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

The first third of 2016 is over, and doors have been opening and closing. Here’s a chance to review the changes that have taken place over the last month.

We’ve had more closings than openings this month, and some of those closings include watering holes that we’ll miss.

If you’d like to catch up on the previous months, check our our March 2016 edition and our April 2016 edition.

What’s Open

Fiat Café (80 6th Avenue (at St. Marks Avenue)
Even though Fiat just opened on April 7, the atmosphere feels confident, as if it had existed in this space for a longer period of time. The bistro takes the place of Cubana Cafe, which shut down in January. The tidy comfortable restaurant boasts a large menu that spans breakfast, lunch, and dinner — as well as a small bar area to stop by for a glass of wine or cocktail. And this is the type of atmosphere where it’d be perfectly fine to stop in for a nice espresso on your way to the next hustle-bustle of your day.

Freek’s Mill (285 Nevins Street at Sackett Street)
Aptly named after a mill that was built very close to the original Old Stone House on the Gowanus, this new restaurant opened on April 8. When we stopped by a few weeks before their opening, manager Maxime Giordani was testing out food to some invited diners. Giodani told us owner J.T. Stewart and Chef Chad Shaner are working up a farm-to-table menu that we look forward to sampling very soon. The accolades have come swiftly. And the wine list has already garnered a round of kudos.

Fresh Bite Mediterranean Grill (168 5th Avenue between Degraw and Sackett Streets)
The signage may look the same, but the menu and the owner are brand new. The new mediterranean grill opened its doors late April. The restaurant is now owned by Michael Ahmed, a realtor and life-time resident of Bensonhurst. “I’ve been in real estate for a long time. I want to try something new,” he says. Fresh Bite’s new menu is chock full of Mediterranean standards — kebabs, falafel, hummus, and yes, shawarma. In addition, they’ll be serving pita “pitza” — a variety of meat and veggie dishes topping freshly baked pita bread.

People’s Pops (808b Union Street near 7th Avenue)
Warmer weather is coming (promise), which surely means that People’s Pops has returned. Macaron Parlour rented the space out for the winter, but the pop shop returned in mid-April, promising a whole new roster of seasonally rotating fresh flavors and icy treats. “There’s always new flavors going on. Right now, we’ve got this frozen hot chocolate. It’s vegan, made with coconut milk, coconut cream, and dark chocolate,” said Darren Fiorello of People’s Pops, who added that the entire inventory is vegan.

Smorgasburg at Prospect Park (Prospect Park, Breeze Hill, Located near Lakeside and the Lincoln Road entrance)
After camping out in the cold weather down at Industry City, the highly popular food festival will be at Breeze Hill in Prospect Park on Sundays.The sixth al fresco season for Smorgasburg kicked off about a month ago, and its tent has been pitched in our jewel of a backyard for the warm weather. The food festival will be in Prospect Park every Sunday through October 23. Find the market on Google Maps here.

What’s Closed:

Breadfruit Tree Cafe (453 4th Avenue at 10th Street)
This Caribbean restaurant opened in July 2014, but according to the blog One More Folded Sunset, “[t]he owners were clearing out the cafe space today [April 28] & said they were planning to relocate the business to Crown Heights.”

Mary’s Bar (708 5th Avenue at 22nd Street)
Owner Sylvia Holden announced the closing of Mary’s Bar days before its going away party, which took place on April 24. The bar had been open since 2011 and as of a year ago, had a small flea market in the backyard of their space. “I was being harassed by the landlords for years,” Holden told us. “The evictions started three years ago and I have been served so many times that my staff notifies me we have been served along with letting me know what beer we are out of.” However Holden was deeply appreciative of her customers. “There are so many amazing things that happened in that room, that I can’t even begin…. I’ve gone to Thanksgiving parties and every single person in the room goes to my bar,” she said.

Roosters Caribbean Tapas (651 5th Avenue near 19th Street)
The website says the restaurant will be closed for renovations until May 1, however the “For Rent” sign on the shuttered front doesn’t seem terribly promising for its future. Roosters opened up in late 2014, following another a short stint by Sekt — which closed after less than a year. So while we can’t definitively confirm the closing, we’re going to make the educated guess that we won’t see the doors open again.

Supercollider (609 4th Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets)
Supercollider opened in May 2013, and has been a haven for quiz nights, movie screenings, and arts exhibitions. During the mornings you could have a cuppa cuppa, and the place was a full service bar at night. And the upstairs terrace was relaxing, looking out into a peaceful and gritty amalgam of low apartment buildings. When we asked Robert, Supercollider’s owner, if he had any plans to reopen elsewhere, he told us, “No plans right now but will let you know if anything happens.” South Slope Bliss — a newly formed LLC based in Woodland Hills, California — has bought the building and the ones surrounding it, according to the Department of Buildings. This one really smarts, as it was a favorite of ours. We share the sentiment of the question written in black ink on the sign above.

What’s Opening Soon (or not so soon) and What’s Confusing

2 Duck Goose (400 4th Avenue at 6th Street)
This Cantonese restaurant announced a temporarily closing late last year, however founder/partner Kay Ch’ien, she is focusing on “re-working the concept” of the restaurant and plans to re-open in Spring 2016. In addition to the type of cuisine that will be served, there will be a new chef at the helm. Carole Greenwood — the restaurant’s second chef in their short history — will not be returning. We’ll keep you posted when plans firm up.

Bison & Bourbon (191 Seventh Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
Owner David Shagalov tells us that the self-described Glatt Kosher “food lovers escape” plans to open this summer. The restaurant replaces The Bahche restaurant, the Turkish restaurant in a roomy space that has both indoor and outdoor seating. Shagalov told DNAinfo, “In the kosher world, there’s nothing like this at all both in terms of ambience and size.”

Blue Bottle (203 7th Avenue, at the corner of 3rd Street)
Blue Bottle still touts its tradition of getting coffee to customers 48 hours after being roasted. We’ve been waiting for some time for the cafe to open, and we still don’t have a definitive date. They are known for their New Orleans-style iced coffee, with chicory in the blend.

Chipotle (185 7th Avenue, between 1st and 2nd Streets)
You probably don’t need us to tell you about the massive burritos that will come with the opening of Chipotle. Rumors of the Mexican chain coming to 7th Avenue skipped around a bit, but it seems solid now, and we’ll let you know when the opening takes place. Meanwhile, you can familiarize yourself with their nutrition calculator to count those calories.

Hanki Korean (226 7th Avenue near 3rd Street)
Manager Samuel Kim tells us that this Korean “fast casual” restaurant will “be both approachable, while bringing traditional flavors” to 7th Avenue. Kim says that the place should be open in May. Hanki replaces Tofu on 7th which moved to 5th Avenue last May.

Juice Press (207 7th Avenue at 3rd Street)
Juice Press is New York-based chain that’s moving into the corner storefront. Brooklyn already has locations in Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg. Along with juices, the place offers up smoothies, cleanses, “super foods,” and … the “Guru smoothie.” According to DNAinfo, “the $15 Guru smoothie is a 510-calorie, 16-ounce ‘meal replacement’ made of frozen fruit and ‘superfoods.’ It initially sold for $18, but Juice Press founder Marcus Antebi lowered the price in 2011.” Juice Press replaces Yogurtland, which closed May 2015.

The Unnamed 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 is about to get quite a one-two punch of sushi with the opening of Wasan (440 Bergen Street, between 5th and Flatbush Avenues).

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.