Friday, November 6, 2015

Local Restaurant News

Apparently the new restaurant Rove — brought to us by the owners of the awesome Jack & Nellie's — has had a soft opening. I saw some shots of the interior on Instagram and the place looks really nice and comfy and the food looks at least pretty darn nice as well. Rove is located in the former Bonfire Grill location, on Austin Street near the corner of Ascan.

In other news, I'm told by a loyal reader that Danny Brown has already closed. It had announced it would be closing the end of the year. But this is what the restaurant has said:

Please Note

Due to a fire in the boiler room of our building over the weekend we are temporarily closed. We are doing our best to assess the damages in order to begin the restoration process so we can re-open for service. We are not currently accepting reservations until we have a clear time line for the projected repairs.
We will continue to update you via our website and social media as we receive more information.

22 comments:

  1. so did it officially open yet?

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    1. They are officially open for dinner which starts at 4:00 p.m. They haven't started serving lunch or brunch yet, but it's coming soon.

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  2. I went inside to get a quick glimpse at the space and the menu. They did a great job with the space and the bar, decor etc.

    But the menu so far, seems to be more on the pricey side, at least for my comfort. This is won't be a place to consider for a simple dinner out. I'd put this in the "dinner date or bday dinner" type of place to dine at. This was disappointing to see. But I'll wait til it's officially open and see how the food compares to the price....

    Appetizers were at least 11......that's nuts.
    Sandwich/Burgers at least 13
    Main Entree dishes at least 15 to 26.

    But that could change who knows. I look forward to trying the food.

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    1. The prices seem like they're about the same as those at the Bonfire Grill, which used to take up that space. Not cheap, but nowhere near ridiculous either.

      I wonder if they'll do Sunday brunches?

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    2. It's a restaurant with a very nice build out so a main entree at $15-26 is not unreasonable at all. I don't know why you would expect less for entrees.

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  4. "Pricey"? "Nuts"? Reality check here....These are standard app and entree prices for FoHi considering the high rents on Austin St. To be profitable, there is a standard formula that takes into account construction, food costs, rent, utilities, labor, etc. For comparison, Banter, one block away has similar app and entree prices. Next door on Austin St, Bareburger's prices for specialty burgers and Barewiches are also similar, averaging around 12 dollars. Not sure what kind of a place you mean for a "simple dinner out" Maybe a diner? We got plenty of bad ones on Austin Street already. I wish Rove the best of luck.

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  5. I live on Metropolitan Avenue, down the street from Danny Brown, and the entire block was filled with fire trucks on Saturday night, around 2:00 am, and they closed off the street. Thank goodness for the fast reaction time and great job done by the FDNY, or I would have been sweeping up the ashes of my home as well.
    According to Danny Brown's Facebook Page (which I follow) - "Clean up has begun. We don't know how long it will take us to get up and running, but we will try to get back as soon as we can." They posted yesterday that they finally have electricity again. (Tonight, there are Con Ed trucks on our street, but I'm not sure if it is related to the fire.)
    I hope they are able to open before the lease ends, as I plan to call for a reservation!

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  6. Everyone is talking about Shake Shack taking over strawberries.

    Any news you can find for us?

    I found this interesting filing....

    http://www.bizapedia.com/de/SHAKE-SHACK-FOREST-HILLS-QUEENS-LLC.html

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    1. I'm not against the idea, but I just don't think it's a good fit. There's a Bare Burger right across the street!

      I wouldn't mind H&M or some other mainstream clothing/accessories place moving into that spot.

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    2. you're only going to get chains on austin st. most independent owners cannot swing the very high rent prices austin landlords are demanding. so if it isn't shake shack it'll be another chain.

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    3. H&M??? people complained that Ann Taylor Loft / Outlet & Target was beneath FH standards could you imagine what kind of backlash and the euro old navy would receive?

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    4. So Shake Shack isn't a good fit because there is a Bare Burger across the street? Lol

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    5. dunkin donuts wasn't a good fit because there was a sub-par local baker around the corner. fh residents seem to want it all and nothing at all the same time. convenience of manhattan but desire to remain secluded and quiet like a rural area. you can't have both.

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  7. everyone is talking about shake shack opening on Austin.....

    I have tried to search everything. This is the best I can find for a smoking gun....

    http://www.bizapedia.com/de/SHAKE-SHACK-FOREST-HILLS-QUEENS-LLC.html

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  8. I've been looking forward to trying out Rove for weeks! Any idea on when their real opening will be?

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    1. They are officially open for dinner which starts at 4:00 p.m. They haven't started serving lunch or brunch yet, but it's coming soon.

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    2. They are officially open for dinner which starts at 4:00 p.m. They haven't started serving lunch or brunch yet, but it's coming soon.

      Delete
  9. I wish them the best!

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    1. So do I! I walked past there this afternoon and the decor looks great! So does their "preliminary menu".

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  10. Ate there last night! It officially opened Thursday. The food is delicious, albeit slow to come out. Maybe working out some opening day kinks? Waiter was super nice and attentive. Try the carrot mashed potatoes-amazing!!

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