Speakeasy: First Impressions

I dined at Speakeasy last night with two friends.  Apologies for not having my camera -- it was late (around 9 pm), and I had just returned home from a stressful grad class, and I forgot to bring it. For 9 pm on a Monday night, the place was pretty full.  There were a large number of people there who were just chilling at the bar, and most tables were full.  The atmosphere inside was quite nice, and I personally thought the decor looked great.  The chandelier is gorgeous! The crowd was also very diverse.  My friends also spotted a famous actor there dining (but I didn't know who he was). Food: we started with spicy wings as an appetizer. They came with a sort of sweet-spicy glaze and were topped with fresh cilantro.  Excellent, I thought.  Between us for dinner, we tried the roast chicken, the miso-glazed salmon and the... short rib?  All were really great -- flavorful and well-seasoned -- and there really is something to the idea of "comfort food."  Suddenly, we all felt kind of snuggly and content (seriously, we did).  We waited a really long time between our wings and the entrees, which was really the only problem we encountered during the evening.  Also, a few "key" items were not yet available, namely the lamb and the steak.  Will have to go back for those another time.

Not bad for opening night.

The prices, as noted by several readers, are a little too high. If the entrees were all $3 less, I'd probably go for dinner there quite often.  Also, my Heinekin was $6 (!!!).  I'm really looking forward to them serving brunch, especially on a snowy morning, since I live close by.

Anyone else go last night?  I know this place has received a lot of flack in the comments, but do go check it out before hating on it!  I thought it was lovely overall.

Speakeasy Opens TONIGHT!

At long last, Chef Josie's Speakeasy opens tonight at 5pm.

Menu shots:

A little pricier than I'd have liked, but looks like it could be pretty tasty. 132 Greene Ave @ Waverly www.thespeakeasybrooklyn.com

New Hours @ Grand 275

I'm sure many of you who used to hit up Grand 275 in the mornings for coffee, croissant and WiFi have been worried. Gates have been down, and some residents feared they may have closed.

Have no fear! They're just focusing on evening hours now, but will continue to serve light brunch on weekends.

Grand 275 275 Grand, nr Lafayette www.grand275.com (hours have not been updated)

Speakeasy Update

Apparently, Josie's restaurant on Waverly and Greene will be called Speakeasy. The front's been painted, the interior looks gorgeous and they look to be almost ready to go. Reader Sean stopped in when he saw some action inside a few days ago: I just wanted to pass this along for CHB. I was walking by Speakeasy tonight and noticed that they had tables set up, candles going, and people were sitting at the bar. So I poked my head in and talked to someone inside. I was informed that they are just doing Friends & Family for now but plan to be open to people in the neighborhood on the 15th, sort of a trial run, and then fully open on the 22nd. I saw Josie in the kitchen and the place was all decorated and setup and, I must say, looking inviting. I'm very excited to see what they'll have on offer.

I took these snaps last night:

Third Annual Bed-Stuy Alive!

Just received this info about an awesome week-long Bed-Stuy event! THIRD ANNUAL BED STUY ALIVE! TASTE, STRUT, TOUR, KNOW Festive Celebration Honoring Brooklyn’s Culturally Enriched Neighborhood Village Wide Affair Encourages Economic Empowerment & Community Pride

In the spirit of Kwanza principle Ujaama (cooperative economics), Community Board 3 in association with the Brownstoners of Bedford Stuyvesant Inc., Bedford Stuyvesant Artists’ Association (BeSaa), Bridge Street Development Corporation and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation encourages New York to support the 3rd Annual Bed Stuy Alive! Taste, Strut, Tour Know. This festive event, which runs from Saturday, October 13 – Saturday, October 20, celebrates Bedford Stuyvesant’s vibrant business, cultural and artistic communities while promoting pride among its residents.

Bodegas Gossip!

A source tells me that the space formerly occupied by Bodegas restaurant (SE corner of Fulton and Clinton, R.I.P.), is now slated to become an Italian fusion restaurant. The source tells me it will be called "Clinton Hill Bistro," but maybe she was confused as that's what the windows at Bodegas said. Or alternately, the new owners decided to just call the restaurant that and save themselves the trouble of redoing the windows.

