This week: plenty of openings, closings, and, of course, restaurant rumor mongering. Hope you’re hungry.
• Third time’s a charm: That chameleon eater next to Bar Reis on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope has shed its skin once again. The restaurant that was formerly Reis 100 Sandwich Factory and Kitchen Reis is now a take-out taco spot Taqueria Reis. You gotta hand it to Reis Goldberg for two reasons: he’s always trying something and his storefront sign is a chalkboard.
• Italian on the rise: Italian food seems to be enjoying a renaissance — a new Italian joint called Caselnova will replace 215 Cucina Napoletana in the Columbia Street Waterfront District. Meanwhile, Trattoria 312 is expected to replace shuttered Williamsburg spot Barosa on Graham Avenue.
• More for Fourth Avenue: Carroll Gardens’ beloved South Brooklyn Pizza is planning to set up shop on Fourth Avenue, right next to Cherry Tree. No word on when the eatery will open. • Late Night eats: According to a help-wanted add on Craigslist, Williamsburg’s new Crif Dogs, the hot doggery, will be open 21 hours a day. Could there possibly be a better food for late-night snacking? We think not.
• Openings: A new Eastern European eatery called Karloff has sprung up at on Court Street in Cobble Hill, boasting menu items borsch, baked cabbage and chicken, and beef stroganoff. Meanwhile, Three Angels by the Park, has opened on Irving Avenue in Bushwick, serving light café fare and coffee from Stone Street Coffee Company.
• Tell Comrade Lenin: Our friends at Crop to Cup, the coffee “commune” on Atlantic Avenue, have stopped selling the awesome sandwiches that we praised to the hilt earlier this summer. The guy at the counter — we can’t say “manager” because the place is a co-op, not a real business — said that the sandwiches had been “phased out.”
• ¡Arriba!: On Monday, Casa Pepe on Bay Ridge Avenue will start offering an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet from 4 to 10 pm every night. The price is still being set, but a manager said it would be $15-$17. That’s un poco for mas comida.
• Cupcakes in the Slope: Some foodies have supposed that macaroons may be the new cupcake, but cupcakes apparently haven’t gotten the message. King of Cupcakes, a new bakery and cupcakery, is slated to open soon on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope.
• Tapas in Williamsburg: Cadaques Tapas Bar recently opened on Grand Street between Bedford and Driggs avenues in Williamsburg, boasting a moderately priced menu and dinner service until 2 am. Downtown Diaries writes that the spot is “sure to become a neighborhood staple.”
• Out with the old: Many Park Slopers regretted the loss of La Playa on Fifth Avenue (especially for the $4 unlimited sangria brunch), but the void will soon be filled. Signage has gone up in the space for a new Mexican eatery called Comida, which doesn’t tell us much because the word means “food.” Here’s hoping they continue the boozy brunch tradition.
• The shutter: After 10 long, tan years, Park Slope’s Long Tan is closing. According to ZagatBuzz, the owner plans to hold onto the bar and reopen as a high-end cocktail bar this winter. Also in Park Slope, Seventh Avenue’s La Taqueria is shutting down the full-service side of the eatery, owing to high rent and slow business, according to an employee. La Taqueria fans can rest easy though, the take-out side of the restaurant will remain open.
• Brooklyn gold: Twenty Brooklyn eateries were awarded the Bib Gourmand titles in the latest New York City edition of the prestigious Michelin Guide. Restaurants including Jack the Horse Tavern, Frankie’s 457, Char No. 4, and the Good Fork, were awarded the honor for dishing up delicious, two-course meals with a beverage or dessert for under $40.
