11 Jan
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
Another pizza place enters the fray.
Next Wednesday, chef Justin Bazdarich and partner Todd Feldman — whose homemade mozzarella was a hit at Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg this past summer — will open their brick-and-mortar venture, Speedy Romeo, in Clinton Hill. In addition to the mozzarella, expect seasonal pizzas and Italian-inspired entrees cooked in the wood-burning oven. Bazdarich, who’s done kitchen stints at Jean Georges and Perry Street, says the goal is to serve “every food that customers will crave.”
The final menu is still being worked out, but look for dishes like grilled half-chicken, strip steak with salsa verde, and grilled chicken Parmesan. As for pizza toppings, some combos that will definitely make an appearance are wild-mushroom with mozzarella and egg, potato-lardo, and their specialty Saint Louie, which is topped with Provel cheese, housemade sausage, and salami.
As for the name, the duo says the Romeo portion reflects the restaurant’s Italian slant and Speedy reflects the roots of the building, which used to house an auto body shop. (The façade sports dozens of automobile logos.) Despite the nods to the space’s past, the team completely gutted the interior and hired Hech Design to put the space together — check out the full build-out in our slideshow.
Prices run from $9 to $16 for the pizzas and entrees, $6 to $12 for wine and beer; appetizers are in the $8 range. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Speedy Romeo, 376 Classon Ave., nr. Greene Ave., Clinton Hill; 718-230-0061
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Filed Under: first look, cobble hill, openings, speedy romeo
06 Dec
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
It will look like this, but with more hung-over customers.
This weekend, Do or Dine — Bed-Stuy’s best-known purveyor of foie-gras-filled doughnuts — will begin its version of all-day Sunday brunch. While owners Justin Warner and George McNeese continue as culinary directors, most of the new menu came from the mind of former Roberta’s brunch maestro Nick Subic. “I wanted the menu to be fun in a way we can only do here, but while still following some brunch guidelines,” Subic says. So far the lineup includes their infamous foie doughnut ($9, available off menu), Scotch-style deviled eggs with cilantro and sausage ($5), beef-brisket sausage and gravy ($11), and inch-thick caramel-apple griddlecakes with parsnip and ginger ($8). No coffee yet, but the menu helpfully suggests picking some up at nearby Bedford Hill. The plan is to serve brunch on Sundays from 2 to 10 p.m., but the restaurant will probably be closing a little earlier than that for at least the next couple of weeks. (We’d advise calling beforehand.) In the meantime, check out the full menu, straight ahead.
Small Plates:
Scotch E666s
Culantro and sausage $5
With bacalao and chorizo $6A Biscuit
Butter, grape jam $3Some Bacon or Some Sausage
On a plate $4Nippon-Nachos
Gouda, cheddar, masago sour cream $7Big Plates:
Nutella Gingrich
A giant flapjack, absolutely bananas $9Briskets and Gravy
The only time beef sausage was excellent $11Caramel Apple Griddlecake
Parsnip, ginger $8Hangover Helper
Pile of eggy noodles and lamb bits $9Berunchu Ramen
Array of ideal toppings $12Wake and Bake(d) Eggs
Roots and leaves $10A Chicken and Woffals
Clove, maple, blood orange $20
Do or Dine, 1108 Bedford Ave., nr. Lexington Ave., Bedford-Stuyvesant; 718-684-2290
Related: Despite Complaints, Do or Dine’s Foie Gras Doughnuts Aren’t Going Anywhere
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Filed Under: menu changes, bed-stuy, brunch, do or dine
09 Nov
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
A moody setting for your Manhattans.
The boys behind Franklin Park, Southpaw, Dutch Boy Burger, and Hanson Dry know a thing or two about opening in neighborhoods that lack solid drinking options. But with their newest bar, The Crown Inn in Crown Heights, for once they’re treading a more well-worn path (near Franklin Park and Dutch Boy). Opening this Friday, this bar has a completely different vibe than the others, and the interior — with its curved ceilings, antique lighting fixtures salvaged from ships, and wood panels head to toe — exudes a classy, nautical feel.
The partners rebuilt an empty bodega, leaving only the traces of the word “crown” on an exposed brick wall. “This place was old and dilapidated — a real dungeon,” said co-owner Matt Roff. “Now, I think it has a traditional New York feel.” On that note, the cocktails will also carry a hint of the past, with a focus on classic drinks like solid martinis and a “perfect Manhattan” ($6 to $9). The bar will stock around 40 types of bourbon, with sixteen taps pouring four wines and twelve rotating beers, including Kelso Nut Brown, Bluepoint Black IPA, Sixpoint Crisp Lager, and McKenzie’s Black Cherry Cider ($4 to $7). Their kitchen, which is built with subway tiles, will dish out grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of McClure’s potato chips, east and west coast oysters, crostini, charcuterie, and cheeses. Happy hours daily from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 7 p.m. on the weekend. Thus far, hours run 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fri.; 1 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sat.; and 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sun.
