A Spate of Beloved Brooklyn Neighborhood Spots Are Closing by Month’s End

It’s no surprise that New York summers are tough on restaurants — and over the weekend, news came out about several local closings, including a beloved Brooklyn pie shop whose customers donated money to keep open following its owner’s cancer diagnosis.

Over in Prospect Heights, one of the city’s best best pie shops Daly Pie has closed after three years in the neighborhood. Owner Meghan Daly closed the shop this weekend, she says on Instagram, despite diners’ efforts — like an online crowdfunding campaign — to keep it open.

Daly began selling her pies at markets in 2011 and opened her brick and mortar store at 665 Vanderbilt Ave., between Park and Prospect places, in 2016. But in 2017, Daly was diagnosed with breast cancer, which took her away from the shop for several months. Although she completed her treatment last year, she has struggled to keep up with rent at the pie shop.

She shared a farewell letter online that hints at a possible continuation of her pies: “I am hoping that Daly Pie will live on in other ways in the future, so stay tuned!”

Meanwhile, popular Uzbek restaurant Nargis Bar & Grill is exiting Park Slope, chef-owner Boris Bangiyev announced on Instagram. He says the closure will give him more time to devote to his original Sheepshead Bay restaurant Nargis Cafe.

Nargis opened in Park Slope in 2017, bringing an exciting new cuisine to the neighborhood that garnered two stars from Eater critic Ryan Sutton. It’ll be replaced with a new jazz cafe and bar in the beginning of August, according to Bangiyev.

Park Slope will say goodbye to its longstanding gay bar Excelsior. The 20-year-old bar closes Wednesday, July 31, at 563 Fifth Ave., near 15th Street. Partners Mark Nayden and Richard Kennedy blame the rising real estate costs of the neighborhood.

“More than ever, rising costs, like rent and taxes, make your neighborhood bars and restaurants struggle every day,” they in a statement on Facebook. The current lease is ending, and the landlord was only willing to renew for another year, Bklyner reports.

The bar originally opened in 1999 at 390 Fifth Ave., where it lived for 15 years before moving to its current location. On Wednesday, the owners will host a farewell event called the “grand finale” starting at 6 p.m.

And over in Greenpoint, Polish bakery Rzeszowska recently closed up shop at 948 Manhattan Ave. after over three decades in the neighborhood. A farewell note hangs on the front of the bakery’s building thanking customers for a “wonderful” 34 years of business. The bakeshop was known for its was a go to for Polish stapes like makowiec and pączki.

For more New York City restaurant closings, check out our weekly roundup here.