bahia

Grand Street's Guide to Winter Restaurant Week

Breaking down the best of 45 courses on Grand Street from Feb 18 to March 1

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Restaurant Week is back on Grand Street for its 7th Winter Edition from February 18th to March 1st. 15 of the best eats in Williamsburg are offering 3 course prix fixe dinners (5 - 10pm) at discounted rates from $12 to $35 as Brooklyn’s annual answer to Manhattan’s pricier Restaurant Week. All along 6 blocks, it might be difficult to choose where to go or decide where new to try. Well here’s your answer as to why you should visit each participating restaurant on Grand Street and what you can order for the best experience. Each of the following restaurants has special event menus, so just ask for a Restaurant Week menu if you don’t see one.*

As always, take a picture of your dinner and post with #DineonGrand for a chance to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice.

Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up to date information on the event.

Mainstay Must Experiences

Bahia Restaurant—$25

690 Grand Street — menu

It all starts with pupusas. If you’ve never had one, Bahia owners Luis and Felix say to think of them as like the “tacos of El Salvador”. The prix fixe menu at Bahia starts with 2 pupusas of your choice, a salad, or tamal de pollo. We, of course, recommend some of the best pupusas in NYC. Plenty of options for dinner, but our favorite is the Carne Asada: grilled boneless choice shell steak. You get two sides with the entree of your choice from a few options like mixed vegetables, rice, and roasted potatoes. Flan is for dessert and your meal is paired with a glass of delicious red or white sangria.

A hometown favorite, Bahia has been a dedicated community member of Grand Street for 20 years. In 2019, the restaurant doubled down on their dedication to the neighborhood with a complete interior and exterior renovation in order to stay ahead in a changing Williamsburg market. It’s not just about looks though, Bahia is confident that once you’ve had their pupusas and try a glass of their homemade sangria you are certain to return for more. Photo at top of article.

Los Primos—$25

704 Grand Street — menu

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With 31 years of experience cooking on Grand Street, Los Primos has proven they have the chops to remain a hit. Despite their long history on Grand Street, they’re relatively new to our Restaurant Week. On joining, Christian who’s father owns the restaurant said, “being here for a while, it was like, let’s ride along with you guys and join the holiday – join the Grand Street BID in this journey” -Bkylner.

For your starter, go with nachos: chicken, ground beef, or cheese—your choice. Fried pork chops are a best seller and also on the Restaurant Week menu, so we recommend you take advantage. But the steak with onions and pork mofongo are also favorites. Finish the night with cheesecake (but the tres leches and flan are good choices as well).

If you visit on Sunday, take advantage paella deal at Los Primos for $10—offered every week.

Grand Morelos—$20

727 Grand Street — menu

cheesecake grand morelos.jpg

Another Grand Street staple, Grand Morelos has been with the neighborhood day and night for decades—literally. The 24/7 diner & bakery has seen us all at our finest and not-so-fine hours. The Grand Morelos bakery is also one of the better kept secrets of our food scene, so take advantage. Guacamole is our go-to appetizer, but we also recommend the cheese quesadillas if you’re extra hungry. Hanger steak fajitas for your entree will fill you if the app didn’t, but try to save room for the Oreo cheesecake. Impossible chocoflan and tres leches cakes are your other options for Restaurant Week dessert. Once you’ve fallen in love with Grand Morelos stop back in for affordable cookies & doughnuts from the bakery and amazing iced coffee (not just by diner standards) any time you want - literally.

Biggest Discount

Indian Kitchen—$12 to $36

739 Grand Street — menu

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Restaurant Week is made for sharing. Indian Kitchen wants you to bring your friends to max out on the deal. With 3 people Indian Kitchen provides a vegetable and meat appetizer, three entrees, two orders of naan, and Kheer (rice pudding) for dessert. On a typical night all of that could cost over $60—so make sure Indian Kitchen is one of your top spots for this event.

