Sneak Peek: Brooklyn Belly
Several weeks ago, we spoke to longtime Ditmas Park resident Odeis Stephenson about his new restaurant, Brooklyn Belly, opening at 915 Cortelyou Rd. Then last week, our neighbor Veronica sent a photo of the sign that had gone up, and it seemed like progress at the space was moving along quickly.
Today, we’re happy to say that Brooklyn Belly is just about ready to open! We’d like to introduce you to (from left) Phillip, Odeis, Ashley, John, and Jouvoui–faces you’ll be seeing a lot of very soon.
The first thing you should know is, they’re serving seafood and Southern-inspired fare. The second thing is, they have a fantastic backyard!
“I was going for a picnic feel,” says Odeis, adding that he didn’t want people to have to pay a fortune for table service–so you can pick up your conch fritters, fish po boy, or brown sugar limeade, for instance, and enjoy it at your table outside. As for the cooler months, he’s hoping to install a space heater and enclose the area a bit more. He’s also hoping to get a wine and beer license at a later date.
Odeis, formerly of Fishing Shrimp, says he’s bringing on a lot of the old staff you might already know in addition to the new staff we met today–many of whom have lived in the neighborhood all their lives. Their front gate pictured below was actually painted by John, who it turns out is also the artist behind the Bullet Bill mural across the way.
The menu offers some great sandwiches, combinations, and sides, plus really good-looking sauce options–and no pork is used in any of the food. Odeis isn’t ready to divulge exactly which day he’s opening just yet, but it will be very, very soon.
When they do open, it looks like their hours will be 11am-11pm, seven days a week, and they’ll be accepting credit cards. They’re located at 915 Cortelyou Rd. between Coney Island Ave. and E 9th St., and you can give them a call for free delivery with a $10 minimum at 347-787-3110.
Neighbors, keep an eye out, and we’ll try and keep you posted, too–and if you happen to see them open for business, stop in and say hello!
