The Early Word on The Martignetti Brothers' Brinkley's

About three weeks ago the brothers Martignetti unveiled Brinkley's, their new project in the space that only a year ago was the preppy watering hole Bar Martignetti. Pitched as their take on the neighborhood pub, the McNally-esque (and dare we say Vermeer-esque, due to the bonkers natural lighting situation during the day) establishment features sustainable, locally sourced food and drink, including bar snacks, small plates, entrees, and eight local brews on tap. Onto the mixed early word, where it seems some love the whole package, some hate it, and some feel you should just stick to the booze.

The Good News: Nine Yelpers have weighed in so far, and quite a few have kind words. Benjamin B. effectively sums up the thoughts of the ravers: "We went back here last night, and everything was incredible. The food is amazing, including the vegetarian dish, which my girlfriend tried, and I am usually vehemently opposed to even the concept of vegetarian food. I highly recommend the pate, which is incredible and is basically a jar of awesomeness. In addition, the bangers and mash are the best I've had in the United States. The service was also phenomenal. Everyone was really friendly and our server Daniel was really helpful and helped make it a great evening." [Yelp]

The Bad News: A Yelp detractor (and misogynist) has this to say: "Lots of tools drinking great beer. The decor is classy, but the bartender wasn't. A manager guy was rude to my friend when we asked about clarification on the tab. Server girl wasn't amazing, but she was hot, so I guess that's cool - if you like hot chicks messing up your order - twice. Go for the beer selection and yummy apps. Try to ignore everything else." Matthews E. gets more specific with what is a pretty epic takedown. See for yourself here. [Yelp]

The Excellent News: All but one of the four reviews on Citysearch are positive, and the restaurant's racked up a four-star rating so far. Here's a taste of the good: "After having a little bit of trauma with our first trip to Brinkley's (no vegetarian options and an unaccomidaing manager) we received an apology from the GM and decided to give Brinkley's another try. Both the food and the service were incredible. The pate was DELICIOUS, as was both the vegetarian cranberry bean entre in a truffle sauce (who knew veggies could be so tasty) and the artichoke soup which was an awesome combination of a thick artichoke base and a french onion soup-like cheesy topping. Prices on the menu are all very reasonable (an entre and an app will run you ~$25), and the foods are all from local farms and are incredibly fresh. The staff was also incredibly helpful and attentive. As we had expected before our first experience at Brinkely's - this will become a regular spot for us!" [Citysearch]

The "Go For The Drinks" News: Food & Wine operative Chef Olivia posts a short blog entry: "Brinkley's might be my new neighborhood spot, for a drink at least. The scene was great a couple weeks ago during their soft-opening phase. The bar was buzzing and the liquor flowed. I think everyone was just as excited as I was to have another cozy gastrobar in the hood. That being said, the food needs to be worked on a bit and the service a bit more. Regardless, I had a good time. Two out of the four prawns were ocean fresh while the other two were soggy. The short rib was very flavorful, but much too small for its price tag...The cobbler was fine, but the deep fried fat-on-fat mars bar stole the show. While I traditionally stay away from carnival food unless at actual carnivals, this was damn good." [ChefOlivia]

The "Go For The Drinks" News, Pt. Deux: NYC Capers finds the place "handsome" and sums it all up thusly: "It's probably best for having a drink at the orange glowing bar and snacking on the pint of prawns with bloody mary sauce. If you're feeling like you really need to drown your sorrows, try the deep fried mars bar." [NYCCapers]

The Solid News: The four comments on last month's Eater Inside post are mostly positive. One mentions that "all of [their] food took a long time to come to the table," but aside from that, it sounds like it's all good. Says DoubleB: "Went for a bite the other night and thought the food and staff was great. They sincerely love that they are supporting everyone locally. I loved the atmosphere and will be back for sure to try some more local beers." [Eater Comments]

The Good Space, Meh Food News: Immaculate Infatuation likes the look but not the food: "Overall, the space is set up well; they pull off the vintage English eatery seamlessly. There is a nice mix of bigger tables (including big comfy booths) in the back and smaller hangout tables by the bar, perfect for a drink after work with your friends. An inviting bar, dim lighting, candles on every table, attentive wait staff, young, attractive patrons, and of course, a massive painting of a dissected turtle on the wall....we haven't gotten to the food yet. In that area, unfortunately, Brinkley's has stayed too true to its English roots. I guess you can't have everything. It's not the British way." [II]

The Twitterific News: @LacyPlca is "liking the new look of the old Martignetti's," and one assumes the food, since she concludes: "Go to Brinkley's!!" [Twitter]
—Gabe Ulla