Last I heard it was supposed to be a bank.

Remember when Bodegas took over that extra space on the far left for catering? The sign said, "Occasions." Did that ever even open?

Waffle Weekends @ Frank White

Starting this Saturday, Frank White is launching Waffle Weekends! They'll be serving waffles/toppings Saturday & Sundays (10-1).They'd like to offer Clinton Hill Blog readers something special for stopping by this weekend -- a complimentary 'lil kim' size coffee or fresh squeezed orange juice with waffles! Just mention CHB for your free beverage :)

Frank White cafe/gallery/social 936 Atlantic Ave. at St. James Pl. www.frankwhitenyc.com

More info on FW here.

The End for Gourmet Kitchen

Back in December, hey mama told us that Gourmet Kitchen's days were numbered (Myrtle at Vanderbilt). Looks like the end is finally near:

Thirty years on Myrtle Ave, and just a few days left. The original rumor was that a high-end grocery store would be moving in. Any more gossip out there?

UPDATE: Restaurant on Waverly and Greene

A few weekends ago, I ran into Josie Smith-Malave, one-time Top Chef contestant and Clinton Hill regular, standing outside the in-the-works restaurant opening in the former bodega space on Waverly and Greene.  She told me the space was slated to serve "global comfort food," and was aiming to be "a real neighborhood place - one you'll eat at three times a week." Since then, there's been a lot of activity.  The newspapers are off the windows now, and I spotted some stuff being moved in on Friday night:

I'm going to do a little interview with Josie in early October to coordinate with the restaurant's opening.  Stay tuned...

Uh, New Restaurant on Fulton?

I'm never on Fulton in Fort Greene, which explains why I had no idea that a tasty new restaurant, Epoca, had opened, oh, in JUNE. The Brooklyn Paper gave it a wonderful review. Anyone been?

Manee Thai: Best Comment Ever

I haven't eaten at Manee yet, but reader Jessica has. Here's what she had to say: Yes. It is Thai. It is greasy. And it is damn good. And much better than Thai 101 and Myrtle Thai. Actually the interior looks like the two other places mated.

HA!

Tamboril: A Quickie Review

I dined at Tamboril last Friday!  I'm waiting for BrooklynJay to go and write up his traditional review, but I'll share some preliminary thoughts.

First, the space looks great.  Warm colors, nice furniture and a cool use of what could have been an awkward space.  The wait staff was exceptionally friendly and prompt as well.  I had a special coconut shrimp appetizer special with a fried chicken dish, plus shared the bread pudding for dessert.  Everything was really flavorful, and the place got pretty full later in the evening.  They'll start serving brunch this weekend- yay! Now, here are my gripes, which seem to apply to ALL new restaurants in the 'hood.  Tamboril does not have its liquor license yet, nor are they accepting credit cards.  I assume both of these conditions will change in the next few weeks, but it's still a major inconvenience to the customer!  The plus side to the BYOB is that is makes dinner exponentially cheaper, and Tamboril isn't charging any corking fee (ahem).  However, the credit card thing really pisses me off.  This likely means you must depart the restaurant for an ATM and then deal with getting change and splitting up small bills between friends later in the evening.  I just don't understand why these places can't wait another week or so to open until they have that stuff in place.  I've definitely walked away from a place I was about to dine at when learning they didn't take cards.  Yes, accepting credit cards is an expense for businesses, but when you have a huge space to fill with customers, it's necessary.  Dear restaurants yet to open: get your ducks in a row, and then open! Tamboril 527 Myrtle Ave.

Friday Photo

(inside mike's coffee shop, willoughby dekalb at hall)

Il Torchio

Il Torchio

458 Myrtle Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11205

(718) 422-1122

www.iltorchionyc.com

----

"Hey."

"Hey." I said back to the strange man with the baseball cap on, a t-shirt and a beer in hand. I've seen him sitting at the bar all evening. Why is he talking to me?

Long awkward pause. No one in my party of four knows what to do now.

"You don't speak English?" said the strange man.

"Huh? Oh I speak English." i replied now with a bewildered look. Is he drunk?

