* Barosa
CUISINE: Italian, Brick Oven Pizza
ADDRESS: 312 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn New York 11211
PHONE: 718.218.8135
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: Full bar
ENTREES: $10-$20
MENU: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Take-out only
CUISINE: Italian, Brick Oven Pizza
ADDRESS: 312 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn New York 11211
PHONE: 718.218.8135
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: Full bar
ENTREES: $10-$20
MENU: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Take-out only
images via
CUISINE: Brazilian
LOCATION: 45 Richardson Street Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.1645
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Tue-Thurs 5:30pm-12am, Fri 3pm-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-11pm. Brunch Sat-Sun 10am-4pm. Closed Mondays.
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: www.becobar.com/menu.htm
BRUNCH: Yes
DELIVERY: No
WEB: www.becobar.com/
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer or Bedford
NY MAG SAYS: Williamsburg's Beco has flown pretty much under the radar during the month it's been open—maybe because it's located in a sort of Williamsburg-Greenpoint netherland, but also because the owners wanted to keep the place a neighborhood secret while getting it off the ground. Rather than a full-blown restaurant like Miss Favela, David Giddings says he and his partners envisioned it as a modest São Paolo boteco, where you can laze about while popping made-to-order pão de queijo and sip cocktails made with fresh passion fruit and pressed sugar cane. As Giddings describes it, the décor harks back to the days of Pele, and "doesn't scream 'Brazil' in your face, but it's more like what a boteco is—a real hangout." Starting next week, you'll be able to hang there during a brunch that will include açaí and granola, omelettes, bife a cavalo (Brazilians refer to their steak and eggs as "steak on horseback"), and a feijoada that's prepared over the course of two days by a Carioca chef, Casia Steinberg (Fabiane Lima, the Brazilian owner of Fabiane's, also consulted on the menu).
image c/o Noah Kalina
[formerly Vinas]
CUISINE: Latin American
ADDRESS: 109 South 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(next to the base of the Williamsburg bridge)
PHONE: 718.782.2333
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Sun-Thu, 5pm-11pm; Fri-Sat, 5pm-midnight
BOOZE: Full bar
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.; L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.vinascuisine.com
METROMIX SAYS: The Spanish and South American wine list itself is actually not that interesting--which is fine because the rest of the candle-and-lantern-lit restaurant is, with its farmhouse-style wooden tables, colorful counter tiles, tin and iron work. The menu has many worthy highlights that require repeat visits (or lots of sharing and sampling with friends), including Andalusian meatballs in garlic saffron sauce, quail a la piancha drizzled with chipotle, espresso bean and honey reduction, Ecuadorian shrimp, and truffled honey-glazed pork belly.
photograph by Tam Ngo
CUISINE: Vietnamese
ADDRESS: 346 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211 (nr. South 3rd Street)
(Mondays at Simple Cafe)
PHONE: 718.218.7067
HOURS: Mondays from 12-10 pm, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 6-10 pm
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Beer
MENU: Click Here [c/o Serious Eats]
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://beprestaurant.blogspot.com/
DELIVERY: No
SERIOUS EATS SAYS: The failings of New York's Viet restaurants usually occur in a combination of three ways: poor quality of ingredients, inattention to technique, or an underestimation of the audience's appetite for spice. Bep, which sets up every Monday inside Williamsburg's Simple Cafe, is an ambitious young upstart in the city's Vietnamese dining scene. By limiting its scope to a weekly special of home-style dishes, Bep strives to offer the piquant flavors most Viet restaurants fall short of delivering.
In Vietnamese, the word "bep" evokes the cozy warmth of the cooking hearth, so it's surprising that Bep's best dishes are not the comfort classics. Rather, Bep excels at the ubiquitous staples that almost every Viet restaurant offers (cha gio and thit nuong). What distinguishes Bep from competitors, however, is their use of high-caliber ingredients while keeping close to Chinatown's portion sizes and price points. And Bep's menu is a thoughtfully edited one--key proteins are replicated in several dishes, allowing Bep to keep quality high and overhead low.
image c/o Gowanus Lounge
CUISINE: Coffee/Tea/Sandwiches/Wine Bar
ADDRESS: 197 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.2707
HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-11:30pm; Sat, Sun 10am-11:30pm
CARDS: All Major
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
TIMEOUT SAYS: From the owners of Queens hangouts Oleput Lollipop and Sparrow comes this Greek-inflected café. Choose from 23loose-leaf teas, plus sandwiches—like a grilled manouri cheese—that reflect the proprietors’ Hellenic heritage.
image c/o NewYorkShitty
CUISINE: Bakery, Cakes, Pies, Treats, Coffee
ADDRESS: 415 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (between Withers St & Jackson St)
PHONE: (718) 766-7419
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: None
SUBWAY: L to Graham
MAP: Click Here
image c/o Urban 75
CUISINE: Vegetarian, sandwiches, salads/ coffeeshop
ADDRESS: 134 Kingsland Avenue
PHONE: 718.963.0656
HOURS: 7am-10pm M-F | 9am-9pm Sat & Sun
CARDS: Cash only
BOOZE: None
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
SUBWAY: G to Nassau, L to Graham
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, $10 minimum
NY MAG SAYS: Vegans and bike enthusiasts gather for organic tea and soy burgers at this spirited Brooklyn coffeehouse, the first eatery for Brad Baker, owner of the Lower East Side cult bicycle shop Trackstar. The earth-toned room has fifteen-foot ceilings, warm brown walls, and small, square stained-pine café tables; exposed wiring, a booming indie soundtrack, and custom wall-mounted fixed-gear and racing bicycles perfectly fit the East Williamsburg location. The menu offers vegan plates with a few vegetarian exceptions—all named for famous riders and cycling trivia. These include oversize faux egg-and-cheese sandwiches, tempeh-bacon burgers, and simple salads. The quirky community atmosphere is arguably better than the food, which relies heavily on soy meat substitutes rather than inventive vegetable-and-grain combinations. All sandwiches are made with freshly baked bread from Manhattan’s Balthazar, though the thick organic pesto and spicy aioli that dresses the Peleton (provolone, sprouts, lettuce and tomato) and the Magnus (soy patty and sprouts on toasted rosemary focaccia) are more bland than bold. Even so, Boneshakers is a cheerful place to sit and talk shop over mugs of socially conscious Gimme! coffee and homemade tea-infused cupcakes.
image c/o Eater
20 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (nr. Kent Ave)
PHONE: 718.384.2800
HOURS: Wed-Sun, noon-midnight; Mon-Tue, closed
MENU: Click Here
CUISINE: mainly a wine bar but Italian & Spanish Tapas are available
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.; L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://www.bridgevineyards.com
WINE PRICES: $6-$12
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Beer and Wine Only
RESERVATIONS: Not Accepted
NY TIMES SAYS: Greg Sandor and Paul Wegimont, the owners, have opened Bridge Vineyards Urban Winery and Tasting Room, an industrial, brick-walled space nudging the Williamsburg Bridge. Their wines and others are available for tasting with small plates of wine-friendly food ($4 to $10). Come fall, they hope to start using the stainless steel tank on the premises for blending wines and bottling, too.
