Crow Hill Bar Name Controversy, Shacktoberfest Hits NYC, and More Intel

— Some Crown Heights residents are not pleased about the fact that a new bar recently opened in the neighborhood called Crow Hill. That was the 19th century name for the area, but "crow" was also used as a derogatory term. Zaheer Ali, a historian at the Brooklyn Historical Society, tells Gothamist: "Most historians suggest that the name originated as a derogatory term in reference to the earliest black residents of the settlement, which would become Crown Heights." The bar’s owner, Dan Wilby, says he didn’t know about that bit of context, even though he usually tries to "find out all the history inside a neighborhood to see if there's something kind of interesting to pull out and pay homage to." The bar owner tells Gothamist: "If people are offended I'm sorry....It's not the intention of it, but it's a free world I guess."

— Shake Shack rolls out its Shacktoberfest menu items today at all locations around NYC (except airports and stadiums). The specials include soft pretzels, a Black Forest shake, and a "brat burger," which is a beef patty topped with a cheddar-stuffed bratwurst, ale-marinated shallots, and cheese sauce. The Shack is also serving a special Oktoberfest beer and its house ale in 25 ounce bier steins for $10 a pop. The specials roll from now through October 2.

— In other Shake Shack news, the wildly popular burger chain is opening its second Los Angeles-area location today.

— Alex Raij and Eder Montero are going to host Ashley Christensen — of Poole’s in Raleigh, NC — at Txikito on October 3 for a collaborative dinner partially inspired by the chef’s new book. Tickets for "A Taste of Poole’s at Txikito" are $125. On October 11, Raij and Montero will also host a book party/dinner at El Quinto Pino with Katie Button, of Cúrate in Asheville, NC, who is also releasing a new book of recipes from her restaurant. Tickets for that event are $65.

— Melissa Weller, the pastry chef that created the bagels and babkas at Sadelle’s, is making pastries for Rebelle’s brunch menu. Starting this weekend, the Michelin-starred French wine bar will serve Weller’s ham-and-cheese croissants, apple turnovers, and double pain au chocolat. Early next year, Weller and the Rebelle team — including chef Daniel Eddy, sommelier Patrick Cappiello, and GM Branden McRill — will open a new restaurant on the ground floor of the FMC Tower in Philadelphia, PA.

— Hungry City critic Ligaya Mishan visits Tong Sam Gyup Goo Yi in Murray Hill, Queens: "Other barbecue spots may have more and better banchan (side dishes) and less utilitarian décor. But Tong Sam Gyup Goo Yi has perhaps the best finish to a meal: first, a bowl made of ice, filled with naengmyun, buckwheat noodles in a bracing broth of beef bones, Korean pear, apple and radish that wipes the palate of all memory of what came before."

— The opening of Long Island City’s first-ever Chipotle is delayed by one week. The new burrito shop at 26-16 Jackson Avenue will now open on Friday, September 30.

— J. Lo attended the opening of Quality Branded’s new Flatiron club Squares last night. All the food and pretty much everything else in the venue is square-shaped.

— The international chef collaboration event known as Gelinaz will return on November 10. This year’s chef shuffle will feature dinners at Momofuku Ko, Blanca, Luksus, and Mission Chinese, although no word yet on who will be popping up at these pricy events. Reservations are moving fast.

— In other splashy event news, tickets for The Nomad’s Halloween masquerade ball went on sale yesterday. Tickets for the black tie-mandatory bacchanal on October 29 are $300 per person, and they also move fast.

— And finally, here’s a look at The Beatrice Inn’s steak that’s aged in whiskey for over 100 days: