Well, they just keep on comin' - See New Restaurants
Say goodbye, for better or for worse - Check out Closings
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| TASTE OF BROOKLYN welcomes submissions for "What's Cookin'". Please contact us by email or fax (718.596.9802) with press releases or information on upcoming food/wine-related events. Well do our best to list them in this column. Please also be sure to include contact information (name and phone number or email address) with your submission in case we have questions or need clarification. |
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Please Note: As of Spring 2001 we are no longer updating this page.
Here's the latest on the ever-evolving foodscape in Brownstone Brook.. Doh! Not supposed to use that term. We mean, here's the latest on the ever-evolving foodscape in the Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens/Park Slope/Prospect Heights/Fort Greene/Downtown/ Boerum Hill/Brooklyn Heights sections of Brooklyn.
NEWS:
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Fireplace at Angry Wade's |
Lots of great news! A slew of Asian-themed restaurants has sprouted on Smith Street near Baltic, with Club Sushi, Wasabi and Faan all competing for a very similar market. Club Sushi and Wasabi are serving the standard sushi fare with a couple interesting items distinguishing their menus; Faan is an Asian Fusion restaurant with a striking interior and a menu that covers Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese! With some sidewalk seating in front, this one looks to be our fave. Joya Thai Restaurant and Bar has opened at 215 Court Street. Finally, dwellers of Cobble Hill and surroundings can enjoy excellent inexpensive Thai food at reasonable prices in pleasant surroundings. From the Sweet Melissa family (really!) comes Angry Wade's, a spacious yet cozy new neighborhood bar on Smith Street. Highlights include pool table, decent jukebox, cool bartenders, and a fireplace; Don Luca is a new tapas restaurant on Smith; Panino'teca, also on Smith, is a wine bar serving panini and other yummy Italian finger food (note: exceptional cheeses! More on this to come); Kino is a new upscale restaurant in Dumbo at 1 Main Street serving New American (not as cliche as it sounds!) entrees as well as Alsatian Pizzas and Fondues, in a beautiful, spacious room with views of the river and Manhattan beyond. MidAtlantic Cafe recently opened in the space once occupied by Acadia Parish. They are serving "Eclectic American Cuisine." The Bar (how creative), a low key, neighborhood spot recently opened on Smith and Sackett; Sunday Gospel Brunch at BAM Cafe is hopping; Convivium is a new Spanish/Portuguese (haven't been yet, just heard the rumours) restaurant on Fifth Avenue between Bergen & St. Marks.
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Joya Interior
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Whatever it is, it is getting raves for both meat and fish dishes as well as its dark, country-inn-ish atmosphere. Crepe Factory, going back to Smith Street, has finally opened. Besides crepes, they also serve sandwiches and other lunch-type fare; O'Keefe's Bar & Grill is also new on Court near the courthouse (and the movie theater); Mr. Wonton, a new Chinese Restaurant in Park Slope where Tamarind used to be; Naidre's, a new pastry/coffee shop on Seventh Avenue in the Slope (many-layered apple cranberry pie looks awesome); and just down the block, also on Seventh, is Tea Lounge, a laid back cafe serving gourmet teas, coffees and other hot drinks as well as beer and wine; Brazen Head, is a new bar on Atlantic between Court & Boerum Place; and speaking of bars, Finn has started serving food again (check it out and meet their friendliest bartender yet - Barry!). Last, but certainly not least, Jacques Torres (only one of the best pastry chefs around, anywhere!) has opened a chocolate shop in Dumbo. It's on Water Street between Dock and Main and is open Mon-Saturday. YOU MUST GO NOW!!
A belated congratulations to one of TOB's contributors! Tastebud Lisa Brigantino was recently bestowed with a Citation of Merit from Brooklyn Borough President, Howard Golden. It was presented to her by Mr. Golden for her work as a Brooklyn-based musician and for her excellent album "A Brooklyn Night." Check out her website and listen to some songs about Brooklyn! Way to go, Lisa!
So stay tuned to What's Cookin' for more details (slowly but surely)!
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Loulou
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Loulou is a little gem of a restaurant that opened in Fort Green in November (yes, we know, we're a little behind!). Chef William Snell used to be sous Chef at Tribeca Grill, and executive Chef at City Wine and Cigar, Co. His wife Christine is from France (Brittany), and has been in America for 10 years. She used to manage the Bloom Ballroom in Manhattan and the Century hotel in Miami Beach. The food at Loulou is an inspirational combination of their passions as well as Brittany (French West Coast) gastronomy and culture. The menu offers Scallops with grilled Portobello mushroom and a creamy vermouth sauce; fire roasted littleneck clams in escargot butter and lemon mist; seared monkfish with a slow roasted tomato sauce; the incredible Loup de Mer, which is a French seabass served whole in a langoustine sauce; steak au poivre; pepper- coffee- and coriander-crusted Argentinean Ribeye with fries; and not to forget the delicious crepes: banana chocolate with vanilla ice cream or apple cinnamon for dessert. Voila! Loulou is located at 222 Dekalb Avenue between Adelphi and Clermont; Tel. (718) 246-0633.
