Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Year In Review 2015: Bars, Bites, Openings, And Closings

Our neighborhood is lucky to have fantastic and independently-owned places to eat, drink, celebrate, and relax. As we wish a farewell to 2015, we also have an opportunity to look back on food and drink places that have joined us this year, and which ones said goodbye.

So here’s a breakdown of what opened, what closed, what re-modeled/re-opened, and what’s pending:

OPENINGS

Falafel Brothers (711 Fulton Street) and their five flavors of falafel hit the scene in May, bringing fresh, healthy food to students, theatergoers, and late night workers alike. The organic, vegan- and vegetarian-friendly shop. In addition to falafel (earthy/original, green/parsley-cilantro, harissa/mild-spicy, black olive, and lemon), there are 11 salads, five sauces, three pita types, and a variety of fruit shakes and juices.

Choysters Raw Bar (214 Greene Avenue) sits in the former Choice Greene Market and features beer, burgers, and BYODelivery — in addition to the raw bar. Available food ranges from cheese and charcuterie plates to tapas, burgers (beef, turkey, salmon, veggie…), and pizzas brought over from sister establishment Choice Market (318 Lafayette Avenue). Guests will even be able to order delivery from other neighboring establishments.

Curry Place (330 Myrtle Avenue) only opened in February and had to close for a while in the summer to repair fire damage, but has already built a loyal following, with many dishes priced under $10 for both lunch and dinner. We’re glad they’re back and remaining part of Fort Greene’s solid Indian food scene alongside Kinara and Amin.

Bar Bolinas (455 Myrtle Avenue) had big shoes to fill with the departure of predecessor Maggie Brown, but was in good hands with owner Chelsea Altman and chefs Nate Smith and Sophia Kamin, building its own devoted following and make a name for itself in citywide foodie lists. The Northern California-inspired menu is perfect for families, singles, and visitors alike, and recently added a Monday-Tuesday night $15 prix-fixe option, as well. Get your butt over there!

Leon and Son (995 Fulton Street) fit right into the Clinton Hill neighborhood from the moment it opened in May/June, thanks to owner Christopher Leon’s focus on welcoming anyone and everyone with affordable prices, a mom-and-pop shop ambiance, and regular events and tastings!

Hartley’s (14 Putnam Avenue) opened shortly before the end of the year in the former home of SIP Bar, bringing a sort of blast from the past back to Clinton Hill — a real Irish pub! There’s a lot in store for this space in the coming weeks and we’re looking forward to visiting Hartley’s for game nights and any night in the coming year.

Saucy (884 Fulton Street) is the neighborhood’s first zero-waste restaurant, with almost all of the menu designed and changed daily/weekly according to whatever ingredients are left unused as part of owner Przemek Adolf’s catering haul. We love the fresh lasagnas, pot pies, roasted meats and vegetables, and colorful salads, as well as the baked goods from local restaurants like Baked. Also fun: regular Sunday dinners and tea service events!

Tilda All Day (930 Fulton Street) is a breakfast and brunch-lovers’ dream come true, with eggs, sweets, savories, and cocktails available all day every day, with filling portion sizes and all at decent prices, like an $8 chicken sandwich, $6 egg sandwich, and $4.50 savory baked item. With free wifi on the premises, it’s too easy for many of us to just eat our way through several hours!

Gentleman Farmer (378 Myrtle Avenue) manages to be both fancy French-inspired restaurant and cozy neighborhood spot, with tried-and-true favorites from its sister eatery in the Lower East Side — smoked duck breast, venison steak, curried snails, onion soup, and beet salad among them — accessible much closer to home.

DIAA Bagel Deli Plus (887 Fulton Street) joined the ranks of neighborhood bodegas and delis, with “organic snacks, drinks, coffee, bagels,” and other “gourmet deli” items. So did Fort Greene Deli 2 (the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park), which is owned by a local family that already runs Fort Greene Deli over on Park Avenue.

Ice cream. It’s self-explanatory why we love the addition of Greene Grape Scoops (680 Fulton Street) to Fort Greene, where our ice cream offerings stood to gain by the arrival of a dedicated ice cream shop. Even better? All of the flavors are made by local and regional companies, and are available as pints right across the street at Greene Grape Provisions!

