December 2016 Slope Eats & Drinks: What Opened, What Closed, And What’s Coming Soon

The last six weeks have been some of the most active in 2016 when it comes to food and drink news. Some of those comings (Nargis Bar & Grill) and goings (Gorilla Coffee on 5th Avenue) have been downright surprising. So check out the whole food scene, and start popping some of these dates into your calendar — in pencil, of course.)

If you’d like to catch up on the previous months, check out our March 2016 edition, April 2016 edition, May 2016 edition, June 2016 edition, July 2016 edition, August 2016 edition, September 2016 edition, October 2016 edition, and November 2016 edition. And look for our massive end-of-year roundup in the next weeks to come.

What Opened

Blue Bottle (203 7th Avenue, at the corner of 3rd Street)
After holding the Samuel Beckett award for making the neighborhood wait for its opening, the California-based coffee roaster officially set up shop on November 10 in the space left vacant when Ocean Fish Market moved to 5th Avenue back in 2014. Blue Bottle will join our recent large mug of caffeine announcements. Starbucks is already open at 444 9th Street at 7th Avenue. Everyman Espresso and Uptown Roasters are also slated to join soon.

Gnarly Eats (447 7th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets)
Whether or not you think it’s the most attractive name for a place to grab a bite, November’s opening of Gnarly eats offers up a new place for Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burgers, Mighty Wings, Tempura Onion Rings, and Dough Donuts. Now in the summer, expect something a bit different, as they will add Roll N’ Chill ice cream to the mix. And for the Dr. Who fans, you may spy something familiar when you see their front door.

Oggi Pizza Bar (217 Prospect Park West (between 16th Street and Windsor Place)
The butcher paper has finally come off. The family who owned long-time Enzo’s Brick Oven pizza, which dates back to 2008, has launched a new pizza place. We’ve been wondering about the Oggi mystery since June. Mystery solved.

Flora (1021 8th Avenue at 11th Street)
The “Pastificio” — or pasta factory — was dropped from the name, and now Flora has opened after being in “coming soon” mode for more than a year. For the time being, Flora will keep daytime hours for breakfast and lunch (closed Tuesdays) until they receive a liquor license and open up their full menu. According to their website, they’re currently in soft opening mode. You can also buy their products when you stop in. “Always be wary of those who use creams, sauces, rich sauces with aromas and flavors calling that with some Italian name along with a chicken or bolognese packed full of who knows what,” they write on their website. Flora emphasizes they serve “true Italian cuisine.” As for their paninis, they use French bread from Bien Cuit (120 Smith Street) in Boerum Hill.

Salzy Cocktails and Entertainment (506 5th Avenue, between 12th and 13th Streets)
A few laughs with your “Ballsy Salzy?” You’ve come to the right place. Comedian Jennifer Salzman opened up her new cocktail bar lounge on November 30. Formerly The Fifth Estate (which closed in September), Salzy features a menu of craft cocktails and small plates and will host comedy and live music performances.

What’s Closed (or closing soon)

Backyard (388 5th Avenue at 6th Street)
Owners Jeff and Elizabeth Warner opened the Southern-meets-New England comfort food restaurant with the eponymous outdoor space back in 2011. The couple closed down in October. The pulled pork, lobster, and BLTs had been on our list for quite sometime, especially when it was concerning where to eat and drink outside. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant shouldn’t be quiet for too long. Curry! Modern Caribbean Experience… has plans to open in February 2017 — see the What’s Opening Soon… section below for more details.

Gorilla Coffee (97 5th Avenue at Park Place)
Coffee lovers will soon have to schlep a few extra blocks to get their caffeine fix. Gorilla Coffee at 97 5th Avenue (at Park Place) will close on Monday, January 2. A note posted on the door of the shop reads, “Shuffle On Down to Bergen,” instructing customers to visit the other Gorilla Coffee located nearby at 472 Bergen Street (between 5th and Flatbush Avenues), which will remain open.

Lobo Tex-Mex (188 5th Avenue at Berkeley Place)
The Tex-Mex and tequila bar closed their Park Slope home on Sunday, November 20. Neighbors have been enjoying their quesos and margaritas for around 12 years but will have to head over to their Cobble Hill location at 218 Court Street (between Warren and Baltic Streets) in order to continue to do so.

