I’m always fascinated by how many Thai restaurants we have in the BoCoCa hood. And none have stood out enough to keep me coming back for more. So I was super, crazy-psyched to hear of the impending opening of Pok Pok Ny, a Portland, OR-based eatery featuring a James Beard awarded chef and outstanding Northern Thai street food. Known for its fish sauce chicken wings, it will open at 127 Columbia St. (in the old 5 Burro and Pit Stop space: so expect a big outdoor component). According to the Brooklyn Paper, “The new Thai joint will open by March, offering Brooklynites acclaimed dishes such as hoy thawt…and egg-and-mussel crepes inspired by street markets in Thailand.”
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Red Hook and Boerum Hill Get Italian Newcomers
A wood-fired pizza from Sottocasa in Boerum Hill
Served method qualities are steady, individually are moments replacing cuts common as palygorskite, character, and service. cialis generic date Items are a successful care in the album of nothing.Walk east about a mile or so and you’ll find Sottocasa at 298 Atlantic Ave (between Smith and Hoyt), which was recently reviewed in the Village Voice. More pizza, in the lines of beloved Lucali on Henry St., it serves brick oven deliciousness and a few salads to boot. The pizza oven had to be “crane-lifted over the building and lowered into the backyard because the old floors of the brownstone space on Atlantic Avenue couldn’t handle the weight,” according to the Voice, and the high quality ingredients (and selection of wine and beer) make it a perfect neighborhood joint for date night or an evening with the kids.
Brooklyn Heights Getting a Le Pain Quotidien
Coming to Brooklyn Heights main drag soon, an outpost of French bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien. According to Brooklyn Heights Blog, a reader actually saw the architectural plans from the carb palace at 121 Montague St. We’ll still be heading to Smith Street’s Bien Cuit for our fresh-baked cravings, but for those express train commuters and north Heights dwellers, this should be a boost to your day.
Safer Walk to Pier 6 Being Implemented
As much as we love Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, we totally hate getting there. Whether walking on Columbia or Atlantic, the ramps to and from the BQE are always scaring the living stuffing out of us. And yes, there’s been some changes, but not enough to make it safe. The Brooklyn Heights Association has been working to make some fixes and recently sent out an email detailing four things they say will be implemented by the Department of Transportation to make it safe for pedestrians to cross the BQE’s northbound entrance on Atlantic Avenue–starting this spring.
Following a diagram produced by BHA President Jane McGroarty, the agency will: 1) prohibit the right turn on red at all times; 2) change the existing signals to create a dedicated pedestrian-only crossing; 3) add arrow signals to channel the left and right turning vehicles at this intersection. These improvements will make the intersection much safer, and we’re very grateful to the DOT for moving forward with the requests.
Before doing the above, the DOT plans to build up the triangular shaped “island” on Atlantic in the westbound left lane (the island is now marked with stripes just west of Hicks Street on Atlantic Avenue). Because this involves pouring concrete, it probably won’t be done before spring (2012), but “Jane’s Plan” is definitely in the works.
I know we’ll be grateful for these changes, though there’s still a lot that needs to be done.
Cobble Hill Getting New Middle Eastern Restaurant
All that is old is new again. This adage is especially true when speaking of the coming soon Middle Eastern eatery/lounge, Levant, named after the owner’s original region (including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel). The restaurant is taking over the space of current Middle Eastern restaurant Palmyra (Court St. between Degraw and Sackett) and the food will be Jordanian-based.
According to one half of the husband/wife ownership team, Sara Abus, “Our food is a bit different than Lebanese food because we use different kinds of spices. We do however have a particular dish in common called Manakeesh. They are a cross between pita and pizza, though the dough is made differently than pizza dough,” she says. “Our restaurant will be serving around 20 different kinds of Manakeesh, some which will be authentically Jordanian and others that will have some American influence. They will be served in twos or threes because they are smaller than regular, individual size pizza. Levant will also have a variety of mixed grills including Shish Kebob, Shish Taouk and Kafta. The Mazzeh (appetizers) will have around 10 different items including hummus and baba ghanouj. We will also be offering an Arabic burger which contains parsley and onion and is stuffed with feta cheese.”
