''Barely Disfigured', Smith Street's New Cocktail Bar Named After A Famous French Poem, To Open Soon

Owners and partners Jeremy Andre, Damien Frey and Regis Vankaster

There are two things to know about Barely Disfigured, the much anticipated new cocktail bar coming to 257 Smith Street. The first is that its name is an homage to the lyrical poem À peine défigurée , written in 1932 by French surrealist poet Paul Eluart.  The second is that the notice  written in gold letters on the establishment's front window assuring passersby that 'this is not a brothel' and that 'there are no prostitutes at this address' is a subtle reference to the infamous massage parlor, which operated at this location for a short period in 2016.

Barely Disfigured, in fact, is imbued with references to both the poet and the previous business. The bar's decor is a throwback to Eluart's time. From the photos on the wall,  to the vintage items on display, to the crystal carafes behind the large serpentine counter, all is of the surrealist period.
Here and there, reference is made to the former house of ill repute. The list of cocktails, for example, included the 'Madame Kelly,' named after the owner of one of the most luxurious brothels in Paris, which operated near the Louvre Museum until 1946.

Co-owner Jeremy Andre explained that he and his partners Damien Frey and Regis Vankaster did not want to shy away from the space's slightly unusual history.  "It is part of the story of the place, so we wanted to embrace it and refer to it in subtle ways," he explained
They choose,  however, to address the issue of illegal massage parlors around the city more directly by planning to donate part of Barely Disfigured's proceeds to the Urban Justice Center.

Barely Disfigured will open on Monday, November 6th. Cocktails will cost between $11 to $15.
Chef Gwenaël Le Pape is planning a tapas menu that includes ceviche, truffle infused Mac and cheese, as well as charcuterie and cheese selections from Stinky Bklyn.  The cocktail bar will feature live jazz.

Andre and Frey (who opened  La Cigogne on Union Street in 2014)  and Vankaster are keeping a special surprise in the back room of the bar till opening night.
Make sure to check it out on the 6th.

Barely Disfigured
257 Smith Street
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A House Of Ill Repute On Smith Street? Something Is Amiss At Number 257

******Please see the UPDATE Below******

Something sketchy seems to be happening inside the storefront of 257 Smith Street between DeGraw and Douglass Street here in Carroll Gardens.  Amidst the restaurants, boutiques and nail places, it would appear that we now have a house of ill repute.
Until recently, the building at this address housed a string of Indian restaurants, the latest being an outpost for the chain Baluchi's. When Baluchi's closed a few months ago, the windows were papered over, a construction crew did some interior work and a sign was posted to the door indicating that a business called Tao, Inc. would soon open.

Whatever Tao, Inc. is or stands for is hard to determine from the outside.  Heavy curtains hang in the front window, the front door is covered in paper and entry is only granted by ringing a bell. Two small video cameras have been installed to monitor the sidewalk.

In the past three weeks, PMFA has received several emails from local residents asking if we knew what was going on inside.

Reader J. asked PMFA:
"Any clue what the new business is on Smith street between DeGraw and Douglass--called Tao Inc?
It has a handwritten sign with the name and has wall hangings covering the doors and windows (and a neon sign that always says "open"!)
Very, very weird."

Local resident H. actually ventured inside and confirmed that the place was very suspicious:
"I'm writing about a serious concern about activity at 257 Smith Street - I am concerned it is a brothel or houses some other illicit activity.

A few weeks ago a suspicious store front went up at 257 Smith (which used to house a few Indian restaurants). I thought nothing of it until last night when, walking home, I noticed two men knock on the door (in their defense, they seemed to be concerned neighbors too). In my passing I saw the door opened by an Asian women in a bathrobe. Behind her there was no indication of any actual commercial activity, rather just a series of closed doors.

I decided to investigate myself and my concerns were only amplified. The outside door is monitored by a camera - they knew I entered without knocking. Once inside, I was greeted by a southeast asian woman who spoke no english. She insisted I remove my shoes and go into a room - the space consists of a hallway and 4 or 5 doors to small rooms. There was no commercial counter that one would expect to find in any sort of a business.
Sorry to get graphic, but once I entered, I could hear a man groaning from one of the rooms."

