The days may be getting darker, but Brooklyn’s restaurant scene certainly isn’t. Here’s the best of the borough’s openings, closings, and, of course, our tastiest restaurant gossip.
• Chipotle-less in Park Slope: A few weeks back, Brownstoner reported that a branch of burrito chain Chipotle might be headed for the old Miracle Grill spot on Seventh Avenue in the Slope. Not so, said Chris Arnold from Chipotle corporate in Denver, adding “but dang, I’d love to see a restaurant in Park Slope.”
• Bake-off: Strut you pie-baking stuff on Thursday, Sept. 23, at Greenpoint Open Studios pie bake-off at the Diamond. Winner gets a seat at a Brooklyn Edible Social Club dinner; entry is free.
• Beer for Bergen: The one-story building at 61 Bergen St. between Smith Street and Boerum Place has been under construction for quite a while now, but it appears that the space may become an indoor beer garden. No confirmation on the suds, but the Department of Buildings’ website does confirm that the former print shop will become an eating and drinking establishment.
• The shutter: After seven years, Bushwick’s pioneering coffee/video rental spot the Archive Café has shuttered. Word has it a new café is set to take its place within the month.
• Cursed on Sixth: The folks behind the shuttered Helios at 82 Sixth Ave. in Park Slope are making a second go at the location, trading in Greek for a beer bar. Prior to Helios, it was “Elios,” changing names after only a few weeks due to naming conflicts. Here’s hoping third time’s a charm.
• Openings: Lilla Café recently opened on Union Street in the Columbia Street Waterfront District, sporting a seriously pared down (seven item) seasonal menu. For now the eatery is BYOB. Meanwhile, on the other side of Brooklyn, Donia Café opened shop on Driggs Avenue in Greenpoint, boasting cozy environs and Mediterranean-American fare.
• Branching out: The folks behind Heath Ledger’s Greenpoint bistro Five Leaves have signed on to the former Polonia space one block away at 1 Bedford Avenue. According to Eater, it will server more small plates than the original local.
• Name game: The new gastro-pub coming to Greenpoint from the man behind Manhattan’s Fat Baby and Spitzer’s Corner is no longer nameless — Robert Shamilan’s 200-seat Nassau Avenue spot will be called Spritzenhaus. With some luck, it just might be open by Oktoberfest.
• Get baked (again): This reporter’s favorite bakery, Baked, is finally coming out with a follow-up to its über-successful 2008 cookbook, “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.” “Baked Explorations” is due out early next month — meaning you can eat those brownies without trekking to Red Hook when it’s blizzarding in January.
