Brooklyn Nibbles: Slope's Ten Japanese Getting Set

If you recognize this South Slope storefront as the former location of Laila on Seventh Avenue, it's only because you recognize the location. Everything else about the spot has changed as it morphs into Ten, a new Japanese restaurant. There's no opening date, but judging by the look of things, it will be soon. The interior is nice, but looks generically like many other Brooklyn Japanese restaurants.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Five Guys Park Slope Update

Well, the space that was once occupied by D'Agostino's and Gothic Cabinet Craft on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope is now two-thirds occupied. The biggest part of the space will be taken by Bank of America. Yesterday, we noted that Five Guys Burger chain is moving into the space, as well. A look inside and at the sign indicates the available space is being divvied up and that 2,200 square feet of the original 4,500 are still on the market.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Thai Tony's Slope Outpost Now Open

We mentioned on Monday that Thai Tony's had opened in the South Slope between 15th Street and 16th Street on Seventh Avenue. We were wrong. So, we swung past and found it decorated with grand opening banners. It's the tiny former Brawta space, meaning that there are only a couple of seats unlike the one on Fort Hamilton Parkway in Kensington, so it will be doing a mainly carry out and delivery business. There's a full basic menu of Thai dishes.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Park Slope's Barrio is Open

After much build up, Barrio opened yesterday on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope. We popped in to grab a menu and few photos and chatted with Spencer Rothschild who, with his wife Julie, is behind the restaurant. "This space is a dream come true," said Rothschild, who is also involved in a number of Manhattan dining spots like BLT Prime in Gramercy, Django in Midtown and Calle Ocho on the UWS. He and his wife Julie moved to Park Slope and were looking to open a restaurant close to home. He expressed confidence that the chef, Adrian Leon, who comes from Mexico City, will be a Brooklyn hit. Barrio was filling up around 6:45 and packed by 8:00 last night. Entrees run from $11.95 for the excellent-sounding Baked Vegetarian Enchilada to $19.95 for the Hanger Steak Churrasco. There are also carnitas, grilled marinated steak and fish tacos, a range of appetizers like Oaxaca Marinated Mexican Cheese and daily specials. They're open from 11AM-10PM Sunday-Thursday and 11AM-11PM Friday-Saturday.

Brooklyn Nibbles, Special: Five Guys Burgers Coming to Slope

The mystery of the tenant that will occupy the remaining part of the D'Agostino's space on Seventh Avenue at Sixth Street is solved: It will be an outpost of the Five Guys Burger and Fries chain of restaurants. The chain most recently opened in Brooklyn Heights on Montague Street. The other part of the storefront space is, of course, going to be a Bank of America.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Noodle Studio Gets a Paint Job

This is Noodle Studio a Thai restaurant on N. 5 Street in Williamsburg whose irregular hours, at one point, led us to believe it was closed. It's not and, in fact, the other day the entire front of the building was being turned into a big mural.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Slope's Aperitivo is Aperto & More

1) Aperitivo, the new Italian offering on Fifth Avenue from the owners of Seventh Avenue's Sotto Voce, is open. We found it jammed on Friday night and open to the beautiful spring night air. Chalk it up as an instant smash hit.

2) The much publicized Barrio on Seventh Avenue had a teaser opening on Friday night, with colorful lights in the outdoor dining area and a crowd of diners, but that was it for the weekend. On Saturday, the restaurant was sealed tight. We'll assume there was a invite-only opening on Friday.

3) Another Uncle Louie G's is opening in Park Slope on Fifth Avenue, near Seventh Street, making it the neighborhood's third. The other two are on Union Street and on Seventh Avenue. How many Louie G's can the world handle? We may find out.

4) Thai Tony's, an outpost of a Thai restaurant in Kensington has opened on Seventh Avenue between 15th and 16th in place of a Thai restaurant called Nick. Nick, in turn, occupied the spot vacated by Brawta Outpost. And so it goes.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Burg's Rabbit Hole Coming Along

We checked out progress on The Rabbit Hole, the new spot opening at 352 Bedford (between S. 3 and S. 4), and managed a glimpse at the new interior, which we have to say looks pretty damned nice. The new place comes from the owner of Bedford's departed Read Cafe, Laurence Elliott. It will have a backyard garden and was supposed to be opening up this month, which we suppose is still an outside possibility as the workers on scene yesterday were definitely doing finishing touches-type work rather than basic stuff. It's definitely not Read, but it has a nice look.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Hook's La Bouillabaisse Shows Neon Lobster

We passed by the much-anticipated Neil Ganic restaurant La Bouillabaisse on Beard Street in Red Hook and found the steel grate up and the neon sign illuminated. The back door was open and one or two workers on the premises. The basics look like they're in place, but there appears to be some work remaining to be done on details. The word, however, is that the eatery could open in a few weeks. Soon, Beard Street will have both a big Ikea and a neon lobster in a window reflecting the cranes of the old Todd Shipyard. We are complete.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Kellogg's Diner Closed for Renovations

The renovation work underway at Kellogg's Diner, at the corner of Union and Metropolitan Avenues, looks serious. The only cause for concern, of course, is that the building is surrounded by a big new Chetrit development whose tag line is "Gateway to Williamsburg," which will be a big mixed-use commercial and residential development. In that context, Kellogg's is what is known as a "hold out building." In any case, the door says "Hope to See You Soon." We assume that "hope" is just the way they happened to write it and doesn't really have any meaning.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Slow Going at Organic Heights

We wandered past Organic Heights on Bergen Street at the edge of Park Slope expecting to find it open (it was set to open in October or November) and were surprised to find that it's still closed. In any case, the sign says it is coming very, very soon.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Aperitivo & Brooklyn Bread Mark Slope Turf

1) Aperitivo, which is the new Fifth Avenue outpost of the Seventh Avenue Italian restaurant Sotto Voce, is now sporting a name on its glass. The bistro is supposed to open at the corner of First Street sometime this month, as noted by Brownstoner last month. Sotto Voce is also opening a new "family-style" restaurant called Alta Voce on Fifth Avenue between Second and Third Streets, sometime in June.

