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: 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: YogurBerry, 77 Fifth Avenue

The new FroYo joint that's been in the works on the corner of Fifth and Prospect opened on schedule on Friday, in the space last occupied by the short-lived Juice Masters. It's a sleek, bright space, with lots of self-serve yogurt options and over 30 varieties of toppings.

YogurBerry is part of a burgeoning franchise, opening up all across the world. While they're certainly late to the FroYo game (and don't really offer anything different from the competition), it's hard to see them failing in this space, especially with both summer and the opening of the arena right around the corner.

It's laid out in a self-serve fashion, with frozen yogurt (which sells for 49 cents/ounce) available in 14 flavors including peach, mango, pomegranate, coconut, blueberry, passion fruit, green tea, and green apple. The usual sprinkles and fresh fruit are available as toppings, with unique items like carob chips, mini caramel turtles, cookie dough, and cheesecake available as toppings. They're also serving up smoothies for $4.99.

All the FroYo on offer is all-natural and fat free. And for those who are wondering if a certain commenter is actually the owner, after visiting it's very clear that the answer to that question is no.

YogurBerry, 77 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11217.

New Happy Taco Closed For Good

After being shuttered by the Department of Health last month for racking up a stomach-churning 82 violation points, New Happy Taco, the hole-in-the-wall taco joint at 82 Park Place between Flatbush and Seventh Avenues, is officially closed and the space has been put on the market.

This is not a major loss for the taco-loving community, trust me. The food was generally regarded as edible, but that's about as far as the compliments went (I'm sure there's an "Old Sad Taco" joke in there somewhere). It was quick and tended to hit the spot when in the mood for generic Mexican, though, so I'm sure it will be missed by some.

For those looking for an alternative, I'd recommend checking out Maya Taqueria on Vanderbilt.

Pure Bistro Soft Opens on Fifth

The long-in-the-works restaurant that's been under construction in the space last occupied by Calexico, on Fifth Avenue near the corner of Warren Street in the North Slope, soft opened last week. It's a comfortable, bright space, with a solid menu of sandwiches, salads, wraps, burgers, fresh-pressed juice, smoothies, and breakfast items.

The restaurant gives off a decidedly "daytime" vibe (the floor-to-ceiling windows don't hurt), and the menu is inexpensive and geared toward breakfast/brunch and lunch items. Sandwiches, burgers, and salads all average $7-8, and dinner entrees, which include a few fish dishes, grilled chicken breast, and steak, average $14. There's a wide selection of breakfast items, including yogurt parfaits (which are also available in a to-go refrigerator), breakfast wraps, and omelettes (you're also given the option to design your own). There's also a perfunctory children's menu, with the usual assortment of chicken nuggets, mini-burgers, grilled cheese, and the like.

There's an emphasis on healty food: sandwiches and panini only come on whole wheat or multi-grain bread and are heavy on the veggies, eggs are organic, and all meat is grass-fed, free-range, and free of antibiotics and hormones.

Pure doesn't break the mold, but what it does it appears to do well. It's a solid spot to grab a healthy lunch, and my guess is that it will do very brisk takeout and delivery service. Within the next couple weeks they'll be fine-tuning the menu and introducing delivery, and will have a grand opening party.

Pure Bistro, 88 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11217. 718-622-5314.