Join our team—Now seeking Neighborhood 360° Fellow applicants

The BID was selected as a fellow host site by the NYC Department of Small Business Services

The BID hosted a tour of the district for the 2019 class of Times Square Alliance fellows this past summer

The Grand Street BID has been selected by the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) as a host site for the 2020-21 class of Neighborhood 360° Fellows. That means that we are now looking for applicants to our join our team this summer through the SBS training program.

Neighborhood 360° Fellows help community-based organizations complete commercial revitalization projects and connect local stakeholders to City resources. The fellows are paid by SBS and are full-time community development professionals, community organizers, or planners. The goal of the program is to build a network of leaders prepared with commercial revitalization expertise and experience in New York City neighborhoods. The fellow will work in our office as an integral member of our team from June 2020 through March 2021 while also being a member of the Neighborhood 360° Fellows cohort, attending SBS hosted talks, training and group learning sessions throughout the fellowship.

With the Grand Street BID—the fellow will be primarily tasked with improving the BID’s outreach to residents, merchants, and property owners while improving the services the organization provides. More information about the project can be found in the Grand Street host project guidelines.

Fellows should be NYC residents within 90 days of starting, have a year of experience in community outreach or organizing, and have an interest in development of the Grand Street community. See the SBS fellow guidelines here. This is an opportunity for emerging professionals or anyone looking to enter the world of non-profits, urban planning, or community development. However, Fellows who typically have the best experiences are familiar with their host neighborhood—so local applicants are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications are open now and will close on March 8th—applications must be submitted directly NYC Department of Small Business Services. The first round of interviews will be conducted in April. Join our team and gain critical, hands-on experience working for a community-based organization.

Want to learn more? Join SBS for an upcoming webinar on February 5th or 13th. Details and RSVP here. Or join SBS in person for a meet and greet Feb 25th.

SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop speaking with a Fellow cohort.

Winter Restaurant Week on Grand Street returns

Winter Restaurant Week is back in its 7th edition on Grand Street offering 3 course prix fixe discounts to some of Williamsburg’s best fine dining and quick eats. The two week celebration of local cuisine begins on Tuesday, February 18th and runs until Sunday, March 1st. For the winter edition of this semi-annual event, we have 15 participants from neighborhood mainstays like Los Primos to Grand Street newcomers.

The Sandwich Shop is participating once again—see their mention in the Wall Street Journal from our Summer Restaurant Week.

Our 3 new participants—Chongkho, Carneval, and Masa Empanadas— joined the neighborhood within the past year and each offer a dynamic new addition to the restaurant week lineup. Chongkho opened in August with an eccentric gate mural by well-known artist JPO to add to the neighborhood’s collection and serving Thai home cooking. Carneval opened in the same week featuring specialty cocktails and Latin-inspired cuisine. Owner Mike Cruz grew up just blocks from the restaurant and has created a go-to spot for Williamsburg natives and newcomers alike. See a preview of Chonkgho and Carneval from their interviews with News 12 about the event. Masa Empanadas opened from the same owners of Piccoli to Go—remaining dedicated to the neighborhood and providing quick eats empanadas, salads, and pizza.

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand winner Ammazzacaffè is joining the lineup once again, providing award winning quality dining for a steal at $35 for 3 courses in a prix fixe menu. Los Primos, Crystal Lake, and Mad for Chicken are also rejoining Restaurant Week after debuting in the event this past summer.

Stop by at any participating location to get in on discount dining offers exclusive to Grand Street—and only during Restaurant Week. Just ask for a restaurant week menu when seated. Click here for our official guide giving insight into each restaurant and suggesting our favorite dining options, and you can find the full list of participants and pricing below*. Prices range from $12 to $35 and apply only to sit down dinners (5 - 10pm) —tax and tip not included.**

And remember—snap a picture of you, your meal, or your friends on your night dining out with #DineOnGrand for the opportunity to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice!

Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up to date information on the event.

