MADRE opened last week at the Franklin Guesthouse hotel in Greenpoint. It’s replaces BarGlory — a small plates joint we loved, operated by by an outside team — with an internally run operation:
The cozy new-American restaurant, located at 214 Franklin St., will feature a wide ranging seasonal menu that may change from week to week, depending on the seasonality and quality of produce.
General Manager Steven Dougherty says the restaurant is currently planning to serve croquettes, a branzino dish, a ribeye cap, and a large-scale shrimp dish, among other items. Dougherty says that keeping menu items locally sourced is a high priority, referencing their market salad which will feature produce procured from the McGolrick Park farmers market.
At the bar, diners will find a variety of wines, beers and handcrafted cocktails, including a signature El Sancho cocktail, made with mezcal, habanero, campari and apricot.
You can check out Madre’s menu here.
MADRE (at the Franklin Guesthouse)
madrenyc.com
214 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Another hotel restaurant coming this week is Seven Seeds at the Williamsburg Hotel. It replaces Harvey, which as the Times jokes “was in business for a shorter amount of time than it took to open.” Hopefully, Seven Seeds will stick around a little bit longer:
Chef Melissa O’Donnell has put roots down in Williamsburg and is opening Seven Seeds at The Williamsburg Hotel. Chef Melissa, who earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for her Lebanese-ish restaurant Lil’ Gem, joins forces with owner Toby Moskovits to bring Williamsburg a bountiful Mediterranean restaurant. Seven Seeds highlights the traditional as well as Chef Melissa’s interpretations of foods from the Mediterranean Basin with influences from Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Morocco, Spain, and Italy. The female run, 60-seat venue is tucked within the bar and lounge area of the hotel’s 3,000 square-foot ground floor. Bringing the energy of an Arabian Souk, the restaurant boasts a dramatic atmosphere with soaring ceilings, brick archways, and an impressive open kitchen with a wood burning oven. There’s a picturesque greenery-filled, 40-seat seasonal oasis for outdoor dining.
The menu, which offers many plant-based and gluten-free options following Chef Melissa’s personal dietary restrictions, brings a sense of comfort to diners from its dips to hot and cold mezze, flatbreads and large plates. Hummus is miso-fermented while Herbed Labneh is sprinkled with za’atar, pistachios, and pomegranates and the spicy Muhamarra is made with roasted red pepper, walnuts and a kick of aleppo pepper. In the Cold Mezze section, Chef Melissa plays with a traditional caprese but instead of tomatoes she pairs house-made mozzarella with olive oil-drizzled fresh figs. Salmon tartare gets a Lebanese personality as Salmon Quinoa Kibbeh Nayeh and a seemingly simple salad of Shaved Napa Cabbage gets a chef-lift with pecorino, cilantro, and almond. Hot Mezze includes Fried Cauliflower with lemon and tahini sauce and guests will get addicted to the Spiced Confit Duck Wings. Larger plates include Dukkah Crusted Rack of Lamb with artichoke fricassee and puree, Roasted Airline Chicken Shawarma with the Middle Eastern hot sauce Shatta, tahini, the Lebanese garlic sauce Toum and house pickled vegetables, Salmon “Samka Harra” with walnut-herb pesto and spring vegetables, and a Cumin Roasted Branzino. All foods are served with a platter of vegan condiments, three of which are Toum in roasted, black garlic and traditional flavors. To complement the food, Beverage Manager Rael Petit focuses on Mediterranean wines from Greece and Lebanon although an orange wine from Oregon is also available. The wine list also emphasizes female producers such as Arianna Occhipinti and Elisabetta Foradori. Rael’s impressive cocktail menu features ingredients such as chickpea water and apricots to provide guests with a well-rounded experience.
White marble and fish-scale patterned tabletops intermingle with rustic wood communal tables giving the restaurant an all-day café feel. Bright red banquettes bring a pop to the room and orb-shaped lights hanging at different heights add a moonlight glow. Flowing curtains and small accessories scattered throughout make the room personal and the open kitchen, where guests can view Chef Melissa and her team at work, brings the kitchen energy to the restaurant.
Seven Seeds (at the Williamsburg Hotel)
sevenseedswilliamsburg.com
96 Wythe Avenue Brooklyn
New York. 11249
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