Fine Dining Experience

All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house

All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house

Ammazzacaffè—$35

702 Grand Street — menu

Winner of this year’s coveted Bib Gourmand title from Micheline Guide, Ammazzacaffè has already built its reputation for affordable fine dining at its best. Take advantage of Ammazza’s Tartare crostino with sea trout, caponata verde, and umeboshi as an appetizers. For your entree, try the Reginette—pork shoulder ragu—which Michelin called “Italian cuisine in all its glory”. Finish the night with buttermilk pannacotta with cherry and hazelnut for the perfect date or special night out on Grand Street.

If the food isn’t enough, visiting Ammazza offers a bit of historical experience. Their location at 702 Grand Street was the childhood home of Betty Smith, inspiring her classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. RSVP.

Best Quick Bite

Churros from Taco Edition

Churros from Taco Edition

Taco Edition—$19

800 Grand Street — menu

A longtime participant in Restaurant Week, Taco Edition is one of our favorite spots for lunch or a quick afternoon bite. Even though the service is fast and the environment is seat yourself-casual, during Restaurant Week you’ll get a lot more than a 5 minute snack. Start with the jalapeño popper balls, move on to the chilaquiles verde with eggs, and finish with the yummy churros you see to the left.

New Faces on the Block:

Ham & cheese empanadas from Masa

Ham & cheese empanadas from Masa

Masa Empanadas—$12

804 Grand Street — menu

Masa Empanadas opened from the same owners of Piccoli to Go—remaining dedicated to the neighborhood and providing quick eats empanadas, salads, and pizza. Masa is offering two combos for deals featuring the range of their menu:

  1. 2 dinner empanadassee options here (spicy crab not included); 1 dessert empanada—banana nutella or apple cinnamon; and a salad—caesar kale or Italian vinaigrette arugula

  2. 1 pizza—classic, spicy chorizo, or 4 cheese; a salad; and a drink

Our favorite empanadas are ham & cheese, corn, and apple cinnamon. All three pizza options are good but we tend to stick to the classic and the kale caesar is our salad of choice.

Chongkho—$20

562 Grand Street — menu

Butterfly pea lemonade and Thai iced tea

Butterfly pea lemonade and Thai iced tea

Chongkho opened in August with an eccentric gate mural by well-known artist JPO and serving Thai home cooking. A family owned restaurant, Chongkho offers a warm dine-in environment with welcoming service.

The chicken curry puffs are an appetizer to die for, followed by either drunken noodles or red curry for the main course. The Thai iced tea is truly a standout and Chongkho is preparing a crêpe specially made for Restaurant Week as an option for dessert.

Bright colored decorations and drinks reflect the up-beat atmosphere in Carneval

Bright colored decorations and drinks reflect the up-beat atmosphere in Carneval

Carneval—$25

507 Grand Street — menu

Carneval also opened in August featuring specialty cocktails and Latin-inspired cuisine. Owner Mike Cruz grew up just blocks from the restaurant and has created a go-to spot for Williamsburg natives and newcomers alike. A mural of a carnival-themed festively packed J train along the back wall of the restaurant demonstrates Mike’s inspiration and commemorates the Latin heritage of our neighborhood. Carneval is also regularly host to performances and hosted their own toy drive for the holidays.

Most Filling

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Ryujin—$25

513 Grand Street — menu

Something about the ramen from Ryujin leaves us stuffed after every bowl. Now add an appetizer and dessert to the mix to really make the most of a 3 course dinner. Keep it light with your app so go with the Japanese pickles or the fried shishito peppers. You can choose from 8 different options of ramen bowl, but our favorite is the spicy miso bowl. Finally, the meal is paired with either beer, sake, or ice cream. The jury is out here so we’ll leave that choice to you.