Enjoy 3 courses for $20 from Chongkho

Chongkho – $20 (new) —menu

Masa Empanadas – $12 (new) — menu

Carneval – $25 (new) — menu

AmmazzaCaffè – $35 — menu

Bahia Restaurant – $25 — menu

Ryujin – $25 — menu

Mad for Chicken – $20 — menu

The Sandwich Shop – $20.75 — menu

Thip Osha – $25 — menu

Indian Kitchen – $12 — menu

Los Tacos McOndo – $28 — menu

Grand Morelos – $20 — menu

Taco Edition– $19 — menu

Los Primos – $25 — menu

Crystal Lake – $20 — menu

*All prices and participants subject to change.
**Dine-in dinner discounts begin at 5pm and is served no later than 10pm. No takeout or delivery. Price does not include tax or tip. Price is per person and cannot be shared.

Grand Street featured in NYC BID trends report

The report featured the BID’s work curating art in the district and views of the neighborhood

The Department of Small Business Services released its annual trends report on the impact of BID’s in NYC in an effort to shed light on the work of business improvement districts in 76 neighborhoods citywide. The report features data tracking how BIDs are operating to promote retail corridors and shares highlights of accomplishments from individual BIDs. Among those highlighted was the Grand Street BID’s work commissioning various art murals throughout the neighborhood—most specifically “Olor a Azucenas, el Perfume del Barrio” by Don Rimx at 609 Grand Street.

On the project—the NYC SBS wrote “Grand Street recently completed a large-scale mural, which represents the small business community and serves as an homage to the Puerto Rican heritage of the neighborhood. The mural depicts a well-known flower vendor in San Juan but is meant to represent all local merchants. The BID worked with Don Rimx, a local Puerto Rican artist, and interviewed community members to inform the design. They also coordinated support of the property owner and secured funding from [NYC Council]”.

The report also features data points of the work of BIDs across Brooklyn and citywide. Collectively, the 23 Brooklyn BIDs invested $15.7 million into neighborhoods and collected 924,000 bags of litter. Read the full report for more details on how BID’s are keeping NYC neighborhoods clean, safe, and active.

“BIDs create vibrant, clean, and safe districts that improve neighborhoods and commercial corridors by investing back into their communities,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “This report highlights the long-standing partnership between the City and BIDs, working together to build a stronger New York.” 

Here in Williamsburg, this past summer’s mural project is part of an ongoing effort in the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative to beautify the streetscape of Grand Street for residents and attract visitors to patron our shops. As part of the same project, the BID commissioned several documentaries through Owley and curated murals on the gates at Grand Seafood (98 Bushwick Ave). See our full collection in the art gallery page of our website.

The Fina(L) countdown—Weekend subway closures ahead

We’re nearing the end of the year long L Train Slowdown—which means there will be just a few more pinches for L riders in the coming weeks. NYC Transit announced three weekend closures of the L from Lorimer Street to Broadway Junction this weekend, President’s Day weekend, and a weekend in late March. Work on the L train is scheduled to be completed this spring—ahead of the originally forecasted schedule. Here’s what you need to know from NYC Transit:

No L service between Lorimer St and Broadway Junction

Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19
Friday, February 14 to Monday, February 18 (Presidents' Day weekend)

From midnight Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday

The MTA is working on station rehabilitation at various stops between Lorimer and Broadway—so full access to those stations is needed over the weekend.

Here’s the breakdown from NYC Transit of what service to expect:

From 10 PM to Midnight Friday:
L: Operates every 20 minutes between 8 Av and Rockaway Parkway
L: Additional L train operates between Lorimer St and Rockaway Parkway for service every 10 minutes within Brooklyn

From 12:01 AM Saturday to 5:00 AM Monday, Jan 20/5:00 AM Tuesday, Feb 18:
L part 1: Operates between 8 Av and Lorimer St every 20 minutes
L part 2: During the day time, the L operates between Broadway Junction (trains will discharge on the J platform) and Rockaway Parkway every 10 minutes. During the overnight times, the L operates every 20 minutes like a normal schedule.

Here are your alternatives:

Lorimer Street is not included in the scheduled work—so walking to the station at Union Ave & Power St is an option. Additionally, there will be a free shuttle bus running every 3 minutes running along the L route between Lorimer and Broadway Junction.

