Mitchell's on Flatbush

Restless Native wrote: [quote=Alecorock]i know the owner is a great guy and everything... friend of the patrolman of every state and all... but if the food is so great why does it stay empty all the time.

Simple - because while they are aiming for a more 'mature' crowd, they have not hit the right note for the neighborhood newcomers, who are a bunch of flakes. That's why 'Franny's' was packed to capacity when I walked by on my way down to a fantastic meal in an empty Mitchell's. No suprise there, matter of fact, I would be shocked if it were the other way around.

Anyway, I believe that the owners own both the building they're in now as well as the one they used to be in, so rent shouldn't be a problem for them.
Franny's is packed because they have a focused menu and delicious food. Mitchell's is empty because they can't decide what they want to be. Their menu is all over the place, and the more "mature" parts of the menu are way too expensive for what they're serving. Don't blame the people in the neighborhood for Mitchell's failings. I tried eating there several times, and the patio is nice and all, but there's no way I'm paying Peter Luger prices for a steak from a sandwich shop that doesn't sell many steaks.

I've heard so many poor reviews of Mitchell's it's really tough for me to even consider going there. I'm glad some folks like it - I have no interest in seeing a business fail - but I'm probably never going to sit down there.

Franny's, on the other hand, is a business that, despite their obnoxious "we're in Park Slope" stance and, in my opinion, average pizza, deserves their reputation as a fantastic eatery. their starters are always delicious and the pasta is amazing. I almost always order the bucatini dish, whatever the topping may be, and adore it.

I have been following this discussion on Mitchell's but haven't really chimed in until now. I hope these guys make it and i am going to go this weekend to support them.

First let me say that I met the owner and he is great and friendly and the extensive menu looked fantastic. The food always looks good and its probably a great place for a large group or party. The bar downstairs is really nice and you can go there on a Sunday and watch the game.

All that being said, I have never wanted to go in and eat at Mitchells. Yes, that sounds completely silly given all the attributes listed above and is also very flippant and fickle. BUT the designer and amateur psychologist in me is trying to figure out why?

I have come up with a few reasons and some of it was stated by "restless native". This is NOT meant to be insulting at all but I find myself not going in to that place for a number of reasons. These are purely shallow consumer/ design based observations made by a person who has designed retail spaces and buildings:

1. It's Dark inside with dark finishes that simply don't attract people to come inside. It is simply too dark in there.

2.They have a cool garden in the back - but you would never know it when you walked be: more "transparency" and a lighter feel would help. The entire storefront/ door system needs to be redesigned to actually attract people to come in. There is nothing necessarily "wrong" with it, but given the traffic on Flatbush Ave., it doesn't stand out and sometimes I walk right by it without noticing it. the doors and frames

3. Typically, this would be considered a good thing and maybe I've been watching too much Gordon Ramsay but their (multiple) menus are large and take too long to get through. I took one menu when I stopped in and said "WOW, this is great". Only to be told, "Oh, thats only the lunch menu, come back in a few days when we print more dinner menus...".
Dudes. Simplify.

Decide what you want to be and pursue it. Live with it.

4. Hire some attractive, younger staff. Sorry, this is shallow and I'm not asking for "Hooters", but I don't want to see old guys, presumably employees or owners, sitting around up front staring at me when I walk in.
My wife passed on them because of this -woman's intuition.

5. YES, the music is a little strange sometimes but I can deal with that.Who are you guys trying to cater too exactly?

6. It looks like a BAR. Nothing wrong with it but before I actually stepped in, I thought it was only a bar because of the way it looked. The signage, lets face it, is cheesy and horrible. Not a reason to not eat at a place, but it can make you less attracted to them.

7. The food prep/ refrigerated glass area should have been pushed to the middle or back more and more seating should be up front. Nothing gets people inside like seeing people already inside. The place is ALWAYS empty and I was warned when I first came to NYC: never eat at an empty restaurant; They are empty for a reason. Sorry.

The owner should have hired a young(er) design firm to give them the proper makeover they needed to attract the PS/PH crowd. They badly missed the mark with their decor.

I'll bet the owner made all the design decisions or had his brother in law involved or something: big mistake. He probably paid a lot or even got some deals, but he should have hired smart instead.

Again, I don't say this to be insulting and I am going to go there to support them. You may disagree with the assessments and they are all personal and some professional opinions. I hope they make it, but people need to realize that there is a strong correlation between design and behavior with respect to consumerism.

