Make this Take Our Daughters to Work Day one to remember with this interactive art project from performance artist, Aisha Cousins, this Sunday, 4/19 at Brooklyn Sweet Spot. Make your very own Take Michelle to Work Doll, just in time to take her to the office for Take Our Daughters to Work Day at this free drop-in workshop.
Then use your doll to spark conversations about the ways Michelle Obama’s shift from model “feminist career woman” to model “president’s wife” illustrates the subtle social and psychological obstacles today’s girls will face in their quests to enter the workforce and live out the ideals of Take Our Daughters to Work. Launched last year as part of MARP’s Black ArtStory Month programming, Take Michelle to Work is one of several projects by artist Aisha Cousins exploring important but overlooked aspects of black life during the Obama era.
Brooklyn Sweet Spot is located at 366 Myrtle Avenue between Adelphi and Clermont and can be reached at (718) 522-2577.
394 Myrtle Avenue will soon house Starbucks and Chipotle.
Chipotle will be opening a new outpost of their Mexican inspired eatery at 394 Myrtle Avenue, near Vanderbilt Avenue, in Fort Greene. According to an application filed with the Department of Building last week, Chipotle will be taking one of the retail spaces in the former Home and U discount store. It was announced last week that Starbucks will also be opening in the renovated building.
Chipotle has not yet announced a planned opening date.
Additionally, one block away at 413 Myrtle Avenue, another Mexican restaurant is planned. A lease has been signed for a sit-down restaurant to open in the former Yummy Yummy space, between Vanderbilt and Clinton. The yet unnamed restaurant will serve an Oaxacan inspired menu and plans to open in late summer 2015. Read more about the restaurant here.
413 Myrtle Avenue, formerly home to Yummy Yummy, will soon house a new Mexican restaurant.
Lola BKLYN’s menu staples are olive oil and herbs. Southern French inspired, the restaurant is infused with colorful and delicious fare: all fresh ingredients, all the time, including organic eggs, free range chicken, homegrown veggies, sustainable cocoa. Yess.
So many wonderful menu options for brunch, lunch or dinner, such as braised lamb shank, vegetarian fajitas, shrimp salad, oven roasted chicken, fish and chips and the skinny onion rings in the pic above; Minnie on Myrtle (Absolut ruby red, lemon juice and mint served on ice), Lovely Hot Lola (spicy margarita jalapeno infused tequila), Smoke and Stormy (stolen cig rum, ginger beer, lime juice).
Weekly trivia nights, wine specials, live music, mussels a-go go and lobster nights.
Lola BKLYN is located at 387 Myrtle between Clermont and Vanderbilt, (718) 858-1484.
The Emerson Bar on Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill was voted ‘Best Neighborhood Bar’ after a month-long Brooklyn Brackets neighborhood contest created by DNA Info.
The 5-year old bar is well noted for its very laid back atmosphere, spacious backyard and pool table. Co-owner Gina Jankowitz describes The Emerson in the article as “a place where everybody knows your name” and of the backyard she says it “feels like an escape from the city.” Read the complete article here.
The Emerson beat out Brooklyn bars such as Lavender Lake, The Way Station, Alibi, finally the Project Parlor, with over 50% of the total votes cast, to win the crown.
Congratulations Emerson Bar! Thank you DNA Info and all of you who voted!
Stop in at The Emerson anytime. Check out the every day happy hour and live music every Thursday.
The Emerson Bar is located at 561 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson and Classon (347) 763-1310
DNA Info sums it up nicely: ” Lulu and Po has the best thing going between two buns.” Yes!
In a month-long Brooklyn Brackets contest created by DNA Info, neighbors voted LuLu & Po king of the burgers. LuLu & Po beat out popular restaurants like, Peter Luger, Hope & Anchor and Carroll Prime Meats for the crown.
DeBragga beef, caramelized onions and hand-made potato rolls are but some of the simple ingredients used, states Chef Matt in the article and adds that it is “what a burger is supposed to be–it should all melt together into a big, beautiful, juicy sandwich.”
Congratulations LuLu & Po! Thank you DNA Info and voters!
