Olivino to Open Wine Bar

Olivino, the great wine shop on Fulton, is apparently set to open a wine bar a couple of doors down. Courtesy of Brownstoner:

According to founder Katrine Pollari, the bar will serve beer, olives and charcuterie in addition to a purposefully affordable list of by-the-glass wines. Barring unforeseen delays, the Olivino wine bar, which Pollari hopes will be a real neighborhood gathering place, could be open within the next four or five weeks.

I'm all for it, and will be there as soon as it opens. Picture also courtesy of Brownstoner.

Rustik is Here!

We've been waiting anxiously for Rustik to finally open for real, and last night we got our first chance to stop in. The closet bar to us is Sputnik, and I've never really been a huge fan - it's all right, but I've been hoping for a while to have a nice watering hole nearby that would be fun to hang out after work or after going out on weekends. Rustik's perfect.

The space inside is open and inviting, and the decor is very classy - lots of wood and brick. There are shelves with old issues of National Geographic along with an old piano in the back. There's also a great outdoor garden space with a fire pit that will apparently be used for grilling in the warmer months.

Their beer selection is pretty good (Blue Moon on tap suits me just fine), and the bartender Ryan promised that they'd be rotating a few of the beers on tap from time to time. One interesting tidbit is that they don't have any Brooklyn Brewery beer, which is fine with me since while it's all right, you can get it at every grocery store and crappy bodega anywhere in Brooklyn. They've also got a decent wine selection for a bar.

I was surprised that they had a kitchen, and since we hasn't eaten, we ordered dinner. I had the Butcherboy Burgers - three ground turkey sliders stuffed with blue cheesed and topped with sauteed onions and served with greens. Mick had the Clinton Hill chili, also made with ground turkey (that seems to be a theme here). I would have liked it to be a bit spicier, but it was very good. Everything on the menu seems priced reasonably, and there's a lot of thigns I want to try - especially the nachos, which I'll have next time. Lots of the menu items are named for nearby streets which is a bit kitschy, but a fun way to make the place feel local.

We got a chance to talk at length with the owner, Frantz, whose goal with Rustik was to bring an old-fashioned tavern to the neighborhood. Their website boasts that Rustik is the best bar in Clinton Hill, and even if I didn't live literally around the corner I'd be inclined to agree. If you're anywhere nearby, do yourself a favor and stop in. My first impression of Rustik is that it's a really special place, and our neighborhood is much better for having it.

Information:

Rustik Tavern
471 DeKalb Ave
Brooklyn, NY
347.906.9700
http://www.rustiktavern.com/

Google Map

Also, dogs love snow.

Square Root Cafe Grand Opening

It's a lovely (and cold) day, and in between playing with the dog and doing laundry, we sauntered over to the Square Root Cafe, which is finally open for business. I wasn't in any shape to move on New Year's Day, let alone go to a free brunch, so I missed their soft grand opening a few weeks ago. Today they finally opened up for real, and we went in for lunch.

The space inside is pretty nice and not cramped at all. There's some fun decorations - a 60's-era Coke machine, jukebox, phone booth (?!), etc. It's got somewhat of an old-fashioned diner feel, with some campy hipsterness thrown in.

Since it was so cold out, we ordered up some hot chocolate to sip while we waiting for our food. The chocolate was really, really good - I highly recommend it.

For lunch, we each ordered a panini. Mick had The Bela, which had portobello mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese. I had The Neapolitan - tomato, basil, mozzarella, and grilled chicken. Despite taking a really long time to show up, both were pretty great. We'll chalk the long wait up to it being their first day, but it's certainly something they need to make sure and work on.

The prices were reasonable (it was less than $20 for the both of us), and the staff was friendly. Since it's so close, we'll definitely be back, especially for a Sunday brunch. If only they served mimosas...

Information:

Square Root Cafe
584 Myrtle Avenue
718.230.7077
www.squarerootcafe.com

Google Map

Clinton Hill: Full of Winos

Apparently we in Clinton Hill* love wine. Maybe we really just love new places to buy wine. Or maybe it's just that we really love the prospect of free wine along with free food. It's probably a combination of all three, but whatever the reason, a lot of people showed up tonight at the grand opening of Gnarly Vines on Myrtle. I thought I wouldn't be able to make it, but it turns out I was wrong.



The space is extremely inviting - open (assuming it's not full of party goers), well lit, and full of what by all accounts so far is a lot of great wine. I wasn't able to stay too long, but I did get to taste a couple of nice wines, buy a couple of more, and meet some of the nice people who work there.


I'm planning on going back this weekend and give the place a proper going over, but for now it's apparent that we've got another top-notch wine shop in Clinton Hill.

Here's one of the bottles I brought home, an Argentinian Red, Urban Uco Malbec 2004 that we're enjoying as I type this.

My apologies for the poor quality of the pictures, it was tough to get good ones in the crowd. Regardless, get ye down to Gnarly Vines.

*and Fort Greene, of course!

Information:

Gnarly Vines
350 Myrtle Ave (between Carlton and Adelphi)
718.797.3183
http://www.gnarlyvines.com

Google Map

Gnarly Vines Tonight!

Unfortunately, I have a previous commitment so I won't be able to make it. If I were going to be around the 'nabe tonight I'd definitely make my way over to the Gnarly Vines grand opening tonight. I'm told there will be lots of wine tasting going on as well as free food from local restaurants. It should be a great time, plus there will be an extra 5% off on full and mixed cases - so they'll feed you, get you a little drunk, and then send you home with a case of wine. Sounds like a great night to me. I'm definitely going to stop by this weekend and check the place out and I'll likely end up with a mixed case.

Information:

Gnarly Vines
350 Myrtle Ave (between Carlton and Adelphi)
718.797.3183
http://www.gnarlyvines.com

Google Map

Gnarly Vines Grand Opening Thursday

Thanks to Clinton Hill Blog for pointing out that Gnarly Vines, the new Myrtle wine boutique, is having a grand opening event on Thursday from 6-10, with a 15% off special on cases that runs through the end of the month.

Gnarly Vines Wine Store Now Open

We are excited to celebrate our grand opening with the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill community. Now that we're up and running, we hope that you will find Gnarly Vines and our services unique.

We will offer the following personalized services:

• Handpicked wines from established winemakers and rising stars
• Rare gems from small producers, most of whom follow sustainable or stricter vineyard practices
• Values in every price range
• Friendly and knowledgable staff that offers practical advice
• Food and wine pairing guidance - traditional or adventurous
• Free in-store tasings - join our email list
• 10 percent off full or mixed cases
• Free delivery in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill and beyond ($20 minimum purchase)
• Wine fridges at cost for our customers (ask us about this great program)

Grand Opening Promotion - 15% off full or mixed cases (offer good from November 8th through November 30th)

Information:

Gnarly Vines
350 Myrtle Ave (between Carlton and Adelphi)
718.797.3183
http://www.gnarlyvines.com

Google Map

Note: I originally posted that it was happening tonight, but that was foolish and wrong. It's actually on Thursday, which unfortunately means I won't be able to attend, but I may send Mickey in my stead.