image via
CUISINE: Southern, American
LOCATION: 33 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
(between N. 7th & N. 8th)
PHONE: (718) 599-9899
CARDS: Mastercard, Visa, AmEx
HOURS: Daily, dinner
BOOZE: awaiting license
AVERAGE ENTREE: $16
MENU: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
WE SAY: It was the more-than-century-old wood brick oven that led Joaquin Baca, co-founder of the Momofuku empire, to chose the diminutive space on a lightly trafficked stretch of Havemeyer Street for his new Southern restaurant, Brooklyn Star. And indeed, framed alluringly in the exposed kitchen like the altar in a Gothic cathedral, diners and chef alike seem eager to worship at it. But while the oven grants distinctive flair to these modern takes on Dixie staples, Baca has said that it is also an “organic machine,” with hot spots and cold areas, and requires some finesse. The same could be said of Brooklyn Star itself. The menu, divided between small and big plates, with oddly overlapping price ranges, offers plenty of eye-catching choices and seems affordable, on average. But a meal comprised of only the intriguing, buzzed-about (and, yes, most expensive) dishes, can still cost you, and will pass over some of the more subtle standouts.
CUISINE: French Winebar/Cafe
ADDRESS: 251 Grand Street between Driggs and Roebling
PHONE: 718.599.3840
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Mon-Thurs: 5pm to midnight; Fri: 5pm to 1am;
Sat 10am to 1am; Sun 10am to midnight
BRUNCH: saturday and sundays
BOOZE: Full bar
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave; J, M, Z to Marcy Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.cafecornichon.com
DELIVERY: Yes
L MAG SAYS: Last Friday I ate and drank at Cornichon, a new wine bar/cafe/small plates restaurant on Grand Street in Williamsburg. What they sell is terrific--lovingly presented cheese and meat plates, cheap bottles of good French wines--but the decor made it seem as if they had rushed to open a week before they finished decorating, and then just decided against finishing. The front and back are pretty attractive--lots of pale, neutral greens and blonde wood--but the spacious area in the back (where my friends and I stayed well into the night, and were always the only people there) felt like a spare afterthought, with naked wooden tables, benches, empty dark green walls, and that's it. Right angles and right angles and unset tables. The food was so carefully prepared--the crudite salad arranged with wedges of boiled egg, ruby cherry tomato halves, and slivers of avocado, drizzled delicately with some kind of rich, opaque dressing--that it's mysterious why more consideration hasn't yet gone into making the place more comfortable. But the owners (all French) were sweet and eager to please (they gave us free Champagne and encouraged us to sign the mailing list) that if they softened some of the pointy, lonely edges, I'd happily go back. Especially in the summer, when their lovely back patio opens for warm-weather wine. Like white zinfandel.
CUISINE: Southern, Comfort food
ADDRESS: 1 Hope Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
(1 block south of Metropolian & Roebling.)
PHONE: 718.599.1945
HOURS: 4-11pm Tues-Fri; 11am-11pm Sat; 11am-9pm Sunday
CARDS: All major
PRICES: $7-$13
BOOZE: BYOB
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Bedford or G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.DantesOneHope.com
DELIVERY: Yes (until 11pm)
image c/o Noah Kalina
CUISINE: Steakhouse
ADDRESS: 89 Conselyea Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.384.2836
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Tue-Sun 5pm-10pm
BOOZE: Full bar
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer or Graham, G at Metropolitan Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
CITY SEARCH SAYS: Williamsburg hipsters aren't really prime contenders for steakhouse dining, but DeStefano's courts more of an old-school neighborhood crowd anyway. Family photos line the walls, a fireplace heats up cold winter nights, and the tin ceiling already looks worn in. The real cred, however, comes from owner Joey DeStefano: He's lived in the neighborhood for years, and the restaurant is located in his mother's former house. Steaks as thick as the last Harry Potter book arrive on hot plates, Luger-style. Dry-aged porterhouse has a pleasantly salty char but isn't pink enough in the center, while filet mignon gets a moisture boost from a side of Tuscan beans simmered with sausage. And though cottage style fries are too dry and broccoli rabe too soggy, other non-beef options, like the chipotle-spice crab cakes and delicate pistachio-crusted lamb shops, impress. And the fluffy ricotta cheesecake gives another Brooklyn institution, Junior's, a real run for its money. Though steaks make an admirable stand, lamb chops and cheesecake are the surprise menu champs. Sides let down their meaty main attractions, especially the dry-as-a-bone fries. The mostly Italian wine list offers something for every budget ($30 to more than $100).
image c/o City Search
CUISINE: Italian
ADDRESS: 284 Grand Street., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Roebling Street
PHONE: 718.782.8222
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 5pm-11pm; Fri, 5pm-midnight; Sat, 11am-midnight; Sun, 11am-11pm
CARDS: Cash only
BOOZE: Full bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $12-$14
MENU: Brunch | Dinner
BRUNCH: Weekends
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.; G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
NY MAG SAYS: In no time at all we zoom over the Williamsburg Bridge to the charmingly rustic Fiore, with its spiffy service, flea-market treasures, and enticing Italian home cooking. Warming up over a bottle of Mount Veeder Cabernet, the six of us share the excellent grilled pizzas, all of them: bianca with cheese and prosciutto, a peppery two-cheese pie, and the house's namesake, paved with zucchini and perfumed with truffled Robiola cheese. Then it's on to a runny Burrata, a mound of fried calamaretti and zucchini, and a salad that mixes roasted butternut squash, radicchio, Pecorino, and walnuts--enough to share. When Teodora's chef-owner Giancarlo Quadalti finished restoring this crumbling little building, he realized he didn't want to run a trattoria beneath his own duplex, so he persuaded chef Roberto Aita of Roc to cross the bridge. Now Quadalti stops by for dinner often, joining us tonight for cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage, and monkfish with roasted garlic, preserved lemon, and caper sauce. I've tasted three versions of bucatini all'amatriciana in the past week, and this one, just $9, is the best. Twelve dollars for half a giant-size chicken on roasted potatoes gives new strength to the dollar. Next time I'll ask for the herbed fries or roasted potatoes "extra crispy." Of the $4 desserts, I like the polenta cake and a primitive apple torta, but the tiramisu has uptown class. Our penny-pinching pals with a car are already planning an encore, and I'll be joining them.