Stop in for a burger or any of the other very delicious menu items at LuLu& Po. LuLu & Po offers a great $15 burger and beer special every Sunday.
LuLu & Po is located at 154 Carlton Avenue, near Myrtle Avenue corner and can be reached at (917) 435-3745.
Chef, author and traveler, Anthony Bourdain and superstar chef and entrepreneur, Marcus Samuelsson have surely talked about the delicious drink, palm wine, in their books and on their television programs. Palm wine, an alcoholic beverage created from the fermented sap of various species of palm tree, is said to especially be a good accompaniment to very well seasoned dishes and pungent cheeses and sweet desserts. It’s reminiscent of white wine with a more earthy finish.
Palm wine is popular in Africa and South Asia and, you can find it on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn too.
Owa African Market, which is at once an African art, craft and textile store and small grocery import store, has palm wine available for sale. Stop in and pick up a bottle (or two) for dinner tonight.
Owa Afrikan Market is located at 434 Myrtle Avenue between Clinton and Waverly Avenues, and can be reached by phone at (718) 643-8487.
Coffee culture is expanding on Myrtle Avenue with Starbucks coming to 394 Myrtle between Vanderbilt and Clermont Avenues, the home of the former discount store, Home & U in Clinton Hill. Rumors about Starbucks signing a lease have been circling the neighborhood for the past few months and we’ve received confirmations from several parties, but have yet to receive a confirmation from Starbucks directly. Details have not yet been released as to when they may open.
We welcome Starbucks to Myrtle Avenue and look forward to their contributions toward keeping our commercial corridor a special place. We’re proud of our coffee shop culture and invite our visitors to seek out their favorite cup of joe at any of the wonderfully diverse options in the district, from Fort Greene to Clinton Hill.
Below is a list of a few coffee shops that are unique to Myrtle Avenue and you can’t find anywhere else:
Brewklyn Grind Coffee Roasters was founded by three brothers with a love for stellar coffee. Their quest for the perfect cup started in an apartment and became what is now a Brooklyn flagship location. The carefully crafted roasts highlight the nuances of each origin and you can taste it in every cup of 100% Arabica beans. The charming shop offers everything from a pour over to cappuccinos, teas, and local baked goods including Tisserie. Check out the peaceful backyard. Brewklyn Grind Coffee Roasters , 557 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson & Classon, (347) 452-8866
Myrtle Avenue’s collective lifestyle store, Jill Lindsey, houses a coffee & wine bar alongside fashionable clothing, accessories and housewares. The beautifully adorned boutique not only curates events, they also serve a heck of a macchiato. Jill Lindsey brews Irving Farm and has lovely outdoor seating in the backyard. Jill Lindsey, 370 Myrtle Avenue between Adelphi & Clermont, (347) 987-4583
Scrumptious baked goods and top of the line coffee is what you will find at the provisions and pastried-packed Peck’s. The breakfast egg sandwich on a pillowy Portuguese bun is a must0have. Peck’s is the only coffee shop in Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn serving La Colombe. Pecks, 455 A Myrtle Avenue between Waverly & Washinton, (347)689-4971
Pillow Cafe-Lounge proudly serves Irving Farm Coffee. Perfect for a coffee break or a scrumptious brunch, Pillow offers neighborhood favorites like the Huevos Racheros. Owners put extra care into their espresso-based drinks. Try the iced Cafe Mexicana and the Mocha Pillow Shake, their signature smoothie of chocolate-y frothy blend of mocha, bananas, and milk. Pillow Cafe-Lounge, 505 Myrtle Avenue between Ryerson & Grand, (718) 246-2711
With its wide open windows and comfy environ, Pushkin Creperie-Bakery is the perfect place to meet up with friends or slide into a seat with laptop for work or study. The cafe has a wide assortment of coffee and teas, including Turkish coffee. Crepe offerings are both sweet and savory, including the ever popular Mexican, jerk chicken and Nutella and banana. Their baked goods include cupcakes and cookies. Pushkin Creperie-Bakery is located at 541 Myrtle Avenue between Steuben & Emerson, (718) 783-0033