What’s Opening Soon (or not so soon)

Atlantic Social (673 Atlantic Avenue between South Oxford Avenue and South Portland Street)
The newest venture from Three Kings Hospitality will be coming to the old Tony Roma’s place near Barclays Center. Eater describes the future restaurant as an “old style New York tavern.” While Talde (367 7th Avenue at 11th Street) will remain open, Pork Slope has already shuttered and Thistle Hill Tavern will do the same.

Burgrito’s (173 4th Avenue at Lincoln Place)
When word spread that ZuZu Ramen served their last bowl in early September, did anyone think that the new restaurant coming in would be serving a burger-burrito mashup? Well, it’s been a shocking month, hasn’t it? But that is indeed what’s coming. “[The burgrito] is really the best of both worlds,” co-owner Darin Laby told DNAinfo. “You get the veggies and sauce that you get with a burrito, but then you have French fries. And it’s big. People love that. It’s a very satisfying item.” Burgrito originated in Bethpage, Long Island. First, we got the Islanders. And just a few blocks from Barclays, we’ll now have the newest Nassau County import, which is expected to open in early 2017.

Cooks & Captains (256 5th Avenue between Garfield Place and Carroll Street)
Plans are in the works for a new restaurant that will replace the Grand Central Oyster Bar, which stopped shucking in June. According to Patch, Peter Best has filed for a liquor license. Now before you get too pumped, we are not speaking of Pete Best, the “fifth Beatle”! This Best is of Best Restaurant Group, and they are looking to open … well we’re not quite sure just yet. Patch reported it is “not immediately clear what type of restaurant or bar Cooks & Captains would be.” We’ve reached out to BRG but have not yet heard back. We have no information about Ringo Starr, either.

Curry! A Modern Caribbean Experience… (388 5th Avenue at 6th Street)
The former Backyard restaurant space will take on a different flavor when it opens as Curry! A Modern Caribbean Experience…, first reported by Patch. According to the restaurant’s gofundme page, the owner and Brooklyn native Michael Frazier plans for a restaurant which will center on his “Afro-Caribbean lineage and the unique cuisine of the Caribbean World!” Frazier expects an opening in February 2017. A mixture of Caribbean comfort and elegance is further north on 5th Avenue at BK9, which opened in August 2015.

Everyman Espresso (162 5th Avenue near Degraw Street)
About six weeks after the closing of Venticinque Cafe, Everyman Espresso has begun preparations for its first location in Brooklyn. According to Sprudge, the interior will get a significant redesign, courtesy of architect Jane Kim. Last month, owner Sam Penix told Park Slope Stoop he “literally just got the keys.” They originally planned a mid-November opening, but it appears that they’ll be gearing up more towards early 2017.

Kingston 12 (81 5th Avenue at Prospect Place)
Owner Winsome Thompson told us back in 2013 that Kingston 12 plans to serve “authentic, classic Jamaican and Caribbean food.” Thomas Conklin — also of Kingston — put in their application for a liquor license last Spring. Construction activity has increased as of late, however we don’t have an opening date just yet.

Ki Sushi (282 Flatbush Avenue near Prospect Place)
More sushi is coming, as this new place will be the second outpost of the Boerum Hill original, according to DNAinfo. “Excellent sashimi ranges from dark sea eel to octopus tako. For rolls, the Ki is an exceptionally good combo of fish, crunch, spice, and avocado topped with two kinds of caviar and edible gold leaf,” writes New York Magazine. We will get back to you with an opening date when it becomes available.

Live On Air Restaurant (335 Flatbush Avenue near Park Place)
Do you know friends who like to watch you eat? Well, if you do, you can head to Flatbush Avenue and have them witness you munch and slurp. DNAinfo reported that owner Joe Barbour will soon open Live On Air Restaurant, and encourage customers to Facebook Live/Periscope your victuals for the world to see. They’ll even offer a 10% discount for customers who do, reported DNAinfo. Live On Air will open in the former space of Elberta Restaurant, and plans on a “Louisiana influence” on their food. Dawlins’, we hope you do the Bayou justice.

Los Nopales (191 5th Avenue between Berkeley Place and Union Street)
Construction is moving along in the space which was previously home to Bierkraft. That 5th Avenue sandwich and beer spot had been open for about 13 years before closing down last summer. DNAinfo reported that Ashish Chawla, co-owner of Tarros Bar in Corona, plans to open an “authentic” Mexican restaurant. “We want to have authentic Mexican food with the real spices and condiments from Mexico,” Chawla told DNAinfo. The place was originally scheduled to open in September and has not opened its doors yet.

