Open and Shut

This week’s Open and Shut is sponsored by smallknot.

Smallknot lets you fund and connect the businesses that make your neighborhood, your neighborhood.

Park Slope
FIPS breaks the news that Press 195 on 5th Avenue between Union and Berkeley is closing, and Zito’s Sandwich Shop will expand into the space. (Photo by S. Diddy). HPS reports La Dolce Bakery, specializing in French and Italian baked goods, will open in the old Lily’s gift shop space. Du Jour Bakery gets signage on 5th Avenue, Stone Park’s new catering hall is shaping up, and Vice Versa Vintage is open at 550 5th Avenue. Finally, the blog All About Fifth sums up all the changes on 5th Avenue in the past few months.

Downtown Brooklyn
Here are more details on the sidewalk cafe at the Nu Hotel, from the NY Times: “Jehangir Mehta, who owns Mehtaphor and Graffiti in Manhattan, has devised a tapas-style menu as the consultant for the spacious new cafe called Misdemeanor, in the lobby and on the sidewalk at the NU Hotel, 85 Smith Street (Atlantic Avenue).” Another self-serve yogurt shop called icrave got signage at Court Street, between Schermerhorn and State. The SLA public hearing at the SLA for the Barclay’s liquor license is scheduled for June 12th. And Fort Greene Patch talks with the owner of Tio Pio, the spanish restaurant on Willoughby Street that just reopened after a fire.

Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens
Film critic and programmer at reRun Cinema in Dumbo Aaron Hillis plans to reinvent Video Free Brooklyn, a video store at 244 Smith Street. His work begins July 1st. PMFA spots signage for a children’s enrichment center, opening at 46 First Place, between Clinton and Henry Streets.

Elsewhere
Crown Heights art gallery Five Myles is hosting a benefit on June 14th to raise funds to stay open. The Brooklyn Paper reports some closings and openings in Bay Ridge: prepared goods shop D.Colucchio and Sons is expanding to 86th Street and Third Avenue, a Spanish/Asian fusion eatery called Nouveau is opening in the huge space at 8214 3rd Avenue, and new Bay Ridge deli Gold Coast (opened by Ted Mann, also in charge of the Greenwood Heights beer garden) closed after a year. Baked goods shop Ovenly opened at 31 Greenpoint Avenue. Grub Street runs a slideshow of new Williamsburg joint Potlikker, an American fare restaurant officially opening June 1st. And national burger chain Checkers is taking on Coney Island.