The Crown Inn, 724 Franklin Ave., nr. Park Pl., Crown Heights; 347-915-1133
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Filed Under: openings, crown heights, nightlife, slideshow, the crown inn
20 May
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
The Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border has gotten a variety of eateries in the past two years, and today, thanks to the owner of the General Greene in neighboring Fort Greene, tacos have landed. With just eight stools, Salva Vida (meaning “lifeguard”) is only slightly bigger than a taco truck, but that’s part of their concept. Manager Lindsay Dunn, a Bonita veteran, tells us, “We wanted to provide a place to pop in at any time to grab a couple tacos or a burrito, and pop back out again.” Chef Trap Landry, who also cooks at General Greene, is keeping the menu of $7-and-under items simple enough to display on a chalkboard: tacos, burritos, quesadillas with fresh Oaxaca cheese, a traditional Mexican chicken-lime soup, green salad, and rice with beans. The first three come with a choice of carnitas, chorizo, verduras (veggies like squash, mushrooms, and corn), and pollo abobado (chicken cooked in a red chile sauce). There will also be grilled fish tacos, Mexican Coke, an array of Mexican sodas, and, with the SLA’s blessing, a handful of bottled beer. For now, hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. till 8 p.m., with delivery coming when they get a phone number.
Photo: Linnea Covington
Salva Vida, 291 Greene Ave., nr. Classon Ave., Clinton Hill
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Filed Under: openings, bonita, clinton hill, general greene, salva vida, trap landry
16 May
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
Russel Baptiste left his little restaurant in Trinidad to become a registered nurse in the States, but the dream of rebuilding his café stuck with him. Over a decade later, on May 27, he’ll finally open Janelle’s. After gutting a former Prospect Heights dance studio, Baptiste gave it a bright, carnival-esque paint job, and added a full bar, about 65 seats, windows that open onto the street, and a basement lounge for watching soccer games. Fellow Trinidadian Joan Hurst created the Caribbean-American menu below. To drink, there’ll be fruit smoothies, Caribbean beers, and (for the sake of novelty) bubble tea. With the recent openings of steampunk bar the Way Station and Minor Arcana across the street, the belly-lining “back home Sunday special” (macaroni pie, red beans, crab and calloo, brown stew chicken, and plantains for $19.95) may be in high demand. Click through our slideshow to see what to expect.
Janelle’s Salads, Starters, and Drinks menu [PDF]
Janelle’s Lunch and Dinner Menu [PDF]
Janelle’s, 671 Washington St., nr. St. Marks Ave.; Prospect Heights
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Filed Under: slideshow, caribbean, janelle’s, openings, prospect heights, russel baptiste
04 Apr
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
During World War II, the bar on the Southeast corner of DeKalb and Vanderbilt Avenues catered to the officers and captains from the neighboring Navy Yard. Then, in the seventies, the joint went to Tommy Sellars; he turned it into Cellars, a hot spot that used to boast clientele in nice suits and shiny shoes, as well as a line around the block on the weekends. It closed five years ago, and five years later the Sellars family has finally leased the space to Cassandra and Abdoul Bueye. Later this month, they’ll open a second, larger location of their Carlton Street restaurant, Abistro — and this one will have a full bar and an extended menu. Executive chef Abdoul, originally from Senegal, spent years studying cooking in France and working as a chef in New York restaurants like Aquagrill and Aureole. His menu (below) will feature new dishes like the pépé soup ($22); a lobster-coconut consume filled with clams, shrimp, and fish, and the agneau braise ($26); and a savory lamb shank with peanut-palm sauce that was a popular special at their other restaurant.
Abistro Menu [PDF]
Abistro on DeKalb, 250 DeKalb Ave., nr. Vanderbilt Ave.; 347-384-2976
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Filed Under: openings,
23 Feb
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
Tomorrow at 7 p.m., longtime Half King bartenders Adrienne Dowd and Carmen Mello will open the Anchored Inn in Bushwick. As the name implies, it boasts nautical decor such as a deep-sea diver floating near the entrance and a golden mermaid over the front door. Two red leather and wooden booths were salvaged from the Massachusetts pizzeria Dowd frequented as a child (her dad found them on Craigslist), and Mello’s collection of black-velvet paintings deck the walls. Dowd describes the establishment as “a dive bar, but not a total dive.” They do plan to clean the taps every two weeks — the better to dole out $6 pints of Left Hand Milk Stout, Blue Point, Sixpoint, and the like. Meanwhile, there’ll be tippling specials like a can of beer and shot for $5, Yuengling for $4, and a happy hour with $1 off drafts from 5 to 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. In the future, expect mini-bottles of wine as well as food like nachos, hot dogs, boiled peanuts, and an intriguing treat called “whipped pork fat and pickles.”
