The 2nd Annual Brooklyn Foodie Awards
Best Restaurateur
Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg (Franny’s, Marco’s)*
Rob Newton and Kerry Diamond (Nightingale 9)
Joe Ogrodnek and Walker Stern (Dover)
Avi Shuker and Benjamin Heemskerk (Lea)
There are a number of restaurant teams in the borough that just seem to have the Midas touch; Rob and Kerry rule Smith Street with Smith Canteen and Seersucker, Avi and Benjamin are the kings of Cortelyou Road (the pair also owns Castello Plan, and Avi partnered with Mimi Kitani to open Mimi’s Hummus and Market), and Joe and Walker continue to wow with Battersby and Dover. But Francine Stephens and hubby Andrew Feinberg scored two straight touchdowns this year with the plus-sized reboot of their beloved pizza parlor, Franny’s, followed by the brand new, unassuming trattoria, Marco’s, featuring wood-grilled proteins, hand-spun pastas, and a killer mixed nut tart.