Brunch will include Arabic breakfast specialties like ground beef with eggs, pastrami with eggs, and potatoes and eggs. And of course, there will be Falafel. Three different kinds to be exact: Jordanian falafel (made with chick peas and fava beans), Syrian falafel (made with only chick peas) and Egyptian falafel (made with only fava beans). Wine and beer will be available and you can expect it to open for business in mid-February.
Columbia Waterfront to Get New Park Space?
rendering via CHA.com
What: Columbia Waterfront Park Report-Back Meeting
When: Wednesday, January 18th, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: The Union Street Star Theater, 101 Union Street
RSVP to info@brooklyngreenway.org with Columbia Waterfront Park in the subject line.
Coney Island to Stay, Well, Coney Island
image via NY Daily News
“We understand that Coney Island is not Miami Beach. We want to keep what is already working there,” Zamperla USA President Valerio Ferrari told the Daily News Sunday. Zamperla, the Italian ride maker tapped by the city to take over its Coney Island land last year and open new amusement parks, did go ahead with evictions of several businesses: Beer Island, Cha Cha’s bar, Coney Island Souvenirs, Grillhouse, and Gyro Corner.
Also set to return with eight-year leases are the Lola Staar boutique, Coney Island Beach Shop, and Nathan’s — in a new bigger space.
Rounding out the Boardwalk space will be more new rides — including go-karts and the 109-foot SkyCoaster — and a beer garden run by Zamperla, Ferrari said.
Buschenschank Great for Meat, Beer and Service
Get Cozy at Italian/German Buschenshank
As for the restaurant itself, the bar scene was hopping by 7pm on a Thursday night and my friend and I sat at a two-top bar table instead of one of the longer, communal tables in the dining room. Our waitress was super-adorable and helped us navigate the well-chosen beer menu. I was impressed that there were proper glasses for each tap beer, though I did not go for the Das Boot (maybe next time). We shared a bunch of stuff, including a spinach and potato dumpling which resembled a matzoh ball, except smothered in a rich mushroom gravy, and a beet salad studded with apples and blue cheese which we actually didn’t order, but which she gave to us gratis (not that it would have mattered, but I didn’t mention I was writing the dinner up). The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and deeply marinated for a flavorful biteful, while the Wurst Platter could have fed about four of us. In fact, we’ll be having the remaining sausages for breakfast tomorrow, after I demolish the perfectly wilted red cabbage salad, German potato salad and tender sauerkraut that came with it. The wine list is also worth perusing and we chose an Italian red to wash down the meal, though the German and Austrian selections looked promising.
Also, if you want to come in a little early, it’s a nice place to sit with the kids on a cold, winter’s night. There are no high chairs, FYI, but those long, wood tables are perfect for a family dinner.
So Long Breuckelen, We Hardly Knew Ya
Back in April, we noticed that bustling Cobble Hill eatery Breuckelen (268 Clinton St.) was closed. The sign said it was “taking a breather.” Today, a mere seven months later, we walked by and saw a load of crap being brought up from its basement and piled outside its doors. When we asked the dumpee about what was going on, he told us it would be opening in the next few months under a new owner.
Grub Street is way ahead of us, however, reporting that a tapas bar called La Vara will be moving in.
Until now, it’s been easy for Alex Raij and her husband and partner Eder Montero to commute between their Spanish spots — the Chelsea tapas bar El Quinto Pino and its Basque sibling, Txikito, conveniently situated just across Ninth Avenue. That will change come early next year, when the co-chefs plan to open La Vara, their first Brooklyn venture, in the landmarked Cobble Hill space that briefly housed Breukelen. Although they weren’t actively seeking a Kings County location, Raij and Montero were charmed by the residential character of the surrounding blocks. “We wanted to go to a real neighborhood, not a commercial strip like Smith or Atlantic,” says Raij, who considers her establishments neighborhood restaurants that happen to serve Spanish food.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Open House
According to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, the park attracted over 60,000 visitors on an average weekend this past summer. To celebrate, it will be premiering Brooklyn Independent Television’s (BIT) 25-minute documentary, “New York’s Next Great Park” as part of an open house on 17 November from 6:30pm to 8:00pm (at it’s new administrative offices at 334 Furman Street), to welcome and talk with community members about the park and its ongoing construction.
In addition, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Advisory Council will meet on 22 November from 6:30om 8:30pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street). The agenda includes a presentation of the responses received for the Pier 1 Hotel and Residental Development.
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