Image conscious, hip "Brooklynians" won't typically eat a place designed to look like an old steak house (Applebees, FGI Fridays). They would rather eat at the REAL old steakhouse down the street that has never been renovated than a place pretending to be one by it's confusing decor. Sad, but true.

And sometimes you need to hire "good" professional designers; it can make a difference. I'm just saying.

Restless Native wrote: Yadda yadda yadda, let's 'objectively' analyze why this place sucks and why the ones that catch the fancy of "The Nabe" don't. I'll pass on that conversation, thanks.

You can tell me all day every why some places 'have it' and some don't, but remember I already know the formula, which I use "Dizzy's" as the paradigm example for: Take an ordinary, unremarkable neighborhood food place (Benny's Luncheonette), change the name to something fruity ("Dizzy's"), make the inside dark, and have Steve Buscemi brunch there once or twice, and VOILA!!! Instant success. Not all of these steps are necessary but that's the idea, although the idea of Franny's does nothing for me, nor does that of 'Dizzy's' (Although I have not nor will I ever step foot in either ). Me and the people I hang with do a pretty good job of creating our own vibe wherever we go, we don't need an eatery to do it for us.

Interesting, since Franny's doesn't fit any of the features of your ridiculous paradigm, whereas Mitchell's has the "make the inside dark" thing going (except in the front, which basically just looks like a deli).

I assume that you, Restless Native, and the rest of your friends are part of the 'mature' crowd that frequent establishments that get no press or are off the beaten track, and us newbies just don't have a clue about these places. Maybe you can suggest a few spots in the 'hood that have hit the "right note" with y'all? I'd like to know, as you sound like someone who appreciates good food and loathes pretension, like many of us.


haha

yea, i deleted it from my post but it still showed up when i submitted it. oh well. i hope it didn't besmirch the gravity of my post.

I find their sanwiches alot better than City Sub. Im a fan of the "Big Mike" sandwich (cracked pepper turkey, melted gruyerre cheese, coleslaw and balsamic vinegar) A bit messy, but quite yummy. Im still waiting for them to name a sandwich after me. Also the hostess has a very nice tush!!

They need to get rid of half of their dinning room area and stick to sandwiches and stay open until 4am and funtion as a bar because there is only Flatbush Farm in the area and their drinks are way to specialized.

also the example of "dizzy's" is called marketing. Its how places attrack business. You think people drink Bud and Miller because its awesome beer?

after getting seated in the dark bar next door at flatbush farm, we left and needed to find a place FAST because we had to catch a movie at BAM. what do you know, our eyes went towards mitchell's bar and grill. i knew i had read about it somewhere and forgot whether it was bad or good.

well, we ate there and it was very solid, but i agree with other posters- this place doesn't know what they want to be.

we stuck to the middle eastern food. i had a grilled calamari salad, wife had babaghanoush, hummus and falafel and i had the chicken kebabs, after they told me they were out of lamb.

and to the guy who said they need to hire younger more attractive staff, well, our hostess/waitress was this african american girl, who, according to my wife, had the tightest push-up bra ever and that she had huge breasts and a lot of cleavage. shockingly, i didn't notice how huge her breasts were and how they were sticking out..

i agree that the sandwich place needs to be moved towards the back.

also, when we got there, we were the only party in there. the place was deathly quiet and business didn't look like it was great at all. the owner did come by and tell us we would enjoy everything. later on a five top came in. service was great up until we were done and needed our check/change to catch the movie.

they got real s l o w. but we made the movie in time.

Charcutterie had some of the best sandwiches this side of the Hudson. Unfortunately, its new guise Mitchel's doesn't cut it. Just a time line, Herzog's on 2nd & 7th had good sandwiches, Berkeley Meats had better, Charcutterie was decent, and now one must go to David's on Nostrand and Herkimer for the good stuff. As far as City Sub is concerned you're better off hitting the Koreans on 7th and Berkeley for a Boar's Head sandwich. They have the same toppings as City, make the same sandwiches on request at a lesser price. I think they taste better as well.

Idlewild wrote: Charcutterie had some of the best sandwiches this side of the Hudson. Unfortunately, its new guise Mitchel's doesn't cut it.

Uh, I've had sandwiches at both incarnations, and they were exactly the same then and now - fantastic. They even have the same menu board. So I'm not quite sure where you're finding the distinction. :?

Oh my, thanks Idlewild!

Who up for a Brooklynian sandwich meet-up this weekend? I absolutely love the pastrami at David's.