CUISINE: Bar Food
ADDRESS: 988 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
PHONE: 718.383.5615
HOURS: Monday thru Friday 4pm to close
Saturday and Sunday 2pm to close
SUBWAY: G train to Greenpoint Ave, exit at India Street,
located one block north on Manhattan Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar [beer/spirits menu]
MENU: Click Here
HAPPY HOUR: 4pm - 7pm
"2 for 1" Victory, Sweet Action, Lagunitas and Penn Dark
$2 off Well Drinks
$8 Glass of Sangria + Empanada
$4 Mac & Cheese
GOTHAMIST SAYS: New York City's urban rustic trend keeps on trucking with the newest addition to Greenpoint’s ever-expanding nightlife scene, The Habitat. Housed in an old convenience store and built with lumber salvaged from as far away as Maine, the bar and restaurant will let Brooklynites savor back porch ambiance without having to breathe the air from the nearby sewage treatment plant. The kitchen is located behind what looks to be the exterior wall of a house, and a raised deck seems destined for late-night bluegrass jams. Chef Ashley Engmann, former manager at Park South and cook at Lotus, [prepares] mostly-American small plate menu, though her specialty is said to be her empanadas. A pecan mandarin salad, a twice baked potato, cheeseburgers, sandwiches and other late night snacks are also planned. The yellow pine bar, salvaged from an old mechanic shop, is irreverently topped with cement in the center, and 12 beers, mostly microbrews, will be on tap, as well as wine and spirits.
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: A fancy cocktail bar with sandwiches, cheeses, and appertizers
LOCATION: 588 Grand Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
between Leonard and Lorimer
PHONE: 718.218.8555
HOURS: 4pm-4am every day
CARDS: all major
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer
MENU: click here
WEB: www.huckleberrybar.com
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/huckleberrybar
EATER SAYS: Bars are a dime a dozen in Williamsburg, but the pedigree of the team behind Huckleberry Bar sets it apart from the pack (two clichés in one sentence!). Owners Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs and chef Seth Johnson have all done time in one or more of Danny Meyer's joints. They are offering, per Lady Strongbuzz, 'well-valued wines by the glass, inventive seasonal cocktails and carefully chosen imported and domestic beers' as well as small plates (natch). It all seems a bit fancy for East Williamsburg, but hey, if Wombat can survive over there...
images c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: sushi, pan-asian
ADDRESS: 631 Grand Street, between Leonard & Manhattan
Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211
PHONE: 718.218.9888 or 9887
HOURS: Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-12am
CARDS: cash only
BOOZE: full bar
MENU: click here
SUBWAY: L train to Lorimer, Grand or Graham
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
CUISINE: Italian
ADDRESS: 14 Bushwick Avenue (between Metropolitan ave & Devoe st)
PHONE: 718.963.3100
HOURS: 7 days 12pm to 10pm
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Yes (wine list)
ENTREES: $10-$15
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Graham or Grand
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
WEBSITE: Click Here
image c/o Flickr
(formerly Union Picnic)
CUISINE: Southern Comfort
ADDRESS: 577 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
at N. 10th Street
PHONE: 718.218.7174
DELIVERY: yes
HOURS: 10am-10pm
CARDS: Cash Only
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.jimmysdinerbklyn
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer Street
MAP: Click Here
image c/o BooRah
CUISINE: Italian
LOCATION: 7 Withers Street
PHONE: (718) 599-2700
CARDS: Mastercard, Visa
HOURS: Daily, dinner
BOOZE: Beer and Wine Only
AVERAGE ENTREE: $10
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford or Lorimer
WE SAY: From the owner, who previously ran Brock Oven Gallery: "Kenny's Trattoria is an Italian restaurant with a menu offering homemade pasta dishes, including a homemade ravioli of the day, and several chicken, pork, beef and seafood dishes. Patrons of Brick Oven Gallery will recognize some of the dishes such as the Brooklyn Caviar, Brick Oven Shrimp, Orichietti and the same over sized salads."
image c/o Eater.com
CUISINE: Mexican
ADDRESS: 295 Berry Street, Williamsburg Broooklyn
btwn South 2nd & South 3rd
PHONE: 718.388.5988
HOURS: open daily until 1am for lunch and dinner, open until 2am on Saturdays
CARDS: Cash only
BOOZE: BYOB
DELIVERY: Yes
PRICE: Cheap
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.lasuperiornyc.com
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
BROOKLYN PAPER SAYS: If you want authentic Mexican food in Williamsburg, look no further than the street -- Berry Street, that is. La Superior... serves Mexican “comida corrida y callejera,” or Mexican diner and street food, in a colorful eatery that is designed to evoke images of a typical Mexican dive bar or butcher shop. The food is “truly Mexican, without any pretense,” according to owner Iris Avelar, and ranges from savory snacks like “ezquites” -- cups of cooked corn kernels with Mexican mayo, cheese and lime -- to entrees like “pollo encacahuatado” -- chicken with mole peanut sauce and broccoli, carrots and potatoes -- or the exotic “nopal asado con queso” -- grilled cactus with melted cheese. The menu will change regularly, but you can count on staples like beans, tacos and quesadillas. La Superior hasn’t gotten its liquor license yet, but they do have a juice bar, serving fresh drinks like “liquado de mamey” -- a sweet melon smoothie -- and Mexican “limonada,” which Avelar assured GO Brooklyn is “a really amazing lemonade like you’ve never had in your life.” For those Williamsburg bar-hoppers in search of something fast and fried, the restaurant is open till 1 am on weekdays and 2 am on weekends, and will also serve brunch on the weekends.
image c/o Grub Street
CUISINE: Spanish, Catalan, Tapas Bars
ADDRESS: 65 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(between Kent Ave & Wythe Ave)
PHONE: 347.223.4599
HOURS: Tue-Sun. 6:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m.
CARDS: No
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: www.mercatnegre.com
SUBWAY: L train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.mercatnegre.com
DELIVERY: No
CUISINE: Mexican
ADDRESS: 372 Graham Avenue
PHONE: 718-782-8171
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: beer & wine
AVERAGE ENTREE: $13
BRUNCH: Yes
WEBSITE: Click Here
MENU: click here
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
MAP: Click Here
WE SAY: a traditional Mexican restaurant from chef Ivan Garcia, original menu designer for Barrio Chino and most recently chef de cuisine at Mercadito. There’s nothing avant-garde about the menu, most of which will seem familiar at first glance--his “grandma’s recipes,” as Garcia put it, down to house-made tortillas--albeit with modern touches such as Berkshire pork in the carnitas tacos and grass fed beef for the carne asada. Look for tacos (3 for $9), a sampling of ceviches, sopas, and tamales, as well as entrees, including enchiladas de mole, pork-and-fruit-stuffed poblanos topped with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds, and spiced lamb in chile ancho, chile guajillo, and avocado leaves steamed in a banana leaf, none over $15. Those price points and the warm interior (Chino-style wood tables for up to 14; salvaged 1940s wallpaper; and actual family photos hovering over the dining space like a glowering abuelita) you can expect Coyoacan to finally turn the former Pampa Grill space in Graham Ave’s “Fish Tank” building into the destination those architects clearly meant it to be.
image c/o Gothamist
CUISINE: Brazilian
ADDRESS: 57 South 5th St Brooklyn 11211 (Corner of Wythe)
Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.230.4040
WEB: www.missfavela.com
CARDS: Cash only
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
80 Berry St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (nr. N. 9th Street)
CUISINE: Italian and Latin American
PHONE: 718.387.0711
HOURS: Mon and Wed-Thu, 5:30pm-10:30pm; Fri, 5:30pm-11pm; Sat, noon-3pm and 5:30pm-11pm; Sun, noon-10pm
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click here
MENU: Click Here
PRICES: $14-$24
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: Beer and Wine Only
RESERVATIONS: Reservations are only accepted for groups of five or more.