The crew at Red Lantern Bicycles & Café brews different coffees from different countries of origin on a weekly basis. Baristas serve cold brewed, house roasted coffees, and teas. They also serve to die for Fresh ‘Til Death Cafeteria rich, creamy textured house-made raw nut milks, some flavored, such as cinnamon walnut, cashew with fig, raw cacao and Brazil nut. Red Lantern sells pastries from Brooklyn-based businesses and cold beers on tap and bottled. All this, and a full bike shop too! Red Lantern Bicycles & Café, 345 Myrtle Avenue between Adelphi & Carlton, (347) 889-5338
The Joint makes the tastiest Buttermilk biscuits and breakfast burritos. Delicious food can be accompanied with lattes, cappuccinos, cold-pressed coffees and wonderful variety of teas. Try anyone of their fresh sandwiches, including their popular roasted turkey, tasty soups or salads. All of which can be enjoyed in their relaxing backyard. The Joint on Myrtle, between Washington Avenue & Hall Street, (347) 763-1455
Myrtle + Gold, the long-awaited answer to the return of business life at 343 Gold Street, Fort Greene, is now open for business. The 65-seat restaurant, formerly occupied by Palmer’s restaurant, is beautifully designed, with fresh and delicious eats, full bar and sidewalk café for outdoor dining to thoroughly enjoy once the weather has sufficiently warmed up. The restaurant showcases American fare with a thoughtful selection of craft beer, wines and cocktails.
The former head chef of Boulton and Watt of the Lower East Side, Chef Ray Ruiz, helms the kitchen. Some menu highlights include fritattas (pictured below) grilled Berkshire pork chop with mustard greens, crispy brick chicken with fingerling potatoes, and the M+G Burger, which features two Creekstone Farms beef patties, M+G special sauce and American cheese. As Myrtle + Gold owners include both Paul Cacici and Eric Horowitz from The Double Windsor, expect to see the wildly popular signature dish from the Windsor, sriracha honey chicken wings, on the menu. Restaurateurs Theo Maniatis and Lloyd Sherman also serve as owners in this joint venture.
Myrtle + Gold serves dinner daily from 4pm to 12am. Breakfast is served weekdays 7a to 11, followed by lunch on weekdays from 11am to 4pm. Brunch is offered weekends, beginning at 11am. Reservations are not required and take out service is available.
Myrtle + Gold is located at 343 Gold Street, corner of Myrtle Avenue.
Opening day at Bar Bolinas in Clinton Hill is this Thursday, March 26th. Come celebrate the restaurant opening from 5:30pm to midnight.
Bar Bolinas is named after a coastal town in Northern California and features cuisine primarily from the same region.
Stop in and enjoy great food, great drinks and meet owners, Chef Nate Smith, Chef Sophie Kamin and Chelsea Altman, much-loved Fort Greene restaurateur.
Bar Bolinas is located at 455 Myrtle Avenue between Waverly & Washington Avenues.
Taqueria Tepango was voted a top Brooklyn spot for burritos in a recent Gothamist post titled, ‘The 10 Best Burrito Places in NYC’.
The article states that Tepango is a “burrito mecca where melted cheese caresses thick, fresh tortillas filled with everything from roast pork to shrimp to beef tongue.”
WONK, the furniture store that specializes in Made in Brooklyn modern home and office designs is relocating to Bushwick, into a larger space where they can do what has always been a huge goal — to design and build under one roof!
In the meantime, WONK is having a huge moving sale: 15-60% off all showroom floor model furniture and 25% off all floor model merchandise.
Store hours of operation are T – Sun, 12noon to 7pm.
This amazing photo of Putnam’s Oyster Station is to remind you to SAVE-THE-DATES: Monday, March 16 & Tuesday, March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
Monday, March 16th: 2nd Annual Guinness & Oyster Festival
Oyster Festival ALL DAY with FREE local Oysters from 6pm-until they run out. Oyster station will be set up outside in the sidewalk café.
