Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Tanoreen Gets a Star
New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton published a very positive review of Tanoreen today, but only awarded the Bay Ridge restaurant a single star. Chowhounds are up in arms: “ONE STAR FOR TANOREEN? You’ve got to be kidding. The place that defined a new view of Middle Eastern (or, should I say Palestinian) cuisine in NYC. Fresh ingredients, inventive preparation…and Rawia Bishara, the queen of the night! Am I alone in believing that Mr. Sifton misses the point by cheating Tanoreen out of a second star?” asks famdoc. And fellow ‘Hound micki wants to know, “How do you give one star to Purple Yam and one star to Tanoreen? For me, therein lies the mystery of Sam Sifton.” Photo by Eating in Translation.

Openings and Gossip
The Castello Plan, the new Ditmas Park wine bar from the owner of Mimi’s Hummus is opening on Friday, says the New York Times… Eater noticed some new signs of life at Pies & Thighs: “Fingers crossed that this long-delayed and much-beloved eatery gets the doors open by the end of the month.” … BushwickBK reports on the new bar and cafe at 42 Wilson: “Free Wifi will be on soft open this week, and [owner Benny] Vela says they will serve beer, wine, liquor, coffee and some light food… you can be sure, of course, that it will have free wifi.” … And Diner’s Journal says that San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee may be opening today at 160 Berry Street in Williamsburg, and they’re ranking the place “among the most ambitious coffee bars in New York.”

After the jump: Manhattan restaurateurs dis Brooklyn; a local blogger gets charmed by Arby’s, and ‘Hounds make weekday breakfast recommendations in Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights…

Manhattan Restaurateurs Discuss Potential Brooklyn Expansions
Time Out New York asked a couple of Manhattanite restaurateurs if they’d consider opening restaurants in Brooklyn, and Ken Friedman of the Spotted Pig, the Rusty Knot and the Breslin replied that he could appreciate Brooklyn’s lower rents — but he couldn’t see himself living here: I’m from California; I didn’t move 3,500 miles across the country to live in Brooklyn. Ouch! But Brooklyn still has the devotion of Francine Stephens, of Franny’s and Bklyn Larder: Honestly, we [she and co-owner Andrew Feinberg] only have interest in expanding in Brooklyn. We live here, we have two businesses here, and we have a really nice community of people who know and appreciate what we are doing.”

Charmed by Arby’s
For a fast food chain, the new Arby’s in Downtown Brooklyn has a lot of heart. Blogger Jam It Down Your Throat reports: “There is a bell by the exit/entrance (a revolving door!) that you can ring ‘if you had great service.’ Rang it, because WE DID: It was nearly empty, there were 4 people for every task all talking about how they hope they dont lose their jobs because it is so slow, the woman who handed you your food called out your number and then made a rhyme like ‘189, hope your meal is fine.'”

Weekday Breakfast Recs
Chow’s Outer Borough Digest recommends a couple of new breakfast spots. Iris Café in Brooklyn Heights gets a big thumbs up: “For breakfast, try oatmeal with sautéed apple and a drizzle of caramel sauce, or eggs and soldiers: soft-boiled eggs with lightly buttered toast strips. Coffee is from the well-regarded West Coast roaster Stumptown.” And so does Cobble Hill’s Cafe Mei Mei: “BGRose has had sensational cornflake-crusted French toast, fried eggs with jalapeño and Gouda, and fresh-squeezed blood orange juice. ‘The place is lovely in the morning,’ he adds, ‘with sun streaming in from the back windows.’