Wine and Dine will debut on Grand Street March 1st - 13th with 15 restaurants and bars to choose from. 10 of the best eats in Williamsburg are offering 3-course prix fixe dinners at discounted rates from $20 to $35 in North Brooklyn’s annual celebration of local cuisine. And now, this fantastic food can be complemented with drink specials at 5 of our bars. With all these offerings on 6 blocks, it might be difficult to choose a restaurant, or whether to try something new. This guide is here to give you all the answers to why you should visit each participating business on Grand Street, and what you can order for the best experience. Each of the following restaurants and bars has special Wine and Dine menus, so just ask if you don’t see one.
As always, take a picture of your wine and dine experience and post with #DineonGrand for a chance to win $50 to a Grand Street BID business of your choice.
Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up-to-date information on the event.
WINE
With the addition of bars to our restaurant event, you can curate the perfect evening that starts with a pre-dinner drink or ends with a nightcap. Our suggestions will help you decide the ideal course for your Grand Street nightlife experience.
For classic drinks and cheap beer be sure to stop by Redd’s Tavern with $8 jalapeno margaritas and rum punch, this deal is hard to beat. The casual vibes make this the perfect spot pre-dinner drink, or if you want to continue the night, grab some $3 pints of Miller Lite.
Down the street, a similar deal at Crystal Lake is sure to catch your eye with $8 Jim Beam or Hornitos Mules or a $5 pint of lager. These drinks will also pair great with their partner BiTcHn KiTcHn’s prix fixe dinner menu.
If you’re looking for drinks that are a little more involved, Blinky’s or Philomena’s are the spots to try. Blinky’s is introducing a new cocktail called the Grand Street Blast featured Thursday-Sunday to compliment their weekday special, $10 crowd favorite, spicy margaritas.
Philomena’s is serving a deal of any two of their signature cocktails and throwing in a pita and dip, all for $25. Philomena’s make a perfect first or last stop.
Lastly, we recommend checking out Grand Street’s newest bar, Haven for drinks and billiards before you head off to dinner. This new lounge is offering 2 beer and shot combos along with an hour of pool for just $25. Just make sure your hour of pool starts before 6pm.
DINE
Grand Street Classics
GRAND MORELOS—$25
727 Grand Street — menu
A Grand Street staple, Grand Morelos has been with the neighborhood day and night for decades. The 24/7 diner & bakery has seen us all at our finest and not-so-fine hours. The Grand Morelos bakery is also one of the better-kept secrets of our food scene, so take advantage. Guacamole is our go-to appetizer, but we also recommend the cheese quesadillas if you’re extra hungry. Tilapia Filet in Mole Sauce for your entree will fill you if the app didn’t, but try to save room for the Oreo cheesecake. Impossible chocoflan and tres leches cakes are your other options for dessert. Once you’ve fallen in love with Grand Morelos stop back in for affordable cookies & doughnuts from the bakery and amazing iced coffee (not just by diner standards) any time you want - literally.
RYUJIN—$25
513 Grand Street — menu
This Grand Street staple has been serving Japanese comfort food to the Neighborhood for over 12 years. Something about the ramen from Ryujin leaves us stuffed after every bowl. Now add an appetizer and dessert to the mix to really make the most of a 3 course dinner. Keep it light with your app so go with the pork bun or the edamame. You can choose from 6 different options of ramen bowl, but our favorite is the samurai miso bowl. Finally, the meal is paired with either beer, or mochi ice cream. The jury is out here so we’ll leave that choice to you.
Fine Dining on Grand
AMMAZZACAFFÈ—$35
702 Grand Street — menu
Winner of last year’s coveted Bib Gourmand title from Micheline Guide, Ammazzacaffè has already built its reputation for affordable fine dining at its best. Be sure to try the Tartare crostino with sea trout, Lettuga salad with Botarga, and sunchokes as an appetizers. For your entree, try the Reginette—pasta with pork shoulder ragu — it’s a perfect dish, especially during these last few cold days of winter. Finish the night with buttermilk pannacotta with cherry and hazelnut for the perfect date or special night out on Grand Street.
If the food isn’t enough, visiting Ammazza offers a bit of a historical experience. Their location at 702 Grand Street was the childhood home of Betty Smith, inspiring her classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Make a reservation today.
All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house
Koko’s is newly opened on Grand Street, but is already a hot spot on the block. Named for the owners’ daughter with food inspired from their native Peru, this family-owned restaurant serves Nikkei food, which is a Japanese-Peruvian culinary and cultural fusion. We recommend starting out with Machu Pisco, the Koko’s take on a pisco sour which is a traditional Peruvian cocktail. Followed by a choice of takoyaki or salmon tartare - we think both are fantastic. And lastly, we’re pushing the aji de gallina, a savory chicken dish with potatoes topped with a quail egg. This beautiful meal is waiting for you at Koko’s! and you can’t find anything else like it on Grand Street.
BiTcHn KiTcHn — $20
647 Grand Street — menu
This little pop-up is brand new to Grand Street. Seasoned chef Mike and his partner Jacqui are long-time community members who decided to start their own restaurant. Cooking out of the kitchen at Crystal Lake Thursday - Sunday, their spin on comfort food has everyone counting down until the weekend. We think you should start out light with the garden salad, followed by a choice of delicious sandwiches. With both meat and veggies options, the portobello mushroom burger is a must-try. Then you’ve got the choice of cheesecake or a warm fudge brownie for dessert. Either of these tasty treats is sure to leave your mouth watering for more. Additionally, you can pair this meal with one of the drink specials offered by Crystal Lake, for a complete Wine and Dine evening.
Filling Favorites!
Taco Edition - $23
806 Grand Street — menu
Elote to start, at Taco Edition
It all starts with the birria consume, NYC’s latest birria taco craze is a must try at Taco Edition. The prix fixe menu starts with a choice of chicken tortilla soup, birria consume, or elote. We, of course, recommend any of these delicious options. With two hearty options to choose from for dinner, our favorite is the enchiladas. Don’t miss out on this tasty dish that comes with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Churros are for dessert, served with a chocolate sauce it’s the cherry on top of a perfect meal.
MAD FOR CHICKEN—$25
617 Grand Street — menu
The chicken at MFC is an obvious choice, shipped in daily from a farm in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, and coated with a unique sauce of soy, garlic, and various fruits but Wine and Dine is a great chance to explore other options. Choose your drink, start with a salad, and try the kimchi fried rice or bulgogi over rice.
Curry from Thip Osha
THIP OSHA—$25
795 Grand Street — menu
This cozy Thai spot nearby the Grand Street L station, has a beautiful and shaded sidewalk patio to enjoy your meal this summer. With a diverse prix fixe menu, Thip Osha has altogether exactly 50 combinations to choose from. There is surely something that will please everyone from curry to noodles to fried rice. Out of all of those choices, our favorites are the crispy chicken wings with red chili sauce to start, green curry with chicken, and banana sticky rice for dessert. Stop by this tiny spot for big flavors, and a lovely outdoor dining experience.