Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy Memorial Day, folks! Grill up some burgers, high-tail it out of the city to sandier pastures if possible, enjoy the (hopefully rain-free) weather, and I'll see you back here Tuesday morning.

Stone Park's New Private Catering Hall Shaping Up

It was confirmed back in February, and nearly four months later the space that was last home to Pizza Rustica, right next door to Stone Park Cafe on First Street near Fifth Avenue, is well on its way to becoming Stone Park's private event space.

The storefront, which is directly adjacent to the ever-popular restaurant and can most likely now be accessed through the kitchen, was snatched up shortly after Pizza Rustica shuttered in January. Construction is really coming along, and the 1,600 square foot space will seat 63 when all is said and done.

Open for Business: Vice Versa Vintage, 550 Fifth Avenue

A sprawling new thrift store opened last week in the space last occupied by Blockbuster Video, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 15th Street. Not only is it the largest vintage/thrift store in a neighborhood chock full of them, it's also the least expensive.

Vice Versa is a branch of L Train Vintage, which operates five other stores, all located near the L line, in Manhattan and Brooklyn: Village Style and No Relation in the East Village, Vice Versa near the Bedford Avenue stop, Atlantis Attic off the Graham Ave. stop, and Urban Jungle off the Morgan Ave. stop. This is their first store on this side of Brooklyn, and also the largest.

There's just about every clothing item imaginable in here, and it's all incredibly inexpensive. Shirts cost $5, pants are $10, jackets $15-20, even leather ones. It's nearly impossible to leave here emptyhanded, and the racks just beg to be explored; you could easily kill an hour in here and have no idea where the time went. There's clothing here for people from all walks of life; it's more along the lines of Salvation Army than Guvnor's.

Unfortunately they don't accept donations, but judging by the sheer amount of merchandise in here their coffers are pretty full.

Vice Versa, 550 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. 

Stop Work Order at NY Kids Club Site (Formerly Southpaw)

The massive construction site that's become of music venue Southpaw since it closed earlier this year has been issued a Full Stop Work Order that's been in effect since May 16th.

Construction on the multi-level NY Kids Club that's set to take over the space, on Fifth between Sterling and St. Johns, began in earnest almost immediately after Southpaw's closing, but has slowed to a standstill in recent weeks. The space was gutted, but not much else has been going on in there.

The opening date for the "children enrichment center," which will feature daycare and after school programs like gym, dance, martial arts, music, drama, and cooking for kids age 2 months - 12 years, has been set for September 12th.

Open for Business: Woodland, 242 Flatbush Avenue

Some thought the day would never arrive, but after much delay, plenty of contention, and a name change, Woodland opened Monday on the corner of Sixth and Flatbush, in the pace last occupied by Royal Video.

It's a massive venue, with seating for a couple hundred across two levels and an outdoor garden, and the Director of Operations for the restaurant group that owns it, Brendan Spiro, also owns East Village gem Vandaag. There's a 12-seat bar up front, serving craft beers and specialty cocktails like the Forest Julep (made with apricot-infused bourbon, rosemary and walnut bitters), big windows that open up to the sidewalk, and a large backyard where you can find burgers, brats, and weiners cooking on a large open grill. Downstairs there's a lounge where live DJs will provide the entertainment, and at night live music will take the stage in the main dining room. There's also a 30-seat private dining room, which will host private parties as well as events like wine and cheese tastings.

Chef Merrill Moore comes from Tulum, Mexico's well-known Hartwood restaurant, and seventh generation Irish butcher Jack O'Shea, who oversees the restaurant's "meat program," also supplies meat to star chefs Fergus Henderson and Heston Blumenthal in London.

Spiro put a lot of work into finding a top-notch kitchen crew, and the creative (if pricey) menu (below, click for a larger version) definitely highlights their areas of expertise, namely meat.

There's braised rabbit, a Berkshire pork chop, Label Rouge chicken, lamb T-bone, bullet steak, and a select-a-size NY Strip ranging from 24-58 ounces (that 58 ouncer will set you back $150 and is the biggest in the area). There's also a whimsical assortment of apps and sides, including clams & crayfish, homemade bratwurst, venison tartare, smoked quail eggs, grilled oysters, and caviar with a vodka shot. This is a very luxurious restaurant, and a meal here will most definitely set you back.

This is a new type of restaurant for the neighborhood: sprawling, multi-level, glamorous, pricey. But it's anything but inaccessible: the front room, with its exposed brick, bar tables, and long bar, is an inviting place to down a creative cocktail, snack on a grilled cheese, and throw back a few oysters. Come late night, though, it'll be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Woodland, 242 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn NY 11217. 718-398-7700. Open at 5PM daily.