Tuesday, March 17th: St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s celebration ALL DAY long with traditional food, music, and Irish dancing.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, 419 Myrtle Avenue at the corner of Clinton Avenue (347)799-2382
The Greene Hill Food Co-op is a 100% member-owned-and-operated food co-op in Brooklyn, New York. However, on Saturday 2/28 10aM-4PM everyone can come and shop! Visit for yourself ans compare their prices and meet other members to see if a membership is right for you. The Co-op is also offering a 2 month FREE trial membership.
What does $50 look like at the Co-op? Greene Hill’s new campaign shows it nicely here.
Shopping at the co-op just go super easy and affordable, try it out!
Greene Hill Food Co-op, 18 Putnam Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238
Brownstone Spa has opened its doors at 473A Myrtle Avenue, between Washington Avenue and Hall Street, in Clinton Hill. The new day spa offers a full menu of massages, facials and reflexology treatments. Owner, Rebecca, who many locals will recognize as a manager at nearby Kum Kau Restaurant, is taking her years of experience as a licensed physical therapist and looking to help locals relax. Rebecca’s goal with Brownstone Spa was to create a “relaxing sanctuary” where anyone could come in and shed stress through a relaxing one or two hour massage.
The spa’s massage menu offers Swedish, deep tissue, Ashiatsu back walk, and hot stone massages for anyone looking to unwind. And their stiff neck, hand and foot, or face massage options will help you make sure your targeting the areas where stress and tension build up the most. Customers can pick massages a la carte, or pick from one of the spa’s six different packages that combine massages, facials and reflexology treatments.
Brownstone Spa will be offering a variety of discounts for locals, including a 50% first-time discount and 10% off for students, teachers and seniors. Local residents can receive a “neighbors’ special” discount of 20% as well. Annual memberships are also available to spa, allowing members to receive 50% off all services for the year plus a free birthday massage.
Brownstone Spa, 473A Myrtle Avenue, between Washington Avenue and Hall Street.
On Valentine’s Day, Curry Place opened its doors at 330 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene. The new Indian restaurant, located between Washington Park and Carlton Avenue, is serving a menu of traditional and favorite Indian dishes. Diners can enjoy their meal at the restaurant, which is BYOB with wine or beer, or they can order free delivery – which the restaurant will begin offering with their first week of opening.
Curry Place can be reached by phone at 718-522-3828 or 718-522-4736.
Curry Place, 330 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Park and Carlton Avenue.
A new salon has opened for business on Myrtle Avenue, between Washington Avenue and Hall Street, in Clinton Hill. Purity Nail Boutique, now open at 479 Myrtle Avenue, opened on Valentine’s Day and offers a variety of day spa services, including manicures, pedicures, waxing and massages. To celebrate their grand opening, all services are being offered with a 10% discount this week!
The boutique opened in the space that was formerly Nails by Tina. Once you step inside, you’ll find many new things in the space – a new business owner, a renovated spa, and some new services. And some things have stayed the same, including many of the salon’s staff who have worked at Nails by Tina for years.
Purity Nail Boutique, 479 Myrtle Avenue, between Washington Avenue and Hall Street.
New Thai restaurant, Thaholic, just installed their new sign today and is planning on opening this weekend. The new restaurant will be serving up a similar menu to previous tenant, Manee Thai, but is under new management.
Thaiholic, 372 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi and Clermont.
Brooklyn Chefs and now co-owners Nate Smith and Sophie Kamin are joining forces with Maggie Brown owner, Chelsea Altman to open Bar Bolinas, a restaurant named after a coastal town in and which will serve food with emphasis on Northern California.
More details about this exciting new restaurant and partnership in the coming weeks. Chelsea’s popular neighborhood restaurant, Maggie Brown operated out of this space for a decade prior.
This Valentine’s Day marks the 8 years in business for Julio Perez, owner of Bella Rosa Flowers located at 566 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson Place and Classon Avenue. Bella Rosa Flowers had been around for nearly two years before Mr. Perez purchased it and took it over a the sole proprietor. Whether long-stemmed roses or a single white rose, a full bouquet and vase or plants and other greenery, Bella Rosa is a go-to store to pick up just the right flower or plant for any occasion.
Please stop in, and when you do, don’t forget to say–Happy 8th Anniversary!
Check out Bella Rosa’s Valentine’s Day Special — call by February 12th and get a 20% off a bouquet of long-stemmed roses.
