Bergen Hill Menu.

We haven't tried Bergen Hill yet but walked by and saw the menu, above, and it looks wonderful.  They've only been open a few weeks now.  We're definitely going to try it soon and will let everyone know if the menu is as good as it looks.  In the meantime, has anyone been there and would like to share?  We'd love to hear what you thought!  Also, if you'd like to see a pdf of the menu click here.  So many delicious sounding places opening up in the area (such as Hometown BBQ which opened less than two weeks ago), so little time!

New Salon on Court.

Replacing Nectar, which moved out of this space at 198 Court Street not that long ago, is a salon and "finishing bar" called Fox and Jane.  Apparently you can sip on some complimentary wine or beer while getting your hair done according to an article in TimeOut.  It's a nice intimate space.  Nectar is still serving out of Strong Place at 270 Court for the time being, although last we heard they were still looking for a new spot of their own.

New Restaurant on the Block.

The new spot we're talking about is called Bergen Hill, which will highlight seafood and raw fish on their menu, and the block is Court between 1st and 2nd.  It's in the spot formerly, and briefly, occupied by Bourgeois Pig Brooklyn.  There's been a buzz about this place, which is supposed to open tomorrow according to their website.  The buzz mainly comes from the names involved.  Timeout magazine reports that the raw fish trend is coming to Carroll Gardens "thanks to Ravi DeRossi (Death & Company, Proletariat), who banded with Interpol guitarist Daniel Kessler to open this Brooklyn drinkery. The nightlife guru has tapped Top Chef alum Andrew D’Ambrosi (Le Cirque) to helm the menu".  We snapped this picture last week they looked about ready to open. 

Bareburger closes doors temporarily.

After waiting for months for the new Bareburger on Court Street neat Atlantic to open they only opened for a short time before the brown paper went back up on the doors and windows.  The sign outside last week said the "exciting things are happening" and they will re-open with "COOL improvements".  Air conditioning? We can't really guess what could be going on behind that paper but definitely strange that something needs improving after being open for such a short time.  We're growing curiouser and curiouser.

Brand New Bagels.

The new bagel shop at 285 Court Street is open! Although it was closed when we walked by in the evening. It looks pretty nice.  Simple but nice.  It's great to have a new bagel shop in the neighborhood.  There aren't too many options and in our opinion you can never have too many.  It's good to have one within a few block radius for those early morning breakfast runs.  We're psyched to try this place out!

More Bike Racks!

We came across this bike rack on Court and Pacific and were very excited to see that this approach is spreading.  We first learned about the idea, to replace "No Standing Zones" with bike racks.  This way people on the perpendicular corner can see the oncoming traffic, a view that would have been obstructed by cars that ignored the "no standing" signs, which seemed to be happening all to frequently.  And more parking for bikes! Keep them coming!

Zero Guys.

 Photo: Hugh Merwin

It looks as though the Five Guys Burgers and Fries that opened on Court Street not too long ago is no longer.  We've heard that the place is now closed, gutted, and has a sign on the door thanking people for their patronage and asking us to please visit their Montague location.  This is both surprising and not so surprising at the same time.  Given the excellent location right a cross from the Cobble Hill movie theater (perfect spot to grab a quick meal when you're running late for a flick), it's very family friendly and has a good reputation for being pretty delicious, it's strange that they only lasted a little over a year.  The place, however, never seemed that crowded and with all the competing burgers in the area, made with better quality ingredients, it's not too surprising.  Oh well.  Grubstreet also wrote about the closing (above pic) and seemed a little shocked too.  We've got enough burgers, now we can only hope for a really delicious Indian restaurant!

Runnin' Wild on Court Street

Taking over the south half of the space that used to be Sweet Melissa's is Runnin' Wild Kids Shoes.  As you can see from the photo above we couldn't really see inside to check on their progress but the last status update on their facebook page said "A bit behind ! But soon, very soon. Working day and night to open next week."  That was posted on August 2nd so we assume they plan on opening day being set for this week sometime.  The photo below was also on their facebook and it's a drawing of what we can expect the store to look like.  It's a narrow space but goes pretty far back.  Plenty of room for kids to run around and see if their shoes fit.

Mama Maria's Make Over.

