*****UPDATE June 15, 2005 ****
please read response from current manager at bottom of post
The note by Andrew, who owns a 30% stake in the business, describes a lengthy legal battle with a businessman who seems to hold the lease to the restaurant. The dispute still seems to be unresolved, though the New York State Supreme Court ruled on parts of the case. According to Andrew, regardless of the outcome of the legal wrangling, the businessman "is not planning to renew the lease that's expiring next year, so it'll be sad to see Fragole go."
According to the reader who sent me a link to the restaurant's web site, he writes: "This would be a big loss for the neighborhood (and me!)."Here is a screenshot of the website. You can read the entire text on the website directly here:
Andres would like people to share the story and welcomes opinions. The website lists his contact information if you are inclined to communicate with him.
*****UPDATE****
I received an email from the manager of Fragole, who shed some more light on the situation at the beloved Italian eatery. Here is what she wrote:Hello Pardon Me For Asking blog,
I hope this email finds you well. I am the active manager at Fragole ristorante on 394 court street and I just read your post about our restaurant. I just wanted to clarify since information lately is being misconstrued.
Our old website fragoleny.com has been hacked into and compromised. There is now a false story going around and I wanted to clarify with you that Fragole will not be closing and we are continuing to do business as per usual, with authentic food, good service and rustic, friendly ambiance.
We are now running our new website on www.fragolenyc.com orwww.fragolebk.com. We will continue to post our specials daily and hope to always make customers happy through their stomachs which is what us Italians love to do.
I appreciate it very much and I hope you have a beautiful day.
Mille Grazie
Mille Grazie
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13 comments:
Nothing that keeps Andres from just leasing the space himself.
Also, after years of greatness, last two times I have eaten in there I have been VERY disappointed. Don't think I will give them a third chance.
Bully here...
Boy, I moved out of the neighborhood just in time. Fragole was the first place Mrs. Bully and I ate just after we found our apartment (before she was a Mrs. Bully). I suppose some place will take this spot pretty quickly. It would be a great place for my wine and pottery concept called "Gulp and Sculpt." I'm here all week folks!
Fragole has been hit or miss recently but they're still dead on often enough to keep me coming back. I like them better than Frankie's and if you take price into consideration, this is one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood and my go to Italian. I've been going to Fragole for 11 years and I'll be very sad to see it go.
Andres has other restaurants in Park Slope and Clinton Hill with similar menus but I haven't been to either of them.
Wow, this is totally depressing. I hope we don't lose Fragole, because it provides an important option in the neighborhood: great food at fair prices without an ounce of hype or pretension.
Also, as a longtime frequent Fragole diner, I have not not noticed a decline in the food or service.
Subbing shrimp for crab in the linguini nere was the nail in the coffin.
This hood is dying.... Bring on more banks and chains.... Maybe we can get the developers to tear down anything built before 1950 and build some glass and steel high rises.
Y'all chill. The food is amazing still. Each and every time I go. And that's about once a month. So don't give me any of this how long you lived in the neighborhood or are you Italian crap, cause I know good food no matter how long I lived here or what part of Umbria I'm from. Update: I'm not from any part of Umbria. But gosh darn I have not not noticed any decline in the food or services in my tenure as a south brooklyn resident. So if you want your Italian food straight up real, goto Vinnies, if you want it with a smack on the back with watered down wine and random upcharges sneaked in, gotta Red Rose. If you going for nona's b-day goto Marco Polo. If you want to take your hot date, goto Frankie's. If you want to go with your yupster friends goto Brucie. BUT, if you want to go with your mom, your wife, your kids, your everything and anything on anyday and reliably get some of the best pasta dishes on this side of the East River, you goto Fragole.
To Jimmy from Brooklyn -
Instead of just puking out the typical knee-jerk email about banks, chains and developers maybe you should have actually read the story and realized that the possibility of Fragole closing has nothing to do with banks, chains and developers. People like you are so hell-bent on blaming all of the neighborhoods issues on gentrification that you don't even bother with the truth.
Thank God Marietta next door isn't closing - that picture gave me an initial shock!
Hoping if this location closes, that Fragole opens in one of the many empty storefronts in the neighborhood. As Anonymous @ 2:45 said, great food at fair prices without an ounce of hype or pretension.
I don't think Carroll Gardens has anything to worry about. Fragole has been a restaurant around for years and I haven't noticed any decline in the food or service. With their affordable prices and delicious bolognese sauce I am good. Continue what you do Fragole. I will still be coming around. Don't pay attention to the stories Brooklyn.
If your website got hacked, why would you buy a new domain rather than just fix it? Sure looks like the disgruntled partner controls the original domain.
I kind of don't care about the warring partners though. The food is still very good and well priced. I hope they stick around for many more years.
My wife & I ate at Fragole once a week from the time they opened until about 18 months later. We were even invited to their 1 year celebration. The food was hit and miss right after that. We still went for another year or two, but less often. We stopped because it became more miss than hit.
Casa Rosa - Gone (Due to death of owner)
Sam's - NOT clean for years (But at least the cat stopped jumping on the table)
Red Rose - Lost it's "A" Rating, again. It has gone down-hill since the co-owner (Wife/Ann) passed away. The son's wife is there now a couple nights a week. Avoid the place when she's there. LOL
Cladine's - Too BAD it's not closing. LOL (Nasty people - Nasty Food)
Kittery - Good for brunch, but that's about it.
Now Fragole - Going: due to in-house back biting (But mostly due to poor food)
Maybe it's time for a NEW Food Revolution. (Hopefully Vinny's on Smith will stay around, and stay with an "A" rating)
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