[drummachines]

Hey everyone. I've read in a bunch of places about this new restaurant opening on Classon and St. John's....

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/resta.....9/new-restaurant-openings

Anyone knows something about it?

[Whatchuwant]

As you can see from the pic- it's empty. The place has been covered up for so long, leading some to speculate that it was a fake to attract buyers for the condos upstairs. A friend and I investigated (ie- peeked through the paper to see inside) and saw what you see in the pic. Looks nice, and it's really close to me. I will head over in a while and report back
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[TheBurgerking]

Today the paper came off the windows and the front. It still seems a longer then two days away. Also their website is still not up. I am glad to see them opening and wish them luck. However, this is still Classon Ave. and that location has a bus stop right in front and on the side, and everyday people waiting for the bus have been leaning on the railings of the entrance and the side of the restaurant. Should make for interesting people watching.

[Ender]

They open on Friday. Today (5-7-0 and tomorrow (5-8-0 are friends and family days.

[brooklynred87]

Not bad...I called their sister restaurant in Manhattan a few weeks ago and they said they'd be open "by the end of April." So they were off by a week or so. I'm not complaining!

[lindsay6]

has anyone checked this out yet?

[hoovesontheturf]

yes. the food tasted really good, though they're using an incomplete menu right now. small plates are pretty small, but yummy. the downstairs looks cozy, but i don't think it's open to public yet. staff was friendly.

[sir_eccles]

We ate there last night...not bad for the second night open. Our major concern is that entrees are $22, which probably won't fly for long in this neighborhood. Everyone should know they're still waiting for their liquor license, so it's BYOB for the next 2-3 weeks. They will be open all day (from 8am on weekdays!), so it should be interesting to see what's on offer in the long run.

Pluses:

* Very nice, friendly staff (we feel bad that the kitchen is downstairs, though -- that's not going to be fun after a while).

* Delicious asparagus and creme fraiche soup -- good portion, too.

* Good cheese and charcuterie selection.

* Excellent bread.

* Cozy space, very comfy but also a bit sexy.

Nitpicks:

* Tasty salad with roasted cauliflower and a perfectly boiled egg, but the bacon on top was ice cold. It would have been better warm.

* Garlic shrimp, though nice, could have used more garlic.

* We ordered a cheese plate at the end of the meal, but it came with capers and mustard. It couldn't be too hard to replace that with some dried fruit or similar so it could be more "dessert-y." The cheese was also straight out of the refrigerator instead of room temperature, which is a shame because it was a really nice choice of cheeses.

We'll definitely go back...most of our concerns are completely fixable and not a big deal for opening week. I think it will be a very nice addition to the neighborhood.

[Guest]

We ate there yesterday. We really liked the space. Lots of strollers during the brunch hour - so family friendly. 3 complaints (1) it took FOREVER to get served. Dont know why, we thought maybe they forgot our order (2) the entrees are a bit pricey for the nabe, as someone else commented (3) the "sweet potato" fries that came with the kobe burger - well at least 1/2 of them were burnt and unedible. Gotta fix that. Well try Franklin Parks burgers next time. However we will be back at Abigails, they just have to work out some of the above kinks.

[Asil]

Has anyone tried their coffee yet? It opens at 8am, and on my way to the train this morning I saw a sign saying they serve Kitten coffee, apparently roasted locally. I didn't stop, because I don't want to try to hold a cup of hot liquid on the 4 train at the height of morning rush, but it sure would be cool to have good coffee right on my corner.

[TheBurgerking]

[Asil]

Oh, that's disappointing.

I googled Kitten coffee: http://www.kittencoffee.com/home.html

From their website: "Kitten Coffee is a New York City based gourmet coffee roaster supplying premium espresso beans to the cafes, bars and restaurants of New York City."

The only info I found on the beans is this: "100% Arabicas from Brazil, Guatemala and a little Ethiopian." Nothing about fair trade or organic, so I guess it's not either.

I'll give it a try, but as a Gorilla fan I was a little skeptical of the name anyway.

[heidikins]

We peeked in last Sunday--looks very cute, and not too many people were in there. Hope to actually eat there soon. Looks like it could be a great brunch place, family/friendly, and at night more of an adult scene. Very excited about good wine coming to the neighborhood once they get their liquor license!

