After the short-lived stay of light and airy restaurant Bellwether, the vacancy at 594 Union Ave. is to yet again be filled by a drink swilling newcomer.

These walls are haunted by the sweaty dance parties of Williamsburg ‘yore and Over The Eight promises to tip its proverbial hat to what once made this space so successful — “readings, art shows, dance parties, and straight up-and-down good food and music.”

Here’s hoping Over The Eight can tap into the bygone spirit of Royal Oak — the way we all choose to remember it, and not its inevitably douche-filled end. And if Saturday night’s party is any indication, the OTE team is off to a promising start.

OTB (c/o Eater)

From Eater

Earlier this month, Post Office owner Alla Lapushchik opened OTB, a Williamsburg tavern with a race track theme. The drinks menu includes classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Hemingway Daquiris, plus original cocktails, beer, and wine. The food menu from Ssäm Bar alum Sam Glinn is slated to debut later this week. It will feature bistro dishes like oysters, escargot, frog legs, French onion soup, steak frites, and coq au vin.

OTB Menu

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First, a compulsory “Oh right, it’s Armory Week” note: Oh right, it’s Armory Week. Keep it local this Saturday, March 9th, ’cause it’s Brooklyn Armory Night and the 11th anniversary of Williamsburg Afterhours. Galleries in Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg will be open until 10pm with participating bars/restaurants; thanks to WAGMAG and Pernod, there’s an app to make you a well-informed lushexcursionist.

Second: Here’s a list of some other picks, much shorter and sweeter than a 12-hour filibuster.

Yours truly,
@kaleidofox

Rachel de Joode at Interstate Projects

Rachel de Joode: “The Hole and the Lump” at Interstate Projects

I know nothing about clay except for the fact that it makes me think of Patrick Swayze, shirtless, in Ghost. Uncouth? Maybe. Rachel de Joode, a Berlin-based artist and founder of META Magazine, has thought about it differently after talking to a Mexican shaman about the Mayan belief that human bodies came from clay. With this in mind, “The Hole and the Lump” is corporeal in more ways than one. Through March 17.

Interstate Projects
66 Knickerbocker Ave
Brooklyn NY 11237

More after the jump.

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Greenpoint is becoming an essential stop for beer snobs. We’re looking forward to this opening from Momofuku alum Daniel Burns!

Before working as the head of research and development for the Momofuku restaurants, chef Daniel Burns cooked at The Fat Duck in England, and he built and ran the pastry program at Noma in Copenhagen. Somewhere along the way, he connected with Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, an acclaimed Danish brewer who has created beer for some of the world’s best restaurants. Now Daniel and Jeppe are teaming up to open a new Brooklyn project that they hope will be the best beer bar in the country.

The bar is called Tørst (the Danish word for “thirst”), and it will open at 615 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, just around the corner from the Nassau Avenue G-train station.Jeppe is curating the beer list, which will feature about 20 beers on tap. Jeppe owns both a brewing company, Evil Twin Brewing, and a beer distribution company, so he has deep connections in the world of European craft beer. The menu is still a work in progress, but expect a few selections that have never been served before in the United States. The bar will also have a special beer storage system, where the ales will be kept at different temperatures — serious beer nerd stuff.

In addition to the barroom up front, the space will also have a 25-seat restaurant in the back called Luksus (the Danish word for “luxury”) where Burns will serve a menu of Scandinavian-influenced American fare, all paired with beer. Burns notes: “We want to focus on food that will go well with the beer.” The restaurant will open a few months after the bar up front

BrisketTown (c/o Eater)

There are lots of great new places now open in the hood:

Selamat Pagi

From the NY Times:
Indonesian restaurants are scarce in New York, and this one specializes in the cuisine of Bali. The owners are the ice cream artisans Ben Van Leeuwen, Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O’Neill, who had some storefront space at their production kitchen and decided to take their love of Bali to the public. Of course, their sweets are served. But before dessert, consider finishing your plate of lemon-grass fish curry, prawn and fish satay, bluefish caramelized with palm sugar, and nasi goreng (a type of fried rice). The chef, Sophia Loch, came from Otto. The pastry chef, Chelsea Wilkes, from Marlow & Sons, is whipping up a Balinese coconut crème brûlée

Williamsburg Pizza:

From Serious Eats:
The pizza was really good: housemade or Grande mozz on the slices, sweet canned San Marzanos strained as the sauce, and an old school NYC slice crust that had a crisp veneer and tender insides, with plenty of color and bubbles to boot…. We [also] had a grandma slice, a regular slice, a slice with apples, gorgonzola, and a rectangular slice with mushrooms and fresh rosemary. None were less than very good, and it’s clear that Coniglio has the chops and the desire to make terrific slices pizza born out of NYC slice tradition at its finest.

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Via

If you’re a true lush, then you’re likely familiar with the work of Frederick Exley, a daytime drinker/author of works like A Fan’s Notes. He was the prime chronicler of literary drinking in 1960s New York, and now there’s a bar named after him. The Exley, located near McCarren Park in Williamsburg, is owned by the former general manager of Tailor, and it’s being billed as a casual “third space” for neighborhood residents (aka those who can’t stomach another trip to nearby Union Pool). We suppose you can think of it as the boozy Starbucks – it’s housed in a former auto-body repair shop and features colorful murals by local artists.

