Franklin and Sterling - Spanish American Restaurant
A Spanish American sit-down and take-out restaurant about a year ago on Franklin at Sterling. It seemed alive and kicking and generally had people inside (not a lot of people, but I never saw it completely empty when walking past) but saw earlier this week that there were "for rent" signs on the gates and the gates haven't gone up all week. Are they closed for good? Anyone know?
Comments
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Yes, they recently closed for good.
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Wow, I saw the sign, but I wasn't sure how long they had been in business.
Hope they find a location that works for them. -
that's a shame... the family is really nice and I hate vacant store-fronts, regardless of what the business is. I never ate there only because I couldn't read their menu when I was outside since it wasn't all in English. I should have just been more adventuresome.
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These were some very nice people and had good food. They had a weird thing happen in their business..when the sun went down the inside turned into kind of a cantina.. I don't know if they did it by design but they started to sell lots and lots of beer..kind of turned into a bar with or without their blessing ..lots of good ranchero music
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I'm pretty sure it's owned by the guy who owns the bodega up the street. The one on the same side of Franklin, closest to Park. Keep meaning to go in and ask him.
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Sad to hear this place closed down. I walked past it every day on my way to/from work, but never tried it (though I kept telling myself to because it smelled so damn good all the time).
Has anyone else noticed A LOT of empty storefronts on Franklin lately? Maybe my groggy 8 a.m. eyes never really picked up on the seemingly vacant spaces until recently, but I've just started noticing how many fronts are closed. Maybe these places just don't get swinging until after I'm on the train. -
I had a convo with the guy when they first opened. RIdunkulous, you're right. It was owned by the gentleman who owns the bodega on Franklin near Park. It was my sense that business wasn't too great. I thought that their prices were absolutely fabulous, but the manner in which the food was marketed needed improvement. I went in a couple of times and asked for a menu, and they didn't have one. I was told that they were printing some up. They finally did print some up, but if memory serves me, there were no prices on the menu, just a list tof the foods they sold. But they had such great deals on food. And the chicken was really very good.
My sense is that it was not user friendly, and not accessible to the changing demographic -- much like the Jamaican spot across the street, quite frankly, which also has good food, but in my opinion, if you're not familiar with curry goat/chicken, oxtail, or rice and peas, then you're gonna feel very funny asking the ladies on the other side of the counter what it is you're getting ready to spend your money on. So essentially, these places end up selling to people already 'in the choir', so-to-speak.
I see the same 'phenomenon' -- if I can use this word here -- at the African restaurant also on Franklin between Lincoln and St; John's. If you look in, you don't see food. One has to walk all the way to the back, and on the right in buffet style there's the food. The fried fish is incredible! But everytime I'm in there I never see a menu. The place is patronized by predominantly African immigrants, and there seems to be little effort expended to appeal to a larger market. This is not a bad thing particularly, because in a sense the reluctance to appeal to the eyes of the other gives the 'ethnic' food a veneer of authenticity. I like the fact, for instance, that the African hot sauce is dangerously hot, yet they don't tell you this when they ask you if you want some.
Ultimately places like the Dominican spot appealed to a certain demographic, I suspect, folks who at one point lived in the neighborhood but no longer do. -
MHA wrote: I had a convo with the guy when they first opened. RIdunkulous, you're right. It was owned by the gentleman who owns the bodega on Franklin near Park. It was my sense that business wasn't too great. I thought that their prices were absolutely fabulous, but the manner in which the food was marketed needed improvement. I went in a couple of times and asked for a menu, and they didn't have one. I was told that they were printing some up. They finally did print some up, but if memory serves me, there were no prices on the menu, just a list tof the foods they sold. But they had such great deals on food. And the chicken was really very good.
That's weird, because El Gran Castillo De Jagua, on Flatbush and Park Pl, has been thriving and is busy with all types of people from the neighborhood.
My sense is that it was not user friendly, and not accessible to the changing demographic -- much like the Jamaican spot across the street, quite frankly, which also has good food, but in my opinion, if you're not familiar with curry goat/chicken, oxtail, or rice and peas, then you're gonna feel very funny asking the ladies on the other side of the counter what it is you're getting ready to spend your money on. So essentially, these places end up selling to people already 'in the choir', so-to-speak.
I see the same 'phenomenon' -- if I can use this word here -- at the African restaurant also on Franklin between Lincoln and St; John's. If you look in, you don't see food. One has to walk all the way to the back, and on the right in buffet style there's the food. The fried fish is incredible! But everytime I'm in there I never see a menu. The place is patronized by predominantly African immigrants, and there seems to be little effort expended to appeal to a larger market. This is not a bad thing particularly, because in a sense the reluctance to appeal to the eyes of the other gives the 'ethnic' food a veneer of authenticity. I like the fact, for instance, that the African hot sauce is dangerously hot, yet they don't tell you this when they ask you if you want some.
Ultimately places like the Dominican spot appealed to a certain demographic, I suspect, folks who at one point lived in the neighborhood but no longer do. -
I agree 100% with MHA.