DOT to add new delineators to the Grand Street protected bike lanes

The delineators will resemble the latest Department of Transportation project on 8th Avenue

On Monday the NYC Department of Transportation will begin installing a new style of traffic delineator on the south side of Grand Street to further separate the protected bike lane from the traffic lane. Upon completion in approximately a month’s time, Grand Street’s bike lanes will have an almost complete barrier from traffic.

The delineators’ role blocking traffic from the bike lane will resemble the latest major DOT Vision Zero project completed on 8th Avenue in Times Square between 38th and 45th streets with modifications specific to Grand Street and its streetscape.

The delineators will be placed at the edge of the buffer zone, 11’ away from the curb and will be interrupted for curb cuts, bus stops, and intersections. Motor vehicles will not be able to drive over the delineators and regulations prohibiting stopping/standing/parking in both the bike lane and buffer zone will continue to be enforced. The parking rules on the north side of the street will remain in place with commercial loading zones in effect from 7am-4pm and 1 hour metered parking from 4pm to 10pm every day except Sunday.

Food Drive Collects 509 lbs of donations for local families

13 Grand Street businesses hosted collection boxes for St. John the Evangelist’s food pantry

After 3 weeks of 13 businesses on Grand Street collecting food donations from shoppers, merchants, and community members—the Grand Street neighborhood was able to donate a whopping 509 lbs of food for the holidays.

Our annual food drive supplies the St. John the Evangelist Church (198 Maujer Street) food pantry with needed supplementary meals to local families during the holiday season. With this year’s haul totaled up, the community’s combined efforts over the past 3 years have collected and donated 1,361 lbs of food for the church’s meal program. With the donations in supply St. John’s has already assembled 100+ family meals with over 150 lbs of non-assembled food to go—helping to keep a well-stocked pantry through the winter months.

We’re thankful for all of our small businesses that took part—a few standouts being Bravo Supermarket which collected an amazing 148 lbs of donations, the Sandwich Shop (133 lbs), Los Primos Restaurant (63 lbs), Absolute Power Fitness (48 lbs), Groomers & Pomade (43 lbs), and Brooklyn Dental Professionals (31 lbs). All of our participants were enthusiastic to contribute and went an extra mile to give back to the community this season.

We will continue to collect donations at our office (246 Graham Ave)—please contact info@grandstreetbk.org to connect with us. Next, follow us @grandstreetbid for the earliest news of our Winter Restaurant Week taking place in February.

Pastrami Masters opens at 812 Grand Street

Serving David’s Brisket House + Lebanese cuisine

This November, David’s Brisket opened at the old location of Wafa’s Express (812 Grand Street)—their second location— under the new name Pastrami Masters with an added section of Lebanese cuisine to the menu.

David’s Brisket is a famous deli in Bed-Stuy (Nostrand & Atlantic Aves) that serves heaping sized sandwiches with pastrami, corned beef, of course brisket, and most traditional Jewish delicatessen staples. With Pastrami Masters now opening, that means David Brisket’s famous pastrami sandwich, which The Brooklyn Paper says blows the rest of the borough out of the water, is now available right here on Grand Street.

Try out Pastrami masters on Grand Street between Bushwick Ave & Humboldt St.

Grand Street's holiday glow up

Holiday lights one again bring a glow to our street this December

Holiday season is officially in full swing on Grand Street. In addition to our 3rd annual holiday food drive, the Grand Street BID lit our holiday lights to kick off the month. The BID has delivered holiday lights to Grand Street every year now since 1985, and is proud to deliver once again this year.

The lights are up between Bushwick and Union Avenues along Grand Street, and help to add holiday flavor to the normal bustle of our neighborhood. The lights will be with us and shining through January, so take advantage and snap a picture of the lights when they’re bright at night and tag us on instagram @grandstreetbid.

In addition to seasonal decorations, the BID also collaborates with local businesses to host a Holiday Food Drive to feed local food pantries. See which of our 13 small businesses taking part will collect donations here.

Grand Street celebrates Small Business Saturday with The Forum

The BID team will host a pop-up event outside of The Forum (711 Grand Street)

BID team out at a previous pop-up event

Grand Street in Williamsburg has always been home to a vibrant community of small and family businesses, so for mall Business Saturday on November 30th, the BID team will hit the streets to celebrate our neighborhood merchants.