WEBSITE: Click Here
NY MAG SAYS: Miranda is a mom-and-pop shop done up in the simple style of a neighborhood trattoria. Sasha Rodriguez, the Queens-bred daughter of a Dominican father and Irish-American mother, runs the kitchen, while her fiance, Mauricio Miranda, of Guerrero, Mexico, works the dining room like a young Silvano Marchetto--greeting guests as if they were long lost relatives, recommending bottles of (often organic) wine, and occasionally breaking into a little cha-cha-cha dance whenever the joy of owning and operating a restaurant with the woman he loves becomes too much.
The couple met while working at Verbena, started dating, and soon dreamed of opening a place of their own. What kind of place they didn't know. Subsequent stints at Alto and the C.I.A. Italian program (Sasha) and L'Impero and Spigolo (Mauricio) convinced them that combining the Latin American cooking they grew up on with their love for Italian food was a good way to go.
And for the most part it is, thanks to the fact that the menu doesn't hit you over the head with the fusion conceit. The problem with cross-culinary cooking of this sort is that it can seem far-fetched or forced, like the gastronomic equivalent of an arranged marriage. Not so here: Latinized arancini are a little too soft and crumbly on the outside, but they're dappled with a bright tomato sauce and filled with a winning mixture of chopped spinach and Mexican chorizo. A salsa guajillo is a good, smoky match for breaded and fried smoked mozzarella. Other appetizers, like mussels marinara, and a sparkling salad of baby romaine, ricotta salata, and sun-dried tomato, for example, simply forgo fusion altogether.
image c/o Eater
CUISINE: Sushi & Japanese
ADDRESS: 192 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn 11211
Btwn N 6th & N 7th Streets
PHONE: 718.782.6666, 781.782.6665
HOURS: Mon.– Thu. 1:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Fri. & Sat. 1:00 pm - 12:00 midnight
Sun. 1:00 pm - 11:00 pm
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: Beer & Sake
AVERAGE ENTREE:
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
WEBSITE: Click Here
image c/o Eater
CUISINE: Brick Oven Pizza
ADDRESS: 319 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.8899
CARDS: All Major
AVERAGE ENTREE: pizzas are $9-16
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight; Sat-Sun, 11am-midnight
BOOZE: Full bar
SUBWAY: L to Graham Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.motorinopizza.com
DELIVERY: Yes
NY MAG SAYS: Williamsburg pie man, Mathieu Palombino, was born in Belgium, speaks French, and has cooked at Bouley, Cello, and most recently BLT Fish, where he ran the kitchen and earned a Michelin star. But don’t hold that against him. Deep down, Palombino has always felt he was put on this earth to answer a higher calling. That calling, he has determined in this advanced stage in his career, is to flip dough, ladle sauce, and turn pizza around the oven’s hot spot. “I always believed in pizza,” says the chef. ”Pizza for me is not just a snack. It’s a magnificent thing.” It should be noted that magnificence, according to Palombino, doesn’t only reveal itself in classic permutations like the Margherita and the Marinara. Thus, Motorino’s wood-fired brick oven will also accommodate such freewheeling pies as the Gorgonzola-speck-and-cippolini-onion and the iconoclastic mussels and mozzarella. And, in the current Otto-inspired pizzeria-plus fashion, Motorino augments its carb-centric menu with salads, antipasti, cheese, salumi, and -- equipment arrival pending -- gelati
CUISINE: Sports bar with pub fare
ADDRESS: 312 Grand Street Williamsburg Brooklyn, 11211
(Located at the corner of Grand and Havemeyer)
PHONE: 718.486.3473
HOURS: Mon-Wed 4PM to 2AM, Thurs - Sat 4PM to 4AM, Sunday 12PM to 12AM
DIRECTIONS: From Lorimer L Train: Walk beneath the BQE on Metropolitan Avenue for about three blocks. Take a left on Havemeyer Avenue and walk another two blocks. Take a right on Grand
Avenue and The Pub will be on your left.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave or Lorimer
WEBSITE: www.mulhollandsbklyn.com
MENU: Click Here
BROOKLYN PAPER SAYS: On a recent Monday night, Williamsburg's newest sports bar was packed. Everyone in Mulholland's had one thing in common: a thirst for free beer. Free beer may, in fact, be the only explanation for beefy fraternity types in football jerseys and the neighborhood's trademarked bespectacled hipster to be mingling; when I returned the following Wednesday, the bar had lost the grandeur of its opening and was nearly empty. Far from the energetic nightspots that Billyburg is known for, Mulholland's felt more like a bar in a strip mall. But Sean Mulholland, who owns the watering hole along with his brother Bill, insisted that the neighborhood's chic, young residents are really "closet sports fans." The Mulholland brothers spent years working in bars, clubs and restaurants -- most recently Eugene, a glossy lounge in Manhattan -- and had been looking to buy their own spot for the past two years. Although they initially looked at Manhattan's Lower East Side, Williamsburg's cheaper rents and less commercial vibe won them over. "We just fell in love with the neighborhood," said Sean. "It's like a small town -- everyone's really sweet. It's almost like there's a Midwest feel, which we think is awesome!" Local residents might quibble with his assertion that they're akin to Midwesterners, but the Grand Street corridor is quickly becoming more high-end, and therefore more open to a wider variety of nightlife options. KEEP READING.
image c/o NY Press
CUISINE: Spanish Tapas
ADDRESS: 146 Wythe Ave (At N. 8th St.)
