Open for Business: A Shoe Grows in Brooklyn, 419 Seventh Avenue

An independent, children-focused shoe store called A Shoe Grows in Brooklyn opened up last weekend in the long-vacant space that was the long-ago home of the Minerva Theater, on Seventh Avenue near the corner of 14th Street.

I had a chance to speak with the store's owner, Kelly Robertson, who lives just a couple blocks away and has two children of her own, a six year old and a seven year old. 

"After losing my job in corporate communications, I wanted to do something completely different, and stay in the neighborhood," she told me." I had an idea for a kids' shoe store, because there's really no place to get quality children's shoes around here for a good price; it's either very expensive or Payless. Ours are midprice but still quality."

Robertson describes the quaint, comfortable, smartly-designed shop as a "modern family shoe store," with a wide selection of children's shoes along with a more focused offering for men and women. There's also a good selection of clothing and accessories, with an emphasis on Brooklyn-produced products (the Park Slope-themed tote bags are pretty cool). As many of the products as possible are earth-friendly, including "vegan" shoes from Saucony, made using no animal products. There's also a children's play area in the works.

It's really nice to see a store open up that's from the community, for the community, by the community. Robertson and business partner Jason Moore saw a need in the neighborhood and jumped at it, with stellar results.

And if you mention Here's Park Slope, you'll get 10% off your purchase!

A Shoe Grows in Brooklyn, 419 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. Phone: 718-832-1400

YogurBerry to Open Friday on Fifth

The new storefront's been built out, temporary signage is up, and YogurBerry (not Yogurt Berry, apparently), the new fro-yo joint that's been in the works on the corner of Fifth and Prospect (in the space last occupied by Juice Masters) will be opening for business on Friday, according to their sign.

This will be a self-serve yogurt shop, part of a growing chain that's in the process of opening up locations all over the world. You can check out their website here for a better idea of what to expect.

Open for Business: Key Food, 495 Fifth Avenue

After eight months of construction, the Key Food Franchise that's been in the works in the former OTB space on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 12th Street opened for business yesterday afternoon.

While the space isn't nearly as large as, say, the Key Food all the way down Fifth near Sterling, they've done a really nice job with the buildout and managed to fit a lot into the space. It's nicely laid out and doesn't really break the mold, with checkout and deli counter up front, aisles down the middle, refrigerated items along the sides, and meat in the back.

While they claim to have a "gourmet, organic" twist, nothing really jumped out at me as being in that ballpark, save for an admittedly cool DIY nut butter machine. The produce section unfortunately leaves something to be desired, as the bare minimum of fresh fruits and vegetables are in stock.

That said, it's still a quality supermarket, and I'm not sure if it's just because it's brand spanking new but it struck me as being a really nice place to do some grocery shopping. I don't think I've ever seen a wooden floor and tin ceiling in a supermarket either, a nice touch.

Jo, Brian, and Joseph's Key Food, 495 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215.

Open for Business: Aarpan Indian Cuisine, 396 Fifth Avenue

The Indian restaurant that's been in the works in the space last occupied by Mezcal's, on Fifth between Sixth and Seventh Streets, opened for business at 6 PM on Tuesday.

The restaurant is fairly no-frills, with seating for about 26, a small bar, and a nice-size back yard. The has a very wide selection of dishes, with an emphasis on vegeterian options and items cooked in the kitchen's custom-built tandoor oven.

Click through for the entire menu (click for larger images).

Aarpan Indian Cuisine, 396 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. Phone: 718-576-3040.

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Open for Business: Skylark Bar, 477 Fifth Avenue

After months of construction work, retro-themed Skylark Bar opened up last week in the space last occupied by Timboo's, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 11th Street.

One thing needs to be said right off the bat: this place looks absolutely nothing like its predecessor, which lived on this corner since 1969 (and there's been a bar here for as long as anyone can remember). The bar itself remains in place (albeit after a good sanding), and the curved wood back bar is thankfully still there, but other than that the place has been completely renovated. Love it or hate it, the bar looks completely different, and older Timboo's regulars will most definitely not feel particularly comfortable here.

With that said, owner Leah Allen, who also owns Abilene Bar on Court Street, has transformed this space into a very cool place to have a couple drinks. She opened up the room a little bit, removing the pool table and providing ample space to chill out on vintage furniture.

The bar looks a little like Grandma's house, but in a good way, if that's even possible. Mismatched 70s-era chairs, couches, tables and lighting fixtures dot the room, and the theme even continues into the little butterscotch candies on one table. Retro fixtures decorate the walls as well, a holdover from Timboo's but not without irony. There are also a couple old pinball games in the back: Star Trek and Harlem Globetrotters.

Fourteen beers are on tap, averaging 5-6 bucks; a nice selection with no major surprises. There are a few cans and bottles (Gennessee and High Life go for 3 bucks), and two wines by the glass. There are also seven sandwiches on offer: kielbasa with sauerkraut; chicken cordon bleu; "steak and potatoes": roast beef, cheddar, and mashed potatoes on white bread (talk about retro), turkey, brie, and apple; grilled veggies with goat cheese; brie and fig; and French onion soup.

Skylark will open at noon every day for those looking to get started early, and Happy Hour is from 4-7 ($4 well drinks and drafts, and a dollar off everything else).

Skylark Bar, 477 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. 347-227-8196.