Most Controversial

Mad for Chicken—$20

617 Grand Street — menu

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Boneless or bone-in? Luckily both genres of wing are on the menu. The chicken at MFC is shipped in daily from a farm in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania and the wings are coated with a unique sauce of soy, garlic, and various fruits. On the appetizer menu, the standouts are the small crab salad or the truffle/ Parmesan fries. We recommend the 10pc wings (with or without bones—your choice) for entree, but kimchi fried rice and kimchi quesadillas are available for non-wing lovers. For a drink you can choose between any draft beer, a glass of sangria, or a soda on the house.

Favorite Mom & Pop

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The Sandwich Shop—$20.75

658 Grand Street — menu

The cozy lunch and dinner spot has brought high-quality deli style sandwiches to Grand Street since 2013. The space also feels like a deli, with just a few stools around the bar to dine-in, so get there before they fill up.

Valued members of the community, the Shop has collected and donated over 200 lbs of food in our annual Holiday Food Drives. You can also find The Sandwich Shop in the Wall Street Journal from our last Restaurant Week. All sandwiches, bowls, and wraps are available—but the best bang for your buck is the turkey double decker sandwich to go along with the combo of a beer and bag of chips.

Best Cocktail

Crystal Lake Brooklyn—$20

647 Grand Street — menu

Antique lounge area at Crystal Lake. Photo courtesy of Crystal Lake Brooklyn & JD Hall Photo

Antique lounge area at Crystal Lake. Photo courtesy of Crystal Lake Brooklyn & JD Hall Photo

The bar is best known for its antique bar and large back space which regularly hosts comedy shows and similar type events. Teaming up with Tacos Lokos 4Ever, Crystal Lake has the best drink and food combination in the event. The entree is a pair of tacos with the meat of your choice or veggies with a side of rice and beans. The cocktails provide the biggest discount and your choices are a cucumber vodka ricky, rose vodka spritz, watermelon gimlet, or the Zebra-Rita.

Most Options

Thip Osha—$25

795 Grand Street — menu

Roasted duck noodle soup from Thip Osha typically costs $16

Roasted duck noodle soup from Thip Osha typically costs $16

A cozy Thai spot nearby the Grand Street L station. You may have already tried Thip Osha at Taste of Williamsburg & Greenpoint this past summer. Altogether, there are exactly 50 options on the prix fixe menu at Thip, so there is surely something that will please everyone from curry to noodles to fried rice. Out of all of those choices, our favorites are the crispy chicken wings with red chili sauce to start, roasted duck noodle soup, and banana sticky rice for dessert.

Best Late Night

Los Tacos-McOndo—$28

502 Grand Street — menu

The chic bar and taqueria is a cool spot for late night dinners, dates, and eats after a night out. Open until 3am on the weekends and at least 1am on every other night, Los Tacos is one of the most high quality late night restaurants in Brooklyn. The nachos are absolute standouts at Los Tacos, and you can choose them either as a starter (mini nachos) or as an entree. We recommend at least one of those in your mix. The queso fundido is also very good, but if you’re limiting carbs you can choose the Mexican steak to go with the nachos. Churros with fruit are for dessert, with mango and chili powder as the primary flavors. Note that Los Tacos is cash only.

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*Dine-in meals only. After 5pm and no later than 10pm. Tax and tip not included in price. Price is per person and cannot be shared. Event discounts are in effect from Feb 18 to March 1. Restaurants may be closed any time during the event period at their discretion. Price and participants subject to change. Contact info@grandstreetbk.org with questions.

Winter Restaurant Week on Grand Street returns

Winter Restaurant Week is back in its 7th edition on Grand Street offering 3 course prix fixe discounts to some of Williamsburg’s best fine dining and quick eats. The two week celebration of local cuisine begins on Tuesday, February 18th and runs until Sunday, March 1st. For the winter edition of this semi-annual event, we have 15 participants from neighborhood mainstays like Los Primos to Grand Street newcomers.

The Sandwich Shop is participating once again—see their mention in the Wall Street Journal from our Summer Restaurant Week.

The Sandwich Shop is participating once again—see their mention in the Wall Street Journal from our Summer Restaurant Week.

