Openings and Closings: Tikka Masala, Tiered Cakes, and Tofu
Join us in welcoming a new birria truck, several new pizzerias, and a new Brooklyn home for a Manhattan favorite. Sadly, we say goodbye to two Park Slope spots this week. As always, let us know if we’ve missed anything, and stay safe. You can find the last edition of this series here.
Openings
Atithi Indian Cuisine
159 Grand Street, between Bedford Avenue and Berry Street.
Grab all your classic Indian favorites from Williamsburg’s new Atithi, which opened at the end of last month. The spot has dishes like samosas, pakora, saag paneer, and chicken tikka masala on the menu.
Birrieria Alexa’s Red Taco
241 Bedford Avenue, between N. 3rd and N. 4th streets.
Another new spot for the birria-obsessed has opened in Williamsburg. Alexa’s truck offers the classic, as well as quesadillas, combo platters, and tostadas.
Brooklyn Bread Cafe
347 7th Avenue, between 9th and 10th streets.
The Carroll Gardens sandwich shop has put up signs in a new Park Slope location. No word on when locals will get to try the bagels, egg sandwiches, or açaí bowls yet.
Brooklyn Soul Fish House
1088 Clarkson Avenue, between E. 94th and E. 95th streets.
Brooklyn Soul softly opened in East Flatbush at the beginning of March, offering dishes like fried shrimp, fried whiting, fried chicken, and jerk chicken. Don’t forget to add Mac and cheese, candied yams, and iced tea.
Devocion DUMBO
Corner of Jay and York streets, across from York Street subway station.
Eater reports that the Devocion coffee company is planning to open a new shop in Dumbo. This will be the fourth location for the group and will open in the Spring of next year.
Gravesend Pizza
181 34th Street, between 3rd and 4th avenues.
Try classic Brooklyn-style pizza from the new Gravesend Pizzeria. They’ve also got calzones, pastas, and salads on the menu.
Los Angelitos
1708 86th Street, between 17th and 18th avenues.
Last month, Los Angelitos had their grand opening in Bath Beach. They’ve got custom cakes, sandwiches, tacos, and other grill foods. In just one stop, you can grab lunch, dinner, and a multi-tiered wedding cake.
Lunna’s Cafe
157 Central Avenue, between Sunday Street and Willoughby Avenue.
Lunna’s prides itself on being “vegan and vegetarian friendly”, as well as serving a variety of tapas, wines, and beers. Try their meat and cheese plates, creamy avocado salad, or green smoothies. The spot opened last month in Bushwick.
MasalaWala
365 5th Avenue, between 5th and 6th streets.
The group behind Adda has decided to move their LES location of MasalaWala to Park Slope in Brooklyn. Eater reports they’ve signed a ten year lease on 5th Avenue, making this the first Brooklyn location for the restaurant group.
Parkview Market
511 9th Street, between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West.
Another new Park Slope grocery has opened, this time right on the corner of 9th Street and 8th Avenue, in the former Dizzy’s Diner location. The spot is mainly bodega-style, with a grill and lighter snacks to purchase.
Pazzaria
7624 17th Avenue, between 76th and 77th streets.
A new pizza joint has found a home on 17th Avenue in Bensonhurst. Pazzaria has thin crust, grandma-style, Sicilian square, and a variety of other dishes on the menu.
Spicy Bai Chuan Restaurant
6916 18th Avenue, between Bay Ridge Avenue and 70th Street.
Spicy Bai Chuan Restaurant opened recently in Bensonhurst. Try dishes like Szechuan-style pig ears, fried seafood noodles, dry pot, and mapo tofu.
Closings:
Gather
341 7th Avenue, between 9th and 10th streets.
Gather coffee shop closed in Park Slope at the end of March, marking the end of an eight-year run. “Your laughs, smiles, joy, and even your tears and bad days will not be forgotten,” the spot wrote on their Instagram. They cited COVID as a reason for closing.
Kulushkat
446C Dean Street, between Flatbush and 5th avenues.
The Park Slope location of Kulushkat, the falafel spot, has closed as of last month. They’d been in the neighborhood for more than ten years, and thanked the community for their support on Instagram. Their Flatbush location will remain open.