Good News and Bad News on Court Street

Court Street is one of those places in Brooklyn that has mercifully managed to somewhat withstand the onslaught of gentrification, meaning that some of the retailers--and our particular favorites, the bakeries--that have been there for decades are still there. There is good news and bad news this week for fans of the old Italian Court Street.

First, the good news: the Brooklyn Record is reporting that Monteleone's is reopening. The good people at the Record have been following the twists, turns and rumors of the Monteleone's situation closely. They now say that "It looks like renovations are finally underway." They also found a tidbit on Chowhound: "A guy standing outside (identity unknown) told me that they are remodeling and that Monteleone's will re-open for business in approximately a month." All we can say, is Thank God. The thought that one of Brooklyn's oldest bakeries had closed and that we had not been able to get in for some farewell treats and closure, had been haunting us every time we walked down Court Street.

Now the bad news: When going down Union Street, we glanced to the right down Court Street and noticed that Fratelli's has a big "For Rent" sign in front. We'd noted with some alarm that it had been closed when it shouldn't have been. There is an item and some comments over at A Brooklyn Life about it.

Some suggest that Fratelli's isn't neighborhood enough or old enough or family enough to count as a "neighborhood" loss, but it sure was a convenient place to stop for cannoli cream and pizza dough.