PHONE: 718.388.5328
CARDS: Cash Only
HOURS: Mon-Fri 4pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm, 5pm-1am
BOOZE: Full bar
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave
BRUNCH: weekends between 11am and 4pm
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
NY PRESS SAYS: There is a smattering of tapas joints amid the ever-expanding dining landscape of Williamsburg, and most of them feel about as authentic as the infamous "loft-style" luxury apartment buildings that have been popping up in the neighborhood even more rapidly than restaurants. That changed three months ago, when Nita Nita, a tapas bar actually worth venturing into, opened its doors. Plate-glass storefront windows and a yawning set of doors reveal a candlelit interior with warm tones and clean lines that don't try too hard. Nita Nita's menu is Spanish-inspired and eclectic and the recipe list, like the decor, is pared-down. And with a short but appealing selection of wine, food and cocktails, patrons feel like they've stepped into the local bar they've always looked for, but classier, and with a delicate buttery scent calling to them from the kitchen. The cozy interior of Nita Nita was the perfect spot for dinner one rainy summer night since the place never feels too crowded, but there are always just enough people chatting with owner Samantha Di Stefano, or petting the part-time resident dog for you to feel welcome....An alcove behind the kitchen offers more seating, a well-stocked jukebox and a door to the back garden, which, while we visited, was being steadily drummed by rain. Although Nita Nita's mixed drink specials ($10 each), including the Tequila Mockingbird and Ginger Rummy, are the most innovative part of the menu, an insidious hangover prevented me from diving into the cocktail options. However, compelled by my duty as a responsible journalist, I returned the following night to try the Barton Pear, an insanely good combination of Grey Goose Lapoire, fresh pineapple and orange juice, seven up and a few other ingredients I failed to note as the drink went to work on my short-term memory. We started with an appetizer special of brie on a toasted baguette alongside a roasted leek soup ($10). The soup smelled great, but turned out to be somewhat bland, though inoffensive, sprinkled with refreshing parsley to give it a little kick. The bread was fresh and flaky, and the brie warm—the perfect addition. Next, we ordered the sautéed greens and shaved parm ($5) next, and got exactly what you'd want from this simple dish. Chopped collards were cooked in butter just long enough to take the edge off the bitter vegetable, release its flavor and keep a crisp freshness intact. Unfortunately, the Mojo potatoes ($5) were disappointing, drenched as they were in a peppery red sauce, but oddly lacking in spice. A salad of cranberries, sliced almonds and feta dressing over pedestrian mixed greens ($6 special, price varies) is a fresh and satisfying, if not massively original, flavor combination. My friend had the Mojo chicken ($7) next: three drumsticks nestled together with a cucumber dipping sauce on a white porcelain plate. The meat was tender, and fell off the bone easily, with a slight spiciness nicely complemented by the cool cucumber. Meanwhile, I inhaled the Cheese Board ($12), a delightfully stinky mix including a sharp aged Gouda that I could taste in the back of my mouth, complimented by apple slices and quince paste. The bar pizza ($6) is a light, cheesy take on Turkish-style pitza, with fresh mozzarella and just enough sauce drizzled over a nicely crisp flatbread. We finished off our meal by sharing a chocolate chip cookie ($2)--after such girl-centric conversation we chose to further the stereotype by daintily considering our figures. The dessert was phenomenal. Though it tasted like almost pure sugar, its gooeyness and melt-in-your mouth perfection was like some long-forgotten childhood memory.
CUISINE: American traditional, nuevo American
ADDRESS: 361 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211
(at Conseylea Street)
CARDS: Visa and MasterCard
PHONE: 718-387-1245
HOURS: Open Monday to Friday
7:30am - 10pm, Lunch & Dinner
Saturday 9am - 10 pm, Brunch & Dinner
Sunday 9am - 4pm, Brunch only
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
DIRECTIONS: Take L Train to Graham stop (3rd stop in Brooklyn). Walk from Metropolitan 1 1/2 blocks North on Graham past Conselya
MAP: Click Here
BOOZE: Beer and Wine
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://www.oakwinebar.com
ZAGAT SAYS: 'Best of Brooklyn 2008': Located in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg, Oak Wine Bar & Café offers an intimate setting where rustic and fine food come together. Seasonal menus prepared daily using locally made and fresh market ingredients with an emphasis on Romance fare.
image c/o NBC NY
Pagoda Thai Restaurant
CUISINE: Thai
ADDRESS: 333 Graham Ave. Brooklyn NY 11211
(at Metropolitan)
PHONE: 718.388.8445 / 8446
HOURS: Sun–Thurs: 12pm–11pm
Fri–Sat: 12pm–12am
CARDS: Visa/Mastercard
BOOZE: BYOB
AVERAGE ENTREE: $11
MENU: Click Here
WEB: http://pagodathaifood.com
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, $10 min
NBC NY SAYS: Last summer, 333 Graham Avenue was a bustling storefront for OTB regulars, placing horse bets just steps from the Graham Avenue L stop and just a few blocks off of the BQE. But following the city's refusal to provide an essential "infusion of cash" last fall, a number of OTB's around the city began to shut their doors, including this one. But then, after months of construction between an 8-foot tall wooden fence, 333 Graham Avenue emerged as Pagoda Thai, a trendy-looking restaurant in a trendy corner of North Brooklyn. Each night of the store's opening week saw packed tables and a steady stream of delivery bags leaving its doors. And, despite popular Thai restaurants Sea and Tai Thai already calling the 'Burg home, Pagoda is located just far enough away from the center of things that they might be able to claim this part of East Williamsburg as their own. While Tai Thai might look like competition to the average take out enthusiast, a copyright by "TaiThai NYC" is listed on Pagoda's webpage, leading us to easily assume that Pagoda and the Williamsburg staple Tai Thai are sisters. As for the food, I was impressed. Pagoda offers a delightful blend of Thai and asian-influenced dishes, ranging from the staples like Spring Rolls and Fried Dumplings, to the more eccentric Curry dishes and specialties like the Pagoda Chicken Barbeque. Once inside, the decor allows you to forget the money lost, punches thrown and the smoke-soaked walls that once kept 333 pulsing.
image c/o Brooklyn Based
CUISINE: Mexican
ADDRESS: 999 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn NY 11222
PHONE: 718-349 7292, 718-349-7293
HOURS: Monday-Thurs 11am to 11pm, Friday 11am to 1am, Saturday 11am to 1am, Sunday 11am to 11pm
BREAKFAST HOURS: Monday-Friday 11am to 4pm, Saturday & Sunday 11am to 4pm
CARDS: Visa & Mastercard
BOOZE: BYOB
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: G Train to Greenpoint Ave
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
WEBSITE: Click Here
image c/o Yelp
CUISINE: French and Mediterranean, crepes
ADDRESS: 52 Havemeyer St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 646.409.4019
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 12 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
CARDS: None
BRUNCH: On Weekends
BOOZE: None
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes (a few tables)
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L, G to Metropolitan Avenue/Lorimer Street
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
METROMIX SAYS: Chef-owner Lorenzo Gantonio has plied his wares in European hot spots like Nice, Morocco and Monte Carlo. Now he's set up shop on an unassuming corner in south Williamsburg, and he couldn't be more enthusiastic. After moving stateside in mid-2008, Lorenzo unabashedly "loves New York. I love New York!" and so he decided to open a permanent Gotham home for serving up crepes and light Mediterranean fare. The long list of crepes includes both savory (brie and apple, mushroom) and sweet (Nutella, French chestnut, Suzette) offerings, and the prices are recession-friendly at $3.50 to $6 a pop. The entrees are pasta-centric, with a cream, bacon and parsley dish and a lighter chicken with white wine sauce. We're not sure the former tenant, Paper Moon Cafe, was around long enough to elicit any pangs of nostalgia, but hopefully Lorenzo's passion for the city and simple cuisine will prove a better recipe for success.
CUISINE: Japanese Izakaya
ADDRESS: 367 Metropolitan Av, Brooklyn New York 11211
PHONE: 718.384.9493
CARDS: Visa, Master, Amex ($20 min )
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: Click Here
ENTREES: $10-$20
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer or Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Take-out only
image c/o Gothamist
CUISINE: Bakery, Coffeehouse, American traditional, Fresh Bread
ADDRESS: 352 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. S. 4th St.
