October 2016 Slope Eats & Drinks: What Opened, What Closed, And What’s Coming Soon
Welcome to October, when the openings and closings keep on comin’. Perhaps more notable are the storefronts which are making some progression after remaining stagnant for awhile. 4th Avenue has been particularly busy with comings and goings. We’ll explain.
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, and September 2016 edition.
What Opened
The Douglass (149 4th Avenue at Douglass Street)
The newest mahogany bar on 4th Avenue is ready for guests as The Douglass Tap & Grill opened up just a few weeks back. The Australian pub Sheep Station closed at the end of July, but neighbor and Douglass co-owner Pete Cavanaugh remodeled the place rather quickly. DNAinfo reported the other owner is FDNY firefighter and Windsor Terrace neighbor Bryan Kuhn. The menu includes burgers, salads, grilled cheese, and other bar fare. Brunch is served beginning at 11am on the weekends.
South Slope Public House (426 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets)
This brick oven and pizza tavern opened up just before Labor Day weekend, and you can choose from about a dozen types of brick oven pies, as well as snacks, salads, sweets, and it sports a full beer, wine, and liquor menu. There are flat screens aplenty for the sports aficionados. The previous tenant was Windsor Roast House, a “meat-forward” menu which didn’t last for long. That place opened back in September and closed less than six months later. Check out our dining review from early September.
Starbucks Coffee (444 9th Street at 7th Avenue)
The third area Starbucks opened up on September 23, and the short, tall, grande, and venti cups were flying off the shelves (Does anybody ever order a trenta? 30 ounces of coffee sounds a bit frightening). The new outpost joins nearby franchises 166 7th Avenue (at 1st Street) and 164 Park Place (at Flatbush Avenue). Brooklyn Flipsters, which was the previous tenant, closed in December 2015.
Wild (148 5th Avenue at Douglass Street)
This gluten-free, farm-to-table restaurant specializing in pizza opened back in July, so we are rather tardy reporting about it. The new culinary neighbor also serves a full menu — including gluten-free chicken parmesan and a “dessert pizza” as well. This restaurant is a franchise, and includes two other locations. The West Village spot is at 535 Hudson Street, and the other Brooklyn outpost is in Williamsburg (340 Bedford Avenue). Here’s our review of the restaurant.
What’s Closed (Or Closing Soon)
Les Deux Amis Bakery & Cafe (427 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets)
The French cafe which featured organic coffees never quite caught fire after it opened at the tail end of 2015. We noticed the closure in early September, however we have not heard back from the owners as to why they shut down so quickly. Les Deux Amis replaced the 24-seat La Botaneria which called it quits in August 2015.
El Pollito Mexicano (119 5th Avenue between Sterling and St. John’s Places)
Oh, we weren’t thrilled to learn about the closing of this Mexican place which has been in the neighborhood for about 15 years. Co-owner Mario Subia told DNAinfo they’ll be moving to Sunset Park. The restaurant posted the following on their Facebook page: “As we come upon our last week we just want to say we enjoyed serving Park Slope. Our last day / big party is October 9th. Thank you Park Slope for the best 15 years of our life.”
Station Diner (224 4th Avenue at Union Street)
The owner for 4th Avenue staple Station Diner has decided to retire, but the news isn’t all bad. The place that served your waffles with a smiley face closed in August after being in business for 35 years. “It’s my time. I feel I’m ready,” owner Stavros “Steve” Kouimanis told the Commercial Observer. He’s also the owner of the building — and a Mediterranean-style restaurant is already in the works. 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.”
ZuZu Ramen (173 4th Avenue at Degraw Street)
“All good things come to an end” was the short and simple Facebook post by ZuZu Ramen, a noodle shop which has been spooning out dishes since May 2009. The restaurant officially served its last bowl on September 8. ZuZu was owned by Jason Crew and Martine Lafond, who recently closed their Australian Pub Sheep Station located nearby at 149 4th Avenue at Douglass Street. As you’ve already read above, The Douglass has already opened in the space of the former Aussie pub.
What’s Opening Soon (or not so soon)
Blue Bottle (203 7th Avenue, at the corner of 3rd Street)
Will Blue Bottle be unseated for the Samuel Beckett award for making the neighborhood wait? We stopped by last month to see that progression is being made on the space. Workers are building out the interior and the counter has been installed. That said, we do not have an opening date as of now. However, a spokesperson told us the company is “aiming” for an opening in the next few months.
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.
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 plan to open in early November.
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.
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.
Oggi Pizza Bar (217 Prospect Park West (between 16th Street and Windsor Place)
The butcher paper has been up for some time and and this new pizza spot has replaced long-time Enzo’s Brick Oven pizza, which dates back to 2008. Neighbor Janice Fryer says, “Enzo‘s sautéed broccoli rabe will be sorely missed.” However, Janice should not worry — a neighbor tells us the owners will be the same.
Pastificio Flora (1021 8th Avenue at 11th Street)
Pastificio Flora had been in a holding pattern for almost a year, but there has been progression on the exterior in September. Co-owner Emiliano Cammardella told Park Slope Stoop about a month ago that he is in Italy, so there will likely be some more time before they begin welcoming guests. In an article by DNAinfo, co-owner Cammardella said that the majority of Italian restaurants in New York “are just ‘Italian sounding restaurants’ with an outdated stereotyped menu and interiors made of wood, red-checked tablecloth, wine bottles, barrels, wagon wheels, fishing nets and the statue of ‘the dear old little man’ with [an]enormous moustache holding a sad looking pizza.” Hmm, confident words. We wonder if Cammardella has heard about al di la Trattoria, which has won many an award, as well as the hearts and stomachs of the neighborhood who consider it a benchmark for Italian food here, and in New York City. Cammardella has set the bar rather high for himself.
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).
Various and Sundry
Former Space of Jumble Juice (322 5th Avenue, between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
Jumble Juice opened mid-2015, and lasted about a year or so. Enter Mon Plaisir Hair Studio, which started cutting away in early September. The neighborhood is not lacking in juice bar options, so it’s possible that the competition thinned out the customer base. Time for a wash and blowdry instead.
Scalino (347 7th Avenue at 10th Street)
The restaurant is still open and serving, however there is now a “store for rent” sign in the window. We reached out to co-owner Mateo Yaksick about what’s in store for the Park Slope restaurant which has been open since 2007. He asked us to contact him in a few weeks when he had more information. The owners opened a second Scalino in Greenpoint in late 2013. When we stopped by over the weekend, a server told us he wasn’t sure if a closing date has been set. “They haven’t said anything,” he said.
Palo Santo (652 Union Street between 4th and 5th Avenues)
We’re happy to report that Palo Santo just celebrated its 10th anniversary — and their food continues to be excellent. We enjoyed brunch last year and continue to visit for their micheladas, pupusas, and tacos. Their Taco Santo across the street at 669 Union Street closed last September, so they brought the tacos to the Palo Santo menu. Congrats to owner Jacques Gauthier and the entire staff. It’s a good time for you to stop by. Come to think of it, it’s always a good time to stop by.
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.