Partnering with The Forum, the BID will set up a pop-up table at 711 Grand Street from 12pm to 2pm with Shop Small promotional materials such as stickers, buttons, pennant flags, tote bags, and more for passersby. The pop-up will also include a prize wheel with a raffle for a merchandise prize from Forum.

In addition to setting up outside, the BID will be sharing those promotional materials with retail businesses along Grand Street to spread the cheer around the neighborhood.

Grand Street BID Executive Director Erin Piscopink says, “Grand Street is a unique commercial corridor in North Brooklyn that has retained it’s authentic neighborhood atmosphere, in large part because of the large presence of small businesses that have always found a home in our district. We are proud to celebrate the dedication that our merchants have for our community and the diversity of our 150+ small businesses that makes our street special.”

We are also partnering with Forum to kick off our Holiday Food Drive which helps feed local families at the St. John the Evangelist food pantry at 195 Maujer Street. The Forum is a yearly participant in the program, and will collect non perishable food items from December 1st to 19th to donate to the program.

Come to Grand Street on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30) to enter our raffle, receive shop small swag, and patron one of our many small retail and service businesses.

Family enjoying Nick + Sons from a May pop-up.

Tote bag winners from our prize wheel at a June pop-up.

Grand Street gives back with holiday food drive

13 Grand Street businesses are collecting food donations for the holiday season

Grand Street businesses are giving back to the community December 1st through 19th by participating in the Grand Street BID's 3rd annual Grand Street Holiday Food Drive. 13 small businesses will host collection boxes for non-perishable food items to be donated to families in the St. John the Evangelist (195 Maujer Street) food pantry program.
The food is used to help the 150-200 weekly recipients of the parish’s hot meal program as well as their food pantry which serves 20-30 families, all of whom live here in the Grand Street neighborhood. The most typical recipients are senior citizens on fixed incomes and working families whose combined incomes don’t allow for full meals by the end of the month. Over the last two years, the food drive has collected and donated 852lbs of food.

You can bring non perishable donations to the following businesses:

• Burnside (506 Grand Street)

• Carneval (507 Grand Street)

• The Laundry Taxi (578 Grand Street)

• Empire Lock (648 Grand Street)

• Eleva Coffee (649 Grand Street)

• The Sandwich Shop (658 Grand Street)

• Brooklyn Dental Professionals (700 Grand Street)

• Los Primos Restaurant (704 Grand Street)

• Forum (717 Grand Street)

• Absolute Power Fitness (750 Grand Street)

• Bravo Supermarket (785 Grand Street)

• Z2A Repair (793 Grand Street)

• Groomers & Pomade (796 Grand Street)

To donate, just stop by any of our participating businesses and drop the food items in the holiday wrapped collection box. That’s it! Use the list below to pick out groceries at a participant like Bravo Supermarket (785 Grand Street) to check out and donate in one trip. Perishable and pre-cooked foods will be also collected by us (246 Graham Ave) so you can pick up a warm meal from any restaurant to help a small business and a hungry family.

Items that are especially helpful are as follows: Canned vegetables, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, oatmeal, rice, beans, canned fish, baby formula + food, granola bars, raisins + dried fruit. Also, pre-cooked meals or food that can be eaten without much heating or cooking required.

*Bring perishables to our office at 246 Graham Avenue between 10am to 5pm. Please call ahead of time at 718-218-8836.

Masa Empanadas opens at 804 Grand Street

Savory + sweet empanadas with a special deal attached

Interior look at the new establishment

Masa Empanadas is open for business. From the same owners of Piccoli To Go, 804 Grand Street now has a new look, menu, and name. From savory flavors like ham + cheese, creamy corn, and Argentinian beef to dessert flavors including apple cinnamon or Nutella banana, Masa serves a bit of everything all in the form of an empanada.

Prices are low ranging from $2.50 to $4 for each delicious empanada, and not to mention Masa offers discounted combos with salads as well. And if you’re worried about missing Piccoli, Masa also serves three varieties of pizzas for any sudden Italian food cravings.

If you stop by tonight + follow @masaempanadas on Instagram then you can try your first empanada for free. Look out for wine and beer to be served in the near future as well. With indoor seating and warm (+ free!) empanadas, Masa is an all around lunch, dinner, or snack option that will have something for everyone.

