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.

Open for Business: The Monro Pub, 481 Fifth Avenue

The bar that's been in the works in the former Puppets Jazz space, on Fifth Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets, opened last Friday night. In a neighborhood teeming with bars, it's one of only a couple that can officially call themselves a proper English pub, and this one doesn't cut any corners.

Owned by the husband and wife duo of Vinnie Evans and Nicole Fusco (who hail from Liverpool and named the bar after the pub there where they met, which was in turn named after a merchant vessel), The Monro is a dim, comfortable spot adorned with old maps of their hometown, taxidermied deer heads, and a few nautical touches.

Eight English favorites are on tap, including Fuller's, Wells Bombardier, Boddington's, and Bellhaven IPA (served in their proper glasses when possible), and the 15 bottles include Aspall and Strongbow ciders, Old Speckled Hen, and several others that you don't see too frequently. There are a couple food options to wash it all down with, including five varieties of pies from The English Pork Pie Company (served alongside Branston Pickle) Walker's Chips, and Monster Munch. The Monro isn't just an English pub, it's a very English pub.

There are about 10 seats at the bar, and the back room seats about 25 (booths are a very nice touch). There's a Happy Hour every day from $4-8 when all drinks are a dollar off, and a couple TVs in the back to show soccer and other sporting events. There's also free wifi.

The Monro Pub, 481 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. Phone: 718-499-2005.

Checking in on Die Koelner Bierhalle, Getting Close to Opening

It's been a while since we've heard anything about Die Koelner Bierhalle, a German beer hall from the owners of Fort Greene's Der Schwarze Koelner which has been under construction on St. Marks just east of Fourth Avenue since last October. Walking past it over the weekend, though, it's clear that this space is shaping up. It's also just about impossible to confuse this building with anything but a German beer hall.

The facade is complete, and a set of front doors have been installed that have windows up top that will let some fresh air in. Some temporary signage has also been posted.

When all is said and done, the massive room should seat about 200, and they'll serve a wide variety of German beers and Cologne-style food. According to their Facebook page, an official opening date hasn't been set, but they're hoping to open by the end of the month. Here's a peek inside through a window; apologies for the crummy photo quality.

Open for Business: Skylark Bar, 477 Fifth Avenue

After months of construction work, retro-themed Skylark Bar opened up last week in the space last occupied by Timboo's, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 11th Street.

One thing needs to be said right off the bat: this place looks absolutely nothing like its predecessor, which lived on this corner since 1969 (and there's been a bar here for as long as anyone can remember). The bar itself remains in place (albeit after a good sanding), and the curved wood back bar is thankfully still there, but other than that the place has been completely renovated. Love it or hate it, the bar looks completely different, and older Timboo's regulars will most definitely not feel particularly comfortable here.

With that said, owner Leah Allen, who also owns Abilene Bar on Court Street, has transformed this space into a very cool place to have a couple drinks. She opened up the room a little bit, removing the pool table and providing ample space to chill out on vintage furniture.

The bar looks a little like Grandma's house, but in a good way, if that's even possible. Mismatched 70s-era chairs, couches, tables and lighting fixtures dot the room, and the theme even continues into the little butterscotch candies on one table. Retro fixtures decorate the walls as well, a holdover from Timboo's but not without irony. There are also a couple old pinball games in the back: Star Trek and Harlem Globetrotters.

Fourteen beers are on tap, averaging 5-6 bucks; a nice selection with no major surprises. There are a few cans and bottles (Gennessee and High Life go for 3 bucks), and two wines by the glass. There are also seven sandwiches on offer: kielbasa with sauerkraut; chicken cordon bleu; "steak and potatoes": roast beef, cheddar, and mashed potatoes on white bread (talk about retro), turkey, brie, and apple; grilled veggies with goat cheese; brie and fig; and French onion soup.

Skylark will open at noon every day for those looking to get started early, and Happy Hour is from 4-7 ($4 well drinks and drafts, and a dollar off everything else).

Skylark Bar, 477 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. 347-227-8196.

Open for Business: Casa Ventura, 210 Seventh Avenue

UPDATED WITH MENU, AT BOTTOM

Last night was the soft opening of Casa Ventura, the newest occupant of a corner storefront that's certainly seen a fair amount of action recently. First there was Barrio, which closed unexpectedly only to reopen as "small plates" concept MIX (after dabbling with the name Barrio Plates). That closed after about a month, and tonight at 5, after a thorough renovation and a change in ownership, Casa Ventura will be opening to the neighborhood.

The restaurant, on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Third Street, is the brainchild of several friends and neighbors who had been eager to open an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant with other Latin influences, in an upscale setting. After sampling some of the goods last night, it's pretty clear that they succeeded.

The focused menu contains 10 appetizers and 9 entrees, with seasonal specials to come, as well as a nice selection of specialty cocktails (the full menu is at bottom). Appetizers last night included Chicharron de Pollo (deep fried chunks of adobo-rubbed chicken served with a tasty red pepper-based sauce, $7.75), soy-marinated raw ahi tuna with a radish-pickled ginger salad ($10.95), and a crispy fried chicken and cheese empanada ($8.75).

Entrees included an 8-oz grilled skirt steak served with yuca mash ($17.95), fried sole ($15.95), Fideua (vegeterian paella made with pasta instead of rice, $13.95), and Jamaican jerk chicken breast served with rice and beans (at $9.95, a steal). Churros and flan were for dessert (both $5.95). There's some real creativity here as well as a deep knowledge of traditional Latin flavors, and even on the first night the kitchen churned out dishes that showed few, if any, flaws.

Chicharron

The space has been completely transformed, with reclaimed wood and earth tones throughout. The bar is now much larger than before, and seems like a pretty chill place to enjoy a cocktail or two: the margarita's made with Patron, mojitos were made with a deft hand, and the sangria will be very nice as we head into summer. The patio has also been redone, with simple black canvas and more reclaimed wood replacing the garish orange of Barrio. All told, the restaurant seats 80.

It's nice to finally see some real life breathed into this corner. The slate has been completely wiped clean, and judging by the food, decor, and service, all signs point to us having a real winner on our hands here.

Click through for the full menu, with additional cocktails to come.

Casa Ventura, 210 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. 718-965-4000.

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