Wallabout Seafood (271 Adelphi Street) does for Fort Greene what Woodlands did for Park Slope, only with seafood. We’re excited about the seafood stew and oyster specials and pretty much everything about this place, including its name, which is, of course, a tribute to nearby Wallbout Bay. There’s even a fancy spiral staircase up to the second level. And yet the atmosphere remains both relaxed and upscale.

One of our favorite things to do when hungry at home or at work is to click on over to Mekelburgs‘ (293 Grand Avenue) Instagram account to do some phone/window shopping. And no wonder: have you SEEN their burrata on roasted acorn squash, baked potatoes, and freshly made Nana’s meatloaf with ricotta and red gravy?

Another Manhattan restaurant that chose Fort Greene for its first Brooklyn location is The Quarter BK (87 Lafayette Avenue), which occupies the former Stonehome Wine Bar space and will have a raw bar and expanded menu, in addition to its expanded backyard patio space.

Myrtle and Gold (343 Gold Street) is doing brisk business with their lively yet comforting menu of Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings, BLTA and Grilled Cheese sandwiches, Single and Double Stack Burgers, Steak Frites, and more. We particularly love the wings, burger, gooey and comforting Bread Pudding, and refreshing Kale and Quinoa Bowl. They even do delivery to adjacent apartments and offices.

Chipotle and Starbucks (394 Myrtle Avenue) arrived this year to mixed reactions, some people excited at the prospect of new jobs and others determined to not let locally-owned independent coffee shops lay fallow. Ultimately, though, it is nice to see the former Home and U space occupied, as opposed to sitting empty.

Fancy Nancy (1038 Bedford Avenue) is technically just over the border in Bed-Stuy, but the charming corner spot is owned by two Clinton Hill residents and is really a hidden gem with some of Brooklyn’s best cocktails and an clever and creative menu that includes glazed duck wings, beet risotto, burgers and deviled egg, and that inter-generational favorite, tater tots.

Brooklyn Yoga Club (206 Vanderbilt Avenue) only just opened this fall/winter and will have its official grand opening party on January 7, but it is owners Eddie and Jocelyn Sterne’s only Ashtanga Yoga New York location now that they have closed their Broome Street spot.

RENOVATIONS, RE-OPENINGS, AND MOVES

Pilar Cuban Eatery

Colonia Verde

Sam’s Deli (changed names)

Primrose Cafe (renovated)

Key Food (490 Myrtle Avenue)

Pathmark becomes Stop and Shop

Chez Oskar

PENDING CHANGES

Hoja Santa (listed for sale, but still there)

Madiba (in danger)

Emily (expanding)

Wegmans

33 Lafayette wine and tapas bar

CLOSINGS

Connecticut Muffin shuttered its 59 Lafayette Avenue location early in the year and the space remains empty, so while we can still get our muffin fix at one of the other nearby locations, we are also looking forward to seeing what will fill this spot in the new year.

2015 was off to a sad start for fans of Maggie Brown’s (455 Myrtle Avenue) signature scrambled eggs with chives and horseradish, Southern Fried Chicken with greens and mashed potatoes, or Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Fortunately, owner Chelsea Altman soon brought in a new, yet different, neighborhood favorite, Bar Bolinas.

Three Letters (930 Fulton Street) reopened after a renovation, but sadly soon closed permanently, taking its casual French and American food with it. However, new breakfast-and-brunch-all-day favorite Tilda is doing a great job of bringing a new neighborhood nosh spot to life.

We still can’t believe Ruthie’s Soul Food Spot (560 Myrtle Avenue) is closed. Not just because we miss their amazing fried chicken and candied yams, but because they were practically a neighborhood landmark.

We already miss SIP Bar (14 Putnam Avenue), which opened and closed this year, taking its grilled cheese sandwiches and cocktails into that good night. But locals are not without a reliable place to weather a literal or metaphorical storm, as Irish pub Hartley’s opened this December in its place.

Anchor and Plow (opened and closed)

The Runner

Key Food (325 Lafayette Avenue)

Splitty

Walt’s Ice Cream Stand (opened and closed)

We try to be as thorough as possible in covering the businesses coming and going in the neighborhood, but sometimes we miss things — anything you notice close down or pop up this year that we didn’t list above, let us know in the comments below! And keep us in the loop in 2016. If you spot a new place or know of an old favorite that’s saying goodbye, contact us at editor@bklyner.com so we can keep the community informed.