Nutella + banana empanadas

What's going up on Grand Street?

Detailing the new buildings and developments shaping our neighborhood’s streetscape

Construction at 505 Grand Street

Grand Street is dynamic in shape, with developments usually underway, and always with at least a handful of buildings at some stage of being a work in progress. Here’s information on what’s going up and what you can expect for the ongoing developments on Grand Street.

505 Grand Street
(Union & Grand)

Construction is well underway on this site in progress to a six-story, 14-unit mixed commercial-residential use building. In what will eventually measure a total of 11,720 square feet, the ground floor commercial space will take up 2,630 square feet. BMG Design Build is designing the building.

522 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Structural work is nearly complete for this 6 story mixed commercial-residential development. Standing at 77 feet in height, the structure will provide 10,650 square feet of space, with 1,450 square feet dedicated to commercial-retail use on the ground floor. There will be room for 10 apartments, averaging 920 square feet. There will be some room for bicycle storage in the basement.

L & C associates is managing the design. Completion is likely in 2020 or 2021.

537 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Developers filed plans in October of 2016 to build a 7,579-square-foot building. The plans call for 5 total units and an occupancy classification of strictly residential. The building will be 4 floors.

738 Grand St between Chase Bank and Absolute Power Fitness

738 Grand Street
(btw Graham & Humboldt)

738 Grand Street is a new condo development currently under construction at 738 Grand Street, Brooklyn. 738 Grand Street has a total of 10 units.

For information on current retail availability, check out our business opportunities page which lists Grand Street retail spaces on the market for leasing.

Ammazzacaffè awarded "Bib Gourmand" in Michelin Guide

The award recognizes culinary excellence in “good value” restaurants

The open air backyard garden is mentioned as a highlight for the Italian trattoria.

Ammazzacaffè has just been recognized by Michelin as part of their 2020 guide’s Bib Gourmand selection. The award was created in 1997 to highlight restaurants that achieve Michelin guide quality at more affordable prices.

Michelin states that Ammazza is “bound to surprise you from the moment you enter.” It goes on:

“The large and welcoming space draws you in thanks to an impressive wood bar, sleek dining tables and a handsome penny-tiled floor. Both the tables and light olive-tinged walls are dressed minimally—the former with wild flowers and the latter with beautifully framed photos. The garden outside will transport you to a trattoria in Umbria—on a dime. The well-edited menu spins to the season, but get nibbling on grilled pancetta spiedini, topped with a spicy aïoli and agro dolce. Follow this up with such light and simple pastas as garganelli tossed with a cream-kissed ragù Bolognese and Parmigiano—this is Italian cuisine in all its glory.”

— Michelin Guide

This is the first year that Ammazzacaffè has been selected for the Michelin Guide, joining the ranks of just 7 total Brooklyn restaurants named for the award. Opening at 702 Grand Street in 2016, the restaurant’s name directly translating to “coffee killer” and alludes to a traditional Italian liqueur consumed with an after dinner espresso. The restaurant also happens to be at the location of author Betty Smith’s childhood upbringing, that inspired her novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Ammazza is a regular participant in both our summer and winter Grand Street restaurant weeks, where you can enjoy their Michelin quality cuisine for prix fixe prices up to $35. See more information on our last restaurant week here.

Find Ammazzacaffè’s full menu here, make a reservation, and follow @ammazzacaffe.nyc for updates on their events, such as weekly jazz performances on Sunday from 7pm to 9pm.

Grab a drink with a "Pour Writer" at Thompson Brooke

Literature + cocktails: Writers take over the bar at Thompson Brooke for “Pour Writer” events

Menu from a previous “Pour Writers” event with Ann Brashares

Banter with your bartender may never be more interesting. In an ongoing series, Thompson Brooke invites prominent authors to take over bartending responsibility for the night. Most recently, Michelle Ruiz Keil took the helm, who’s debut YA novel in May All of us with Wings won her critical praise.

Next up is A Series of Unfortunate Events author Daniel Handler, who writes often under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. Other notable authors such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares and author Andrew Ridker of New York Times editor’s choice The Altruist. Each Pour Writer has their own specialty cocktail for the night, Ridker’s was Gin & Generosity and Brashares dished out Manhattans.

