15 Brooklyn Restaurant Openings To Look Forward To This Fall
The vast majority of high profile restaurants debut in the fall, and it’s easy to see why: it’s post-summer vacation and pre-winter hibernation; people are back in town, but it’s not yet too cold to even consider venturing out to eat. Temperate autumn permits a few final, stolen evenings spent on patios, and ideal end-of-summer produce allows chefs to really stut their stuff, before being forced to work magic on celery root and cabbage. And while, traditionally, the bulk of buzz is firmly focused on Manhattan, centered around the latest forays from celebs like April Bloomfield and Michael White, Brooklyn is slated to see a totally unprecedented, highly diverse preponderance of NYC’s most notable openings this year. So get excited for Nashville hot chicken in the Columbia Waterfront District, Chicago deep-dish pizza in Bushwick, and authentic Pueblan cuisine in Prospect Heights!
Lilia: A veritable free agent since her A Voce days, the talented Missy Robbins will finally re-emerge in Williamsburg this September, for a wood-burning, fresh pasta and vegetable-focused Italian trattoria (plus takeaway shop) in partnership with Matt Kliegman, behind Manhattan’s Black Seed Bagels and The Smile. 567 Union Ave., Williamsburg
Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen: It was hard to stay bummed for too long about the closing of Whiskey Soda Lounge, once we learned that Andy Ricker handed over his keys to none other than Carla Hall. The hootie-hoo’ing TV chef will swap out those drinking vinegar-based cocktails for jars of (presumably spiked) sweet tea, and fish sauce-slathered wings for Nashville-style hot chicken, paired with pimento cheese fries and other Deep South-inspired sides. 115 Columbia St., Columbia Waterfront District
Insa: While there’s a good amount of Korean influence woven throughout The Good Fork’s menu, chef Sohui Kim plans to go all out at Insa, with Korean barbecue prepared tableside, as well as blood sausage and a variety of ssam. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg — the 4,600-square foot funhouse will also feature five private karaoke rooms, plus a so-called “Asian exotica” bar. 328 Douglass St., Gowanus
As Yet Unnamed Fredrik Berselius Project: If you’ve been nursing a yen for dehydrated pigs blood crackers since Aska closed over a year ago, rejoice — Brooklyn’s own Swedish chef, Fredrik Berselius, is bringing his esoteric ingredient-laced tasting menus back to Williamsburg this fall. 47 S. 5th St., Williamsburg
Pipsqueak: It’s pretty ballsy to open a pizzeria mere steps away from Roberta’s. But this upcoming spot from the owners of Tutu’s (tucked into the very same storefront), will offer Brooklyn’s very first non-Uno’s taste of Chicago deep dish; light years away from Roberta’s cracker-thin pies. 252 Varet St., Bus
Sushi Ganso: With this 30 seat, sushi-centric addition to their growing Ganso empire — joining their well-liked ramen shop and 5-month-old izakaya — Harris Salat and chef Tadashi Ono can officially be considered the Kings of (Boerum) Hill. 31 Third Ave., Boerum Hill
Le Garage: Owned by Catherine Allswang, who’s opened a score of successful restaurants throughout Paris, and her daughter Rachel, who brings plenty of high-end front-of-house experience to bear, this family-run establishment will focus on traditional French cuisine; something surprisingly and sorely lacking in Bushwick. 159 B Central Ave., Bushwick
Kimoto Rooftop Beer Garden: Downtown Brooklyn continues to suffer a dearth of interesting restaurant options, which is why this alfresco beer garden is bound to become a reliable after-work hangout for weary Brooklyn Magazine staffers — looking to blow off steam with Japanese craft brews, poke tacos, and spam and smoked pineapple maki rolls. 216 Duffield St., Downtown Brooklyn
Archestratus Books & Foods: In addition to housing hundreds of hundreds of cookbooks from all over the world, and hosting intimate banquets with dinners prepared by guest chefs, this Greenpoint-based café will serve sweet and savory Sicilian pastries prepared in house, with recipes from the owner’s 93-year-old grandmother. 160 Huron St., Greenpoint
El Atoradero Brooklyn: Beloved in the South Bronx for her homestyle Mexican cooking (think Michoacán-style carnitas, chicken in green mole, and meatballs with smoky chipotle), the migration of Denisse Lina Chavez is a serious score for Brooklyn, masterminded by longtime acolytes and current partners, Noah Arenstein (Scharf & Zoyer), and Josh Kaplan (Dassara). 708 Washington Ave., Prospect Heights.
Supercrown Coffee Roasters: From Gorilla Coffee founder, Darleen Scherer, this 1,700-square foot roastery and retail shop will offer coffee-based milkshakes, shelf-stable cans of spicy Mexican mocha, egg and bialy sandwiches, locally-sourced pastries, and booze-free “cocktail-style” drinks like the Kaffelemonade, made with iced Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere and housemade lemonade. 8 Wilson Ave., Bushwick.
Llama Inn: Originally slated to open last spring, an Eleven Madison Park vet is behind this upscale Peruvian restaurant, which will serve multiple variations of tiradito — similar to ceviche — plus skewered meats and family-style dishes. Brownie points for the seasonal roof deck! 50 Withers St., Williamsburg
Chuko Bushwick: The Chuko team is making its first venture out of Prospect Heights with this offshoot of their beloved ramen counter, boasting a full liquor license and considerably larger space, with additional outdoor seating. 144 Evergreen Ave., Bushwick
Yaso Tangbao: Here’s one upside, at least, to having jury duty. Located within walking distance from the courthouses, this Shanghai street food counter will serve made-from-scratch soup dumplings in addition to other regional Chinese specialties, such as lion’s head meatballs and drunken chicken, liberally soaked in rice wine. 148 Lawrence St., Downtown Brooklyn
Werkstatt: Austrian native Thomas Ferlesch (formerly of Thomas Beisl, an after-BAM favorite), plans to dish up soft pretzels, weiner schnitzel, and other hearty fare at this Ditmas Park eatery. Here’s hoping it’ll be open by Oktoberfest! 509 Coney Island Ave., Ditmas Park