PHONE: 718.782.0910
HOURS: Mon, 8am-6pm; Tue-Sun, 8am-10pm
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar
BRUNCH: Daily
AVERAGE ENTREE: $12.00-$22.00
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MENU: Click here
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.; J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
NY MAG SAYS: When Lawrence Elliott's Bedford Avenue coffee shop, The Read, fell victim to rising rents, Elliott set his sights on the Southside, envisioning a neighborhood cafe with the best baked goods in Williamsburg. The stacks of used books are gone, but the new space, with its wide-planked wood floors, vintage hardware, and charming backyard garden, still has a stay-all-day feel. Locals with day jobs line up in the morning for strong coffee and fantastic house-baked morning glory muffins and scones. Later in the afternoon, crowds of stylish freelancers file in for the simple sandwiches or homemade soups, no-attitude service, and free WiFi. Laptops are verboten after 5:30 p.m. as the place transitions into a cozy dinner spot with a streamlined menu of unpretentious American entrees like pan-seared duck breast and buckwheat veggie carbonara. On the weekends, the cafe is packed with couples settling in for lazy brunches of basic eggs with shoestring hashbrowns. Still-warm chocolate chip cookies and Irish coffee are favorites for dessert. Recommended Dishes: Lemon buttermilk pancakes with apple compote ($8); Buckwheat carbonara with roasted mushrooms, arugula, and grilled zuchini ($15)
CUISINE: Austrio-Hungarian beer hall
ADDRESS: 113 N 3rd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.963.3973
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 3pm-2am; Fri-Sun, noon-4am
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: German Beer Hall
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
WEBSITE: www.radegasthall.com
NY MAG SAYS: Ivan Aohut, part of the team that turned Astoria's Bohemian Hall into a destination back in 2000 now partners with a couple of Czech friends and his wife Joanna, a private chef who cooks hearty dishes like roasted pork tenderloin topped with prunes and porter beer sauce and served with potato dumplings and red cabbage. Aohut, who built the outdoor bar at Bohemia, has built his solo venture to resemble a 1890s Austrio-Hungarian beer hall, with communal tables made from 150-year-old barn wood. The garden, where burgers and an array of wursts are grilled, will eventually have infrared heating under its retractable canopy.
image c/o Gowanus Lounge
CUISINE: Pan-Asian
ADDRESS: 208 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.388.8898
HOURS: Daily, noon-11pm
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: No Alcohol
ENTREES:$8-$18
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, until 11pm
WEBSITE: Click Here
NY MAG SAYS: Entrée names like "Double Happiness" and "Happy Family" have staying power, but this modern Asian spot has dispensed with tradition by naming plates after friends and family, based on what they liked during previews. Vivian's Curry Seafood, for instance, is a favorite of owner Vivian Chan, and David's Salted Pepper Prawns is the go-to of her husband David Chiu. The fave of head chef Mark Cheng (formerly of Mr. Chow and Philippe) is the Crispy Whole Fish
Photo from http://sieve-gcs.blogspot.com/
CUISINE: It's mainly a cocktail lounge, but small dishes are available
ADDRESS: 451 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(at Richardson Street, beside the BQE)
PHONE: 718.389.0839
HOURS: 12pm-4am
CARDS: All Major
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://therichardsonnyc.com
CITY SEARCH SAYS: Despite the fact that it's located right under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a long mahogany bar, wainscot wood paneling, wooden slat blinds, sconce lighting, old-fashioned cash registers, gold brocade wallpaper, and a soundtrack of mostly pre-1969 American classics provide a romantic backdrop. It's a pleasant alternative to the otherwise uber-cool Williamsburg bar scene. The $9 specialty cocktails, served up by friendly mixologists, are reasonably priced and extremely tasty. High-back bar stools make for a more comfortable drinking experience. The Richardson has a great selection of wines, liquors and frothy German and American beers on tap. Although the marble-painted stucco columns that separate the long angular bar are designed to create a more intimate vibe, the space still feels a bit too large. Grilled sandwiches and other light fare is served between the hours of 1pm and 2am daily.
image c/o Gothamist
CUISINE: American
ADDRESS: 160 Franklin Street, Greenpoint
between India and Java streets
PHONE: (718) 389-8881
CARDS: All major
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: Brunch | Dinner (c/o NY Shitty)
SUBWAY: G Train to Greenpoint Avenue
MAP: Click Here
BRUNCH: Yes
BROOKLYN PAPER SAYS: In Greenpoint, gourmands are flocking to the long-awaited River Barrel Café, which opened on Franklin Street on New Year’s Day. The new restaurant serves a lengthy menu boasting an eggnog challah French toast with a cranberry and blueberry compote ($12) for brunch, and a wild mushroom ravioli with a sage brown butter sauce ($16) for dinner. The new eatery offers an eclectic selection of bottled beers and a developing list of artisanal sakes, wines and signature cocktails.
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: Pizza, Italian
PHONE: 718.417.1118
HOURS: Tue-Sun, noon-midnight; Mon, closed
SUBWAY: L at Morgan Ave.
MAP: Click Here
PRICES: $7-$16
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: BYOB
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
WEBSITE: www.robertaspizza.com
MENU: Click Here
NY MAG SAYS: Can two hip musicians versed in punky blues rock find fulfillment as artisanal pizza-makers in Bushwick? Owned by Chris Parachini (on bass) and Brandon Hoy (on keyboards), the pizzeria is in a forlorn part of Brooklyn filled with gritty factories, warehouses, and lofts. The restaurant, housed in a former garage, has wood-paneled walls, elongated wood tables, and mismatched captain's chairs. Out back is a patio with additional seating and a rusting Mercedes-Benz sedan studded with flowerpots. The pizza, made in a wood-burning oven, is Neapolitan in inspiration and technique. The crusts are admirably airy and crispy, and the mozzarella homemade--but the tomato sauce could be richer and more assertive. There are nearly two dozen toppings, with unusual choices like taleggio cheese, capers, and tuna. The combo pizzas remove the guesswork: The guanciale and egg has delicious shavings of house-cured pork jowl surrounding an egg that has set perfectly, and the R.P.S. aptly balances peppery sorpresa with mellow roasted red peppers.
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: American Nouveau
ADDRESS: 247 South First, Brooklyn NY 11211
between Roebling and Havemeyer
CARDS: All major
BOOZE: Full bar
MENU: Click Here (this menu is temporary)
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford or Lorimer
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://ryerestaurant.com/
NY PRESS SAYS: As far as soft openings go, Cal Elliott’s debut of Rye snuck in with barely a murmur.Situated at 275 S. 1st St. in Williamsburg,Rye’s lovely wood, and glass doors give no indication there is food and drink to be had behind them. And given the sparse crowd last night, the former Dressler and DuMont co-chef has kept it low key.
