This site is closed to new comments and posts.

Notice: This site uses cookies to function.
If you are not comfortable with cookies then please don't browse this website.

Tavern on Nostrand Closed?? — Brooklynian

Tavern on Nostrand Closed??

won't ub my nabor
won't ub my nabor
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens
The past couple of times that I have passed by T.O.N. during normal business hours, the place was shuttered up. Anyone know what's going on? Is the place closed for good?
«1

Comments

  • snowboarding
    snowboarding
    Ya, its closed. Supposedly the owner is turning it into an italian bistro (?) With a lounge in the basement. who knows how long that will take....
  • drkman
    drkman
    Ahhhhhhhhhh man, I was just discussing this place with a friend of mine and was making plans to go there soon. I guess if you're slow you blow.
  • snowboarding
    snowboarding
    well.. so i guess they are going to open up TON possibly next week. Just talked to the owner last night.. it sounds like he is not going w/ the italian idea but is changing up the menu a bit.. better hurry up, i miss having that place for just a casual drink
  • won't ub my nabor
    won't ub my nabor
    That seems odd. Why would you shut the place down if all you are doing is changing up the menu ...
  • snowboarding
    snowboarding
    well.. he can be kind of an odd guy and sometimes i'm not sure if he is giving me all of the info. but i guess someone wanted to buy it, but he ended up not wanting to sell it to him. so maybe that explains the whole opening and reopening?? Yep, seems pretty silly to me too. Oh I guess there is also going to be a lounge in the basement ?
  • bellak
    bellak
    Yeah, I don't understand that owner. It's not the food he needs to work on in his establishments, it's the general business operation and service. I ate at Tavern once and thought the food was pretty good. We were the only table with people there and it took over an hour to get our entrees, which made no sense.

    Same thing with the pizza place. It's taste good, but I can't stand when I go there with something specific in mind and they are only serving regular slices or ones with meat on them. They need to have consistent variety and service. And I have to ask the girl at the counter if I can pay her every time. Waving money doesn't even prompt her to ring me up.

    I think Dave knows how to talk the talk. My boyfriend and I were waiting for months for the pizza place to open because he said they were going to serve gelato. 2 months after opening, I asked the co-owner about it and his reply was, " No. What's gelato?"
  • snowboarding
    snowboarding
    I can not agree with you more!! The food is always great. The service at both tavern and the pizza place is absolutely absurd. Sometimes I just want to get a slice on my way home and I won't go in there because I know it will just take forever and no one will take my order.. take my money.. etc. I tend to just go to tavern for drinks and conversation because I can't stand the food service..

    i have tried to tell Dave this... but well it does not work.

    Well.. maybe we'll both be waiting for food one night at tavern and we can chat to pass the hours away for the cook to make some buffalo wings... haha
  • dmiami
    dmiami
    Somebody with reporting ambitions should go out and interview this guy. There has got to be an interesting story behind all this crazyness... could it be real life Brewster's Million's??? ;-)
  • won't ub my nabor
    won't ub my nabor
    Wasn't that guy supposed to be opening up some type of catering hall across the street. I thought that place was supposed to be up and running this past summer...
  • dmiami
    dmiami
    Catering Hall??? Gotta be Brewster's Millions!!!! Can't think of a worse idea.
  • fastbacker
    fastbacker
    Yes, the bad service at those two places was just mind boggling. It's really too bad, because there are so few competitors in the area that he could be making a load of money.

    I also assume he owns the hair salon next to the Pizza place, since it seems to have the same decor and facade work.

    I like this Brewster's Millions theory...why else would he have those amazing benches in the Pizza place. I asked about them and found out that they were custom made and imported from Italy?!?!?
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    He leases the entire building, and did the buildout of the salon, but the business is run by someone else. It is a long time business in the area that just moved into smaller space from a larger salon on the next block.
  • snowboarding
    snowboarding
    Yes, he also doesn't own Tavern either he leases that and the apts as well. He told me the other day he's going to sell Tavern, which would really be just selling the menu since he doesn't even own the actual space. Very strange. But I guess the people that are buying it are keeping it the same, hopefully it will have better service.. who knows
  • won't ub my nabor
    won't ub my nabor
    Yeah -- I believe he owns a bunch of those businesses around there. Doesn't he own that salon and that bistro/deli place? Is that bistro place even open? I can't remember the name. It's next to the pizza shop on Union.

