The Narrows — in this narrow black storefront on Flushing — will open Monday night. — Photo by Jeremy Sapienza
Flushing Avenue’s retail transformation continues to surprise those who see it as just a noisy truck route bisecting the neighborhood. From Evergreen to Porter, bars, new homes, galleries, delis, and boutiques line the strip, capped by the enormous Loom shopping center. Bartenders Matt Webber and Keith Cochran add a new bar to Flushing’s ranks next week, a tiny Deco-inspired jewel called The Narrows in the space of former gallery Pocket Utopia.
|
|||
|
|||
Webber bought the front doors from a defunct diner in Scranton, PA, a city full of Art Deco salvage. Other elements are inspired by the Deco period — shiny dark surfaces, intimate leather banquettes, fluted-glass windows, and a curved wall behind the bar that evokes an opulent train car. The metal-topped bar was fabricated by nearby Excalibur Foundry.
There is only room for about 20 patrons to sit inside, but more can fit in the renovated back yard, once an overgrown mudpit and Chinese restaurant storage, now a clean expanse of cement surrounded by a high wooden fence, its benches flanked by vines and flowers. Webber hopes to tent part of the yard for use in the winter. “In Bushwick especially, it’s nice to have a little outdoor oasis,” he said.
Emphasis will be on local microbrews, sourced from Brooklyn and around the region, and cocktails will feature fresh fruit and housemade juices and sodas. The wine list will feature organic vintages from The Brooklyn Collective. The bar will serve small plates also from local purveyors of meats and cheeses, and even chocolate, but the menu isn’t yet decided.
Webber has experience running a bar, as the owner of Soft Spot on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. “When we opened five years ago, we were considered ‘too nice’ for the area,” he said. “Now we’re considered a dive.”
Decide for yourself on Monday, June 21, when The Narrows opens at 1037 Flushing Avenue.
Austin Thomas June 17th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Guess it’s finally time for drink! Who’s buying?
daveffreep June 17th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Did they leave the mulberry tree in back?
Hi Austin!
Mario Rizzo June 18th, 2010 at 8:47 am
“once an overgrown mudpit and Chinese restaurant storage”
This must have been some sight!
Savage Severe June 18th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Nice! Cool name too!
timo June 18th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I can’t see how this could possibly be a bad thing, though I’m sure some “thanks gentrification!” n’er-do-well will comment some misery soon enough.
sweetser June 18th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Seems like the entrepreneurs and investors are starting to realize how ripe this area is for businesses serving the huge loft-dwelling population. Both this and the Pine Box spot look pretty dope.
bill bones June 19th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I stopped by last night (Friday the 18th) and it was open. Had two perfectly made cocktails…the Bonita drink is a lot like the Diego (formerly the Suther) at Tandem…only real difference is that at this place they put in some cucumber to soften the kick of the jalapeno tequila. Very nice for summer weather. The only problem is that the drinks were a little on the small side. The atmosphere is more like a backyard party than a bar. Glad to have a place like this in the neighborhood, we can actually go bar-hopping in Bushwick now!
Otto June 30th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
The wine is from Communal Brands, a collection of brooklynites that love wine and love Brooklyn.
Otto June 30th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
The Mulberry tree is pruned away.
Professional Alternative July 16th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
The drinks here are fully half the size as at Tandem for the same price or more. The interior looks unfinished and bare — not minimalist, just not done. The back is nice and seems to be where everyone gravitates, but nothing can make up for the poor bartending skills. I don’t know how you make a Hendricks martini taste like Windex, but the guys at The Narrows do.
You need to fix this, guys.