As they work out the kinks, Elliott’s menu isn’t set in stone. Though, he is off to a good start with his appetizer choices like the tender seared sea scallop ($10), roasted beet salad ($9) with an amazing butter sauce, and Berkshire pork belly ($12) with salty beluga lentils. I wasn’t too impressed with the entrée options, but did settled on a tender, well crisped piece of wild striped bass ($24) that came with succulent cockles, mussels, a lone grainy little neck clam and a pile of bland risotto.
The cocktail list is fun, but after a tequila drink made with a touch of absinthe, I decided to stick to a lovely, slightly spicy bottle of Hudson Valley pinot noir from Millbrook Vineyards. Given, Rye is so new it doesn’t warrant a true review yet, so, while they add finishing touches (like hooks on the long, dark bar or some sort of decoration to the blank wall across from it) the large, high-ceiling, and low-lit space will flourish as word of mouth makes it the next hip place to dine.
image c/o Gowanus Lounge
CUISINE: Greek, Mediterranean
ADDRESS: 167 Grand St, Brooklyn 11211
PHONE: 718.388.3668
CARDS: Cash Only
HOURS: Daily 11am-11pm
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
image c/o NYMAG
CUISINE: Cafes, Coffeehouse, sandwiches, dessert, bagels, tofu, muffins, cookies, vegan
ADDRESS: 542 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
(corner of Lorimer & Ainslee)
PHONE: 718.486.6850
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 7am-11pm Sat.-Sun. 8am-11pm
CARDS: Cash only
WEBSITE: www.secondstopcafe.com
BOOZE: None
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
image c/o Grub Street
CUISINE: Seafood - Mediterranean, American
ADDRESS: 374 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.387.4181
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 4pm-midnight; Fri-Sun 11am-4pm and 4pm-midnight
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Coming Soon
BRUNCH: yes, weekends only
DELIVERY: None, take-out only
AVERAGE ENTREE: $15
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
NY MAG SAYS: Think of the menu at Sel de Mer, a new seafood-focused restaurant in the old Najeeb’s space, as “a Mediterranean–meets–Long Island kind of thing,” says chef-owner Jeff Slagg: whole roasted dorade and three moules-frites preparations, but also steamers, fish-cake sliders, and fish and chips. That goes double for the new bar. “I wanted it to look like an old dock,” says Slagg, who did a stint at Oceana and more recently ran the kitchen at Sweetwater. “I’m just really into the water.” With its curtained façade, simple décor, and affordable menu, Sel de Mer reminds us of another cash-only Brooklyn seafood bistro: the original La Bouillabaisse during its Atlantic Avenue heyday. Like that crowd-pleasing spot, Sel de Mer is without wine and beer, for now. But that temporary drawback only helps keep tabs low for meals showcasing generous portions of fresh, imaginatively prepared seafood, like a recent halibut special served over coconut-milk-creamed spinach with crispy potatoes ($14), and a curried grouper ($15) that chef-owner Jeff Slagg dreamed up on a stroll down East 6th Street. There are three versions of moules-frites, and a selection of whole fish of the day. But the best deal might be the pair of so-called fish-cake sliders: two hefty hake burgers on toasted English muffins, served with a mound of cole slaw and the expectation that you’ll need a doggy bag ($12).
image c/o NY Times
CUISINE: Latin American
ADDRESS: 197 Havemeyer Street (South Fourth Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
PHONE: 718.388.8884
CARDS: MasterCard and Visa
MENU: Click Here
AVERAGE ENTREE: Appetizers and small dishes, $2 to $8.50; entrees, $10 to $18.75; desserts, $4.50.
HOURS: Noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday.
BOOZE: Beer & Wine Only
SUBWAY: JMZ to Marcy
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
NY TIMES SAYS: The arepas at Shachis are the real deal: Mr. Rodriguez gently toasts these cornmeal cakes, giving the outsides a delicate, lacy crispness and warming the center through so they exude the comforting, familiar aroma of cooked cornmeal. Shachis offers an array of simply outfitted arepas — stuffed with chicken, beef, vegetables or chorizo, or, in the case of the "domino," with black beans and cheese -- but my favorites were the more involved creations. The reina pepiada arepa is a chicken salad sandwich that even someone who detests chicken salad could get behind: a mélange of mayo, pulled chicken and cooked potato, given a luxuriously creamy boost by a fan of ripe avocado slices. The pabellon arepa features the classic Venezuelan combination of braised and shredded beef, smoky black beans, caramelized sweet plantains and shredded queso blanco that brings it all together. At lunch, Shachis offers an arepa and a fresh juice for $7, or two arepas and a juice for $11. Add in the snacking value of slender, greaseless plantain chips and piquant salsa that come free with any meal, and that’s a deal worth hopping a J train for. But Shachis isn’t some one-snack pony. Venezuelan-style empanadas ($2) were fine specimens of the type. A side order of guacamole ($4) turned out to be freshly made and exceedingly well balanced, and came with tortilla chips that had just been fried and were salty, pleasingly pliant and a psychedelic blue. The roast chicken, served with vegetable fried rice and aioli, would please a picky Peruvian; the quality of the steak on the Argentine-style churrasco plate -- grilled steak with yucca fries -- left me wanting, but the chimichurri slathered over it almost made up for it. Mr. Rodriguez's arroz con pollo -- a paellalike dish that marries yellow rice, peppers, olives, peas, chorizo and tender chunks of chicken on the bone -- is a fine trencherman’s repast, a dish you could eat for lunch and then plan on eating the rest of the day. The seafood paella is that and more: it takes the same building blocks and adds clams, shrimp, squid and lobster to the mix. Though the dish is offered in two sizes ($18.75 for one, $28.75 for two), the smaller one is enough to fill up two people, especially if those people have wisely partaken of some pre-paella arepas. The dining room at Shachis is simple and small, with seats for about 25 and a bar that seats four, and is boldly painted in the cheering colors of the Venezuelan flag: yellow, red and blue. BEST DISHES Arepas, particularly pabellón and reina pepiada; guacamole; arroz con pollo; pollo horneado; fresh juices.
