonight’s the night for single meat-lovers…

Brooklyn Flea Favorites Win Vendy Awards!
“At the end of the afternoon, the winner of the Vendy Cup was awarded to the Red Hook ballfields’ Country Boys taco truck run by husband-and-wife team Fernando and Yolanda Martinez. They served huaraches, tacos, and quesadillas filled with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, or veggies,” reports Serious Eats. If you didn’t make it out to Queens over the weekend for the cooking competition, you can sample their winning fare at the Flea.

Court Street Tea Lounge Closing
“In rather shocking news, word around South Brooklyn is that the always bustling Tea Lounge on Court Street in Cobble Hill is going to close,” reports Lost City. The neighborhood moms and laptoppers will need to find a new hang-out — stat: “When it will close its doors it uncertain. Some reports have said as early at Sept. 30, while a staff member started he was not certain when exactly it would shutter.”

Hungry for Love?
FIPS, Brooklyn Based, and Brokelyn are co-hosting the first Brooklyn Meatup — a singles party for the meat-obsessed — at the Bell House tonight from 7-11pm. La Cense Burger Truck will be parked out front, serving its grass-fed patties from 7-10. Drink specials include jello shots and $2 Busch beers from 7-8pm (the Busch will be just $3 for the rest of the night ). One lucky guest will win a free pig-butchering or sausage-making class from The Brooklyn Kitchen’s soon-to-open cooking school, The Brooklyn Kitchen Labs. Other giveaways include prizes worth $120 from Babeland and a free room at Hotel Le Bleu. Tickets cost $10.