Carlton Park Out, Ideya In on Flatbush

It's been a few weeks since Carlton Park (née M. Helen), on the corner of Flatbush, Carlton, and Park, suddenly closed up shop (under the guise of renovations), and never re-opened. A small sign on the doorway that went up about a week ago mentions Ideya.net, and sure enough, that URL is the website of a SoHo Latin restaurant that recently shuttered and will be re-opening in the space in June.

Ideya Latin Bistro is owned by owner Lauryn Small and chef Isaac Reyes, and their menu is Caribbean Latin, drawing upon Spanish, African, Jamaican, Argentinian, and other cuisines to create a really interesting menu of traditional items like salt cod fritters, pupusas, ceviche, and arroz con pollo, several vegeterian options, and a creative and intriguing brunch menu. Cocktails also look really solid, with seven varieties of mojitos and margaritas available by the pitcher.

Yelp reviews for the restaurant were largely positive, and Brownstoner learned that there will be "a few tweaks" to the previous menu, and some remodeling in the space. Overall, very intriguing.

Carlton Park, a high-end concept from Burrito Bar owner Greg Yerman, opened almost exactly a year ago after a lengthy buildout with a seasonal (if pricey and a bit uninspired) menu, and a rather awkward layout that was regularly being tweaked. It never attracted much of a regular following, even on such a prime corner, and never really filled up. Shame that it didn't work out, but Ideya, with its mojitos and garage-door walls, certainly sounds promising with summer right around the corner.

Signage Up at New Union Street Japanese Restaurant, Amber Sushi

Signage has gone up at the storefront that I first reported was going to be a Japanese restaurant back in November, on Union Street just west of Seventh Avenue.

The restaurant, to be called Amber Sushi, is replacing what was a nail salon before being vacated last year. Landlord Nick Kotsonis told me back then that the owners also own a restaurant on the Upper West Side, and there is in fact a sushi place of the same name on 70th and Columbus (as well as one with the same style of logo on 80th and 3rd and 28th and 3rd). However, this logo is completely different from the one on Union and a call to the restaurants revealed that they have no connection to this one.

Rather strange, but either way a new Japanese restaurant should be opening soon at 847 Union Street. Not exactly sure if we're in dire need of another sushi place, but if it's good it'll most likely do fine.

Far East to Open in Sun Bo Bo Space

Sun Bo Bo, the family-owned Chinese restaurant on Fifth between 10th and 11th Streets, shut down last year after over 15 years in that location and many more elsewhere in the neighborhood. The space has been empty for a while, but a new Chinese restaurant will soon be opening in the space: Far East.

 Not much else is out there in the way of details, but all signs point to this being a run of the mill Chinese joint. My guess is that it'll be opening pretty soon.

Mazar and Corcos Fornino Deal Falls Through, Landord "Wants McDonald's"

It looks like Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos won't be taking over the Fornino Space after all.

Corcos sent me a Facebook message on Friday, and had this to say:

"Your leads were correct, I have been in negotiation for il Fornino for at least three months. Agreed on lease and all, and today the owner of the space changed her mind. She wants to go chain, more $, more security. I get it, but I am kind of bummed, I really wanted to be in the neighborhood."

Mazar also confirmed the rumor via Twitter. "The rumor was true," She tweeted. "Was abt to take over Il Fornino space in Park Slope. Landlord tripled rent and wants McDonalds or Olive Garden:( sorry PS."

This news isn't only disappointing, it's a bit frightening. It now seems almost certain that a chain will take over the space, and who knows which one will snatch it up first. It's most likely too large for a McDonalds or Starbucks, but does seem just about perfect for an Olive Garden, or Beef O'Brady's. Whether a big chain restaurant like that will do well in the space remains to be unseen, but it appears as if they'll be giving it a shot.

The couple isn't finished with the neighborhood, yet, though; they're still on the lookout for a location nearby.

Open for Business: Stoop Juice, 443 Seventh Avenue

Stoop Juice, the juice, smoothie, and healthy snack shop, opened recently on Seventh Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets.

The small shop has a few seats, but is mostly just a place to grab a juice and go. Their menu is about as healthy as humanly possible, all products are made from Greenware, and they're paper-free. They offer a wide selection of juices and smoothies made from organic fruits and vegetables, as well as juice cleanses.

Yelp reviews are mixed so far, with positives including knowledgeable service, fresh ingredients, and loyalty cards, and negatives involving priciness (16-ounce juices sell for around $7) and lack of options for smoothie add-ons. There's certainly a market for this type of product in the neighborhood, though, and there really isn't anything else like it in the area, so in my opinion they shouldn't have any trouble developing a loyal fan base and staying in business.