Our 3 new participants—Chongkho, Carneval, and Masa Empanadas— joined the neighborhood within the past year and each offer a dynamic new addition to the restaurant week lineup. Chongkho opened in August with an eccentric gate mural by well-known artist JPO to add to the neighborhood’s collection and serving Thai home cooking. Carneval opened in the same week featuring specialty cocktails and Latin-inspired cuisine. Owner Mike Cruz grew up just blocks from the restaurant and has created a go-to spot for Williamsburg natives and newcomers alike. See a preview of Chonkgho and Carneval from their interviews with News 12 about the event. Masa Empanadas opened from the same owners of Piccoli to Go—remaining dedicated to the neighborhood and providing quick eats empanadas, salads, and pizza.

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand winner Ammazzacaffè is joining the lineup once again, providing award winning quality dining for a steal at $35 for 3 courses in a prix fixe menu. Los Primos, Crystal Lake, and Mad for Chicken are also rejoining Restaurant Week after debuting in the event this past summer.

Stop by at any participating location to get in on discount dining offers exclusive to Grand Street—and only during Restaurant Week. Just ask for a restaurant week menu when seated. Click here for our official guide giving insight into each restaurant and suggesting our favorite dining options, and you can find the full list of participants and pricing below*. Prices range from $12 to $35 and apply only to sit down dinners (5 - 10pm) —tax and tip not included.**

And remember—snap a picture of you, your meal, or your friends on your night dining out with #DineOnGrand for the opportunity to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice!

Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up to date information on the event.

Enjoy 3 courses for $20 from Chongkho

Enjoy 3 courses for $20 from Chongkho

Chongkho – $20 (new) —menu

Masa Empanadas – $12 (new) — menu

Carneval – $25 (new) — menu

AmmazzaCaffè – $35 — menu

Bahia Restaurant – $25 — menu

Ryujin – $25 — menu

Mad for Chicken – $20 — menu

The Sandwich Shop – $20.75 — menu

Thip Osha – $25 — menu

Indian Kitchen – $12 — menu

Los Tacos McOndo – $28 — menu

Grand Morelos – $20 — menu

Taco Edition– $19 — menu

Los Primos – $25 — menu

Crystal Lake – $20 — menu

*All prices and participants subject to change.
**Dine-in dinner discounts begin at 5pm and is served no later than 10pm. No takeout or delivery. Price does not include tax or tip. Price is per person and cannot be shared.

Grand Street Restaurant Week: 5th Annual Summer Event

14 Williamsburg restaurants offer can’t miss prix fixe deals

Pollo from AmmazzaCaffe

Pollo from AmmazzaCaffe

The Annual Summer Restaurant Week on Grand Street offers North Brooklyn residents fine dining and quick eats for bargain prix fixe prices. Book your reservation at any of participating location to get in on discount dining offers exclusive to Grand Street and only during Restaurant Week. Read through our guide to find the spot for you and see our recommendations. And find the full list below.

Snap a picture of you, your meal, or your friends on your night dining out with the #DineOnGrand for the opportunity to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice!

Le Barricou – $35 – menu

Thompson Brooke – $35 – menu

AmmazzaCaffe – $35 – menu

Bahia Restaurant – $24 – menu

Ryujin – $25 – menu

Mad for Chicken – $20 – menu

The Sandwich Shop -$17.75 – menu

Thip Osha – $19 – menu

Indian Kitchen – $12 – menu

Los Tacos McOndo – $26 – menu

Grand Morelos – $20 – menu

Tacos Project – $18 – menu

Los Primos – $25 – menu

Crystal Lake – $20 – menu

Grand Street BID Announces 5th Summer Restaurant Week

The annual event will take place from August 12th to 26th.