                           Mama Maria's swaps out its old awning for a simple sign. (DNAinfo/Heather Holland)

This is soooo cool!  We had no idea about this when it was going on but came across this blog (picture above) on DNAinfo New York.  Mama Maria's Italian restaurant on Court Street has gotten a makeover, Gordon Ramsey-style.  They will be on Kitchen Nightmares!  Now although it doesn't air until the fall you can see the improvements already, especially in the very different signage they have put up.  You can read the whole article here.  It talks more about the changes that have been made to the restaurant and is really interesting.  Check it out.

More self serve yogurt in the hood

Just passed this sign for icrave last week on Court Street. It's right across from the movie theater between Schermerhorn and State Streets, which seems like an ideal location but the Yogo Monster that was in this space previously, closed.  This place has a schtick, though.  It's self serve with 21 flavors and even more toppings to mix in yourself.  Pretty much exactly like 16 handles, which recently opened in Carroll Gardens.  It's the new trend in yogurt.  But how long will it last?

Karloff Under Renovation

We blogged about Karloff, an Eastern European eatery on Court Street, when it first opened only a year and a half ago.  We noticed recently that they had brown paper in their windows and thought they had closed.  We then saw the sign (below) stating that they are getting a facelift, kitchen upgrades and changing their menu as well.  It seems so soon to be making all of these changes.  We really liked this place, they had a very unique menu and great ice cream, and hope the changes they make will bring in the customers while keeping the good aspects of the old Karloff in tact. No word on when they will reopen but we'll keep you posted.

Commercial Shoot

Remember Jordache jeans? They always gave you that ultimate flat butt look that all the 80's hotties had. Well, they are actually still around and if you need some proof they'll be shooting a commercial for them in our neighborhood tomorrow and Saturday so you could go check it out for yourself. We saw the "No Parking" sign posted at Court Street and Warren. It also says on the sing post that Nigel Baker, a fashion photographer that you may know from America's Next Top Model, will be involved. So it may be a photographer shoot and not a commercial? Or maybe he's in the commercial? If anyone see their way over there in the next couple of days let us know.

Court Street Grocers Revisited

Alright we've already blogged about the delicious Court Street Grocers, but we really can't get enough. If you haven't gone over their for a sandwich you really need to. Although they have a lot of veggie options, including two veggie loafs (one made of chick peas and one made of lentils and grains) it's they're meat that's really worth the trip over there. The last couple of Sundays they've had special sandwiches. On May 12th they tweeted "Secret 'eat in only' sandwich coming this Sunday! Ask for it!" and posted the picture linked below. If you're squeamish or vegetarian, I wouldn't click on it. Turns out they made a suckling pig porchetta sandwich. Yesterday's special? "The H, D, L: Braised shredded duck leg, duck liver pate, honey roasted duck breast, cukes, pickled ginger and carrots, and some cilantro on baguette!" Special is right! Check out there facebook page for future specials announcements.

Suckling Pig Pic

The scoop on Karloff, new coffee bar and eatery

254 Court St, which used to be the Tea Lounge, is soon to be a coffee/juice bar and eatery called Karloff. We spoke with the owner, Artur, and got a rough idea of what to expect. The focus seems to be on affordable foods and beverages of excellent quality, utilizing local products. They'll have ice cream from Jane's Homemade ice cream of Kingston, NY and Dallis Bros. Coffee (http://www.dalliscoffee.com), who's roastery is located in Queens and has been serving fair trade coffee to New Yorkers for nearly one hundred years. The food will have an Eastern European influence and in the future, after they have settled in, they hope to offer delivery service as well as family style portions.

Although we have no shots of the inside, the owner preferred we wait until the place was more presentable, it's looking very close to being ready and the decor is homey with an eclectic mixed of furniture. The wooden chairs were acquired from different homes in upstate are very reminiscent of "grandma's house". There is a beautiful long wooden table that was built by the owner himself.

An expected opening date isn't yet set. Artur said hopefully next week or the week after but wants everything to be perfect before inviting the public in. We all know that first impressions are important.

