StreetLevel: New Restaurant Opening on Court Street
A restaurant called Cafe Mei Mei is opening in the Court Street space formerly inhabited by Jill’s Cafe. The restaurant also shares a wall with the shuttered Miriam, which is being revamped, but the two ventures appear unrelated. Cafe Mei Mei’s placeholder website says it will have a seasonal menu. GMAP
A restaurant called Cafe Mei Mei is opening in the Court Street space formerly inhabited by Jill’s Cafe. The restaurant also shares a wall with the shuttered Miriam, which is being revamped, but the two ventures appear unrelated. Cafe Mei Mei’s placeholder website says it will have a seasonal menu. GMAP
I think there are still plenty of empty storefronts on Court and the Columbia Street area is looking mighty sad. Although people keep opening restaurants and some do quite well, especially if they are cheap and casual (Calexico) or destination dining (Buttermilk Channel).
And then are those puzzling places that never seem to open, like the one in the old OTB space. (Of course Lucali’s took forever to open and it turned out more than okay!)
There is a stretch of Smith St.– I think it is DeGraw? that is almost completely vacant on one side of the street, accented by an abandoned construction site. Not to mention empty Patois or Banania, which is beginning to look like a headstone. I don’t know if this is just the ebb and flow of retail, or a sign or real recession, but either way I don’t think it bodes well for the neighborhood.
the cafe mei mei website is a bit terrifying but i’ll hope for the best — as long as it’s not another throwaway japanese restaurant i’ll be happy.
rob I laughed out loud when I read your post
There are a good number of mediocre restaurants on Smith St without any obvious appeal that I’ve been surprised have made it through all this. But happy in general the neighborhood’s held up so well. I do my part to support it, rarely have gone to Manhattan on weekends since moving to bklyn–first out of laziness, then because I really just dont like going out in Manhattan any more.
Hadnt heard that about Union Market at the old Blockbuster, is that a fact?
MAny of these new businesses may BE stArtEd by PEOPLE WHO NO LOBGER UGH MY KEYBOard.. have jOBs BUt have savINGs So THEY OPEN A BUSINEss HOPING FOR THE BEST> doesnt meaN anyone is PatRoniziNG them tho. next year this ttime should be the rEAl telling. THO I HOPE THEY SUCCeeed.
*rob*
I also agree with BH76.
It’s very rare that I’ll go to the city to shop and let alone to eat anymore.
I always try to take advantage of the great local restaurant’s in Brooklyn Heights & Cobble Hill especially Tenda on Montague Street. It’s gotten to the point where they owners know every Wednesday I’m calling them for lunch.
If there’s one positive thing that has come out of the recession and that you don’t have to go out of your neighborhood to get things you really want or need.
I agree with that completely BH76.
I purposely try to buy everything I can as close to home as possible, even if I know it will be easier to pick it up in Manhattan during the workday.
As far as eating goes, I barely go to Manhattan anymore for that.
I think a large part of it is that we (who live in the area) are not longer automatically thinking of Manhattan for dinner, brunch, shopping — as most of us did even 5-10 years ago. Many of our local shopping streets/reaturant rows have reached a critical mass so many will survive even if a few falter.