Celestino Closed, Cajun-Style "Family" Restaurant Coming to Bed Stuy This Summer
Celestino has closed and will be replaced by a “family” restaurant serving Cajun comfort food called the Blind Pig. The owner is Lawrence Page, who also owns the Pink Tea Cup in Fort Greene. They will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They hope to open by the end of June, said Page at the…
Celestino has closed and will be replaced by a “family” restaurant serving Cajun comfort food called the Blind Pig. The owner is Lawrence Page, who also owns the Pink Tea Cup in Fort Greene.
They will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They hope to open by the end of June, said Page at the Community Board 3 meeting last night, where he was applying for a liquor license. (The board voted to send a letter of support.)
Menu items will include jambalaya, pecan-crusted catfish, fried chicken, a burger, crawfish pasta, a lobster roll, and shrimp and grits. There will also be cocktails such as a gin fizz and a sazerac. Prices will be set so a whole family could have dinner, said Page; the jambalaya will be $12.
The restaurant at 562 Halsey Street in Bed Stuy plans to hire workers in the neighborhood. “I know everyone in Bed Stuy,” said Page. “What, are we going to hire people from Queens? It doesn’t make sense.” He has a TV show coming out on VH1 next year, he added.
Celestino was an offshoot of Saraghina, started by former Saraghina chef and co-owner Massimiliano Nanni. Page said Nanni called him about the space and that it closed because there wasn’t enough business for a seafood-focused restaurant in that location. “Celestino is going out of business because they do a lot of fish,” said Page.
A sign on Celestino said “closed for renovations” when we went by.Â
Celestino Opens in Bed Stuy to Good Reviews [Brownstoner] GMAP
To reiterate from the previous thread, Celestino was by far the best restaurant in the neighborhood. Always fresh food (with, by with way, chicken and beef dishes along with great fish and non-fish pastas) and welcoming staff. We’re very sad to see them go. Especially for another high-end southern restaurant, which is the only kind of restaurant we already have too many of. I really like Peaches, but why the redundancy?
Also, there are plenty of store-fronts on Stuyvesant, Malcolm X, and Marcus Garvey. Please, people who know how to run (Japanese, French, Thai, Chinese, Mexican) restaurants, we’re waiting for you!
brooklynbemused–Bedford/Nostrand, and especially Franklin, are not close at all to Stuyvesant Heights for a local meal. We need a variety of good local options. Oaxaca won’t even deliver to Stuy Heights…
Yes – Ridiculously, Oaxaca refuses to go east of Tompkins for delivery, plus they’re overpriced. When I asked why they had an issue delivering more than THREE AVENUES east, they told me that’s just how their delivery radius works — then tried to justify themselves by telling me they go all to way to Vanderbilt in the other direction. REALLY? Like, cool, thanks for opening a restaurant in Bed-Stuy that refuses to serve the majority of the neighborhood but will happily cater to folks way west.
Speaking of Tompkins, where are the new restaurants for that avenue, or Throop Avenue, while we’re at it? Besides Peaches, which you’ve all noted is redudant, cuisine-wise (not to mention IMPOSSIBLE to get a table in), we have nothing in the Tompkins/Throop area/Kingston-Throop C station area. Meanwhile, it seems like every other segment of the neighborhood is getting amenities. Franklin/Bedford/Nostrand….Lewis/Stuyvesant…even parts of Ralph(!!!!)… but where is the commercial development for our area? I was heartbroken to see the old T-Cup cafe on Throop just turned into a hair salon, despite previous rumors about it turning into a Spanish restaurant…
Anyone heard of things opening up on or near Tompkins/Throop?
Wasn’t a fan of Celestino. Poor service, sad staff and just not a pleasant experience overall. Food was just “ok” to me. Gave it 3 tries (my usual test for restaurants) and I was DONE. Truly hope the cajun space fares better. I would like to see some healthier options though in my hood. Jussayin.
This is sad. Celestino was great. They did have vegetarian/ non-seafood options.
Pink Tea Cup is a very mediocre choice. And being only a block or so away from Peaches it makes even more lame.
I agree we need a Mexican joint.
It’s just hard to understand how behind Bushwick and Crown Heights Bed-Stuy still is in restaurant choices. Maybe because not enough affordable commercial spaces available?
I think the lack of a good retail corridor is part of the reason. Lewis and Stuyvesant have very few storefronts. That’s why I have long thought that long term, the most viable options for restaurants would be Malcolm X (lots of storefronts, near the subway) and Marcus Garvey. Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that the storefronts on Malcolm X have been a wreck and bringing them up to code, etc. is very expensive. I did hear that one of the prior managers at Peaches is opening up a bar on Malcolm X (216 Malcolm X, I believe). I think it will be called Khemsitry (a name I really don’t like). he old Jeffrey’s place on Macon and Marcus Garvey is for rent – and so is the old Crown Fried Chicken space on Marcus Garvey and Halsey, Both of those places would seem like good options for people who want to open something up. Presumably, they are already set up for food service, etc. Just my two cents.
dude that owns Von on Bleecker in the city is supposedly opening something East of Stuyvestant in the near future.
We’ll see how the new businesses on Lewis pan out. The diner could go either way, and Saraghina is apparently trying to open a bakery next door to their restaurant on Halsey. Anyone know if that that sign for the bakery/bagel place is real across the way from Saraghina on the other side of Halsey?
Right. Salads are about all you can hope for at some restaurants. Maybe some bread.
In other words, people in mixed-diet groups/relationships will go elsewhere.
>Vegans need to learn to adapt more.
lol. Vegans are the most adaptable eaters I know, otherwise they’d never be able to eat out.
Feel free to share sooner rather than later… I am very eager for more dining options. That being said, I remember when the only options were Bread Stuy and Solomon’s Porch. We’ve come a long way since then – but have much farther to go. Speaking of which, why can’t we get a decent supermarket. I would think Fine Fare on Marcus Garvey would make some attempt to improve their offerings. I was so hopeful about the retail space on Fulton and Albany and all we got was a Deals! So sad.
Even when a place is announced, it takes months and months to actually open. look at Emeline’s. It’s been a good 8 months and still nothing. And look what’s happening at The Pantry/Little Brother place. It makes me mad just walking by the empty space.