Brucie Italian Market/Restaurant

We've all been waiting and wondering what would become of the space at 234 Court St, the old Cube 63 sushi restaurant. Well, the waiting is over. Brucie opened last weekend with dinner hours and a limited menu and will be opening fully for lunch and more food offerings next week. Brucie, named after a couple of the chef/owner, Zahra Tangorra's, canine friends (Zahra's dog is named Burrito and Burrito's dog buddy is Lucy), is an Italian market/restaurant. The menu, which you can view on their website www.brucienyc.com, will change often depending on what's fresh and in season. Their meats are hand-picked from Nectar Hills Farm and poultry is obtained from Hoosic River Poultry. The focus is on quality products and ingredients.

There are pictures of the interior below. The first picture is of their back room, which will be used for private parties and also 5 course tastings, priced at $50 per person. As you can see the decor is lovely. The copper-top bar, made with reclaimed barn materials, was crafted by a friend of the owners, Brian McGowan (ilkny.com). They are planning on obtaining a permit for backyard use so at some point they'll have outdoor seating. More future plans include cooking classes and lasagna service, which would entail you bringing a pan to the restaurant in the morning and picking it up before dinner with a ready-to-cook lasagna. Cool idea! While we visited they gave us a taste of their fried cheese ravioli and it was soooo delicious. Can't wait to try more!

Dubuque- 548 Court St

Hot off the press from Realty Collective! A new restaurant is under way at 548 Court St. The space is in its final touches and will be named Dubuque. We found this information on the space over by 9th St. written by our friends over at Brownstoner back in May:

"Here's an early word on what's to fill the space at 548 Court: a man working there said he plans on opening a burger place, with other open face sandwiches with some fancy touches like truffles. They were just approved for a building permit and construction looked to be in very early stages, but hopefully this place will measure up to the other popular restaurants on that lower stretch of Court." GMAP

Anything with truffles makes me salivate. We are looking forward to it! YUM!

Strong Place

270 Court Street, once home to the adorable trinket shop Shakespeare’s Sister, re-opened a few weeks ago and is now home to Strong Place. Strong Place is brought to us by the chef and owner of Bocca Lupo on Henry (one of my fav Italian tapas places in the hood) and healthy juice-bar Nectar on Court Street. The new restaurant is an American Bistro or "gastropub" (that's what the cool kids seem to be calling it these days) complete with a raw bar, charcuterie and lots of "medium-sized" plates all priced under $20. A few of the mouth-watering menu options: Crispy Duck Leg Confit, Grilled Lamb Burger with Feta, and Fried Ipswich Oysters. . . . . yum! They also have a great wine selection with all bottles priced under $40 and for all you beer lovers, there are 24 selections on tap starting at $5. If you'd like to read a review from a nabe foodie (Eat It: The Brooklyn Food Blog), click HERE.

When will the new hole open?

Its been almost a year since Hole in the Wall video closed on Court Street and still the doors to the new tenants have not opened. It was almost immediately rented to new tenants and work began on what looked like a coffee shop or bar.
I have now heard rumors that it is going to be restaurant? , called Calpurnia.


It was inspected last week and faired pretty well compared to other places in the neighborhood but when will they open their doors?

Closing one by one!

Businesses are closing left and right in Cobble Hill. Next door neighbors Miriam and Jill's Vegan Organic closed within days of each other. Could landlords - and overpriced rents - be to blame? Okay, the businesses share some of the responsibility. Miriam (which still has a location in Park Slope) was never anything amazing. They had a killer brunch, but the service was super slow and there was always a wait. (I ate dinner there once and it was just OK but was way over priced.) I'm sad to see it go 'cause it was one of the only good brunch places in the neighborhood and now the storefront will probably sit empty for a long time considering the current market conditions. Jill's actually had great food but really had no atmosphere and never was a place you wanted to go for dinner. The food was amazing for what it was but I never thought it was worth the hefty price tag.

I really think it's because landlords were charging exorbitant rents for these places. I always seem to balk at the numbers landlords give me for their commercial spaces. Can you imagine renting a space for a bar on Columbia street for 5k a month? There have been plenty of closures over the last couple of months but this trend has been a long time coming. I think landlords are about to get a big reality check as places sit empty for longer and longer and don't fetch the 10k a month some of them are trying to pocket.


Maybe if the rents come down, we'll get more of what the neighborhood needs: great food and decent prices.