Even with the menu in hand, I couldn't read more than half of it, didn't know what anything cost, and had no idea if I could eat any of it due to dietary restrictions. Much like my reason for barely getting to Bristen's, when I want food not from my kitchen, I need to be sure that they're open and that I can eat there before I venture out. I went into the African place once, looked at the buffet, didn't recognize anything but some spinach and didn't see anyone looking to help me since everyone behind the counter was busy cooking. I keep saying I'll try again later there too.. -
Yeah! The African place has great fried fish (Sorry Jeffrey! Not trying to plug a business here! NO affiliation), but I have never seen a menu in there. The whole design of the place is unbecoming for my Americanized norms. I think buffet styled restaurants should have the buffet in the center and allow the patron to walk AROUND the food, and not stand over it. The food is the draw, so it should be marketed as aesthetically pleasing as possible. It's likely that they're not going for the everyday patron, but are catering to a familiar clientele. Indeed, whenever I walk in there I am greeted with looks of EXTREME curiosity. I could get really nitty-gritty critical, but just as Jeffrey is right about the follies of touting enterprise for fear of seeming biased in its favor, there is detriment in talking about the place super critically. I really think that ALL businesses are worth a whirl in our neighborhood, and I do make a habit of patronizing local businesses. After all, the more I know about what there is to offer, the better a member of the community I become.
For instance, if you really like bean curd, go to the chinese restaurant on Franklin and St. Johns and ask for their bean curd and broccoli in curry sauce. It's no on the menu, but it should be....
I've noticed that Bristen's now has menus on their outside windows, so when I walk by I can look and see what they have. It's basically a burger and breakfast spot, and, at the risk of seeming as if I am touting their cause, I really like it there. The backyard is quite peaceful, and a nice change from the some of the sorrows we all heavily bear witness to on the streets of Crow Hill... -
Hey, good fish is good fish, lol...
We like news and opinions about restaurants here, feel free to go nuts with that.
We don't like it when a business comes on with fake shill posts singing false praises of some place or another.
But we do encourage regular folks to mention what's on their mind, their experiences with restaurants and other businesses.
Heck, we don't even mind the actual business itself coming into a thread to comment, as long as...
1) they identify themselves as such from the get-go
and
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So go for it... -
MHA wrote:
Really?? I lived above that place and their Sesame Bean Curd is AMAZING. I will have to try that....it sounds great!
For instance, if you really like bean curd, go to the chinese restaurant on Franklin and St. Johns and ask for their bean curd and broccoli in curry sauce. It's no on the menu, but it should be.... -
MHA wrote:
I love that I can see their menu from outside, but I can NEVER figure out when they will be open! I have been down to them a number of times only to find them closed...I think they're only open 6 days each week, but also can't figure out the times...they close for 2 hours and then reopen but then have private events that close them down and then sometimes don't reopen....
I've noticed that Bristen's now has menus on their outside windows, so when I walk by I can look and see what they have. It's basically a burger and breakfast spot, and, at the risk of seeming as if I am touting their cause, I really like it there. The backyard is quite peaceful, and a nice change from the some of the sorrows we all heavily bear witness to on the streets of Crow Hill... -
I have spoken to the owner about her hours and she said that foot traffic is so slow on Mondays that she is forced to close on Mondays. Their hours, I believe, are 10-4, and then they re-open from 6-10, Tuesday - Friday. I don't know their weekend hours. I think they open at 9/10 am on the weekend. They are on Facebook!
(Really sorry Jeffrey!) -
Dude, you are seriously cracking me up today...
^ That is all good! -
Ok, seriously -- Chavellas has the best Mexican food around. I could eat their avocado and cheese torta 7 days a week.
That said -- Seems like they're moving to that empty restaurant space! I'm quite excited to have a bigger sitdown space!
http://ilovefranklinave.blogspot.com/2010/06/chavellas-coming-to-franklin.html -
this is good news! their other place was way too small.
at one point I counted 7 people crammed into that tiny kitchen behind the wood beads -
this place was rented to the owners of Chavella's for ..a while i hope they make it Mexican..I am hearin Spanish......a few 1000 miles and lots of different tastes. Mex is good
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Is Chavella's moving, or are they simply opening a second restaurant?
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Oh, JoshB, I just assumed they were moving. Interesting that it might be a new place from the same owners.
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Yeah, I'm hoping it's a new spot. They've put a ton of work into the Classon space, and I doubt they'd give up such a prime location a block from the Jewish Hospital hordes.
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To the east! To the east! Yaaay!
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They're not moving, just opening up a second restaurant. But supposedly a slightly different style?
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Mexican for Franklin: Franklin Avenue is in for a treat — employees at ridiculously amazing Prospect Height’s Mexican spot Chavella’s confirmed that the restaurant’s owners are planning an eater for the corner of Sterling Street. The eatery will not be a second outpost of Chavella’s, but odds are it will be delicious.
From the Brooklyn Paper
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/25/24_restaurantgossip_2010_06_18_bk.html
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