Philly's Melt Kraft Coming to Almondine Space

Almondine closed for good after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the bakery's Dumbo kitchen, and now Grub Street is reporting that a grilled cheese shop called Melt Kraft will be moving into the space, on Ninth Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

This isn't just any grilled cheese shop, though: it's on offshoot of Valley Shepherd Creamery, the New Jersey-based dairy that set up a highly successful cheese shop on Seventh Avenue in 2011, and there's already one in Philadelphia. The grilled cheeses made here will use cheese produced by the creamery, and they'll most likely be delicious.

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.

Signage Up at Park Place Pharmacy

The pharmacy that's been in the works on Park Place between Seventh and Flatbush is just about ready to open, and last night signage went up. 

The no-frills Park Place Pharmacy is much smaller than the two competitors that are just steps away, Duane Reade and Kings. Whereas those behemoths sell just about everything under the sun, though, this one will be a lot more specialized. 

Two neon signs dominate the back of the space; one says "Consultations" and the other says "Prescriptions." There are a couple coolers stocked with beverages, and a few racks on the two walls with soap, shampoo, lotions, and the like. Nothing too out of the ordinary. 

There's certainly plenty of competition, but this seems to be to be almost like a pharmacist setting up a private practice. A man I spoke with who appeared to be the owner told me that it should be open within two to three weeks.