New Restaurant to Dean and Kingston -

I saw people doing work on a rather large commercial space at Dean and Kingston. I spoke to the workers and they said it would be a restaurant. Anyone know anything about it? Timeline?

Will they have good wine and a bar (I hope so).

We also need a good coffee place in that area. Lots of opportunity on the streets around btw Pacific and Prospect - esp as on the way to the C train - there is no coffee in central Crown Heights! 

Hmm, I used to walk by that corner 3 or four years ago. It is the location of the Soul Food place that moved to Fulton Street circa 2009.

A street address or photo may help us figure out what is coming next.

It sounds different than Meat (Kingston and Bergen)

Are folks seeing progress on Meat? http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/comment/544916

No visible progress on either Meat or the Kingston Lounge, though there's scaffolding and Dumpsters. Haven't seen the work on Dean yet but the only large commercial space there is the old location of Soul Food Kitchen @crownheightster mentioned, 84-88 Kingston. It's huge. Been wondering when something would happen with it. 

Yup, it sounds like we are talking about 84-88 Kingston, Aka 1419 Dean.

Went to take a peek today. The old awning is down and new security gates are up, but just on the corner property (88 Kingston/1419 Dean). The glass storefront has been taken out, and you can see lots of signs of work through the middle part of the gates.

Getting something into this corner is going to make a huge difference in the street life.

I spoke to two guys installing the new plate glass windows and doors here and they said it would be a "soul food restaurant" and that there were no plans to remove the big signs that said "open 24 hours." 

I mean, they must be mistaken, right? Dean and Kingston doesn't seem like it has the foot traffic or parking to justify a 24 Hour restaurant of that size. Even the Crown Fried down the block closes at 4am. 

Anyone have any intel on who is behind this? It looks a little fancy inside. 

Welcome to Brooklynian @Apartment_F

Just because they are going to leave the signs up, doesn't mean they are going to be open 24 hours.

Re: Intel, I suspect we will get some soon. This place sounds like it might approach CB8 to get its support for a liquor license in the near future...

Were they working on the WHOLE first floor?
(ie the section that is covered by the red gates as well)

The signs say open 24 hours Fri and Sat so it's possible like many diners they're going to be open on just those days. Will probably get the people stumbling out of bars that have the munchies.

I am beginning to think this location may once again become a location of Soul Food Kitchen. Nothinlike points out it used to be located here, and according to their website they had/have plans to open a total of 3 locations.

http://soulfoodny.com/contact/

My googling seems to indicate that so far only the 1503 Fulton St location exists, and that the other two locations are not open yet.

So, they may have abandoned those plans and instead decided to return to the mothership location?

Rachel, are you reading? We need some legwork.

Thanks @whynot_31. long time listener, first time caller. 

Interesting that Soul Food Kitchen would return to the same location and do such an extensive renovation on a space that is just a few blocks from their current location. They would be double-serving their delivery clientele. From the looks of the inside, the previous restaurant pulled out all the equipment when they left and the space was being used as storage in the interim. It is still pretty early in the build out too, but it looks much more upscale than Soul Food Kitchen--exposed brick, tin ceilings, yadda yadda.  

@pragmaticguy The insides don't seem like a diner spot or a 24hr place--which are rare for Brooklyn--even for Fridays and Saturdays. Also, the "stumbling out of the bars" crowd doesn't cross down Kingston and Dean too much, unless Maxwell's gets turnt and I never noticed? 

The workers have pulled out all three red rolldown gates and replaced them with floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows that are now covered by wire rolldowns with that allow you to look into the building. This place is pretty big and looks like it will accommodate tables, definitely not a take-away spot. 

Pure speculation: What if Soul Food Kitchen decided it now had a large enough following that it could open a sitdown location, like Sylvia's in Harlem?

One of us should ask the construction guys about my theory.

Huh. That would be amazing. Gospel brunch on Kingston!

That is the original location of the Soul Food Restaurant that is on Fulton. Same cat owns both spots. He shut the Kingston one down a few years ago.  The Fulton spot was fish only If memory serves correct before he merged them. Looks like he's doing a full out sit down this time. Next time I see him, Ill ask what he's doing.

Walked passed it this morning and there is a banner up in the window calling out the Fulton Location. Looks like @whynot_31 and @mantic are right! This could be a sit down version of the Fulton location. very interesting. 

Yes!

Soul Food kitchen actually opened a sit-down restaurant in this same space, about 10 (?) years ago, not too long before they shuttered the place entirely. I remember speaking to the owner just a few days before he had opened the sit down part. (Earlier, the entire space was devoted to two long rows of steam tables. With the opening of the sit down portion, all of the cooking and serving was concentrated in the northernmost portion.) I never actually ate in the restaurant itself, preferring take out to eating by myself in the restaurant. It's nice to see that this place will be reopening, especially since the walk there from my house is about 5 minutes closer.

