We’ve been covering various NYC restaurants, food, drinks, bars, etc. news intel over on our daily newsletter (please sign up if you haven’t already!), but we’re also making it easier for everyone to catch up by rounding ‘em up here every week (check
out August, July, and June’s).
September 4
A Vietnamese American bakery returns to Brooklyn
Some good news: After baker Doris Hồ-Kane shuttered her Vietnamese American bakery in February, she’s working on bringing back Bạn Bè to its original Carroll Gardens neighborhood.
Hồ-Kane launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the opening. She’s aiming to open in November at 115 Columbia Street, at Kane Street, in the Columbia Street Waterfront District.
The resurrected space will have a takeout window and a first-time indoor dine-in space. On deck are pastries and sweets like the beautiful bright-green pandan honeycomb cake and new stuff like pandan lime madeleines and pandan chocolate tiramisu. For savory items, look for meatball banh mi, Vietnamese crepes, and summer rolls, along with coffee and tea drinks.
The McNally son ventures into the restaurant world
Keith McNally’s son, George, opens his Tribeca restaurant, Faux, on Thursday, September 3, at 277 Church Street, between White and Franklin streets. McNally (the son) knows the restaurant life well, having worked at his father’s spots like Balthazar and the D.C. location of Minetta Tavern. Faux’s chef Kristina Ramos (who worked at Minetta in D.C.) is cooking up a coastal French menu, with highlights including broiled oysters and steak frites. The ground-floor restaurant includes a downstairs bar, Prevz, with late-night food and a bouncer. Book restaurant reservations on OpenTable.
Buy stellar baked goods for a good cause
Expert baker Natasha Pickowicz is hosting a community bake sale this weekend to raise money for Queens nonprofit Make the Road New York. Our Little Bake Sale features chefs like Pickowicz herself, Zoë Kanan of Elbow Bread, Morgan Knight of Saint Street Cakes, Flynn McCarry of Cove, Ali Domrongchai, and many others. It’s free to attend; each pastry is worth one ticket, which is $10. The event, which is a partnership with indie food publication Cake Zine, takes place on Sunday, September 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Little Island, the park on Pier 55 along Hudson River Park at West 13th Street.
Two NYC restaurants take over Times Square Red Lobster
A restaurant group behind NYC restaurants, including American brasserie the Smith and pizzeria Parla, is taking over the recently shuttered Red Lobster in Times Square, as reported by the New York Post. The business plans to open a fifth location of the Smith and a pizza-slice spinoff of Parla at a two-floor address at 582 Seventh Avenue, between West 41st and 42nd streets, set to debut in 2028.
A bread bakery grows in Crown Heights
In more bakery news, Apt. 2 Bread, a micro-bakery best known for its focaccia, is working on opening a bread-focused bakery named Boots Bread in Crown Heights. Carla Finley is teaming up with Megan Wang for the new venture. When the bakery opens, expect all sorts of breads made with regional grains.
What’s happening with Food?
Looks like Chinatown restaurant Food, the revitalized Chinatown restaurant now run by artist Lucien Smith, seems to have “closed until further notice,” per its Instagram.
A Radio Bakery branch is temporarily closed
The Greenpoint location of Radio Bakery is temporarily closing for renovations, from Tuesday, September 1, through Monday, September 21. During that time, the Prospect Heights location is staying open later (until 6 p.m.).
An Austin bar pop-up worth going to
One of my personal favorite bars ever, Austin’s Nickel City, is coming to New York City for a pop-up this month. Owner Travis Tober is taking over the bar of Romeo’s in the East Village, on Wednesday, September 9, from 8 to 11 p.m., with Dr Pepper Old Fashioneds, Mexican martinis, and more.
If you’re going to Harry Styles…
If your Labor Day weekend plans include seeing Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden this Friday, September 4, and/or Saturday, September 5, we’ve got a handy guide for you, at least when it comes to drinking and eating. Pro tip: Make sure you’re seated/standing by the time opener Jamie XX plays his final song, because Harry and company take the stage at the same time to kick off the show.