Mis Grill (370 5th Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets)
Mis Grill has posted an interior shot on their Facebook page as well as their Mediterranean-focused menu, replacing Juventino, a popular farm-to-table spot which closed somewhat mysteriously back in January. There’s no time estimate as to when the Mis will be opening.

Nargis Bar & Grill (155 5th Avenue (Lincoln Place and St. John’s Place)
When Nana Sushi closed in October after 15 years, it created an opportunity for one of Sheepshead Bay’s beloved restaurants to expand into Park Slope. Nargis Cafe opened at its current location on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue Z a decade ago, and it has grown to immense popularity. Owner and head chef Boris Bangiyer will be bringing a taste of Uzbek food to 5th Avenue. Bangiyer’s popular dishes include lagman soup, which is diced lamb and beef mixed with unique Asian vegetables and noodles made right there in the restaurant. This Park Slope version of Nargis will also include a backyard, though plans to use it won’t come until the weather gets warmer. Also, expect prices to be a little higher than in Sheepshead Bay due to different expenses in the two neighborhoods.

Taheni Mediterranean Grill (224 4th Avenue at Union Street)
A father and son duo is readying Taheni, a new Mediterranean Grill which will take the place of recently closed Station Diner. The 35-year-old diner was closed down in August by owner Stavros “Steve” Kouimanis.  “It’s my time. I feel I’m ready,” he told the Commercial Observer. Father and son Deib Deib and Malek Deib have signed a 10-year lease on the space. “I’m not really sorry because this is my baby,” said Kouimanis, “but I think I’m [leaving] it in good hands.”

Uptown Roasters  (355 7th Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets)
Coffee and espresso drinks will be on the menu at the new Uptown Roasters, which has a planned opening this Fall, DNAinfo reported. The company opened its East Harlem venue in June 2015 at 135 East 11th Street. The company “works to get better prices for Peruvian coffee farmers” and “community-building goals,” wrote DNAinfo. Former tenant Pepper Mill Deli and Grocery shuttered in 2013 and the space has been vacant since.

The Yet-to-be-named Sushi Bar (166 Flatbush Avenue, between 5th Avenue and Pacific Street)
So intriguing that it doesn’t yet have a name, this new restaurant is being billed as a “speakeasy sushi bar” by the owners of the Michelin-starred Sushi Azabu in TriBeCa. The Barclays Center area will get quite a one-two-three punch of sushi when you factor in last year’s opening of Wasan (440 Bergen Street, between 5th and Flatbush Avenues).

The Yet-to-be-named Taco Place (351 5th Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets)
Surfish Bistro, the Peruvian ceviche and tapas place opened in a much large space just about a year ago. After chef Miguel Aguilar “re-opened” at 550 3rd Avenue (corner of 14th Street), he told us their space on 5th Avenue would remain open. “We won’t be closing it,” explained Aguilar. “But the menu will be smaller there. We will serve rotisserie chicken and Peruvian sandwiches. Our full menu will be at our new place.” However back in August, we reported that the 5th Avenue location did shut down. Besides the handwritten “opening soon” sign on the outside, we are not sure about the exact plans for the replacement. Frankly, the place hasn’t even removed the Surfish logo from the outside. However, a worker in the space told us a new “taco place” would be moving in.

What’s Changed

Pauline & Sharon’s (597A 4th Avenue at 17th Street)
Owner TJ O’Connor is a classically trained chef who spent time in elite kitchens before opening Pauline & Sharon’s in 2011. O’Connor is now experimenting with other items that can be prepared in pizza oven, and has now launched a series of “off the menu” dishes. New items include roasted shrimp with shaved fennel, roasted grapes, and parsley, as well as fried sour dough, butter braised sweet potatoes, and dulce de leche. You can visit them on instagram for more updates.

The Rock Shop (249 4th Avenue near Carroll Street)
The venue has been featuring live music since 2010, but shifted direction over the last month. Co-owner Brendan Niles believes that neighborhoods such as Williamsburg attract more live music fans because of the concentration of venues within a small walking distance. So Rock Shop is still up and running, but without the live music. Their re-designed first floor features a row of pinball machines and lots of drinks at the bar.

If you notice anything we missed, let us know in the comments below. And as always, if you see some changes in businesses in the neighborhood, shoot us tips at editor@bklyner.com.