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The Brooklyn Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

by Greg Morabito
27 comments / new
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by Greg Morabito
27 comments / new

12355134111232008_10_hasmaps%20%283%29%20%281%29%20%281%29.jpgDoes Brooklyn have its own unique culinary identity apart from Manhattan? Are all the young, ambitious chefs and restaurateurs opening in Brooklyn these days? And are any Brooklyn restaurants worth the train/cab/boat/helicopter ride from the Upper East Side? These are all questions that can be debated, endlessly. But one thing's for certain: There are a lot of terrific new restaurants in Brooklyn right now. Here they are, in map form.

Take a peek at Eater's Brooklyn Heatmap:

The restaurants on the Eater Heatmaps are listed by opening date, not heat rank, although all of them are extremely hot right now.

For a guide to Manhattan's restaurants-of-the-moment, check out the Manhattan Heatmap, and stay tuned for the Queens map this weekend.


04/05/13: Added: Xixa, Mama Joy's, OTB
05/03/13: Added: Alameda, Franny's, Fritzl's Lunch Box
06/07/13: River Styx, The Grand, The Bounty, Old School Brooklyn

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

River Styx

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The team from the Roebling Tea Room recently opened this laid-back restaurant near Trasmitter Park in Greenpoint. Chef Dennis Spina's menu includes a number of roasted fish and meat dishes, as well as things like fish stew, fried squid in a peppery "suave" sauce, fancy nachos, and a cheese and coppa-topped baked dough creation he calls the Big Chef. Spina has a bit of a whimsical streak, but he's a talented chef and his food is never fussy. Many of the entrees are priced under $20.

21 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY
7183838833
7183838833

Also featured in:

The Grand

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Like a lot of the places on this map, The Grand feels more like a bar than a restaurant, but the food is worth seeking out. The menu includes oysters, bar snacks like chicken wings and braised pork ribs, and entrees like veal meatloaf, roasted chicken, fried rabbit, and a terrific steak frites. You can try a lot of things here for under $40 per person. The chef at The Grand previously worked at Dressler and Miller's Tavern.

647 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Bounty

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Head to this new bar and restaurant from the owners of The Drink for cocktails, oysters, and a serious cheeseburger. The menu also includes whole fish, cheese plates, and a few seasonal salads and vegetable dishes. The Bounty has a nautical vibe, but thankfully, the owners didn't go overboard with the decor here. [Photo: Foursquare]

131 Greenpoint Avenue, New York, NY

Also featured in:

Old School Brooklyn

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Old School Brooklyn is the new Carroll Gardens restaurant from Cacio e Pepe's Alessandro Peluso and chef David Buico, formerly of Patina and Bocca. Buico's menu is full of hearty Italian fare like cavatelli with sausage & broccoli rabe, rigatoni with boar ragu, and baked ricotta with honeycomb and prosciutto. The chef is making many of the pastas, cheeses, and sausages in the restaurant. The portions are big, and the prices are moderate for the neighborhood.

520 Court, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 407-0047
(718) 407-0047

Alameda

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Alameda is the new Greenpoint restaurant from design duo Evan and Oliver Haslegrave, and Brooklyn Star veterans Nick Padilla and Waine Longwell. The space is an absolute stunner and the menu is full of inexpensive crowd-pleasers, like a sausage sandwich, fried baby artichokes, and frisee salad with pork belly. Right now, Alameda feels like a fun neighborhood bar that happens to serve great food.

195 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(347) 227-7296
(347) 227-7296

Also featured in:

Fritzl's Lunch Box

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Fatty 'Cue alum Dan Ross-Leutwyler recently opened this stylish Bushwick luncheonette. The eclectic menu includes sandwiches, salads, pastas, and snacks. So far, the early word is very strong, and the prices can't be beat — most dishes are around $9, and the most expensive dish is just $13.

173 Irving Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237
(929) 210-9531
(929) 210-9531

Also featured in:

Franny's

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Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg recently moved their beloved restaurant Franny's up the block to a much bigger space that includes a downstairs room that can be reserved for private parties and large groups. (The old space is going to become their new Southern Italian restaurant, Marco's.) Although the vibe is slightly different, the menu is exactly the same. If you haven't had a pizza at Franny's in a while, now is a great time to reacquainted.