By the way, I did notice that same sign in the window yesterday as I was riding the bus up Kingston Ave, but Apartment F beat me to posting here. 

Was it like Manna's in Harlem?

...soul food and salad by the pound.

http://www.soulfood.com/msfr/home.html

@ Apartment F "Also, the "stumbling out of the bars" crowd doesn't cross down Kingston and Dean too much". Actually there are plenty of folks in the area who would love a neighborhood bar. I used to live off Franklin when NOTHING was there. Once the Broeklyn Coffee House opened and then Franklin Park Beer Garden, people came out from everywhere. As there is NOTHING in this area, and plenty of people walking to and fro the C train, believe me people would come. My neighbors had a party recently with 50 some folks mostly in the nabe and about a dozen wanted to go out for another drink around midnight, but there is no where to go... 

@crownheightship trust me, i know. I live right on the corner of Dean and Kingston. and, um, I think you're agreeing with me? I am just saying that it is kind of hard to have a "stumbling out of bars" crowd in a neighborhood without any bars to stumble out of...

Well, Manna's looks, from their website, to be a bit more upscale. In any event, at Soul Food's version, it was not self-serve. The ladies behind the glass would portion out the servings and there was a set price, with "small" and "large" options, as I remember.

As to the "stumbling out" stuff, I'm totally ignorant about this. I live on the south side of EP, never ever go to bars, and I'm much more interested in having some nice places to eat or pick up food. I'm too old to be wandering around at midnight looking for a place to drink. :-)

I suspect this location plans to get more of its revenue from food than alcohol.

I am interested in seeing whether it has table service. ...I think I would try a model that was focused on take out and casual dining first.

We need a real sit down restaurant and coffee shop in the nabe. A nice wine shop too would be great.

Soul Food kitchen actually opened a sit-down restaurant in this same space, about 10 (?) years ago, not too long before they shuttered the place entirely. I remember speaking to the owner just a few days before he had opened the sit down part. (Earlier, the entire space was devoted to two long rows of steam tables. With the opening of the sit down portion, all of the cooking and serving was concentrated in the northernmost portion.) I never actually ate in the restaurant itself, preferring take out to eating by myself in the restaurant. It's nice to see that this place will be reopening, especially since the walk there from my house is about 5 minutes closer.

Ah those were the days. I remember the older ladies who used to cook were so sweet and friendly. The lines were so long, but you never cared because the food was so delicious. Does anyone remember the coffee shop that used to be on the corner of Kingston and Bergen (on the NE side across from the bodega)? 

Someone was out painting the awning on the northernmost part of the property (past the door/open 24 hours sign in the pics above) today. He said that part will be the kitchen and that they hope to open in June.

Somebody told me that he plans to see "wine coolers" rather than wine. 

So I do not think it sounds like a place for hipsters. 

There were a few places on Franklin that tried that route  - and they all failed, and were eventually taken over by owners of new restaurants with lic licenses....I'm thinking the former Caribbean place [cannot remember name]. There was "Saje" too back in 2007, and closed....Even the taco place , Gueros, on Prospect and Franklin exploded when they offered cheapish margaritas. It was not about the tacos - but about the booze the kids wanted. 

I wish them luck -- and I hope they get a lic license really soon.  

Usually, businesses go before CB8 before begining the process of seeking an alc lic.

However, no such entity has come before CB8 in the last 6 months.

For the heck of it, I just played around with various versions fo the address (84 Kingston, 86 Kingston, 88 Kingston, 1419 Dean, zip 11213) and it does not appear they have begun the process of seeking an alc lic by approaching the SLA first:

https://www.tran.sla.ny.gov/JSP/query/PublicQueryPremisesSearchPage.jsp

Beer and wine lics don't take as long as full lics to get, but they still take a few months.

If s/he makes their June opening deadline, it will likely be sans alcohol.

I took a close look at this place today.   They are advertising catering, and have lots of equipment in place.  

It looks like they are going to do cafeteria style, as opposed to a place where you scoop yourself and then pay per pound.

The kitchen appears to be in the basement, so I am not sure how they will be using the large back portion.   

I am not sure that this will offer table service.

Now open. The kitchen's not in the basement; it's in the northernmost, one-story part of the property. It is cafeteria style. And there's a very cute sidewalk cafe. 

But on to the important part: the food. I had ribs, mac and cheese, green beans, and potato salad this weekend. All good (but not spectacular -- except for the potato salad, which was a standout.) It was $13 total for the "small" dinner, which was three ribs plus two sides, and an small side of potato salad. 

They also have BBQ chicken, jerk chicken, curry chicken, BBQ and jerk wings, smoked turkey wings, pulled pork, smothered pork chops, short rib, oxtail, curry shrimp, yams, cabbage, navy beans, and macaroni salad in sight. I believe they also have fried fish and chicken made to order. Plus a dessert case. Looking forward to eating my way through the menu.

Holy jesus, what an improvement to Kingston Ave! I am so excited to eat here.