The Anchored Inn, 57 Waterbury St., nr. Scholes St., Bushwick
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Filed Under: openings, adrienne dowd, bushwick, carmen mello, nightlife, the anchored inn, the half king
28 Jan
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
The reopening of Me & My Egg Roll isn’t the only bánh mì news today: Just eight months after opening her Tigerlily bánh mì shop in Clinton Hill, Pascale Tran is launching a Manhattan outpost. At 4 p.m. today, Company Bar in the East Village swaps out the Indian food it was serving for a lineup of Tigerlily offerings similar to the Brooklyn one, save for the prices (sandwiches are $7, shakes $5, salads $6, and summer rolls $5). As the menu shows, the vegetarian bánh mì is now called “the mushroom and tofu” with Chinese shiitake and wood-ear mushrooms, and there won’t be noodle soup. Sandwiches will be served in mesh baskets from 4 p.m. to midnight daily, and the best part: They deliver (call 347-703-4960). Plus, fan them on Facebook and you can get a bánh mì free with the purchase of two up until February 28.
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Filed Under: openings, company bar, east village, tigerlily
08 Nov
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
This Saturday, Sam Barron, who runs the Fort Greene café Maggie Brown, will open the Emerson — a throwback bar that’s named after the street, which is named after the poet. Barron built the bar over the course of six months to resemble a “real community center, with alcohol,” and it’ll host movie screenings, a pool league, game nights, D.J.’s, and something the neighborhood really lacks — happy hour.
Running the new lounge with Barron is his fellow neighborhood bud Tom Wentworth, a writer and TV producer and Pratt alum. Another partner, artist Gina Jankowski, plans on lining the walls with sketches, black-and-white photos, and neighborhood art that won’t clash with the dark wood and vintage décor, while bartender Matt Preis (a.k.a. Max Power, organizer of the Bloody Battle) will help line the shelves with booze. Poetically themed drinks include the Sir Walter Scott and the Emerson, plus there’ll be a root-beer float cocktail and a house special martini, the Old South, which comes with pickled tomatillo. The food menu will boast four types of grilled cheese, Niman Ranch Hot Dogs, McClure’s pickles, and condiments by Schoolhouse Kitchen.
The Emerson, 561 Myrtle Ave., nr. Emerson Pl., 347-763-1310
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Filed Under: slideshow, gina jankowski, maggie brown, matt preis, openings, sam barron, the emerson, tom wentworth
02 Nov
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
After years of peddling coffee in Austin, Texas, followed by a gig at Champion Coffee in Greenpoint, café manager and barista Allison Stuart decided it was time to open her own shop. She looked all over Brooklyn for a space until finally settling in Bed-Stuy. “I was kind of done with Greenpoint,” she tells us. “So I thought, Let’s roll the die and try something else.” Her boyfriend, Brady Dollarhide, a visual artist who designed the interior of the café, says, “It’s nice to be in a place you can watch move up.” (Bedford Hill is joining Sweet Revenge, Nice Pizza, and Bistro Lafayette on the block.)
With salvaged dark wooden doors used as paneling, mismatched blue tiles, vintage wallpapers, a cork-top bar, and warm lights, the café feels as much like a home as a place of business. Furniture and building materials were either purchased on the cheap from Build It Green, or they were found (one wall uses construction board ripped down by Brooklyn’s last tornado). Meanwhile, pastries like brown-sugar blueberry muffins and scones with blue cheese and pecans come from the new bakery Ovenly. Bagels from wholesaler New Yorker Bagels can be purchased with honey-walnut, garlic-herb, and cucumber-dill cream cheese. And the beans are shipped in from a Milwaukee roaster, Anodyne Coffee. Eventually, you can expect egg dishes, sandwiches, salads, beer, wine, and later hours (for now, the shop is open from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m.).