Bella Rosa Flowers, 566 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson Place and Classon Avenue
(347) 763-6006
Even love birds need some nourishment, right? Then you are going to want to know about this Valentine’s Day contest.
Take a selfie with the giant heart on The Runner’s storefront window, post the pic to The Runner’s Twitter or Instagram sites tagging with #TheRunnerBK, and you are in the running (get it?) for a $100 gift certificate. The winner will be announced February 16th. Follow The Runner: @TheRunnerBK for details.
The Runner is fantastic any time.
The Runner, 458 Myrtle Avenue between Washington and Waverly Avenues (718) 643.6500
Happy Birthday to The Runner–we wish you many, many, many prosperous years more.
The Runner is named after Walt Whitman’s poem of the same name, has a wood-burning oven at the center of its cooking philosophy. The extensive menu has many seasonal items including, wood-fired baked breads, vegetables and main dishes like lamb shoulder with plum sauce, culotte steak “Diane,” and a whole roast chicken for two; shaved brussel sprout, cabbage and kale with hazelnut dressing, and pickled and roasted beets with parsley, walnuts and a red wine vinaigrette; mashed potatoes with gruyere, whole beans with duck confit, and wild rice and kabocha squash.
Seafood is procured fresh everyday and includes dishes such as: salt-baked trout with a caper sauce as well as freshly-shucked oysters, served raw, roasted, and in sandwiches. For dessert: a take on carrot pudding, tipsy cake, plus a variety of homemade ice creams, including fennel and molasses.
The Runner is owned by Gastro Coterie, Art Winter and Richard Winter.
The Runner, 460 Myrtle Avenue between Washington and Waverly.
(718) 643-6500
Fort Greene will be getting a new French-inspired restaurant this winter when Gentleman Farmer Fort Greene opens on Myrtle Avenue. The new restaurant is slated to open in February at 378 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi Street and Clermont Avenue.
The sit-down restaurant is owned and headed by chef Karim Nounouh. According to Nounouh, the eatery will “offer a seasonal menu that marries traditional French cuisine with fresh and local New World ingredients, with a special focus on game.”
The Myrtle Avenue location will be the second outpost for the Gentleman Farmer team, which opened their first location on the Lower East Side in late 2010. In the past four years, the intimate 20-seat restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite.
Polish Bar has moved! They are now open directly across the street from their previous location.
Come in to check out this weeks’ service specials:
Tuesday & Wednesday Polish Bar Mani/Pedi $27
Tuesday & Wednesday Gel Color Mani/Polish Bar Pedi $47
All Week OPI Infinite Shine Manicure & Pedicure $35
All promotions simply require that you book in advance.
If you are looking to be as sharp as you want to be this holiday season — while attending holiday functions, opening up gifts, out on a date, out and about shopping locally–definitely stop in at one of the barber shops on Myrtle Avenue. You are guaranteed good customer service, great conversation and quick and expert service, and of course, a good fresh cut.
Many of the barbers on Myrtle have been in the business a long time, having had great opportunity to really perfect their craft, including Mr. Jefferson, pictured above, long time barber at Doo’s Barber Shop who has been in the barbering biz since 1967. “We’re like a fine wine which gets even better with time,” shared one Myrtle Avenue barber.
A regular haircut runs from about $10. Shave plus haircut, designs and more will run you more.
Hi Beauty Mavens, Polish Bar of Brooklyn has a new address–475 Myrtle Avenue.
After nearly 9 years in business, Polish Bar of Brooklyn is pleased to announce their new sleek digs (#newpolishbar) located just across the street (from their old), so it will be easy to find them between Washington Avenue and Hall Street.
The comfy-sophistic space that is Polish Bar of Brooklyn offers manicures, pedicures, makeup applications, waxing, lash applications and brow shaping. New upgrades, include pipe-less (hygienic) pedicure spa chairs with full massage capability, additional service rooms and more nail polish than ever before.
Congratulations, Polish Bar of Brooklyn!
Polish Bar of Brooklyn is located at 475 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street. They can be reached at (718) 622-5363.