Thompson Brooke is a New England style tavern famous for their oysters located at 631 Grand Street. Brooke Costello, who also founded Brooklyn catering company Red Table owns the restaurant and hosts the “Pour Writers” series.

Follow @thompsonbrookerestaurant for updates on the series, and catch Handler behind the bar with delmonico cocktails on Wednesday, October 23rd from 8-10pm.

We've launched our new website!

Explore our public art collection, find savings card deals on our live map, + read through our latest news blog.

photo credit: Owley

Can you tell that we look a little different? This Saturday we unveiled our completely revamped website, replacing the previous look which had been in place since 2012.

The changes aren’t all just aesthetic either. Our website has a brand new public art gallery, new blog format, interactive district maps from live xyz, and a video catalog with documentaries presented by the BID.

We also are now more accessible figuratively and literally. Our support us page allows you to directly reach out to us for volunteering and sponsorship, and our userway accessibility options on the bottom right of your screen allow for our website to be read or listened to by anyone, not just the abled.

Lastly we’ve broken down our work and what we do in each of our 5 neighborhood initiatives: cleaning, greening, events, arts, and stories; so we can connect more clearly with our residents on the work we do to take care of Grand Street.

Take a tour through our website and explore our new features. You may learn a little bit more about us and learn more about what’s going on in the neighborhood.

News banners to line Grand Street--Sponsorship available

The BID is now seeking sponsorship for new streetlight banners

Logos will be placed at the three dots.

Our street lights are receiving a makeover. After 2 years of our previous blue-green street banners, we’ve worked with Brooklyn artist Morgan Winter to shake things up.

Drawing inspiration from the Brooklyn-native perennials the BID planted through the Hort this past spring, Morgan applied her vibrant technique of stencil drawing over water color to bring life to our banners.

While we cannot wait to install our newest art piece following a busy summer of 10 new murals, we first need sponsorship from local businesses that make our work possible. Whether your business is ground floor retail or out of your apartment, displaying your logo on these eye catching canvasses shows everyone your contribution to the community and bring more attention to your brand.

As a 501(c)(3) non profit, the majority of your contribution will be tax deductible and your sponsorship will go directly towards improving our shopping corridor with our 2,800 hours of cleaning in fiscal year 19.

The implementation of new colorful street banners is central to our Grand Street Arts Initiative to invest in Brooklyn artists and to cultivate an art collection that better represents the community of creatives that make Williamsburg unique.

If interested in sponsoring, please reach out to john@grandstreetbk.org. Look out for the streetscape changes in the coming months.

Cleaning up Grand Street--By the numbers

Our 7 day a week clean team collects 5,700+ buckets of trash in a year

One of the Grand Street BID’s most vital functions in keeping the neighborhood thriving for shoppers and businesses is our robust cleaning + sanitation program. You may recognize our star sweeper Mamat in the picture above, and while he stopped to pose for this picture, Mamat is busy each day collecting an average of nearly 16 buckets of trash on Grand Street.

Those daily totals add up to an average of 5,700+ buckets of trash over the course of a year. That is in addition to the BID’s efforts removing stickers + stains and making 50+ quality of life calls to 311 + DSNY that total to 2,800+ hours spent cleaning up Grand Street. With help from Ridgewood Restoration Corp, the BID removed 159 incidents of graffiti on Grand Street in fiscal year 2019. That’s our version of talking trash.

But, the BID also performs a variety of other neighborhood essentials such as our greening efforts which maintained 33 tree beds and installing 22 new tree guards in FY19. With the Hort, the BID also plants + maintains native Brooklyn perennials in our tree beds throughout the district.

Next time you see Mamat on the street, give him a ‘thank you’ for working hard every day to keep Grand Street gorgeous.

Landline opens with games, trivia + happy hours

The bar at 790 Grand Street is your newest spot to hang out or compete with your friends

The eastern end of Grand Street near Bushwick Avenue has a new bar joining the neighborhood. Landline opened last week looking to fill in a gap as a place to relax and hang out in a part of the district where only a handful of bars currently live.