Another long awkward pause before the stranger walks away.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's one of the owners. I have to tell him to stop bothering the customers like that." said the waitress.

"That was one of the owners?" We all looked at each other in amusement and laughed.

And that's pretty much the only bump in an otherwise really nice dining experience at Il Torchio, a new Italian place on Myrtle. As a new place they are still experiencing "growing pains" - running out of items, timing, etc. - but nothing that couldn't be corrected in the next few weeks.

The owners, as I understand it, are in the construction business and did a wonderful job of restoring the space. The bar area/dining room is very rustic looking yet airy.

It was a little dark for my taste but does create the mood of an "intimate dining experience" if that's what you're looking for. I was looking for a little more light so I could read the menu.

There's also a garden but I didn't go out back to check it out.

They offered a reasonably priced dinner menu with several salad, panini and pasta choices along with a couple of specials. They also have a huge tapas menu which I thought was a bit expensive at $8-$15 per plate. I always thought the idea of tapas were small, affordable dishes which you can make a meal of by ordering several plates. It'll be expensive to do it here at these prices but it didn't stop us from ordering a few as pseudo appetizers.

From top to bottom: The Tapas Special, the Dried Figs and the Artichoke & Parmigiano Dip.

The Special was nice - very garlicky.

The Dried Figs was interesting in terms of Sweet, Salty and Savory and might not be for everyone. Personally, I thought they were good but I'm gonna try something else on the tapas menu before ordering it again.

The Artichoke & Parmigiano Dip was very good, highly recommended, but you get this huge amount of dip and so little toast on the side! You'll need, no you'll WANT, a giant basket of toasts to scoop up all that yummy goodness! Now it could have been a bit thicker in consistency but in terms of taste...very good.

We then had the Insalata di Cesare to cleanse the palate.

Eh. I didn't like it. I like my salads to come dressed unless I ask for dressing on the side. The dressing was also very strong on the anchovies too giving it a fishy taste.The croutons were also a bit bland - need to be more garlicky. Unless changes are made - pass on it.

For entrees we got Penne ala Vodka, Rigatoni Bologneses and the Saffron Linguine with Clams and Calamari.

The pictures may not show it but these are fairly large bowls of pasta. (Or maybe I ate too much toast and dip.)

The Penne ala Vodka was very good. It wasn't too heavy on the cream sauce and had a very nice flavor to it. Very well done.

The Rigatoni Bolognese was good as well. It's a mixture of meats making up the Bolognese sauce which made the dish slightly different than the ordinary. Again, very flavorful and well done.

The Saffron Linguine had a lot of flavor but finished with a bit of saltiness. I'm thinking it's from the clams but I could be mistaken. It was still a very good dish that could've been better if it was slightly less salty.

We finished dinner with the Tiramisu which is not pictured because it didn't last long enough to get photographed! Decent slice of Tiramisu covered in a chocolate sauce. Yummy.

Overall, I enjoyed my dinner at Il Torchio. It's nice to have a reasonable priced (if you stay away from the tapas menu) Italian restaurant on Myrtle. The dishes are nice, familiar fare with a slight twist. The large selection of tapas gives it the ability to be a different dining experience every time you go - I'll definitely be back.

Note: They do not currently have a liquor license but are in the process of getting one. There is a liquor store on the corner with a nice selection of wines. Il Torchio charges a $10 corking fee.

More on Little Piggy (Market)

BrooklynJay, who is just about moved back INTO the nabe, spent some time at Little Piggy (Market) this past weekend to chat up the owners and try some new food. Here's what he said about it: so we grabbed lunch at smoke joint yesterday and ben was nice enough to give us a little food preview of the little piggy market, i think that's what it's gonna be called - gotta check my timeout to verify, which is slated to open next door sometime next week.

ben made a black eye peas salad which had black eye peas obviously, corn and heirloom tomatoes. he also gave us a little taste of a macaroni salad too. both were outstanding. as one of my friends said "this tastes like summer. this is the stuff you'd love to bring with you on a picnic." it was so fresh - those heirloom tomatoes...wow.

he also gave a little walk thru of the new space and it's really cool. it's going to sell items by weight, like the two salads above, so you can bring it home to accompany your own cooking. (They are some awesome sides that would go with just about anything.) It's also gonna accommodate seating for 12 people (for now) and offer, along with food by weight, a blue plate special type deal - a protein or two, a couple of sides, etc. for one set price.

the cool thing is they're gonna have good COFFEE and DESSERTS. Pastries! Pies! Oh My! Fresh baked in the morning! and the coffee's gonna be the same as the coffee served at some of the finer gourmet restaurants in the city.

the menu's gonna change according to what's fresh. If, for instances, they can get nice peaches then they'll not only have fresh peaches for sales - they'll also possibly have peach cobbler available too.

