Dog's Den Seized by Marshal After Kennel Cough Outbreak

This has been a bad month for Dog's Den, the doggie daycare center on Fifth Avenue between 12th and 13th. After an outbreak of kennel cough, a highly contagious viral infection, the center shut down on December 3rd to "decontaminate." Less than a week later a notice went up on the door saying that the premises had been shut down and possessed by the NYC Marshal. Now there's a sign up saying the storefront is for rent. 

Not positive if there's a connection between the outbreak and the eviction, but as it's the marshal's job to enforce orders from Civil Court, my guess is that they're being sued by the infected dogs' owners. An email has been sent to the owners; I'll update if I hear anything.

Atlantic Yards Coming Along

5th Ave goes off to the right

Love it or hate it, there's no way around the fact that the giant pit on Flatbush and Atlantic will some day be a massive arena that'll most likely send a shockwave through the Park Slope's north end upon completion (at least from a traffic standpoint). This morning Chopper 880 took some photos of the progress.

Photo: CBS 880

Business of the Week: Parco

In 2003, Alex Pozzan, a recent arrival from the northern Italian mountain village of Cortina D'Ampezzo, took over a tiny cafe on Seventh Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets and named it Parco. Given the space's tiny size, it's good that they specialize in just a few things: croissants and other pastries, quiche, and coffee. They also happen to do those things very, very well.

If there's a better place in the area to grab a quick, inexpensive, delicious, and utterly decadent breakfast I'd love to know. Namely, the croissant sandwiches. Start with a big, fluffy croissant (my pick for best in the neighborhood), and stuff it with eggs, cheddar, and ham or bacon. For lunch, fill it with spinach, prosciutto, and mozzarella, or choose from a wide selection of quiches like sweet corn and bacon. Croissants also come pre-stuffed with ideal fillings like spinach and goat cheese. Crepes are available too.

Looking for something sweet? Grab a croissant filled with chocolate, raspberry, or peanut butter & honey. Pastries range from biscotti to linzer tortes, and crepes are loaded with nutella, walnuts, and bananas. Coffee is provided by La Colombe, and is some of the best around. 

With only enough room to hold six or seven people comfortably, Parco isn't the kind of place you bring a bunch of friends to, and it can get packed on the weekends. There's no wifi so computer use isn't encouraged; think of it as more of a European-style cafe where you can greet the day with a newspaper, a pastry, a cup of coffee, and friendly conversation with the staff. The variety of food available changes almost daily, as Alex crafts recipes on a whim. Have an idea for a quiche? Run it by him; he's been known to whip up custom creations on the spot.

Parco, 427 7th Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. 718-499-6997. Cash Only.

A Chinese Restaurant for Miracle Grill Space

Those longing for another sit-down Chinese restaurant on Seventh Avenue are in luck: the space at 222 Seventh (at Third Street), most recently occupied by Miracle Grill, will be one, a contractor working on the site told me. 

A stylish, authentic Chinese restaurant that focuses on more than just sesame chicken could be a really good thing here. Szechuan Delight is so close by, so hopefully the owners have a different game plan in the works. Fingers crossed!

140 Seventh Ave's Signage Revealed: Da Nonna Rosa

The restaurant that's been under construction for several months on Seventh between Garfield and Carroll now has a name: Da Nonna Rosa. 

As reported last month, it'll be under the same ownership as the much-loved Gino's of Bayside and Port Washington. Considering the amount of time that construction's been going on here, I wouldn't be surprised if they open soon.