Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by williamsburger

Zenkichi: Best Japanese in Brooklyn?
77 N. Sixth St.,at Wythe Ave., Williamsburg; (718) 388-8985
“As you descend a flight of stairs into this three-story labyrinth of corridors, you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled upon some hidden ‘otherworld’ decorated with Japanese lanterns, bamboo and pebble-strewn floors. Diners are escorted to dimly lit wooden booths and secluded from other guests by bamboo shades… the small-plates menu is as beguiling as the intimate surroundings. Luscious oysters – grilled in a red miso sauce and presented in an oyster shell – taste as opulent as they look. So do glistening beads of ikura (salmon roe) mingled with salmon sashimi and tucked into a vibrant lime.” [NYDN]

Big Success for Brooklyn IHOP
276 Livingston Street, Downtown Brooklyn
“An International House of Pancakes that opened in Downtown Brooklyn in December is already ranked top in sales among the breakfast-focused chain’s 1,300 stores, the company says… ‘It seems like there’s no recession in Brooklyn,’ said Dave Cox, owner of the new IHOP, who plans to open in Bed-Stuy, East New York and Williamsburg.” [NY Post]

Sneak Preview: Greenpoint’s t.b.d.
224 Franklin Street, Greenpoint; (718) 349-6727
“The future residents of the Magic Johnson’s 130-unit condo down the block are sure to flock to the sleek 2,500 square feet lounge, which features three flatscreen TVs (intended for video art, not sports, according to Foley). There are twelve beers on tap and some catered comfort food, like mac ‘n’ cheese and zucchini pie.” [Gothamist]

After the jump: fish ‘n’ chips in Bay Ridge; new vegetarian and fro yo joints in Park Slope; the New St. Clair gets a face lift; and Met Foods Clinton Hill scrambles for some street cred…

Branching Out: ‘sNice and Chip Shop
According to TONY, ‘sNice, a West Village vegetarian café, has opened adds a second location in Park Slope (315 Fifth Ave. at 3rd St.), and Chip Shop expands its empire to Bay Ridge (7215 Third Ave between 72nd and 73rd Streets).

Coming Soon: More Fro Yo in the Slope
Gowanus Lounge offers exterior and interior shots of “the new frozen yogurt shop on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope near Union Street. It has been known in its permit paperwork as Yogo Monster, although we’ll have to wait for signs to go up to know for sure.”

Now Open: The New St. Clair Restaurant
107 Smith Street at Atlantic Avenue; (718) 624-3741
According to A Brooklyn Life, the new and improved St. Clair reopened on Monday after extensive renovations. Has anyone paid them a visit yet?

Met Responds to Clinton Hill’s New Health Food Store
“Met Foods now has a painted sign on their window claiming ‘Largest fresh organic products in the area.’ I went in to see if there were, in fact, any fresh organic products and was hard-pressed to find any (just the usual half-rotten produce they usually carry). It’s clearly a reaction to the threat of all the discerning customers shopping at Green Planet, but why lie?” [Clinton Hill Blog]