I think it's gonna be amazing. since the menus gonna change it'll allow ben and craig to both experiment and be creative and offer some dishes that wouldn't have fit at the smoke joint. (mention of fried chicken and meat loaf had my mouth watering.) i personally can't wait for it to open.

oh and the smoked joint was awesome as always! lunch definitely is the way to go - nothing is sold out yet and plenty of seats available. (the food coma afterwards and napping in the early evening were the only side effects.)

Another friend who lives nearby and was kind enough to give me her own witty spin on the place:

I was headed to Smoke Joint for a bag of Brooklyn wings to celebrate my roommate having moved out when I noticed that Little Piggy Market was finally open. After several weeks shrouded in secrecy the owners of Smoke Joint had finally opened what they billed as a little sister to their successful BBQ joint.

More different siblings could not be. You will not find a drop of barbeque sauce at Little Piggy, instead what you will find is a changing roster of salads, sandwiches, entrees and sides that are determined by what’s in season at the moment. On my first visit they were out of the meatloaf sandwich but I was encouraged to sample the chicken salad sandwich which was billed as “awesome” by the cute cook. Although I hate chicken salad I like cute cooks so I obliged. The sandwich was in fact quite good and huge and the heirloom tomato salad I got as a side was quite tasty as well. In order to round out my meal I decided to get a cupcake, which kudos to Little Piggy was frosted with cream cheese icing instead of the typical butter cream that seems to be plaguing other cupcakes around this city. The cupcake was tasty and baked in a stiff foil cup which necessitated the use of a fork to eat it and made my cupcake into more of a cake in a cup.

On a return visit I finally got to try the meatloaf sandwich that had eluded me on my prior visit. One bite and I knew exactly why it had sold out the day before. It consisted of crusty bread surrounding a warm slice of meatloaf, heirloom tomatoes and caramelized onions. To round out my meal I decided to forgo any vegetables and got a s’mores cookie that was crispy on the outside and nice and chewy in the center. Everything was tasty and despite its large size and slight messy factor and I finished every bite with the reckless abandon that can only come with dining in the privacy of my newly empty apartment.

Much like The Smoke Joint next door Little Piggy and its sociable staff are a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Plus, here's some info from Brooklyn Based. Man, I need to get over there now.

(Lafayette at S. Elliott)

Finally, a Plan for Liquors

A drawn-out mystery comes to a close. The old Liquors space on DeKalb (between Adelphi and Clermont) will become a Moroccan tapas restaurant/lounge, in approximately two months. The space will be run by Nadir Khelifi, who owns Cafe Lafayette on S. Portland. Cafe Lafayette makes a mean burger, so hopes are high for tasty food.

No word on whether or not the old Liquors sign will stay, but I hope it does.

Thanks to Dana Rubinstein, who got the scoop in the Brooklyn Paper.

Opening Soon: A Recap

It's hard to keep up with all the stuff about to open in the 'hood, along with the stuff that's newly opened. Here's a recap: Recently-ish Opened:

1001 Affairs 1001 Fulton St. 718-398-2211 Teleflora vendor, potentially great selection of greeting cards, promising selection of fresh flowers, friendly staff

Bidonville 47 Willoughby Ave. 718-855-4515 Coffee and pastries from Choice Market, cozy space, friendly staff

Bittersweets 180 DeKalb Ave. 718-852-2556 Balthazar pastries and tasty coffee

Il Torchio 458 Myrtle Ave. 718-422-1122 JUST opened Monday! Italian tapas, large wine selection.