2) Brooklyn Bread Company continues its march toward opening on Fifth Avenue at Sixth Street. The signs are up and it looks like they are getting close.

Park Slope's Cafe 11 is Finito

Cafe 11, a relatively new cafe on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope between 11th and 12th Street has bitten the dust. The establishment closed its doors sometime this week. It was located in a fairly (for Seventh Avenue) cafe-heavy area, given the presence of the Tea Lounge and Naidres nearby, never seemed to do very well in terms of attracting customers despite the cheerful look and free wi-fi.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Frankies 457 as It Expands

A special Carroll Gardens correspondent who's been keeping an eye on the southern reaches of Court Street for us sent along these photos of the exterior of the space that will be the expansion of Frankies 457. Our friends at Eater had a look inside last month, and it's unclear what's up except that it's a major expansion and that it's a significant undertaking that will take some time.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Acqua Santa's Pizza vs. Fornino

From GL Correspondent Owen Roberts comes the following observation about two popular Williamsburg spots for pizza:

I've heard that Fornino on Bedford Ave (187 Bedford) has been called "the best pizza in New York." I'm not one to create hierarchies, especially when it comes to pizza, but I went to Acqua Santa (556 Driggs) only a block away on Driggs and N 7th Street, on Thursday night, and the pie I got there was definitely superior to anything I've had at Fornino. I had the "Ballerina" pizza, which I would recommend to anyone. It's a margarita pizza with (I forget the Italian names for everything) basically salad on top, which you spread out and then fold the slices over it and eat it like sandwich. Our server was more than happy to explain it to me—I think I looked a little confused when he brought it out—with a good sense of humor about it. It's not cheaper than Fornino, but the difference in taste is worth the extra block.
--Owen Roberts

Brooklyn Nibbles: Williamsburg Edition

Opening March 5 at 436 Union next to Dumont Burger. If it seems familiar or confusing, it's because it is. The cafe closed last fall on short notice, but it's reopening under new management, and bringing with it an outside patio that was missed by many, just in time for nice weather.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Seventh Ave. Slope Frozen Yogurt Revealed

This is the new frozen yogurt shop on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope near Union Street. It has been known in its permit paperwork as Yogo Monster, although we'll have to wait for signs to go up to know for sure. In any case, the exterior definitely has an Oko/Pinkberryish look and here's a peek at the interior below. Looks like we're closing in an opening just in time for the weather to be more conducive to eating frozen yogurt type things.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Fifth Avenue Openings & Closings

There are some Park Slope things to catch up on, from the Fifth Avenue side:

1) Earth Tonez, a new veggie and vegan cafe, is open at 349 Fifth Avenue, between Fourth and Fifth Streets. The menus leans toward sandwiches and wraps, plus veggie burgers and salads. There's also a pretty complete vegan dessert selection. With V Spot, and S'Nice opening a block away, Fifth Avenue is becoming quite the little stretch for veg-friendly restaurants.

2) Cocotte c'est muerte. The French restaurant at 337 Fifth Avenue, at Fourth Street, is sporting a sign in the window announcing its demise. The death is being blamed on rising rent and an inability to make a go of it financially.

3) Fatoosh, the Brooklyn Heights Middle Eastern, has opened a branch on Fifth Avenue near Ninth Street. Nice interior and presumably some good food too. So, does it mean a Falafel War/Hummus Fight with Pita Hut on Ninth Street?

4) This bit of info has been gathering dust for so long that it doesn't qualify as news, but the Fifth Avenue storefront that was part of the Chip Shop for a time and then was a very short lived (and somewhat underwhelming) Middle Eastern called Alaturka has come back as Mediterra, which has a Mediterranean menu that travels to Turkey, Greece, France and Italy. Mediterra is on Fifth Ave. at the corner of Sixth Street and we hope this is not a Corner of Death type of situation that is evolving.

Brooklyn Nibbles: D'Ag Bank Work Underway, Maggie's New Moo in the Slope

1) Park Slope: Work is very much underway on the Seventh Avenue storefronts that once housed D'Agostino's and Gothic Cabinet Craft. The plywood is up around two-thirds of the property and permits have been issued by DOB, although they don't make clear who the new tenants will be. When we passed by, not a single permit had been posted outside the building, however. The word we got last year was Bank of America, but there's no firm indication of the new tenants.

2) Park Slope: Building permits have been issued for work on one of Seventh Avenue's most cursed storefronts of death near Third Street. Building permits are not illuminating as to the identity of the new business going into the space. The most recent tenant was Maggie Moo's, which went to the Big Dairy in the Beyond last year. So many business have occupied the space and died over the last decade that everyone has lost count. Rumors of ritual animal sacrifices and curses being placed on the property are unfounded, however. We think.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Burg Hooka Bar Going Up in Smoke?

It looks like Banbalotto, the hooka bar and Mediterranean restaurant on N. 4 Street near Bedford Avenue, may not be drawing smoke much longer. We came across a listing for a restaurant/lounge available for "amazing under market rent." When we went to look we found it was a "a 2200 sq ft Hooka Bar on North 4th and Bedford. Full Liquor Lic, Full Kitchen w/hood, completely turn key Bar/Restaurant!" Banbalotto has been open a little more than a year. The space can be yours for $5,665 a month.
[Photo courtesy of A Test of Will]