Grappa Cafe is a new Bar & Restaurant at 112 Court Street on the corner of State,
conveniently located just across the street from the new (love it or hate
it) megaplex movie theater. The menu is basically Italian with some funky
twists (and weird spellings), such as the Tonno Alla Sashimi antipasta
- "Sashimi style slices of tuna over a Mescaline Salad drizzled with Wassabi
Sauce," or the Maiale alla Griglia - House-cured pork chop with hot and
sweet pickled peppers and roasted artichokes. Other items sound equally
intriguing, such as the New Zealand lamb shank with black olive crust,
couscous risotto and a Brunello reduction sauce. Can they pull it off?
We'll report back soon. In the meantime, we'd welcome any feedback from
readers.
We're hearing good things about Rose Water,
the new restaurant that recently opened in the spot where Henrietta's
used to be on Union Street just off of Sixth Avenue. The chef and owners
came from Savoy in Manhattan and at Oznot's Dish in Williamsburg, so hopes
are running high for a new hotspot in the Slope. The menu is so mouth-wateringly
eclectic we don't know where to begin. How's this: Fattoush with Chanterelles,
Watercress and Black-eyed Peas; Seared Diver Scallops with Roasted Butternut
Squash and Pickle Relish; Dark Greens with Roasted Chiogia Beets, Honey
Lemon Feta and Shallot Rings. And those are just the appetizers. For entrees
they offer Wild Striped Bass with a Celery Root Pancake and Moroccan Charmoula
Sauce; White Bean and Coriander Seed Ravioli with Sauteed Plum Tomatoes
and Garam Masala Oil. And how good does this sound: Beer Braised Oxtails
in their Juice with Crispy Yucca Salad and a Jalapeno Tomatillo Finish.
The brunch menu is equally enticing, and they even offer their own housemade
breads, such as Fenugreeek Corn Bread and Potato Foccacia. Ready to go?
Well, there are only 17 tables and they don't take reservations, but we're
told the wait isn't usually too bad (yet!). Tel. 783-3800 if you want
to call ahead.
Liquors is the latest addition to the Fort Greene's sprouting restaurant row
on DeKalb Avenue. The decor is ambient yet rustic and the menu eclectic with
entrees such as grilled peppered monkfish skewer with homemade tabasco,
wasabi-crusted salmon with suchi rice and balsamic reduction, and grilled
white shrimp with fresh fennel, artichoke salad and blood orange syrup.
Liquors has a full bar (of course) and a nice wine list with most selections
between $12 and $30. As of this writing they are only serving dinner,
however they plan to be open for breakfast and lunch sometime in the near
future. Liquors is located between Clermont and Adelphi, Tel. 488-7700.
Mo-Bay is a new Caribbean restaurant in Ft. Greene at 112
DeKalb between St. Felix and Ashland (across from Brooklyn Hospital).
Tastebud Eugene reports that it is a "cheery place, with waitstaff in
tropical shirts and colorful decor." He also gives the food a big thumbs
up: "The jerk wings have fire but don't scorch your mouth. Wash them down
with sorrell or fresh carrot and veggie juices. Portions are large, with
lots of sides, from collard greens to "Bammie" - a starch-like wedge,
good for moppping up the slightly sweet, tangy sauce of the brown-stewed
chicken. The Kingfish is good and less expensive than the better-known
varieties. It's white and meaty and came with a very spicy viaigrette,
onions and hot pepper sauce that could make the fish jump out of the plate."
Sounds like a perfect fare for a hot summer day - so go and check it out!
Brooklyn Heights has a new Tapas Bar. Tinto Tapas Lounge opened just a few months ago at 60 Henry Street (at Cranberry). Tinto serves hot and cold tapas as well as Paella and other Spanish dishes. We've visited twice now and are happy to report that Tinto is a winner all around. The food is excellent (try the bacon-wrapped dates!), they have a great selection of Spanish wines with many available by the glass, the service is top-notch (we mean it - and this is a rarity around here) and the room is open and spacious so you aren't sitting right on top of your fellow diners (another rarity). And we are not alone in our opinion - TOB readers Dave and Jenn write: "A visit to this restaurant will reveal a combination of good dining and relaxed bar-side atmosphere. The service is excellent, the owner, bartenders and waiters are beyond friendly and make you feel welcomed. The Spanish wine menu is delightful.... On a scale of 1-10 we give it a 9.5." So there!
CLOSINGS:
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Dahshil, the Korean tea room located between Baltic and Butler Streets has been transformed into a new Sushi place, called Club Sushi. It looks like they'll be getting some competition from Wasabi , another sushi place (!) which just opened across the street.
David Schneider has suffered another casualty in the ill-fated space that was once Harvest East and later our beloved Mojo. Rustic was closed as of late last year and is being replaced with a new take-out/specialty foods shop called Harvest Market (now open).
Casualties of the "upscaling" of Cobble Hill?
We regret to report that Roberto Cappucino - one of our favorite
little cafes with the best coffee and more recently, crepes, has closed
up shop. The notes on the windows cite everything from the higher rents
to another Starbucks opening down the block. Let's hope more such closings
aren't on the horizon.
Also of note, Peter's Ice Cream a mainstay of Atlantic
Avenue for over 20 years, has been forced out by the exhorbitant rent
now being demanded by the landlords. Many kids and adults will miss their
favorite neighborhood pie and ice cream spot -- a sad day indeed.