It’s been a busy few weeks in the Brooklyn food-scene. Here’s the best of the borough’s openings, closings, some pretty big rumors and some crumbs, too.
• Mason in Williamsburg: Curiously, “Dinner with the Band” host and former Tailor chef Sam Mason’s latest endeavor will serve no food. After teasing that his next stop might be a restaurant in Park Slope, Mason decided to take a break from the culinary arts and last week opened Lady Jay, an East Williamsburg bar named for Mason’s great-grandmother.
• Out with the old, in with the new: Williamsburg’s Silent H may be dead, but from the ashes rises Cafe Colette — an airy new cafe from Silent H owner Vinh Nguyen complete with a takeout coffee window serving Stumptown. Dinner service to come, but for now, stop by for breakfast or lunch.
• Viva Vino: These days, there seems to be no shortage of wine bars in our fair borough. Palo Cortado, a new Spanish wine and tapas bar named for a rare variety of sherry, is coming soon to Court Street and Nelson. Across town, Mauzac, another new wine bar, is set to open soon next to Carol’s Daughter on DeKalb Avenue.
• South Slope suds: OK, perhaps it’s not the most creatively named bar, but we’re always happy to hear that South Slope is getting another watering hole. Brooklyn Pub is scheduled to open up any day now in the old BarBQ space on Sixth Avenue and 20th Street.
• Libations for Clinton Hill: Clinton Hill’s newest dramshop, Hanson Dry, isn’t an oxymoron — it’s named for the dry cleaners that previously occupied the space. Expect local beers on tap and a great outdoor space from the same folks who brought us Franklin Park, Southpaw, Cornelius and Soda Bar.
• From the rumor mill: Here’s one to fuel the fire: the blogosphere is atwitter with an increasingly wide spread rumor that Taavo Somer, of the Rusty Knot and Freemans, is opening a restaurant on Wythe Avenue and S. Second Street in Williamsburg. Will it be a second outpost of Freemans? A pizza place? Your guess is as good as ours.
• Veganburg: Someone has been busy cornering the vegan market. Later this month the team behind Greenpoint vegan bike café Boneshakers head south to open Champ’s, a vegan bakery and café, at the corner of Leonard and Ainslie streets in Williamsburg. Owner Brad Baker (really) plans to bake up vegan versions of practically every patisserie standard.
• Short lived in Park Slope: Just like that, the still new Mack’s 140 shuttered. With the Johnny Mack’s folks out of the picture, the new owners tell us the restaurant will reopen soon as an Italian joint. Fingers crossed it will be as good as the space’s previous occupant, Elementi. • This week in record delays: Finally, after a year of delays a second outpost of Fort Greene Mexican eatery Pequeña opened in the old Barette space in Prospect Heights — which means that all you Prospect Heights folks no longer have to make the trek for those black bean and sweet plantain quesadillas.
• White House in da house: Last weekend, White House chef Cristeta Comerford and pastry chef William Yosses trekked north for brunch at Ditmas Park’s Purple Yam. According to the restaurant’s blog, the pair ordered “just like everybody else” — ukoy, chicken adobo with bagoong fried rice and pancit luglug. Hopefully, it was Comerford and Yosses are just an advance team for The Man himself.
• Franklin Street rising: Yet another bar claims its stake on Franklin Street in Greenpoint. Veronica People’s Club is a new bar coming “soon” from the folks that brought us Heathers. But wait, it’s so much more! The bar will serve mocktails for mommies to be, have a java window open during the day, and plans to invite up-and-coming chefs to curate Sunday dinners.
