Then and Now Thursday: Fifth and President, 1960

While the Brooklyn Public Library's photo collection generally includes photos from around 100 years ago, I just discovered that the Brooklyn Historical Society also has a fascinating collection of old photos, except these are from the late 50s into the 1960s. These street views provide a snapshot of a neighborhood that in many ways was still old-school, Italian, and very much "Brooklyn."

Case in point: this photo, taken of the southeast corner of Fifth and President, looking north, in February of 1960. On the corner, a drugstore. Tough to tell what's in the little two-story building next door, but next to that is a fabric store, with a butcher shop next to that.

Today, the corner building is home to a "cat clinic" (and its window display of boarded cats). The building next door has been completely renovated, with a new exterior and a couple floors added, along with a giant skylight roof. Next door to it is a Vietnamese sandwich shop, and next to that is Diana Kane, a jewelry and accessories boutique.

Top photo via BHS.

Mr. Wonton Shuttered by Board of Health

Some unfortunate news for fans of Mr. Wonton, the BYOB Chinese restaurant on the corner of Seventh and Berkeley: on Tuesday the Health Department caught up with it, and promptly shut it down after an inspection.

According to the Haelth Department's website, the restaurant, one of just a couple sit-down Chinese restaurants in the area, racked up a lofty 28 violation points. Here are the grimy details (critical violations are in red):

Sanitary Violations
1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Unprotected food re-served.
3) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
4) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
5) Food contact surface not properly maintained.

When they were inspected back on September 6th, they racked up an insane 48 violation points, with these violations:

Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
4) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
5) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
6) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

Blech.

All Traces of Lauterbach's "PUB" Being Removed

I was always intrigued by a semi-hidden sign hanging off of a building on Prospect Avenue that simply said, "PUB." When I wrote about it a few months ago, responses flooded in, explaining that the building's ground floor was once home to a bar called Lauterbach's, a solid dive with a jukebox, pool table, and some live music. It was most popular in the 80s and 90s, and when it closed it was replaced by a day care center.

Apparently the space was much larger than it appeared from the street, because it utilized an extension to the building that stretched into the backyard. Well, the PUB sign has been taken down, and here's the view into the pub's former front door yesterday:

Italian Restaurant Coming to Seventh and Prospect

An Italian restaurant will be opening soon on the corner of Seventh and Prospect Avenues in the South Slope, in the space that was last occupied by the long-shuttered 7th Avenue Video.

As the space was only recently gutted, construction isn't very far along. The man standing in front of the entryway in the photo above, who is an owner of the building, confirmed that it would be a "traditional" Italian restaurant, but couldn't provide any more details.

Open for Business: Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 164 Park Place

Brooklyn's newest outpost of Five Guys Burgers and Fries has officially opened, in the space last occupied by Park Heights Stationers, on the corner of Park and Flatbush. As mentioned earlier, it was originally slated to open at 11 this morning, but that was pushed back due to cash register difficulty.

The restaurant is notably larger than the one down on Seventh Avenue near Fourth Street, boasting about 60 seats, but the layout is exactly what you'd expect if you're familiar with the brand: simple, predominantly red and white decor, and no-frills. And, of course, free peanuts. There are also some very cool soda fountains that dispense a bunch of sodas along with a ton of flavors, in up to about 140 combinations.

Named the best fast food-style burger in the country by Zagat in 2010, the D.C.-based chain has expanded rapidly in the past couple years, with plans to top 200 restaurants nationwide by the end of the year.

In such a central, on-the-beaten-path location, I would give this place about a 100% chance of being extremely popular.

Five Guys, 164 Park Place Brooklyn NY 11217. 347-889-7300.