Cremini's In Carroll Gardens Honors The Simple Artistry Of Italy's Le Marche Region

Owners Riccardo Massetti and Elena Salati

For the past few weeks, most New Yorkers have probably been fantasizing about where they will have their first meal once New York City allows restaurants to re-open after the Coronavirus  lockdown.
Personally, I have already made up my mind that I will eat at Cremini's, a charming Italian aperitivo spot, which quietly opened at 521 Court Street in Carroll Gardens last summer.

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of meeting owners Riccardo Massetti and Elena Salati  in their cosy bistro, which has stayed open for take-out service. They were so welcoming, the space so in viting, that I can't wait to come back when I can actually sit at one of the tables.

If 2020 has been a slow year for restaurants so far, 2019 was incredibly busy for Riccardo and Elena, as they moved to New York from their native Italy that spring, got married, and opened Cremini's all within a few months.  
Cremini's gave them the opportunity to introduce New Yorkers to the flavors and gastronomy of Riccardo's home region of Le Marche, Italy. Their menu offers Ascolana Olives, pitted olives that are stuffed with meat and then breaded, before being fried, Italian Focaccia bread filled with various ingredients, and pizzette, small pizzas with fresh toppings. It also includes fresh mediterranean salads as well a Elena's special burger and various aperitivo platters. Riccardo will set you up with a special Spritz cocktail or a glass of red wine to pair with your food.

For the time being, Creumini's has switched to a take-out/delivery menu that also includes cocktails to go.  Give them a try the next time you order out and help support this wonderful new dining spot in our neighborhood.  And hopefully, we can all make a reservation and eat at the restaurant very soon.

A note from Riccardo Massetti and Elena Salati on their restaurant's web site:
Le Marche is Italy's land of bounty, the birthplace of artists, composers, and poets. Think of Raffaello, Gioachino Rossini, Giacomo Leopardi. The culinary tradition of Le Marche reflects the beauty and harmony of its natural environment. That unique tradition inspires our carefully crafted recipes, which are married to innovative techniques and bold pairings.

We proudly honor the simple artistry of Le Marche’s regional cuisine every day at our bistro in Brooklyn, and we’ve fallen in love with our home-away-from-home in Carroll Gardens.

We hope you will too.

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Empty For Years, The Former P.J. Hanley's Soon To Become Flora, A Family Friendly Restaurant

The former Irish tavern P.J. Hanley at 449 Court Street on the corner of Third Street has stood empty. since 2014. In the past few years, the bar, one of Brooklyn's oldest, was tangled in a messy bankruptcy proceeding between the Hanley family, who owns the building, and the last tenant of the commercial space, James McGown.
(Many may better remember McGown as the owner of 320 Court Street, which housed Buschenschank for a number of years.)

McGown, known as 'the bankruptcy baron' for the trail of failed businesses and real estate investments he left in New York City, took over Hanley's in 2005. By February 2013, he filed for Chapter 11 for the bar. Months before, he had done the same for his South Brooklyn Pizza chain that occupied the retail space next door at 451 Court Street.

Rather than vacate the premises to return it to the Hanley family, he remodeled the space (without permits) and renamed the bar Goldenrod.

The matter ended in court when the Hanley family accused McGown of having "breached his lease by making substantial alterations without getting consent from the building owner or the Department of Buildings" and for paying rent only sporadically. The Hanleys began eviction proceedings and City Marshals finally seized the property in November 2014.
The place has been empty since then.

That may soon change. Last night, representatives of a new venture at this location gave members of Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee a presentation for an on-premise liquor license. (The Committee voted to recommend approval to the NYS Liquor Authority.

The new family friendly restaurant is to be named FLORA. It is a new venture by Matthew Shendell of the Paige Hospitality Group, which also owns The Ainsworth, a small chain of restaurants in Manhattan.

Flora's menu will mostly offer standard American cuisine and will offer a raw bar, big salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes and steaks. The restaurant will be serving lunch and dinner, brunch on week-ends. 

The side yard will allow for outdoor seating.  Flora will also occupy the former South Brooklyn Pizza space at 251 Court Street, so it will be a rather large venue for Carroll Gardens standarts.

Interestingly enough, the entire building is currently for sale for $6,750,000.  It is being marketed by Meridian Capital Group.

courtesy of Meridian Capital Group

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Mama Capri On Smith Street Offers "Amalfi Coast Cuisine For Everyone"

In early August, Mama Capri, a brightly colored and cheerful-looking eatery offering ""Amalfi Coast Cuisine for everyone", opened its doors at 247 Smith Street.  The menu features simple Italian dishes with an emphasis on seafood such as an Insalata di Mari, Polipetti Affogati (slowly cooked octopus in tomato sauce), or stuffed calamari.
Mama Capri has also created a simple kids menu, which probably will attract many neighborhood families.

From the restaurant's web site:
"Our philosophy is to cook from the heart.  We make food that we love, for people to share with those they love. We value quality and authenticity above all.
We believe great food is born from fresh and natural ingredients, and therefore insist on using the finest produce available - we do not do shortcuts.
Whether it's our daily specials and fresh pasta, a tasting menu that begins with prosciutto and cheese directly from Italy or our carefully selected wine list imported directly from wineries around the world - our team at Mama Capri is confident you will enjoy our menu."