The 4th iteration of a popular Brooklyn bar family, Landline comes from the founders of Uncle Barry’s in Park Slope, Watershed in Carroll Gardens, and Moot Bar in Clinton Hill. Landline thus serves as the natural extension of the business into the growing East Williamsburg community.

Their drink menu aims to satisfy all patrons with equal parts beer, wine, and cocktails, and the happy hour until 7pm takes $2 off most choices. The beer list is refined and has critic favorite craft brands like Maine Beer co and Cigar City, and a rotating line of local Interboro brews to come.

If you’re the competitive type, Landline is also the spot for you. A shuffleboard table greets you when you walk in, a dart board claims a place in the back, and the bar hosts original trivia every Wednesday at 9pm. The prize for winning is a hefty $50 off your tab.

Stop by Landline at 790 Grand Street and follow them @landlinebrooklyn. After that, look out for Landline to participate in future Grand Street savings programs + events.

Retro themes line the bar like rotary telephone wallpaper

Chongkho opens with Thai fusion + public art

Chongkho opened its doors last week bringing classic Thai cuisine with fusion options along with new public art to the neighborhood.

Chive dumplings served with a sweet soy sauce

The latest restaurant opening on Grand Street, Chongkho at 562, comes with a diverse Thai fusion menu and has already made its mark on the neighborhood. Before its opening, signs of life appeared at the former home of Desy’s Clam Bar when a new mural by JPO popped up on its gate. Chongkho and JPO connected through a family friendship, and he agreed to paint the gates to liven the new site while also contributing the 11th new mural on Grand Street in 2019.

Before that however, Chongkho got its start when Apichada, the chef + owner, was working in the hotel industry in Manhattan when she realized she wanted to open a restaurant. She took the L train into Brooklyn and decided to skip Bedford and get off at the Grand Street station looking for an open place. She landed at 562 and got to work opening the location with her daughter Orawan.

The result is a menu that consists of a mix of Thai, American + international cuisine. You can order every Thai classic from curry to pad thai, and everything from mussels to pasta to burgers as well. The eatery also has a unique selection of summery beverages like Thai iced tea and butterfly pea lemonade. Chongkho has the makings of the perfect destination when you’re seeking comfort food of any origin, and the perfect compromise when you and your SO or friend can’t agree on where to go. Either way, be sure to stop by and try a bit of everything. You can see the full menu here and you can follow them at @chongkho_bk.

The gate of Chongkho painted by JPO
Photo credit @walkinggirlnyc

Carneval opens at 507 Grand Street

The “carnival” themed bar + grill brings bright costumes and Latin food to the neighborhood

The Latin fusion restaurant opened this August

A new colorful and fun bar + grill, Carneval, opened its doors on Grand Street this month and is already shaping to be a neighborhood mainstay. Serving as both an ode to the Latin culture of carnivals and the Latin heritage of the Williamsburg neighborhood, Carnival was opened by Mike Cruz, who grew up in Williamsburg, for the local community on Grand Street.

Carneval states that their goal is to “bring great food, creative drinks, culture, and fun to the vibrant Williamsburg Brooklyn neighborhood” as a way of “showing love, pride and loyalty for the neighborhood that raised us.”

The restaurant combines its themes of Latin carnival culture and its Williamsburg roots seamlessly. It’s decorated thoroughly with masks + costumes hanging on the wall and a mural of a “carnival” taking place on the J train emerging from the Williamsburg bridge that acts as the eatery’s centerpiece.

The food menu shares flavors from various cultures, as it was inspired by Cruz’s own global travels, ranging from tacos to yuca to penne a la vodka. The cocktail menu offers the same variety and color at an affordable price of $10 and a daily drink special. Brunch is also available for a prix fixe cost of $40 with complimentary mimosas and sangria for 90 minutes.

Carneval requires no dress code, but it certainly offers every other theme to either make you nostalgic of Latin carnivals or eager to see one yourself. It’s ode to the Williamsburg community that it calls home is genuine to Cruz’s own local upbringing. Experience what the Infatuation calls a “perfect for a party that ends with you swinging by the next day to pick up your credit card,” or go any time for the great food and atmosphere.

Mural on the back wall connecting the bar + grill with Williamsburg’s Latin heritage