[Whatchuwant]

ooooooo- no liquor license yet?
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[AndyMan]

[Whatchuwant]

Just biked past there. It looks SO pretty inside! Lots of candles and funky low lit chandeliers.
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[alafairnadia]

It looks super nice there. I'm looking forward to their liquor license.
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like a smoked meat with an earthy youth overnote

[jaha127]

I ate there the other night with a friend... it totally took over an hour for our food to come. They didn't see our order... I chop that up to them just getting settled.

I had a Kobe Burger, and brought my own wine... had a great night with friends. They have excellent bread, and the waiters seem nice.

[Jack Krohn]

My wife and I attempted to go here tonight but left after realizing that they do not yet have their liquor license. Once they get it, though, we shall return. Gorgeous renovation and friendly staff.

On the way home we stopped by the deli on Lincoln and Classon. I never thought I'd see the day when a deli on that corner sold expensive Belgian beer. How times change!

[ak217]

Had delicious baked eggs for brunch there today. Nice staff. My coffee from there was quite good. thumbs up.
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over and out!

[melisamai]

I've been to Abigail's a couple of times now and it's really lovely - the brunch menu is small at the moment as they are still setting everything up, and they don't have any booze yet; but the reassure me it is all on the way.

I went last Sat for brunch and was very pleased - the Eggs Benedict were prefect and my mother had something i had never heard of (a quiche of sorts) and this too was delightful, light and fluffy. Great OJ.

Lunch was also a success - i had the cauliflower and bacon salad with a side of Mac and Cheese (be warned the M&C is very rich a side will do... honestly!) whilst my mother had the stewed chicken which was full of Garlic and divinely tender!

Sooooo... the crucks of it is, please go and support this lovely little place - i live on Classon ave just opposite and it's so nice to have somewhere to sit down and have a coffee in style locally.

That's my two pennies worth anyway.

[WhyFi]

Had brunch there this morning. It was good, but not transcendental - if their food improves over the next couple of months, at it seems to happen at most new restaurants, it'll be fantastic. My eggs benedict with salmon was good overall, but the yolks were a little too firm and it arrived not quite as hot as I'd like, but we'll certainly be back soon!

[Whatchuwant]

Wi-Fi- you sound like a Top Chef judge- picky picky.

What's the red bowl of glop in the middle of the table?
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[WhyFi]

Nah! Those were only minor quibbles!

The bowl in the middle is sweet potato hash - diced sweet potatoes, bacon, and onions and peppers, maybe? The dish on the far side, my wife's, is the strata - pretty tasty, but a little dry

[navyyard]

Ate there recently. Not again though. To costly for such standard fare, though tasty. Nice folks, good wine, coffee in the am great.

[Guest]

Navyyard, are you saying that they now have their liquor license?

[bropook]

I ate there on Saturday night. No liquor license yet. The food was pretty good but it took forever, the the people sitting next to us were pretty irate. You can chalk it up to them just opening, but it's been a month now. Do they need a more organized cook staff?

As for the deli on the corner of Lincoln & Classon-- we got our beer there and it was warm, even if it was a microbrew (which surprised me too).

[Ridonkulous]

Had a great brunch there on Sunday. They were very friendly and service was fast. Had the Eggs Benedict with Salmon, cooked to order. One thing I really appreciated was that the portions were just right. No wasted food but I didn't leave hungry.

Very nice place to have in the neighborhood.

[Jack Krohn]

Tried the brunch here and was underwhelmed. The portions were skimpy, especially the sides (which were also overpriced - $4 for a tiny dish of rosemary potatoes?). The flavor was decent, though, and the service friendly. Time will tell, but I think they might have to lower their prices for some dinner items, like the $24 rib dinner. Seems a bit high for the area. They're still waiting on their liquor license...

[tappintoes28]

my roommate and i went there for brunch yesterday. it was tasty and reasonably priced and we lingered longer than we usually do enjoying the atmosphere. has anyone tried their wine bar location in the city, camaje? we noticed they have a bunch of cooking classes there too! i found this website that has a bunch of video restaurant reviews for nyc restaurants. check it out, this is the one for abigail's city spot...
http://uloveny.com/nyc/venue/2/263/7553/camaje_bistro
enjoy!

[TheBurgerking]

[Ridonkulous]

I was looking up Abigail's on MenuPages the other day and was surprised at how negative the reviews are! I'm going on there (my first time to review) in a sec to post a good one. All you guys who also liked your Abigail's might consider pitching in...