348 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 230-0221
(718) 230-0221

Nightingale 9

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Kerry Diamond and Robert Newton of Seersucker recently opened this hip Vietnamese restaurant on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. The menu includes noodle soups, fried chicken, salads, rice dishes, banh mi-like sandwiches, and shareable meat and fish entrees, all made with locally-sourced ingredients. Newton occasionally folds in elements of American cuisine, but all of his dishes have those big, bright flavors that you find in traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

345 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 689-4699
(347) 689-4699

Also featured in:

OTB

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From the team behind Post Office comes this new racetrack-themed bar and restaurant in Williamsburg. There are classic cocktails, a menu of bistro dishes from Momofuku Ssäm alum Sam Glinn (coq au vin, steak frites), and old-school payphones.

141 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 763-1481
(347) 763-1481

Also featured in:

Aska

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The opening of Aska was the big Brooklyn surprise of fall 2012 . This new restaurant operates out of Kinfolk Studios at night (during the day, the space is used as a coffee shop and design studio). The chef here is Fredrik Berselius, a young gun who earned critical acclaim for Frej, his pop-up restaurant with Richard Kuo. Berselius's menu of modern Scandinavian food includes dishes like mackerel with "soured cream," pork ribs with rutabaga, and fried broccoli with oyster cream. The food and drinks are sophisticated, but the vibe here is super relaxed.

90 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 799-2945
(347) 799-2945

Mama Joy's

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A southern-inspired gastropub in Bushwick that recently earned a rave review from the Robs at New York magazine. In that piece, the critics praised the fried chicken, tender short ribs, buttery cornbread, "soul-soothing" grits, and mac 'n' cheese with duck confit.

1084 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237
(347) 295-2227
(347) 295-2227

Runner & Stone

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Runner & Stone is the all-day restaurant and bakery from two up-and-coming chefs: Peter Endriss (formerly of Per Se and Bouchon) and Chris Pizzulli (formerly of Blue Ribbon Brasserie). The restaurant serves sweet and savory pastries in the morning, sandwiches and salads for lunch, and a menu of Italian-influenced American fare at night. The dinner options include homemade spaghetti with conch ragu, pancetta-wrapped blackfish, fettuccine with duck sausage, and a grilled ribeye with roasted potatoes. It's an ambitious project, and an unusual one for the neighborhood, but so far people love what's coming out of the kitchen.

285 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 576-3360
(718) 576-3360

Also featured in:

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River Styx

21 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY

The team from the Roebling Tea Room recently opened this laid-back restaurant near Trasmitter Park in Greenpoint. Chef Dennis Spina's menu includes a number of roasted fish and meat dishes, as well as things like fish stew, fried squid in a peppery "suave" sauce, fancy nachos, and a cheese and coppa-topped baked dough creation he calls the Big Chef. Spina has a bit of a whimsical streak, but he's a talented chef and his food is never fussy. Many of the entrees are priced under $20.

21 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY
7183838833
7183838833

The Grand

647 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Like a lot of the places on this map, The Grand feels more like a bar than a restaurant, but the food is worth seeking out. The menu includes oysters, bar snacks like chicken wings and braised pork ribs, and entrees like veal meatloaf, roasted chicken, fried rabbit, and a terrific steak frites. You can try a lot of things here for under $40 per person. The chef at The Grand previously worked at Dressler and Miller's Tavern.

647 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Bounty

131 Greenpoint Avenue, New York, NY

Head to this new bar and restaurant from the owners of The Drink for cocktails, oysters, and a serious cheeseburger. The menu also includes whole fish, cheese plates, and a few seasonal salads and vegetable dishes. The Bounty has a nautical vibe, but thankfully, the owners didn't go overboard with the decor here. [Photo: Foursquare]

131 Greenpoint Avenue, New York, NY

Old School Brooklyn

520 Court, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Old School Brooklyn is the new Carroll Gardens restaurant from Cacio e Pepe's Alessandro Peluso and chef David Buico, formerly of Patina and Bocca. Buico's menu is full of hearty Italian fare like cavatelli with sausage & broccoli rabe, rigatoni with boar ragu, and baked ricotta with honeycomb and prosciutto. The chef is making many of the pastas, cheeses, and sausages in the restaurant. The portions are big, and the prices are moderate for the neighborhood.

