Bonjour, Bar Bête! Welcome To Smith Street

Right at the end of 2019, Bar Bête, a French-Canadian bistro,  opened at 263 Smith Street the corner of Degraw in Carroll Gardens. We were too busy to acknowledge its opening as we were busy with planning for the holidays, but are happy to see that new life has been breathed into this corner retail space occupied until recently by Provence en Boite.
The eatery is a new venture for Joe Ogrodnek, formerly of Battersby and Dover, and chef Marc St. Jacques, who was the executive chef at Toronto’s famed Auberge du Pommier for a decade.
The space has been tastefully redone and the interior looks quite inviting.
The name 'bête' by the way comes from the French word for 'beast', though it also means 'stupid'.
In this case, it must surely refer to the menu, which includes steak tartare, roasted poussin, and aged duck.
Bar Bête is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 11pm.

Have you tried this new restaurant yet? How was it?

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Provence En Boîte May Be Bidding 'Adieu' on Smith Street

For more than a decade, restaurateurs Leslie and Jean-Jacques Bernat have served up Southern French cuisine at their bistro  Provence en Boite. Located at 263 Smith Street at the corner of DeGraw Street, the cheerful eatery with its outdoor seating area is a popular spot amongst locals for brunch, to watch a soccer game, especially during the World Championship, or as a hangout during Smith Street's annual Bastille Day celebration.
Besides the usual bistro fare  Jean-Jacques bakes fresh croissants, pains au chocolat, tartes and assorted other patisseries, as well as galettes for the Three Kings Day celebration in January.

However, recently, diners have left some critical reviews on Yelp regarding the food, service and increasing prices. Then came news last week from a local resident that the place has been closed for the past few days and that:
"Provence en Boîte has been shuttered for “operating without a license “. The notice sticker is on the inner door."

We walked by to check it out this past Saturday and the restaurant was closed during brunch hour. We returned this morning and found that the place is still closed, though its web site states that it should be open on a Monday.
The sign regarding the liquor license has been removed, but a quick search on the the New York State Liquor Authority's web site indicates that it had been inactive for a while.

Strangely, we noticed that a new entity named "Catrinas on Smith" was scheduled to make a presentation in front of CB6's Permits and Licenses Committee back in October 2018 for a new on-premise liquor license, but the representatives never showed up that night.

Agenda for Cpmmunity Board 6's Permits and License Committee in October 2018

It would not be the first time that Provence en Boite is shut by authorities. Back in 2009, the eatery was  closed for a few days by the the Department Of Consumer Affairs because of a problem with their outdoor seating area.

No word yet if the restaurant will reopen, if this is the end for Provence en Boite, or if a new business named Catrinas will be opening in that spot.

Do you have any thought or further information?

Update:
Reader Gordon just sent us a photo of the notice that was taped on the restaurant's window last week.
It appears to be from the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Get Ready For Speed Dating At Provence En Boite On Smith Street

Are you ready to find love on Smith Street this Valentines Day? If yes, this is THE event for you.
Provence en Boite, the French bistro at 263 Smith Street, is hosting a 'Valentine Night in Brooklyn' event, presented by Ricard and Speed Dating Connections.
Fun, no?

FIND YOUR SOUL MATE

SPEED DATING

at Provence en Boite

February 10th 2010

7pm to 9.30pm

Single people only from 23 to 38 years old!!!!

Entrance fee $20.

Be the first to register to be sure to get a seat and meet a date, a boyfriend or the love of your life!!!!

To make your reservation on line, click here.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Good News: "Provence En Boite" Allowed To Re-Open

"Provence En Boite," the cute French bistro at 263 Smith Street, was doing a brisk business on Sunday. Nothing very unusual, except...
last week, the establishment was closed by the Department Of Consumer Affairs for "operating illegally." That seemed like an ominous infraction. However, it turns out that "Provence En Boite" had added two extra tables to its outdoor seating area, which violated its 'unenclosed sidewalk café license.' Outside seating is under the jurisdiction of Consumer Affairs. On their website, I found the following paragraph:

"The new law also strengthens DCA's enforcement authority allowing the City, for the first time, to close restaurants that repeatedly break the unenclosed sidewalk café rules. Operators of unlicensed sidewalk cafes who violate the law two times may have their restaurants padlocked for up to thirty days after the second violation. Licensed operators who encroach illegally on the sidewalks may have their restaurants padlocked for up to thirty days after the third violation."

Hey, I am all for following rules and honestly, I am not crazy about the proliferation of tables and chairs hogging up the sidewalks on Smith, but closing the entire business because of two extra tables seems a bit extreme to me.

Provence En Boite was allowed to reopen over the week-end.

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Provence En Boite On Smith Street Closed For " Operating Illegally"

Provence en Boite, the charming French Bistro at 263 Smith Street was closed by the Department Of Consumer Affairs, as indicated by two big stickers right in the front window. Judging by the agency which closed the restaurant, it is most probably because of unpaid fees for their sidewalk seating area, which is under the jurisdiction of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.

From the agency's web site:
"The new law also strengthens DCA's enforcement authority allowing the City, for the first time, to close restaurants that repeatedly break the unenclosed sidewalk café rules. Operators of unlicensed sidewalk cafes who violate the law two times may have their restaurants padlocked for up to thirty days after the second violation. Licensed operators who encroach illegally on the sidewalks may have their restaurants padlocked for up to thirty days after the third violation."

I seem to remember that the restaurant went in front of CB6 just in the last three months to re-apply for their license. Maybe they never followed through to pay the fee for the new license. Just a thought.

Does anyone know more?

Thanks to reader Stephen for emailing me with the info. 

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