    If he were to sell Tavern, he would sell more than just the menu. He would sell the lease and the name, etc. Either way, if he's just changing the menu or selling the whole shibang -- I just don't understand why he would close it down in the interim. It always seemed to have a fairly good turn out. But maybe that's not the case. Maybe it doesn't receive enough revenue to justify staying open. These are hard times.
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    He doesn't own the salon. I believe he has long term (15-20 yrs) leases on the buildings that both Tavern and the pizzeria are in. So he's been opening businesses that he owned and operated (Tavern and Asian Jazz) and others that he subleased to the operators (the salon, the spa, the pizza shop). So he can sell his lease(s) and the purchasers will get the businesses and/or the income coming in from the sublease. I haven't heard about him selling anything but Tavern, so its probably just that business and not the stuff across the street.
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    bumping this to say that i ate dinner last night at the under-new-management ToN, and it was swell. i had fried chicken with greens and mac&cheese. i thought the chicken and greens were the best part, but the other person at our table who ordered the same thing thought the mac&cheese was -- the point is, it was all great. also heard positive things about the roast chicken. shared red velvet cake for dessert, which was good if a tad dry -- might just be my taste in cake is different.

    i thought the by the glass wines on the list were a bit pricey overall -- too much $15 and not enough $7-9 on the reds -- but then the bartender offered me a nice malbec for $6. seems they're reworking the list but first selling off the existing stock on the old list.

    i can't compare this to the previous incarnation, because the only time i tried to go there, it was randomly closed on a friday night.

    the atmosphere was great -- laid back and friendly, nice music but quiet enough to have a good conversation. the space is beautiful, and i hear they're planning on starting up a jazz brunch soon, at least on sundays. i can't wait to check that out.
  • won't ub my nabor
    won't ub my nabor
    Just new management? There was a whole lot of management turn over in the past. Is it a new menu? New ownership? New staff?
  • poundcake
    poundcake
    Just wanted to post to add that I am one of the new owners and there is also new management... We have modified the menu slightly to add some variety and even made the prices more recession friendly. We also have some great new bartenders and servers along with some faces from the past.
    Please come by, and check us out - I am sure that you will enjoy the new music, faces, food and warmth. All are welcome, so check out our happy hour from 4-7 every day except Sunday and Monday. We have added a great Sunday Brunch from 1pm - 4pm, and are looking to the community for ideas to spice up some of our weeknights.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    I really enjoyed my recent meal at Tavern on Nostrand. The fried chicken with mac and cheese and spinach was delicious. Especially the mac and cheese! :D
  • won't ub my nabor
    won't ub my nabor
    Awesome, Poundcake. Thanks for the info!
  • clayfilms
    clayfilms

    Subject: yo

    so apparently "tavern on nostrand" is changing it's name to the crow hill bistro...but that's not why i'm posting..i finally visited this place with my husband tonight for dinner and i must say that i'm pleasantly impressed.

    i had a delicious penne ala vodka w/ shrimp and he had the tilapia with mashed potatoes and veggies...DEEELICIOUS!!

    the service was great and we'll mos def be back!! :D
  • oshma
    oshma

    Subject: Crow Hill Bistro

    My gf and I ate there Saturday night, and loved the pasta too. She had fettucine alfredo with chicken and I had the pasta primavera, which was stuffed with fresh, crisp veggies and a thick, kicky tomato sauce.

    YUM! Can't wait to go back.
  • vaportrail
    vaportrail
    This place has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Why would you do an upscale type of place with a TV that is too loud or music so loud that I cannot even hear my friends speak? TV's and a Home Depot atmosphere is not an enjoyable atmosphere.
    The food has been decent, but the wait time for food is ridiculous. Plus we often would get our apps (after a 20 minute wait) 2 minutes before the entrees came out. WTF?
  • MOD
    MOD
    It's under new management Vapor
  • vaportrail
    vaportrail
    But it will still have a blaring TV and Home Depot decor, no?
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    ^ not sure how long it's been since you've been there, but when i was there in the spring, it was not at all like that. unless you're hanging out at a really classy home depot.
  • MOD
    MOD
    Sounds like you had an old experience. Things have changed and this is an old thread. The original poster was talking about the previous management. Maybe a new thread is in order to clear up any misunderstandings.
  • clayfilms
    clayfilms
    yeah vapor...sorry to hear about your bad experience..but last night the music was cool (not too loud) i could barely hear the tv from my seat and the waitress and hostess were really nice..they even have a new sign out front that says "crow hill bistro"...so i think the new management made some changes...
  • vaportrail
    vaportrail
    Home Depot decor = generic, stock finishes. My point is that there is nothing interesting about the ambiance. Plus I hate bars with TVs.
  • mr. met
    mr. met
    Plus I hate bars with TVs.
    wow. you must be very artistic and original.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In

Categories