MERGED: New Restaurant on Vandy: Cataldo's

If this keeps up, Vandy will be known as pizza restaurant row.

I'm not sure why people are whining about a new restaurant on Vanderbilt. It's another sign that the neighborhood is growing commercially. Would you rather have another hair place? Vanderbilt has several bars, with more to come, but I hear of no one complaining that it might become a "bar row".

I'm glad to see this place is opening and plan to give it a try before condemning it.

Man, I just wish it had been there when I was a grad student! I liked eating lunch at the Usual, but the more choices, the better.

Idlewild wrote: If oil keeps going up the way it is, and I believe it will, I don't think this place is going to last a year whether or not the food is good. The only places which might survive are Vanderbilt is The Usual and Mitchell's.

I dunno... Amorina seems to do quite the business.

Smokin' Joe wrote: [quote=Idlewild]If oil keeps going up the way it is, and I believe it will, I don't think this place is going to last a year whether or not the food is good. The only places which might survive are Vanderbilt is The Usual and Mitchell's.

maybe i missed your point, but as far as i can tell, mitchell's and the usual consume (and dispense) quite a bit of oil.


I meant petroleum. Although thinking about with the price of corn exploding on alternative fuel speculation I will add that to America’s woes.

As far as I know Mitchell's Soul Food and The Usual own the properties their stores are located in. And not having to pay a mortgage much less a high rent helps your economic situation drastically. I'll put it to you this way. We are being attacked economically in a few ways. There’s a two-war front that's sucking up cash like a giant sponge. Natural disasters since Katrina have risen G-d knows how many fold and are also being funded (the recoveries) without any incoming revenue. NYC itself is seeing a new construction slowdown and some hefty job loss. And petroleum is driving everything in its path up price wise. All of this hits the consumer, and consumers are holding back on spending money. Take a look at Flatbush Avenue during rush hour and you'll notice there's some extra space between the bumpers, walk by popular restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights and you’ll see more than per usual of empty seats. In fact look on Vanderbilt Ave and you'll see a lot of "For Rent" signs in storefronts. Last night as I was walking down Vanderbilt around 10pm I saw places like Beast, Soda and Le Gamin at 50% capacity. The new pizza place along with Vanderbilt Avenue itself was almost deserted. Businesses in the City as a whole have to pay extraordinary rents. Rents, which I doubt, will come down. Business expenses such as heating bills (heating oil is over $3 a gallon), natural gas for cooking, insurance and salaries are draining enough but are more so with incoming cash slowed down to trickles. My belief is places like the Usual and Mitchell's who own their property, mortgage free and are cheap enough for people to splurge on will make it if not barely. My guess is even the popular and customer loyal places like Amorina and the Garden will be facing tough times for lack of consumer spending.

And I forgot to add the rice crisis as well as petroleum creating economic disaster world wide. Look at the riots in Europe. America is in the middle of a multi-pronged attack.

maybe the apparent slow down could just be that folks are out of town, fleeing the heat?

I wouldn't be surprised if the businesses were half empty b/c it was damn hot out. frannys or beast on a friday or saturday night is usually impossible, and le gamin for brunch and early dinner (those odd hours between 3 and 6 when the brunch places are closed) on saturday and sunday tends to be mad.

This is going to be run by Sal, brother of Nino (Nino’s, Henry & Union now owned by someone else) and Vinny (Vinny’s of Carroll Gardens, Smith off of Union). I promise you will not be disappointed.

so is this place going to stay open late?

Vinny’s is open for dinner seven days a week and Sal works there now so I assume this place will do the same. That place draws people from all over Brooklyn I think they have the same hope for this place.

I guess I mean more late night. so far in the nabe we have ToD, soda, and albaz after midnight. maybe noona, too. it'd be nice to be able to get a pizza or a bowl of pasta at 1 or 2 a.m. in the area, especially considering the number of new bars that have opened/are opening on vanderbilt.

Vinny’s is more of a family/working person’s type of deal as was Nino’s. The times I’ve been there it’s been UPS, ConEd, Police, FDNY, plumbers, etc for lunch, families for dinner. I doubt they’ll change the formula but you never know.

Bklyn.X wrote: Vinny’s is more of a family/working person’s type of deal as was Nino’s. The times I’ve been there it’s been UPS, ConEd, Police, FDNY, plumbers, etc for lunch, families for dinner. I doubt they’ll change the formula but you never know.

huh, okay. I guess we'll just have to see how it works out!

Nothing has been said about the food. Anything to add on that?

A family place is great, just curious how it will fit in with all the bars opening up on the street. But hey, if it is good food that's all that matters. I just hope it doesn't take business away from Amorina, they are great over there.

If this place is like Vinny's (just looked at their menu), that would be exciting. The neighborhood needs a place where you can get a good, old-fashioned staple like veal parm and spaghetti--Antonio's and Michael's are both lacking in that department.