Taste mussels from Le Barricou with soup + gelato dessert for $35

Taste mussels from Le Barricou with soup + gelato dessert for $35

Foodies look out. The Annual Summer Restaurant Week on Grand Street is set to take place again this August, offering fine dining and quick eats for bargain prix fixe prices. Acclaimed destinations Le BarricouThompson Brooke, and AmmazzaCaffe will participate again offering 3 course dinners for $35. Neighborhood favorites Bahia RestaurantGrand Morelos + Sandwich Shop will once again offer steals from $18 for 3 courses.

Our complete lineup will be announced soon, but you can expect many familiar faces in the program, as a sign that the Grand Street Restaurant Week is attracting visitors to patron our thriving restaurant scene and providing opportunity for locals to explore new dining options.

Additionally, our social media contest will again award $50 to a lucky diner who shares their night out with pictures of their dinner, friends or family at one of our participating restaurants with the hashtag #DineOnGrand.

Follow us @grandstreetbid to stay up to date with all of the deals, and its never too early to book your reservation for the 2 week summer event.

Grand Street celebrates 34th Annual Meeting

The BID brought the community together to look back on the year.

Pictured: Cynthia Rogers of Williamsburg Animal Clinic with BID Executive Director Erin Piscopink.

Pictured: Cynthia Rogers of Williamsburg Animal Clinic with BID Executive Director Erin Piscopink.

The BID celebrated another year of accomplishments on June 20th at the 34th Annual Meeting. Keeping the neighborhood clean, sharing our community’s stories, planting trees, hosting events, and bringing art to the district, the BID was hard at work keeping Grand Street a premier Brooklyn destination to live, work, and play.

The community also awarded select individuals and businesses who made extraordinary contributions to the district or demonstrated notable commitment to the neighborhood.

The winners are listed here:

Williamsburg Animal Clinic for exemplary advocacy on behalf of small businesses.

Bahia Restaurant for impressive storefront improvements

Spa Ella for showing commendable commitment to the neighborhood by opening a second storefront in district

Find the full annual report here.

Grand Street business owners share their stories in lead up to street murals

The BID spoke with businesses as part of the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative

The Sandwich Shop owners Clarisa + Ricardo

The Sandwich Shop owners Clarisa + Ricardo

Why do businesses decide to open on Grand Street? What makes this neighborhood special as opposed to the limitless commercial corridors in NYC? The Grand Street BID serves to beautify the neighborhood + improve quality of life for businesses and shoppers, and as part of that effort we are commissioning street art murals at some of our intersections this June.

As part of that project, we wanted to use the opportunity to get to the heart of what makes this neighborhood worth taking care of in the first place. So we sat down with business owners on Grand Street to talk about the community in anticipation of the streetscape improvements. We asked questions such as “What’s your favorite memory on Grand Street?”, “Why did you open a business here?”, and “Where are you from originally?” to get a clearer picture of Grand Street’s rich diversity and attractiveness to entrepreneurs.

We talked to a variety of businesses, from old timers Bahia Restaurant & Café Empire Lock, established businesses The Sandwich Shop + Noorman’s Kil, and newcomers Eleva Coffee King Kog. We also interviewed some residents and property owners for their perspective on the neighborhood. The interviews will be pieced together with documentation of the painting to be released with the completion of the murals as part of the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative.

Shawn + Anna Maria (King Kog) discussed how they bring infrastructure to NYC streets. Raffaello + Emilio (Eleva) shared their personal connection living in the neighborhood. Luis (Bahia) explained how he’s seen the neighborhood change and how his business has adapted. Melinda (resident) spoke about her move to Grand Street 20+ years ago. There are so many stories to be told by the tenants of Grand Street, and through this documentary, the BID is proud to give those voices a platform.

Stay tuned for the documentary this summer and look out for art popping up throughout Grand Street in the coming months.

Bahia Takes Lead with Storefront Renovations

Bahia Restaurant & Café has evolved its look to reflect the ever changing neighborhood

Bahia’s exterior post-renovation

Bahia’s exterior post-renovation

The times are changing in Williamsburg, and so is Bahia Restaurant & Café. The El Salvadoran restaurant has nearly completed full interior + exterior improvements, converting the inside to the picture above.