LOX 15 Putnam Ave. 718-622-5349 Large bar/event space with gorgeous back yard. Soon to be home to a second event space downstairs. Good for large groups.

Paws-n-Claws 448 Grand Ave. 718-622-0060 Mostly grooming services, but carries small selection of leashes, clothing and toys for dogs

Still Hip Brooklyn 283 Grand Ave. 718-398-0008 Gorgeous renovation of old Karrot space, gently used kids' clothing and toys, plus maternity; classes and activities for kids

Threading Place 262 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-662-0883 History of grammatically incorrect signage, but are good for well-priced brow threading and also offer facials and other treatments. May have already closed?

Little Piggy (Market) 64 Lafayette Ave. 718-797-1011 Soulful sides and desserts, to stay and to go Coming VERY Soon:

'Cure 921 Fulton 718-622-3100 Beauty treatments, natural products. Opens FRIDAY and looks gorgeous.

Manee Thai 372 Myrtle Ave. 718-222-9992 Third Thai restaurant on Myrtle in our area. Confusing sign. Owned by the guys who run Myrtle Thai.

Tamboril 527 Myrtle Ave. 718-622-5130 Nuevo Latino cuisine and lounge, bar, live performances

Upcoming:

Telos Apothecary Natural treatments

New Place by Choice Market Flowers, meats, cheeses

Mullanes: Sweet Outdoor Space

Walked past Mullanes last week and noticed they have what appears to be a pretty nice outdoor seating area along the S. Elliott side of the building. I haven't been in awhile -- any new feedback on these guys?

Grand Ave Block Party: Saturday, 8/18

Grand Avenue between Lafayette and Lexington will be THE place to be on Saturday. Local businesses Choice Market, Grand 275, Still Hip, Le Grand Dakar and Nu Yu Day Spa are sponsoring the festivities. Special events include: Le Grand Dakar will be offering a veritable feast of Senegalese/Caribbean/French food; Africa/African Diasporan music, and dance, the Party will also include a fashion show, a sprawling blank canvass for painter aspirants, young and old, and a children’s area, where face painting and storytellers will hold forth. Where’s the 1? Productions collaborates on music talent coordination.

1 pm: Ray Ellison Blues Band Art Exhibition by Joseph Bell-Bey

2 pm: Don Juarez Riosambadon, Brazilian Carnival music and dancers

4 pm: Couture Fashion Show by Saga Africa (Senegalese designer) and Brooklyn-based, Nigerian designer Moshood. DJs: O.P., Mastake, Malick, and Sugarcane

5 pm: Tribe of Judah, Reggae band

7 pm: Sahar Drums with Thiokho Diagne, Senegalese drumming and dancing 9 pm: Rhonda Denet, gospel/jazz/soul vocalist.

Still Hip is offering FREE classes and HALF-PRICE sale on all spring and summer items!

11:30 - Let's Dance Brooklyn! class for toddlers

noon - Music for Aardvarks class for children 0-5 years old

12:30 - children's art activities with Valeen of Private Picassos face painting - raffles - sidewalk art

MUSIC all day by DJ O.P. and Mastate, The Ray Ellison Blues Band, Don Juarez Riosambadon, Tribe of Judah, Sabar Drums and Rhonda Denet and more

Grand 275 will have food and a flea market and Choice Market will be peddling tasty treats.

More Thai on Myrtle: Marree? Mallee?

Yes, folks, the tips have been pouring in all week. There's a new Thai place opening on Myrtle, in the space formerly occupied by Pillow Cafe.

The sign is pretty nice overall, but that font is really misleading. Marree? Mallee?

It's actually Manee Thai, and the sign is a play on mixing Thai and English script.

Next question: Does Myrtle Ave need a third Thai restaurant? Interestingly enough, Manee is being opened by the son and current owners of Myrtle Thai. Perhaps we are witness to a Thai empire rising?

Manee should be opening early next week, but that's not yet set in stone. I've heard mixed reviews about both Thai 101 and Myrtle Thai, though myself have had nice dining-in experiences and slow-ass delivery service from both establishments. Wonder if Maree will offer something new? Send in your reviews when Manee opens its doors.

Manee 372 Myrtle Avenue Between Adelphi & Clermont 718-222-9992