It’s not every restaurant that lets its
patrons micromanage a renovation, but The Usual, a long-standing
diner at 637 Vanderbilt Ave. in Prospect Heights, is that kind
of place. Owners Mike and Johnny Halkis pride themselves on pleasing
their customers, so when a regular dropped by to check on the
progress of the remodeling and noticed that the new bar had nowhere
for his feet to rest, the brothers promised to install a rail.
This diner has kept the neighborhood in fried eggs and BLTs for
25 years; it’s one of the few places that newcomers and old-timers
of all races and walks of life feel at home and talk to one another.
Now, it aims to keep its neighbors in steamed mussels and blackened
swordfish, too. Prospect Heights is changing; Vanderbilt is suddenly
flush with new shops and restaurants, including Joyce, a bakery
at Park and Vanderbilt with a long line at breakfast.
But Mike doesn’t worry about the competition.
"We needed that. The more the better: more people, more
restaurants, more traffic," Mike told GO Brooklyn.
But still, the time had come for The Usual to change with the
times. On Sept. 30, with renovations complete, the restaurant
re-opened with a new look, a new chef and a new twist: diner
by day, fine dining by night.
The new chef is Bill McGowan, late of Manhattan’s Beekman Towers
hotel, where he cooked for 16 years, and where he and Mike became
friends. He’s a hometown boy, born and raised on the other side
of Prospect Park – in Kensington, where he still lives. After
a stint in the Navy, McGowan found a job at Rusty Staub’s on
Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
"Best ribs in the world. Not many people have the recipe.
Once I feel out the night, I’m going to put them on the menu,"
predicts McGowan. As he describes the 72-ingredient marinade
and the two-day cooking process, it is hard to avoid drooling.
Entrees on The Usual’s new dinner menu include sauteed pork medallions
on spaetzel, portobello mushroom ravioli, grilled scallops and
sirloin. There are extensive salads and also homemade soups,
McGowan’s specialty.
The menu tries to offer something for everyone; there are vegetarian
options, including a falafel plate.
"We don’t want to lose anybody, so we also have a big burger,"
says McGowan.
Regulars will be relieved to know that the daytime menu has not
changed, despite a new layout. There is still a pot of grits
on the stove all morning and four choices of cheese for your
sandwich. There are, however, welcome additions to the menu,
including fresh fruit and hot oatmeal.
Even the prices are the same, despite the concerns voiced by
regulars who stopped by during the renovation period.
"We’ll still have 85-cent coffee!" Johnny promised
– and they do.
"You’re not paying for this renovation," says Mike.
"We are."
During the six weeks that the restaurant was shuttered, while
regulars were biting fingernails over the possible implications
of the new awning, the owners were hard at work.
"I thought I was done with construction when I renovated
my house," groaned McGowan two weeks before the re-opening,
as the men discussed installing ventilation and removing the
old dishwasher.
The changes to the restaurant are extensive. The old counter
has been removed and replaced by a shortened stone version, leaving
more space in the front of the restaurant for tables. The griddle
and prep area that was behind the counter is now in an enclosed
kitchen with a new grill. The basement has been finished, giving
McGowan room to prep for the evening while the brothers are busy
cooking for the daytime crowds.
Most enticing for diners are the new front window, which can
slide open in warm weather; an additional restroom; and a new
seating area in the backyard.
The walls are freshly plastered and painted, and black-and-white
photos hang in place of sports paraphernalia, but the place has
not lost its character. A newly commissioned neon sign, reading
"THE USUAL," hangs over the kitchen window, and there
is still a TV so you can catch the scores while you eat your
French toast.
Will McGowan leave it on at night?
He pauses, torn, before deciding: "Depends who’s playing."
As Mike and the old friend he calls "Chef Bill" lapse
into abusing each other’s baseball alliances, it is clear that
the fundamental character of this place has not changed, even
if they do serve salmon with asparagus as well as grilled cheese
with bacon. This new venture is offered in the spirit of creative
compromise, embodied by this appetizer offering: tempura-battered
provolone with garlic aioli.
"Mike wanted me to do mozzarella sticks, but we can’t do
those at night, so I came up with a variation," says McGowan.
"It’s great."
The Usual (637 Vanderbilt Ave. between
St. Marks and Prospects Place in Prospect Heights) accepts cash
only. Entrees: $11.95-$18.95. The restaurant is open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner daily. For more information, call (718) 636-0856.