Have you stopped by Mama Capri yet?  If so, did you enjoy your meal? What were the best dishes?

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"Burgerim": Yet Another Burger Franchise For Court Street

One would have thought that a burger place is the last thing Court Street needed, what with Bareburger, Moo Burger,  Nature's Grill, and so many other neighborhood eateries like Two 8 Two Burger, Fawkner and Shake Shack serving this American staple.

Yet, Burgerim, a rapidly growing Israeli-born miniature burger chain, is in the process of opening a franchise at 187 Court Street, at the corner of Bergen Street, in the former home of California Taqueria, which has stood empty for a number of years.

Calling their burgers 'chef inspired', Burgerim allows customers to create their own by choosing between 9 different patties, including spicy mergez, wagyu beef, chorizo, salmon and veggie, two different buns, as well as various toppings and sauces.

From the web site:

"Bursting with flavor, our gourmet burgers apply a unique approach to kicking all of your cravings in one meal. Choose from an uno, duo, trio, or 16 pack of our gourmet 3 oz. patties and customize each one. With a variety of buns, signature sauces, mouthwatering patties, and flavorful toppings, your Burgerim order is custom tailored to satisfy all that you crave."

What do you think, dear reader? Is there room for yet another burger joint in the neighborhood? would you have preffered another type of eatery/ store to open at this location?

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{F.O.B.} Brings Authentic Filipino BBQ To Smith Street

{f.o.b.} has been open at 271 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens for just over a week now and things are going very well, according to owners Armando Litiatco and manager Ahmet Kiranbay.

Their new casual eatery offers authentic filipino barbecue and fresh seafood, all expertly cooked by chef Litiatco. The dishes are reminiscent of the meals his family "cooks on a Sunday afternoon" in the Philippines, "with father grilling in the backyard and mother baking in the kitchen."

The menu includes spicy chicken langkawas, (grilled wings, galangal, chillies, lime, palm sugar, and coconut milk) as an appetizer. Main meal choices consists of chicken or pork skewers smothered in filipino bbq sauce, Cebu style chicken roasted with lemongrass and garlic, and the grilled spare ribs slow braised in San Miguel beer and served with banana bbq sauce.

Fish Inihaw consists of a filet grilled in banana leaves and topped with adabong kamatis.

Pair all with a side of egg noodles, rice or sautéed morning glories seasoned with chili and garlic.

"This is the restaurant we have always wanted to open" Litiatco and Kiranbay told me on a recent visit. The two partners met ten years ago in San Francisco, where they ran a catering company together. More recently, they worked at Shokudo, an Asian restaurant in Miami.

The search for a perfect location for their eatery took almost a year. After looking all over New York City, they settled on Carroll Gardens because "it felt like a real neighborhood."

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'Bergen Hill' Closes Its Doors On Court Street To Relocate

"Bergen Hill", restaurateur Ravi Derossi and chef Andrew D’Ambrosi's South America-inspired seafood restaurant at 387 Court Street quietly closed its doors in early April to relocate.

The eatery opened in the fall of 2013 to great reviews, having replacing Derossi's previous venture, The Bourgeois Pig, at this location.

Bergen Hill's web site mentions that the restaurant will re-open at another location by mid-May, but there is no indication of it will stay in Carroll Gardens or in Brooklyn.

This, together with recent closings of eateries on Smith Street, further limits dining options in Carroll Gardens.  What are your thoughts?

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Have You Ever Eaten At Queen Italian Restaurant On Court Street?

Years ago, an Italian neighbor here in Carroll Gardens told me that the best Italian restaurant in the immediate area was, by far, Queen at 84 Court Street.  I never actually followed her recommendation because the prices on the menu do seem a bit high,  but every time I walk past, I tell myself that I should just walk in one of these days.
I have admired the restaurant's old fashioned neon sign for years, especially since it is one of the only unchanged store sign left on Court Street since I moved here 30 years ago.

According to Queen's web site, the restaurant opened its doors in1958 by the Vitiello family. It is still a family-owned restaurant, which serves its guests "the tastes and flavors of all the twenty regions of the Italian peninsula."

I would love to know if you ever eaten at Queen? What are the best dishes here? How does this eatery compare to some of the other Italian restaurants in the immediate area?  If you have never been, have you ever been tempted?



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Sadly, Fragole On Court Street May Close By The End Of The Year

*****UPDATE  June 15, 2005 ****
please read response from current manager at bottom of post

I am sad to report that Fragole, the Italian restaurant that has been operating at 394 Court Street since 2003, may be closing at the end of the year. A reader made me aware of a lengthy note published on the eatery's website by Andrew Rodas, the founder of Fragole. It appears that there has been a dispute regarding ownership between the partners.

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

Obviously, the good news is that the restaurant is still very much open for business. So go and enjoy a meal at Fragole.  Hopefully it will remain open.



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