Grand Street has seen a lot of change in the past two decades, and the 19 year old cafe is looking to stay ahead of the curve. The restaurant’s owners, Luis and Felix have always been strong members of the
Grand Street community and partners with the BID. Now in this effort, Bahia is proving to be a standard bearer for businesses in their community engagement + commitment to stay in tune with an ever changing retail environment that demands new aesthetic appeal.

New businesses on Grand Street have been increasingly focusing effort on storefront design, and Bahia is now leading the charge for longtime business owners looking to evolve with an increasingly competitive
commercial corridor and restaurant scene.

Although its appearance may have changed, Bahia’s authentic cuisine has remained the same. The eatery excels in its El Salvadoran classics like pupusas + yuca frita and seafood, and goes further to offer Italian +
American dishes as well.

For residents and visitors to the neighborhood, Bahia should be a can’t-miss trip to one of Grand Street’s longest-living and always improving gems. For business owners looking to take the next step in modernizing their storefront, check these guidelines from the NYC SBS on how to begin.

The interior renovations were completed earlier this year

The interior renovations were completed earlier this year

Your Guide to Easter on Grand Street in Williamsburg

Where to eat + treat your family this holiday weekend.

Steak and eggs from Thompson Brooke with Rose Sangria

Steak and eggs from Thompson Brooke with Rose Sangria

Thompson Brooke (631 Grand St)

There’s nothing better suited for Easter brunch than eggs. Head to Thompson Brooke for eggs florentine, eggs any style, or vegan benedict + a variety of New England fare (including some of Williamsburg’s best oysters).
Opens: 10am, reservations: (347) 681-5646, brunch menu

Los Primos (704 Grand St)

The perfect opportunity to try Los Primos’ Paella special. Only $9.99 for the Spanish specialty to match with sangria + a full menu of Mexican cuisine. If you can’t make this weekend, don’t sweat it as paella is offered fresh every Sunday.
Opens: 10am, reservations: (718) 486-8449, menu

Oven baked pancakes with strawberry butter from Le Barricou

Oven baked pancakes with strawberry butter from Le Barricou

Le Barricou (533 Grand St)

Treat your party to fine French cuisine with a famous weekend brunch menu and pancakes you absolutely must try.
Opens: 10am, no reservationsbrunch menu

Bahia (533 Grand St)

This authentic El Salvadorian family restaurant has American + Italian options as well. Try the pollo sorpresa, yuca frita, and fried sweet plantains. Dine-in, take-out, and catering are all available.
Opens: 11:30am, reservationsmenu

Desy’s Clam Bar (562 Grand St)

It’s all in the name. Try Desy’s for their seafood with steamed clams, mussels, and traditional Italian offerings.
Opens: 11am, reservations: (347) 599-0267, menu

Arrangements from Flores del Valle won’t break the bank and are sure to impress

Arrangements from Flores del Valle won’t break the bank and are sure to impress

Grand Morelos (727 Grand St)

Your first stop for Easter sweets should be this 24/7 diner with a full bakery serving everything from tres leches cake, rainbow cookies, to delicious varieties of flan.
Opens: 24/7, reservations: (718) 218-9441, menu

Flores del Valle (706 Grand St)

Bring spring flowers to brighten the atmosphere with affordable + professional bouquet arrangements from Flores del Valle.
Opens: 9am, order arrangements: (718) 384-6464

DAR 525 (525 Grand St)

Good for Easter or any Sunday, DAR serves a prix fixe bottomless brunch for only $28.95. Unlimited mimosas, bellini, sangria, or bloody marys along with a Lebanese entree choice and gluten free options.
Opens: 11am, reservations: (347) 422-0401, brunch menu

DIY with Key Food (575 Grand St)Ozzie’s Fresh Market (639 Grand St), and Bravo Supermarkets (785 Grand St).
Save a few bucks and make it special homemade with plenty of grocery stores supplying everything you need for the holidays.