Happy Memorial Day, folks! Grill up some burgers, high-tail it out of the city to sandier pastures if possible, enjoy the (hopefully rain-free) weather, and I'll see you back here Tuesday morning.
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Happy Memorial Day, folks! Grill up some burgers, high-tail it out of the city to sandier pastures if possible, enjoy the (hopefully rain-free) weather, and I'll see you back here Tuesday morning.
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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.
A sprawling new thrift store opened last week in the space last occupied by Blockbuster Video, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 15th Street. Not only is it the largest vintage/thrift store in a neighborhood chock full of them, it's also the least expensive.
Vice Versa is a branch of L Train Vintage, which operates five other stores, all located near the L line, in Manhattan and Brooklyn: Village Style and No Relation in the East Village, Vice Versa near the Bedford Avenue stop, Atlantis Attic off the Graham Ave. stop, and Urban Jungle off the Morgan Ave. stop. This is their first store on this side of Brooklyn, and also the largest.
There's just about every clothing item imaginable in here, and it's all incredibly inexpensive. Shirts cost $5, pants are $10, jackets $15-20, even leather ones. It's nearly impossible to leave here emptyhanded, and the racks just beg to be explored; you could easily kill an hour in here and have no idea where the time went. There's clothing here for people from all walks of life; it's more along the lines of Salvation Army than Guvnor's.
Unfortunately they don't accept donations, but judging by the sheer amount of merchandise in here their coffers are pretty full.
Vice Versa, 550 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215.
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The massive construction site that's become of music venue Southpaw since it closed earlier this year has been issued a Full Stop Work Order that's been in effect since May 16th.
Construction on the multi-level NY Kids Club that's set to take over the space, on Fifth between Sterling and St. Johns, began in earnest almost immediately after Southpaw's closing, but has slowed to a standstill in recent weeks. The space was gutted, but not much else has been going on in there.
The opening date for the "children enrichment center," which will feature daycare and after school programs like gym, dance, martial arts, music, drama, and cooking for kids age 2 months - 12 years, has been set for September 12th.
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.
A parking spot in front of Gorilla Coffee, on the corner of Fifth and Park Place, was replaced late last week with a space for some additional bicycle parking.
The new facility holds about eight bikes, and is marked off by two big planters. In a press release sent out by Community Board 6, the DOT says that there will be no net loss of parking, because they "will be restoring a parking space on the other side of 5th Avenue as soon as possible, by May 31st the latest."
There's a similar facility on the corner of Smith and Sackett Streets in Carroll Gardens.
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-
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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.
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So, the Great Googa Mooga happened over the weekend. For some the massive food, booze, and music festival was a total disaster, for others it was time well-spent. What it ended up coming down to is when you went.
If you went on Saturday, you probably spent a very long time on lines. For the Googamoula, for the booze, for the food. Because you had to put money on a Googamoula card before you could buy booze (and the system was down), early on the booze lines were empty while the ID/ Googamoula lines were endless, and the volunteers were ill-prepared to be of much help. Then there was the food to worry about, and access to water and toilet paper.
For those who had Extra Mooga tickets, it seems as if you got the particularly short end of the stick. After forking over $250, you were met with equally long lines for very small portions of food, which ran out quickly. Getting booze didn't seem to be a problem, though, but nothing I've heard made it seem worth the expense.
Berbere Chicken from Red Rooster Harlem
I had tickets for Sunday, so by that point it was pretty clear that getting there early was key. When I arrived at about 11:15, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Googamoula had been abandoned entirely, and all booze vendors were now cash-only. The crowds didnt really begin to pick up until about 2 or so, and by that point I had tried just about all of the food I wanted to. By the time the (hilariously insane) Peelander-Z show ended, I had both maxed out my budget and tolerance for excessive sunlight, so I called it a day. I heard that the lines died down again by about 5:30 or so, and that Hall and Oates rocked out far more than expected.
Peelander Red (Kotaro Tsukada) on the porta-johnsSo at the end of the day, I think what it really comes down to is when you were there. If you went on Saturday or had Extra Mooga, you most likely left angry, hungry, and disappointed, and for that the organizers should apologize (and offer refunds to those who felt they wasted money on EM tickets). But they should also be commended for turning it around for Sunday. I think Anthony Bourdain put it best last night: "Yesterday: googamooga no like. Today: better. Lots better. Even kinda awesome."
What was your experience like?
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With all the hoopla around that other festival going on this weekend, there's another big event on Sunday that's definitely worth your time (and will certainly be less of a madhouse): The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair, taking over the avenue from noon to 6 PM, from Sterling Place all the way up to 12th Street.
Like in previous years, the street will be shut down and most of the avenue's restaurants will set up booths along the way, serving up samples from their menus. There will be three stages: one on Sterling, one on Third, and another on 12th, with a full schedule of programming. Lots of stuff for the kiddies as well, like puppetry, kids' music, and maybe a bounce castle or two.
It's been a smashing success every year that the Fifth Avenue BID has assembled this, and there's no reason to doubt that this year's one will be any less fun.
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