Checking in on Seventh Avenue's Newest Bar

It's been a little while since we last checked in on the bar that's been in the works on Seventh Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets, in the space previously occupied for 40 years by women's clothing boutique City Casuals.

Construction has been chugging along at a fairly regular pace since it finally got underway back in September, and the facade seems to be nearly complete (that's cement board that's covering it now).

The name is still slated to be Seven Bar from what I can gather, and when it opens it'll be the first new full-on bar on Seventh Avenue in many years.

The Good Fork Sets Up Shop in Skylark Bar

The Good Fork, the cozy comfort-food restaurant on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy when flooding destroyed its basement and much of the dining room. Right before the storm hit, though, they took over the kitchen at the retro-kitchy Skylark Bar, which opened in May in the former Timboo's space on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 11th Street.

The menu is more bar food-oriented than at the Red Hook restaurant (which has yet to re-open; donations are being accepted here), but it looks equally delicious. Korean-influenced bar snacks include blistered shishito peppers, pulled pork with pickled cucumbers and asian slaw, and pork and chive dumplings. Playing the straight-up comfort food angle are the likes of maple bacon deviled eggs, sticky baked sweet & spicy chicken wings, and macaroni and cheese (it's owned by Sohui Kim and husband Ben Schneider, and both their influences are present in every item). 

Times are tough for The Good Fork folks right now, but we thankfully have the opportunity to help support them- and sample one of the most delicious-sounding bar menus in the area at the same time.

Halloween Costume Contest at Pork Slope Tonight

In the midst of all this storm-related craziness, it's easy to forget that today is Halloween. And while it may seem inappropriate to put that costume on and head into the streets, a bit of levity right now could be a good thing.

To that end, the folks at Pork Slope, which will be opening this afternoon at 3:30, will be hosting a Halloween costume contest all day and into the night. If you drop by in costume, mention it to your bartender and he'll snap a photo of you and get your contact info. If your costume is chosen to be the best, you'll win a pair of tickets to Saturday's Brooklyn Nets game (now the official first game at the arena). The "kookiest" costume will win a free bar tab, and more prizes will be given out if the owners "feel like it."

Talde and Thistle Hill Tavern, the other restaurants run by the team, will be open from 1 PM for the rest of the week until 10 PM, or until food runs out.

Construction Underway on Duke of Montrose Bar

Trade Winds furniture closed up shop over the summer on the corner of Fifth and Bergen, and shortly thereafter it was announced that a high-end Scottish Whisky bar called Duke of Montrose would be moving into the space. Run by the same owners as Upper East Side favorite Caledonia, it'll be built to resemble a distillery, and will also serve a full food menu (no word yet on haggis).

Last month the windows were papered over and flyers were pased in them looking for help with heavy lifting, and over the course of the past week the space has been gutted. Will be interested in seeing how this bar turns out.

O'Connor's to Reopen In Six Weeks, According to Owner

It was back in February of 2011 when the owner of legendary dive bar O'Connor's, which has been on Fifth Avenue between Bergen and Dean Streets since 1931, announced that the bar would be undergoing extensive renovations, more than tripling its size and bringing it into the 21st century with the addition of a back room, a second floor, a stage, food, and draft lines.The bar didn't close until this past June, and since then work has been sporadic as the site became more and more of an eyesore.

But construction has recently accelerated, and when I peeked through the doorway a couple days ago owner Mike Maher was on his way out. We chatted for a couple minutes, and he told me that while construction is obviously behind schedule, he plans to re-open in about six weeks.

I only had a brief look into the darkened construction site, but it wasn't pretty in there. We won't know the full extent of the reconstruction, and whether longtime bartenders like Chris and Matt (and the longtime regulars) will return, until the bar re-opens.