Not wanting to post information that could hurt a legitimate business, PMFA sent a male friend to investigate for us yesterday.

This is what our friend reported:
"The bright curtain blocking all visibilty, neon OPEN sign, and hastily-installed wireless doorbells seem odd, and the lack of other signage means that the business should be treated with a measure of suspicion. After waiting inside the small lobby, with security cameras watching and listening to two ladies speak in Mandarin, I was let in by a Chinese lady in a revealing bathrobe who asked if I wanted a massage. More unusually, she asked how many ladies I wanted. There were no other patrons visible (or audible), just a long narrow hallway leading to individual rooms, brightly lit. Prices were quoted, but the bare futon near the entrance and the emphasis on security and lack of signs were definite indications that something was amiss. Neighbors mentioned seeing a woman in high heels and a schoolgirl outfit come out regularly."

Do you live near 257 Smith Street or on one of the side streets?  Have you been witnessing strange comings and goings?

******UPDATE*****

Dear Readers, some of you have taken the time to reach out here and on PMFA's Facebook page to  say that you are concerned about the tone of the post as well as some of the comments.

I take your comments very, very seriously.  You are my neighbors and we are one community and I appreciate our conversations because I think it makes us all feel more connected.

My reason for posting about Tao, Inc. was out of concern for the welfare of the young women who are working there. 

But how best to help?  I admit that my first response to call 911 or 311 was the absolute wrong one and I have amended the original post.  Instead, there are organizations  that can offer the women much more meaningful and immediate assistance.

I sincerely thank Erin, Katherine and other wonderful community members, who have already reached out to the Urban Justice Center, Red Umbrella Project and the New York Asian Women's Center.

I will update everyone as soon as I can.

In the meantime,  let us, as a community be tolerant, respectful, and let our comments reflect this.

Thanks, everyone!

*Please be advised that the link to an ad for the business at 257 Smith Street, left by a reader in the comment section, should be opened at your own discretion and certainly not at work or in front of children. 

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Teafee Suddenly Closes On Court Street And More Neighborhood Closures

PMFA received several emails in the past few days reporting that Teafee at 517 Court Street has closed its doors. Started by brothers Meno and David Fernandez in April 2013, the place offered 'the best of both brews' in any variation from steamed to iced. The prices were reasonable and Teafee served a stretch of Court Street that still is a bit underserved.

Dan, a reader, wrote in to say:
"I'm sad to report that it looks like Teafee on Court/9th has shut down for good -- there was a goodbye note posted on the front door as of last night.
It's a shame as I went there all the time to read or write, and they had a very friendly vibe, and there are few other casual hangout spots that are not full-time restaurants/bars nearby.
That block seems cursed! Same thing happened to Treats Truck last year…"

An anonymous reader had this to say about the closure:
"I was just informed that Teaffee is also suddenly out of business. It was always crowded and seemed to be the only prosperous store on the corner of the Smith/9th area. The owners are so nice and friendly, so it's a big loss to our neighborhood. It also looks like they went out with a bang, as the inside is littered with empty bottles of booze and scattered cups."

Teafee is not the only coffee place on Court Street that shuttered recently.  Ana and Sophie's, a small breakfast, lunch and coffee spot had only opened at 194 Court Street in June 2015.

On Smith Street, the closings continues at an alarming rate.  Bruiser, a juice bar which opened in March 2015 at 251 Smith Street, has now called it quits on restaurant row. Even OMG Taco has been closed every time I walked past in the last few weeks.

Baluchi's, an outpost of the Indian restaurant chain which had just recently taken over Ramna/ Bombay Dreams at 257 Smith Street, has also just bid farewell. Incidentally, this location was the chain's second attempt on Smith Street. About ten years ago,  owner Rakesh Aggarwal once operated another Baluchi's just a few doors down at 263 Smith Street, where Provence en Boîte currently resides.

Ravioli Wine Bar,  which took over the two storefronts once occupied by Italian Eatery Savoia at 277 and 279 Smith Street back in September 2015, is already giving up its private event space at #279.
The restaurant is, however, still very much open next door, though its web site  at www. ravioliwinebar.com at seems to be currently suspended.

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