It’s a small space, with seating for about 35 patrons. The cocktail list focuses on classic American libations and a menu of small bites like sea salt pretzels and a cheese plate will be served. The official opening date is tomorrow, get more information here (1 Jackson Street).

More at www.theexley.com.

Lake Trout (via Eater)

Via Eater

Lake Trout promises to be more low-brow than the pair’s other spots Fette Sau and St. Anselm.

Hoping to make the place, “like any old crappy restaurant in middle America,” Lang says it will serve crab cakes, chicken wings, corn on the cob, and shrimp, all fried. The lake trout sandwich, the restaurant’s namesake that hails from his hometown of Baltimore, is a fried whiting fish fillet with Velveeta cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. The 14-seat restaurant will not have bottled craft beers, but rather cans of Genesee Cream Ale, Ballantine, and original Coors. “I’m not much into all the fancy shit,” Lang said. Lake Trout will be open daily for dine-in and take out.

Lake Trout
160 Havemeyer St., Williamsburg

c/o Grub Street

If you love Southern Cooking and are looking for a new place to get your fix in Williamsburg, you’re in luck with the upcoming opening next Tuesday the 25th of Mable’s Smokehouse. Mable’s Smokehouse is owned by couple Meghan Love and Jeff Lutonsky who wanted simple and traditional Southern food. They promise to deliver borracho beans, Rotel-Velveeta dip, Luzianne sweet tea, hot links imported from Schwab’s in Oklahoma City, pulled-pork tamales, and, of course, pie. The selection of alcoholic drinks will be limited, with offerings of three vodkas, two gins, and a few bourbons.

Mable’s Smokehouse. 44 Berry St., entrance on N. 11th St., Williamsburg; 718-218-6655

Last week we posted that Crif Dogs was set to open their Williamsburg outpost sometime the following week. The great news came today that they’re finally open and ready for business! We can hardly wait to give them a try. Eater reports:

The space boasts a collection of old skate boards, a couple of vintage video games, a hot dog mosaic, and plenty of seating for the local deep fried hot dog lovers. And now, she’s open to the public. Expect the usual roster of specialty dogs like the John John Deragon, the Tsunami, the BLT, the Garden State, and the Spicy Redneck along with some breakfast sandwiches (coming soon!) and a coffee window. They’re open from 7 AM – 1 AM during the week and until 3 AM on weekends.

Crif Dogs is located at 555 Driggs Street. 718.302.3200.

It’s a new year and there are tons of recently opened spots for food and alcohol consumption. Below is a list of places to try in 2011.

Tuffet, a “cheese/meat/bar”  owned by a Market Table alum, opened on New Years Eve. Now that we’ve got our hangovers (& desire to eat nothing but wheatgrass and bean sprouts) mostly out of our systems, we’ll be looking forward to a visit to this intimate space, which features 15 rotating cheeses, cured and cooked meats, and a bar with wine on tap (!) 286 Graham Avenue, near Grand.

Walking into Cubana Social makes you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to 1950′s Cuba. The former cigar factory on N 6th Street has been transformed into a beautiful social club with high ceilings, brick columns, and a long counter that runs throughout the space. The food which is “traditional Cuban with a modern twist” nicely compliments the reasonably priced cocktails which run from $8-$10. Live jazz and salsa music is also slated to be part of the Cuban dining experience.  70 N. 6th Street, near Wythe Ave.

Feeling punchy? The Drink might cure what ails you. Metromix has a full report on this “vaguely nautical” watering hole, which focuses its ambitions squarely on ridding the spiked communal beverage of its association with prom disasters and pukey frat parties. Forget to leave room for the Holy Spirit with either a hot or cold cup of the stuff ($5) or really get the party started with an entire bowl ($43).  228 Manhattan Ave, between Grand and Maujer.

The musically themed bar LP & Harmony offers cheap drinks, a well-stocked jukebox, and open mic nights. It’s a strange mix between a sports bar with huge flat screen televisions showing the latest games, and a DIY music venue with local musicians singing in the background, and we’re not sure how we feel about it yet. There’s also a small dance floor with a DJ that begins every night after 10PM. In the summer, patrons will be able to drink the backyard garden which is always a plus. 683 Grand Street near Manhattan Avenue.

The Garden Spot Cafe is Greenpoint’s newest diner/coffee shop serving inexpensive staples that are necessary after a night out. We’ve been told the giant list of breakfast burritos is worth a try. 195 Franklin Street, near Green Street.

Calexico has finally come to Brooklyn, and we couldn’t be happier. The 65-seat eatery features new menu items such as fish tacos, grilled corn, and the 645 burger which is “a blend of brisket, chuck and short rib on a ciabatta bun with their signature chipotle “crack” sauce”. There’s a full bar that serves a variety of beer and cocktails, and a garden will be open in the warmer months. 645 Manhattan Avenue, near Moore Street.