No more Mighty Meaty wind?!?

Didja all see this? El Gran Castillo and all those little shops are facing eviction.

Brooklyn developer to boot Prospect Heights shops, business owners say - NY Daily News

A POPULAR Dominican restaurant and several other small businesses on a buzzing Prospect Heights corner are getting the boot, the merchants say.

Yes, I did.

Readers, raulism is is referencing one of the first threads on Brooklynian:

The Mighty Meat Wind

http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/the-mighty-meaty-wind-emanating-from-el-castillo-de-jagua

I didn't post about it because I thought the board was still broken. It appears as if it will close before Jan 1, so some of us are getting together for a Mighty Meat Wind Tribute Dinner on Thursday, Dec 26th at 6 PM.

PM me if you are joining.

sad times. love el gran castillo de jagua. great food, great people. definitely a loss for the neighborhood.

I'm crying sad meaty tears

This is awful.

The article says Benoit's is also getting the boot, so I assume everything on that row of stores is a goner?

The news is not as bad as first feared. As per someone who asked the restaurant owner:

1. They may be able to stay open as late as March.

2. They hope to reopen in a new location nearby.

We used to live really close to Carne and besides the chicken, it was a favorite breakfast spot for us to take visitors to. Everyone loved it.

the listing, complete with floor plan:

http://www.cpexre.com/system/assets/properties/documents/358/original/347_Flatbush_Ave_-_Setup.pdf?1367870567

Little Miss Muffin has a sign on their door saying Saturday will be their last day.

Little Miss Muffin is stating to customers that it will reopen on Washington Ave, near Sterling.

a few comments:1. whatever you think of them, with the loss of gran castillo, little miss, the haitian barbershop, king's pharmacy (see other thread) and their potential replacement with chain retailers, we are losing essential things that defined our neighborhood, that made it prospect heights as opposed to paramus or ronkonkomo, or akron for that matter.2. given the glut of empty retail space -- the ups place on flatbush is still empty after how many years? -- i wonder if the property owners are overreaching and will leave us with gaping, empty storefronts for years to come.3. if gran castillo goes, where will i get my perfect meal -- rice and beans, plantains and a dos equis? viva carne viente!

For better or worse, I believe these storefronts will be filled pretty filled quickly.

This is very disheartening. El Gran Castillo is a one of my favorites. Can we keep businesses that aren't sushi bars or artisan gimmicks? Will our neighborhood lose all of it's character?

Fear not, it is relocating nearby.367 Flatbush Avenue, formerly a mattress store, right by Sharlene's.http://www.heresparkslope.com/home/2014/1/14/el-gran-castillo-de-jaguas-plan-b-moving-up-the-avenue.html

Oh, hooray!!! Not only because that means the mighty meat wind will continue to blow, but also because it gets rid of that awful empty storefront. Good news all around.

Can someone also fill me in on what's happening to King'sETA: Never mind. I figured out that the relevant post was on page 2.

Seems that El Gran Castillo isn't moving into 367 Flatbush after all.

Z-7 Diner at 355 Flatbush, which is on the other side of King's, suddenly closed this week. The lights are off (except for the kitchen lights, which remain on), and there's a handwritten sign in the window saying that it's the new/future home of El Gran Castillo.

That should save on construction costs!

That diner was regularly empty anyway.

As much as I like a diner, I was never very impressed with Z-7 beyond its 24-hour schedule (sometimes you need a snack at 12am...)

Obligatory photo of diner, so we can later post obligatory photo of new exterior...

As much as I like a diner, I was never very impressed with Z-7 beyond its 24-hour schedule (sometimes you need a snack at 12am...)

That was the best part of it. I can't think of any other 24 hour options for prepared food around there (i.e. not Key Food). Though they were oddly closed on New Years Eve, when all I wanted around 2am was a damned grilled cheese sandwich and a plate of fries.

...and they're open in the new location.

On Monday night walking home from the Q train, they were open at the old spot and the windows of the former Z-7 were still papered over.

On Tuesday night, they were open for business at 355 Flatbush.

Sweet!!! Who wants to meet me there for a brooklynian lunch meetup!
The Mighty Meat Wind wafts once more!

It was packed at lunch today.

I was at lunch with whynot and can add that the roast chicken and roast pork is still solidly awesome!

Obligatory photo of new exterior:

I watch this place from my perch at the Crunch across the street, and it seems consistently busy.  Good for them, I hope they are able to continue to prosper in the nabe!

El Gran Castillo has become one of our favorite take-outs since we moved to Brooklyn in September. The new location is a half block closer to us, so that's a plus. And we definitely enjoyed the meaty wind when it blew toward the street by the subway entrance. But now it wafts into our apartment all day, into our bedroom and the small office where I work. I'm getting a pretty good whiff even as I write.

The landlord who worked to evict La Gran Castillo, lil miss muffin and more from that strip, is being sued by his wife for renting a condo to his mistress for $1/month + "sexual services"

The mighty meat wind strikes back?

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2015/01/22/brooklyn-landlord-sued-over-alleged-love-shack/