520 Court, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 407-0047
(718) 407-0047

Alameda

195 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Alameda is the new Greenpoint restaurant from design duo Evan and Oliver Haslegrave, and Brooklyn Star veterans Nick Padilla and Waine Longwell. The space is an absolute stunner and the menu is full of inexpensive crowd-pleasers, like a sausage sandwich, fried baby artichokes, and frisee salad with pork belly. Right now, Alameda feels like a fun neighborhood bar that happens to serve great food.

195 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(347) 227-7296
(347) 227-7296

Fritzl's Lunch Box

173 Irving Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237

Fatty 'Cue alum Dan Ross-Leutwyler recently opened this stylish Bushwick luncheonette. The eclectic menu includes sandwiches, salads, pastas, and snacks. So far, the early word is very strong, and the prices can't be beat — most dishes are around $9, and the most expensive dish is just $13.

173 Irving Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237
(929) 210-9531
(929) 210-9531

Franny's

348 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg recently moved their beloved restaurant Franny's up the block to a much bigger space that includes a downstairs room that can be reserved for private parties and large groups. (The old space is going to become their new Southern Italian restaurant, Marco's.) Although the vibe is slightly different, the menu is exactly the same. If you haven't had a pizza at Franny's in a while, now is a great time to reacquainted.

348 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 230-0221
(718) 230-0221

Nightingale 9

345 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11231

Kerry Diamond and Robert Newton of Seersucker recently opened this hip Vietnamese restaurant on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. The menu includes noodle soups, fried chicken, salads, rice dishes, banh mi-like sandwiches, and shareable meat and fish entrees, all made with locally-sourced ingredients. Newton occasionally folds in elements of American cuisine, but all of his dishes have those big, bright flavors that you find in traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

345 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 689-4699
(347) 689-4699

OTB

141 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211

From the team behind Post Office comes this new racetrack-themed bar and restaurant in Williamsburg. There are classic cocktails, a menu of bistro dishes from Momofuku Ssäm alum Sam Glinn (coq au vin, steak frites), and old-school payphones.

141 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 763-1481
(347) 763-1481

Aska

90 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211

The opening of Aska was the big Brooklyn surprise of fall 2012 . This new restaurant operates out of Kinfolk Studios at night (during the day, the space is used as a coffee shop and design studio). The chef here is Fredrik Berselius, a young gun who earned critical acclaim for Frej, his pop-up restaurant with Richard Kuo. Berselius's menu of modern Scandinavian food includes dishes like mackerel with "soured cream," pork ribs with rutabaga, and fried broccoli with oyster cream. The food and drinks are sophisticated, but the vibe here is super relaxed.

90 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 799-2945
(347) 799-2945

Mama Joy's

1084 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237

A southern-inspired gastropub in Bushwick that recently earned a rave review from the Robs at New York magazine. In that piece, the critics praised the fried chicken, tender short ribs, buttery cornbread, "soul-soothing" grits, and mac 'n' cheese with duck confit.

1084 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237
(347) 295-2227
(347) 295-2227

Runner & Stone

285 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215

Runner & Stone is the all-day restaurant and bakery from two up-and-coming chefs: Peter Endriss (formerly of Per Se and Bouchon) and Chris Pizzulli (formerly of Blue Ribbon Brasserie). The restaurant serves sweet and savory pastries in the morning, sandwiches and salads for lunch, and a menu of Italian-influenced American fare at night. The dinner options include homemade spaghetti with conch ragu, pancetta-wrapped blackfish, fettuccine with duck sausage, and a grilled ribeye with roasted potatoes. It's an ambitious project, and an unusual one for the neighborhood, but so far people love what's coming out of the kitchen.

285 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 576-3360
(718) 576-3360

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