Openings and Closings: Pork Katsu, Pistachio Tart, and Pide

Openings and Closings: Pork Katsu, Pistachio Tart, and Pide

Welcome back to Openings and Closings. This week we welcome back a spot we thought was gone for good, as well as a crowd-funded Crown Heights newbie, several coffee shops, and a new pub. No goodbyes, thankfully. As always, let us know if we’ve missed anything, and stay safe. You can find the last edition of this series here.

Openings

A Novel Kitchen

151 Atlantic Avenue, between Clinton and Henry streets.

As you might be able to infer from the name, A Novel Kitchen has not only food, drinks, and coffee, but also a small book and record store inside. They’re open for both indoor and outdoor dining.

Alita Cafe

797 Grand Street, between Bushwick Avenue and Humboldt Street.

Stop by Williamsburg’s newest coffee shop Alita for biscuit sandwiches, banana bread, pistachio tart, and of course, coffee.

Barbalu Brooklyn

68 Bergen Street, between Smith and Court streets.

The first Brooklyn location of Manhattan spot Barbalu has opened in Cobble Hill. They’ve got focaccia, homemade pasta, and tiramisu on the menu.

Brooklyn Tasty Treats Cafe

6216 18th Avenue, between 62nd and 63rd streets.

Grab some seriously sinful-looking milkshakes from Brooklyn Tasty Treats Cafe. They’ve also got dipped waffle sticks, waffle sandwiches, coffees, and crepes.

Burchak Pide

1614 Sheepshead Bay Road, off of East 16th Street.

This Turkish restaurant and cafe has lahmacan, a large selection of pide, paninis, baklava, and borek on the menu. They opened recently in Sheepshead Bay and are open for delivery and dine-in.

Chef Katsu Brooklyn

143 Greene Avenue, between Washington and Waverly avenues.

Chef Katsu, a Japanese comfort food spot from a husband and wife duo, is in the midst of their soft opening. They raised over $50,000 on Kickstarter to start their business, which is serving dishes like pork katsu burgers, chicken teriyaki bowls, seafood chowder, and yuzu cheesecake.

FancyFree

71 Lafayette Avenue, between S. Elliot Place and S. Portland Avenue.

This new Fort Greene bar opened early last month. They’re serving nachos, elote ribs, and brunch, as well as numerous cocktails, beers, and wines.

Fiasco! Wine and Spirits

1148 Union Street, between Rogers and Bedford avenues.

A new wine shop from a superstar team has opened in Crown Heights. People from Oxalis, Leyenda, and Frankly Wines are involved. The shop is cozy, with carpets on the floor and brick walls.

Franklin Park

766 Franklin Avenue, between St Johns and Lincoln places.

A closing that devastated Crown Heights residents has been reversed, according to Eater. Franklin Park closed late last year after twelve years in the neighborhood, but has since announced plans to reopen.

Little House Malaysian Kitchen

2012 86th Street, between 20th Avenue and Bay 25th Street.

Try curry puffs, prawn mee, Hainanese chicken rice, and salted egg prawn chow fun from Little House Malaysian Kitchen. They had their soft opening last month.

Mint Heights

46 Henry Street, between Cranberry and Middagh streets.

A new Indian restaurant has replaced Asya Indian on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. Mint Heights has an enormous menu, including a pre-fixe option for an appetizer and entree, $18.

Oita

833 Union Street, between 6th and 7th avenues.

A new Japanese sushi spot is coming to Park Slope, in the long-empty former Crab Spot location on Union Street. No word on when exactly the opening will be, but their Instagram is boasting photos of a clean wooden sushi bar and delicious-looking dishes.

Poetica Coffee

240 Prospect Park West, between Windsor Place and Prospect Avenue.

The latest location of Poetica Coffee opened in Windsor Terrace last month. This is the fourth iteration of the shop, which serves coffee drinks, pastries, and sandwiches.

Talea Beer Co.

87 Richardson Street, between Leonard Street and Manhattan Avenue.

NYC’s first all-women-owned and founded brewery opened last month in Williamsburg. Talea, which has been in business since 2018, is now serving their beers out of a sunny, artfully decorated location.

The Rusty Face

188 Grand Street, between Bedford and Driggs avenues.

You can enjoy brunch, cocktails, and tapas in The Rusty Face’s psychedelic interiors, complete with black lights and chandeliers. Their outdoor dining is plant-filled and lovely, as well.

Unique J Kitchen and Bakery

4120 10th Avenue, between 41st and 42nd streets.

Jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat, and saltfish are all on the menu at Borough Park’s new Caribbean restaurant, Unique J. The spot opened in February.

Victor

285 Nevins Street, between Union and Sackett streets.

Victor opened last month in the former Freek’s Mill spot in Gowanus. They’ve got over 12 natural wines by the glass, spiced half chicken, fried dates, and merguez and octopus on the menu.