Bedford Hill, 343 Franklin Ave., at Greene Ave.; Bedford-Stuyvesant; 718-636-7650
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Filed Under: slideshow, allison stuart, bed-stuy, bedford hill, brady dollarhide, openings
26 Oct
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
Public Assembly manager Christina Bouza has tapped into her Cuban heritage and turned an old building-supply shop next to the performance space into a slice of fifties Havana. Bouza says the concept is “Havana meets Brooklyn”; she and her partner, Paul Tamburro, hope to feed hungry concertgoers (Music Hall of Williamsburg is also next door) with Cuban nibbles running from $3 to $9 (Jose Soto of Baba had a hand in the menu below). And they also plan to host some bands of their own — mostly jazz and salsa. The cocktails (including a Cuba libre, Hemingway daiquiri, and the restaurant’s special mojito) will be priced between $8 and $10, while Daniel Kim, formerly of Café Grumpy, will run a coffee bar serving Intelligentsia. Cubana Social is slated to open Halloween weekend, with brunch to follow. Until then, you can get empanadas and sandwiches from a takeout window from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and till 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Cubana Social Menu [PDF]
Cubana Social, 70 N. 6th St., nr. Wythe Ave., Williamsburg; 718-782-3334
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Filed Under: slideshow, baba, café grumpy, christina bouza, cuban, cubana social, daniel kim, music hall of williamsburg, paul tamburro, public assembly, williamsburg
14 Oct
Posted by Linnea Covington as Brooklyn, Delivery, Food, Manhattan, Review
Today at 5 p.m., Sojourn alum Stanton Du Toit will kick off his latest project: a “wine restaurant.” “We are trying to get away from being a wine bar or just a restaurant,” he tells us. So at Tolani (South African slang for “too good”), he’ll serve dishes representing regions all over the world and varietals to match. “Think Tuscany and carbonara with a Barbara or New Zealand and a bright Sauvignon Blanc with mussels,” he says. The menu of $9 to $21 dishes (rotating on a weekly basis depending on what’s in season) will be handled by David Rotter, formerly of Campo and Pampano, with Le Cirque executive chef Craig Hopson consulting. This week’s featured items: A green-papaya-and-cucumber salad with peanuts and crisp rice, grilled quail with dates and bulgur wheat, tiger prawns with peri-peri, garlic butter, and chorizo rice, and a Greek salad with grilled octopus. Check out the menu below and the 150-person space in our slideshow; a 40-person garden is also under construction.
DINING ROOM
COLD
Green Papaya & Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Crisp Rice 9Greek Salad with Grilled Octopus 9
Shaved Pear with Fennel & Pecorino Salad 9
Artichokes with Marinated White Anchovies & Zucchini 9
Grilled Quail with Dates & Bulgar Wheat 13
Chicken Liver Crostini with Capers, Caramelized Onion & Brandy 9
Robiola Cheese with House made Orange Honey & Crisp Country Bread 13
Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Blood Orange, Fennel & Avocado 16
Seasonal Raw Bar Platter 22
HOT
Gruyere Cheese Souffle 14Tiger Prawns with Peri- Peri, Garlic Butter, & Chorizo Rice 21
Carbonara with House Made Pasta, Berkshire Pork Pancetta, Organic Egg &
Parmesan 14“Cuban Style” Roast Pork Loin with Apple, Rosemary, Garlic & Plantains 16
Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi with Squash, Swiss chard & Wild Mushroom 13
N Z Green Mussels with Kaffir Lime, Coconut Milk & Curry 12
T-Bone Steak- Brazillian Style 26
Pan Roasted Bronzino & Greek Salad 15
Halibut “Bacalao style”, Basquase & Romesco Sauce ?
Goat Curry & Mango Rice 18
Cod Cheeks with Malaysian Peanut Satay Sauce 17
Duck Pastilla & Pea Shoot Salad 18
Baby Brick Chicken & Roast Potato Puree 18
Chickpeas & Harissa Vinaigrette 9
Collard Greens & Grits 12
Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms 14
Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple, Sage & Brown Butter 12
BAR
Meats & Cheese
Any 3/18, 5/23, all 29 would like to make fresh Mozzarella CheeseBAR BITES
Crispy West Coast Oyster Rolls with Napa Cabbage Slaw & Soy Lime Sauce 12Carbonara with House made Pasta, Berkshire Pork Pancetta, Organic Egg & Parmesan 12
Croquettas & Harissa Aioli 8
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce 8
Gruyere Cheese Souffle 11
Baked Ricotta with Roasted Peppers & Herbs 10
Hummus Plate 13
Shrimp & Zucchini Fritters 12
Large Meatball & Whipped ricotta 12
Stuffed Olives with Mortadella, Pecorino and Roast Tomato 10
Lamb Merguise Sausage Sliders with Grainy Mustard & Feta 14
N Z Mussels with Kaffir Lime, Coconut Milk & Curry 13
Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms 14
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken, Peanuts & Soy 12
Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Blood Orange, Avocado & Fennel 14
Steak Tartar with Caper Berries & Crisp Potato 16
DESSERT
Chocolate Soufflé 10Blood Orange Panna Cotta &Candied Fennel 10
Small frozen House made Yogurt Cones (Assorted Flavors) 10
Zeppolis & Orange Honey 10
Stanton’s Malva Pudding 10
Cookie Plate (for Tables) 10
Tolani, 410 Amsterdam Ave., nr. 79th St.; 212-873-6252
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Filed Under: slideshow, openings, tolani, upper west side