SECOND SERVING
By Bill Roundy The classic spot is back!
Brooklyn’s most beloved
19th century chophouse will
return next week. Gage & Tollner,
which closed in 2004 after 125
years serving oysters and steaks to
Kings County’s ritziest residents,
will open again as a restaurant on
March 15. At a preview event on
Sunday for friends and investors,
one co-owner said that it was joy
to see the upscale eatery buzzing
again.
“It’s amazing — it’s just so
wonderful to have people here,
and having great conversations
and eating and drinking,” said Ben
Schneider. “It’s been a real long
haul to get here.”
Schneider, with co-owners
Sohui Kim and St. John Frizell,
first toured the historic space
while it sat empty almost three
years ago. In the years since
Gage & Tollner shuttered, it had
housed a TGI Fridays, the fastfood
joint Arby’s, and a costume
jewelry store. Despite the many
tenants, the 19th-century cherrywood
paneling, mirrors, and
brass chandeliers remained intact,
because the interior was declared a
city landmark in 1975.
Today, leather and red velvet
couches create booths beside each
arched mirror in the long dining
room, and brass coatracks sprout
from silk wall coverings, which
are so gorgeous that it seems
a shame to cover them with a
jacket. Choosing that perfect
floral pattern, embroidered with
gold thread on black silk, took
“months and months and months
and months,” said Frizell, but the
owners finally settled on a pattern
created by 19th century design
The eats of March: Ben Schneider and St. John Frizell, co-owners of Gage & Tollner
with chef Sohui Kim, are ready to welcome guests to the restored chophouse on
March 15. Photo by Bill Roundy
icon William Morris.
COURIER L 42 IFE, MARCH 6-12, 2020
“It’s gorgeous,” he said. “The
original was a floral pattern, but it
was cut velvet. This is embroidered
silk, and it’s a William Morris
pattern — he’s kind of a touchstone
for what we want to do with the
place.”
Overhead, the famous brass
chandeliers have had their gas
flames replaced with electric
bulbs, in accordance with modern
fire codes, and they light up a
plaster ceiling covered with a silver
wax.
Gage & Tollner will open on
March 15 for dinner service, and a
lunch will come later, said Frizell.
The menu, designed by chef and
co-owner Kim, features oldschool
seafood dishes like Oysters
Rockefeller and She-Crab Soup
alongside rib-eye steak, mutton
chops, and fried chicken.
A marble bar up front serves
impeccable cocktails that would
feel right at home in the 1940s.
One bartender, while serving a
classic Old-Fashioned, noted that
by remaining exactly the same,
Gage & Tollner had achieved the
refined retro look desired by the
hottest contemporary cocktail
bars.
Upstairs, work continues on
two private dining rooms for
special events, and on the Sunken
Harbor Club, a contemporary tiki
bar that will resemble the hull of a
ship. Frizell estimates those spaces
will take another six weeks or so
to open.
“We had originally planned to
open them at the same time, and in
retrospect, what a ridiculous idea
that is,” he said. “We’re going to be
so busy running a big restaurant
… we’re really going to have our
hands full.”
Gage & Tollner 372 Fulton St.
between Smith Street and Red Hook
Lane Downtown, (347) 689–3677,
gageandtollner.com. Opens March
15 at 5 pm, then open daily, 5–11
pm. Reservations will be available
on resy.com starting next week.
By Amalia Arms It’s hip to be square!
A Downtown pizza joint
known for its high-quality
slices has added two new options
to its menu. Norm’s Pizza on
Adams Street now serves a pair
of Sicilian-style slices. Adding
the square, thick-crust pizza to
its traditional New York-style pies
is a natural next step, said the
pizzeria’s founder.
“We always wanted to launch a
Sicilian pie at Norm’s, but first we
wanted to get our standard slices
down,” said Noam Grossman. “It’s
been six months since the shop
opened and we felt like it was time
to expand the menu.”
The pillowy-soft square pies
are made from an all-natural
sourdough that has to ferment for
24 hours. Norm’s Pizza manager
Rosario Viggiano said that the
dough makes the pies light and
airy, and gives them a unique
flavor.
“We’re just trying to make the
best possible version of the New
York classics,” he said. “We’re not
reinventing the wheel.”
After rising overnight, the
pizzas are topped with mozzarella,
pecorino, garlic oil, olive oil, and
tomato sauce. Each slice costs $4,
or $5 if topped with pepperoni.
Try the Sicilian slice at Norm’s
Pizza 345 Adams St. between
Willoughby and Johnson streets
Downtown; (347) 916–1310, www.
normspizza.com. Open Mon–Sat;
11 am–11 pm; Sun, 11 am–9 pm. $4
($5 with pepperoni).
By Jessica Parks Get to the ’point!
Greenpoint’s namesake
brew has returned
to Brooklyn’s northernmost
neighborhood! Greenpoint Beer
and Ale Company opened its
new taproom last month after a
year-long hiatus, and its owner
said he is happy to be back with
a bigger and better location.
“It’s a big relief, it took us a
little longer than expected,” said
Ed Raven. “We added a roof
deck and we are finally here.”
The new Manhattan Avenue
location has allowed the beer
brewer and distributor to
quadruple his capacity. Going
from a five-barrel to a 20-barrel
system makes Greenpoint one
of the largest breweries in the
borough, Raven said.
“We can make a lot of beer
here,” Raven said. “Probably
for my lifetime, we have enough
beer.”
The new taproom also has a
kitchen that focuses on classic
brewery foods, including giant
pretzels, sausages, and burgers
and fries.
To go with a new space, the
Brooklyn brewer has concocted
a suite of new beers to serve
on draft. For now, seven of
the spot’s 15 taps are pouring
Greenpoint brews, many of
which can only be found in
cans elsewhere. One of the
new offerings, Lekker Pils, is
a German pilsner whose name
derives from Flemish slang for
“something you really like,”
according to Raven, as a nod to
Greenpoint’s Dutch roots.
The brewery’s roof deck is
open now, and will get even
more use during the warmer
months, Raven said. He plans to
host private parties, barbecues,
clam bakes, and other events
on the roof, which has its own
covered bar (not yet open).
Atop the rooftop shines a
green, illuminated water towerlike
structure, designed by artist
Tom Fruin. Visitors can settle at
one of the many picnic tables on
the roof to take in a panoramic
view of Brooklyn, Queens, and
the Manhattan skyline.
Greenpoint Beer and Ale
Co. 1150 Manhattan Ave.
between Ash and Box streets
in Greenpoint, (917) 750–1541,
www.greenpointbeer.com.
Open Wed–Fri, 5–10 pm; Sat–
Sun, opens at noon, closing time
varies.
A square meal
Going green: Greenpoint Beer and Ale Company has reopened, this time
in a space with a sprawling roof deck. Photo by Jessica Parks
Knot much: A Greenpoint patron
enjoys a beer and an enormous
pretzel. Photo by Nancy Leung
It’s got pep: Norm’s Pizza now
serves a Sicilian-style pepperoni slice.
Photo by Bill Roundy
Back draft
Greenpoint Beer and Ale
reopens on Manhattan Ave.
Historic Gage & Tollner restaurant returns!
/www.normspizza.com
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