CUISINE: Izakaya, Japanese
ADDRESS: 302 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn NY 11211
(between Driggs Ave & Roebling St)
PHONE: 718.218.7878
HOURS: Tues -Sun: 5pm-1am; Closed Mondays
CARDS: All major
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer or Bedford
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.suirennyc.com
WE SAY: Joining Zenkichi and Bozu, you can add Sui Ren to the pantheon on neighborhood izakaya hotspots. The menu, put together by owner Morgan Chang, formerly of Kai and chef Jun Hiroshima, from Bond St. Sushi focuses mostly on yakitori (the grilled skewers) and kushi katsu (fried skewers) though the concoctions—light on the tongue, hearts, and offal in general—aren’t likely to be found on a traditional Osaka menu. Of the cold skewers—perfect for summer—the bachi maguro to udama (marinated big eye tuna, soft yolk quail egg, and Korean seaweed; $8) and the tomobara (24-hour slow poached shortrib and baby turnip; $7) have already proven themselves popular, as have the nasu dengaku (Japanese eggplant with mascarpone sweet miso; $7) and the yaki gaki (grilled Malpeque oyster with spiced beurre blanc; $8). With dishes ranging from $3 to $12, Sui Ren can skew either towards cheap snack joint or—thanks a nicely-lit room and rather romantic wooded exterior, a la Bozu—a splurge on date night. If you go for the latter, be sure to order the panko-fried mackerel or grilled Japanese smelt. Nothing says “I love you” more eloquently than supporting sustainable fisheries. --Nick Mosquera
image c/o Eater
CUISINE: Mexican
ADDRESS: 310 S. 4 St. Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.302.1117
HOURS: Tue to Thru 11am to 10pm | Fri to Sun 11am to 11pm | Mondays Closed
CARDS: All Major
BOOZE: Full Bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $11, with $3 tacos
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
SUBWAY: JMZ to Marcy, L to Lorimer
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, $15 minimum
image c/o EatingInTranslation
CUISINE: South American
ADDRESS: 221 South 1st Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 917.573.3466
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: BYOB
WEBSITE: www.tipicobk.com
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
BLACKBOOK SAYS: Rodrigo's chill Paraguayan on lazy south WB block. Afternoon hang for perfect steak sandwiches and creamy coffee "batidos" while listening to South American rock like Fabulosos Cadillacs, Piojos, or weed-themed Brazilian reggae. Hammock in cozy patio goes great with BYOB six pack from corner bodega or tereré: that cool, refreshing, Paraguayan drink (iced yerba mate). Café Havana before it turned into a Lenny Kravitz video.
ADDRESS: 345 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Between Marcy Street and Havemeyer Street)
PHONE: 718.599.0069
HOURS: 6pm-midnight, daily
Wine Bar now open downstairs with Full Menu (pdf) available from 6pm-2am
CARDS: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer; G at Metropolitan or J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
WEBSITE: www.liveatrose.com
MYSPACE: Click Here
GOTHAMIST SAYS: The sibling owners of Rose Live Music on Grand Street in Williamsburg have given quite the face-lift to their eponymous subterranean restaurant. The intimate urban-rustic haunt has been renamed Vutera, and the exposed brick walls and wooden beams are now bathed in a candlelit glow for your dining pleasure. New chef Molly Del Monte, the former sous chef at Little Giant, is introducing a Mediterranean menu with a local-and-seasonal angle, complemented by a wine list curated by manager Hugh Crickmore (Mas). Grub Street has photos and the full menu, which features such delicacies as parsnip gnocchi with beet-green pesto, braised lamb shank with red wine and creamy polenta, and an appetizer of Spanish-mackerel escabèche. An review on Strong Buzz deems the place "immensely comforting. It’s the kind of place that beckons like a blazing hearth in an ice storm."
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: Seafood, Raw Bar
LOCATION: 253 Grand Street, Williamsburg Brooklyn
(between Grand and Roebling)
PHONE: 718.387.8783
CARDS: All Major
HOURS: 5:30pm-1am weekdays, and till 2 on weekends
DINNER MENU: Click Here (pdf)
COCKTAIL MENU: Click Here (pdf)
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford or Lorimer
NY MAG SAYS: Finally, the raw bar the kids in Williamsburg have long demanded! Balthazar bartender Danny Minch and Barrio Chino owner Dylan Dodd have opened Walter Foods at 253 Grand Street. Justin Ernsberger, formerly of Clinton Street Baking Company and Aqua Grill, brings his love of sea creatures to the menu -- lobster appears in five dishes. This is good news for anyone on the L train looking to score some clam chowder this fall; if you're not, there's a burger and fried chicken and some steaks for you. Given Minch's former life as a bartender, it's no surprise that the cocktail menu is more robust, if not a little old-timey: See Sling, Singapore for details.
image c/o Eater
CUISINE: American, Burgers
ADDRESS: 342 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Between South 1st and South 2nd Streets)
PHONE: 718.486.6969
ALCOHOL: Beer and Wine Only
HOURS: Mon-Thu and Sun, noon-midnight;Fri-Sat, noon-1am
CARDS: Visa and MasterCard
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: williamsburgernyc.com
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WE SAY: On a less-traveled block at S. 2nd and Wythe lays the newly opened Williamsburger, a joint whose name leaves little to the imagination. Indeed, the cuisine is your standard cornucopia of artery-clogging classics -- burgers, milkshakes, onion rings, fries, hot dogs, and even pierogies populate the menu. The simple interior of the restaurant, which isn't yet serving alcohol, further bolsters their nothin' but meat atmosphere.
Williamsburger’s mantra is “beefing up hipsters,” and needless to say, with a slogan like that A LOT could go wrong. However, the fare is pretty damn satisfying. All of the burgers are made with Hereford Beef from Washington State, and are served with a fresh and delicious side of fries. A few salads as well as a chicken burger and a tuna burger work as alternates for those of the non-beef persuasion, although everything comes drenched in dressing and/or mayo. The $4 milkshake is overpriced, but so delicious (Cappuccino and Butterscotch are particular gems) that it might be worth the splurge.
The stoner population of the South Side will surely embrace this place more then they seemed to enjoy its previous embodiment as Fire and Ice bar -- and we have a feeling that towards their later PM hours, delivery will boom. But the real test will be to see if Williamsburger can avoid almost certain defeat from neighborhood staple DuMont Burger. After all, DuMont has a liquor license, is only two blocks away on Bedford, and their gourmet burger prices are comparable. For now we wish Williamsburger good luck, ironic menu, décor, and all. -- Elizabeth Brady
image c/o Grub Street
CUISINE: Latin American
ADDRESS: 84 South 4th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: None as of yet
CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, Amex
SUBWAY: L train to Bedford
MENU: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
MARTINI BOYS SAY: Chef and owner Eduardo Polit used to be the chef at Frederick's Downtown, and, before that, the sous chef at Soho House. Now he's opened his own place, a small South American restaurant in almost-not-fashionable-anymore Williamsburg. Soups include a spicy black bean and cilantro (vegan); chicken and dumpling; and avocado and ginger vichyssoise. Salads include the latitude zero crab salad (green papaya, red onions, cilantro, aji Amarillo dressing); papas con choclo (fire-roasted corn, steamed potatoes, and ham mayo); and the qinoa and apple salad (vegan; with sultana raisins, carrots, chamomile infused qinoa, and apple cider dressing.) Appetizers include the crab and sofrito gluten-free empanadas; palitos, char-grilled chicken skewers with chimichurri sauce and yucca fried; fish tacos with beer battered fried fish, wasabi-tomatillo relish, cilantro, and encebollado; plantain whistles with green plaintain chips, dusted with cumin, and tomatillo salsa; and grilled merguez sausage with harisa sauce and panisse. Entrées include the lomo asado con yucca y chimichurri, traditional Argentianian cut steak with soft yucca cake and chimichurri sauce; a risotto con pollo, Arborio rice, peppers, onions, tomatoes, sweet plantains; salmon miso-honey with baby bok choy; a palak paneer, creamy curried spinach with fried homemade paneer of tofu and basmati rice.
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