[pitu]

About Abigails...do they actually have a fan wafting bacon smell out of that place all the time, or is it just my imagination the few times I've walked by in the evening.
The Mighty Meaty Wind, Redux?

[ladypandora]

I just had dinner at Abilgail's for the first time on Friday. It was delicious! The portions were a little small for the price but the service was good. Speedy but not rushed. Those little peppadews stuffed with cheese are my new favorite food. What a tasty treat. And even though it can't last I love the BYOB aspect. I love being able to bring the exact type of wine I'm in the mood for instead of having to pick from a restaurant's meager choices.

[dapearl9]

[ladypandora]

Nah. For white I'm going straight for the Franzia!

[Whatchuwant]

Sigh. I hate to do this. But...

So, I'm craving red meat (yes, I'm back to eating the flesh of others, and I'm not proud), and I've heard such amazing things about their "kobe" beef burger.

I live 2 blocks away, I'm starving, since I read the stories about the wait time, I call ahead. Tell the guy I want tp place an order for a burger I'm going to pick up. He puts me on hold. For 3 minutes. He never comes back. I hang up, try again a few more times, but each time all I get is their voicemail. wtf.

I want to eat my hand.

I go down there, place has people, not crazy though, give him my order and tell him that he forgot me on the phone. He apologizes and I feel bad.

So I go get a beer, come back, settle at the bar with my New Yorker all ready to wait the 45-60 minutes. But! To my utter joy, it comes even before I finish my glass.

Get home, no cheese like I ordered (sigh...sohungrydon'tcare), and after I'm about half way through, I taste, like a tang...you know? Not the good kind.

I feel fine, I'm sure it was fine. For my first visit, and considering the fact that I was saving my meat fix for one of their burgers when there are a few options to choose from around here now.....I'm disappointed.
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[pwaltman_1972]

Haven't eaten there yet, but have talked to one of the guys who works there a few times b/c he'll hang out at Franklin Park after they close. From what he says, the scoop is that the owner promised to get a liquor license when he hired him, but hasn't delivered on it yet.

From what I gather, it's a bit of a chicken-and-the-egg problem. With no liquor license, they don't get the business to justify the investment or something to that effect. And since they don't get as much business as other places, their staff is still fairly inexperienced b/c more experienced staff would rather work at more established restaurants.

Hope they can work it out since it'd be great to have another restaurant this side of Vandy.

[dinkyla]

I went by this evening and ordered a green salad and leek-goatcheese-pear panini for takeout. I had to wait about half an hour for those, received lukewarm paninni on too-hard bread, and had diarrhea within 15 minutes of eating the food. I ain't goin back except for drinks (when they get the license) or coffee.

One of the owners, Jason, was really kind, as were the staff. But all the nice atmosphere in the world won't make me want to lose my meal minutes after eating it.
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Let be be finale of seem.

[BellaK]

I'll give my 2 cents, being that I am a very food oriented women:

I had a craving for a burger about 6 weeks ago and went to Abigail's during lunch time. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Kobe beef for one supposed to cost in the $100 range. Why would a Kobe burger cost only $10? Either way, it tasted terrible and I would never eat one again.

Can't comment on the wine at this wine bar, because I know as of last week they still don't have their liquor license.

PS: Best burger just outside the area and worth the walk: Soda Bar!!!

[dinkyla]

Yeah, I'm stickin' with Cheryl's and Soda for now.
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Let be be finale of seem.

[Whatchuwant]

I also heard that Bristen's burger is pretty damn good as well, FWIW.
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"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[lindsay6]

they have had their liquor license, at least as of last saturday when i had brunch there (the eggs benedict and coffee were good, that's the only meal i've had there)

[xlizellx]

i have only had good experiences here -- i've been for brunch, lunch, and dinner ... i love how un-crowded it gets for brunch so bringing a bunch of out-of-towners is easy without making a reservation. (...too many visitors this summer...)

they do have 6 taps and wine now. i haven't been for drinks, but maybe i'll go next week

[bikegirl26]

We had Abigail's after a very hung-over day and I have been dreaming of their peppadews ever since. My roommate had the burger and said it was delicious. We were very happy to find such a place so soon after moving in (and after a very, very long night, we were satisfied).

I'm going to try it for brunch this weekend, will let y'all know how it goes.