This city is layered in rich history, most of which will never be uncovered. How often do we find ourselves walking down a familiar street, staring at something new and wondering, what the hell used to be there? 

So for a place to patiently uncover the buried history of a physical space in order to help it transition with intention is like a deliberate homage to the city, and thus the people within it.

The Monarch Theater Restaurant used to be a theater called The Collapsable Hole, a rather avante-garde, artist-owned production that took over the space of a former rundown garage in 2000. And after 13 years of inspiring the neighborhood through stories, songs, and scenes, with one final collapse of the curtains, the theater moved on while the space begged for the debut of another performance.

Brooklyn restaurant veterans Lawrence and Ayako Elliott (of The Rabbithole notoriety) took notice, feeling the allure of the space, and dreamed of a two-story love child that would exhibit both their passion for delighting the diners of Brooklyn and their joint artistic and culinary prowess.

And during what became a 3-year cocoon stage, the owners painstakingly breathed life into the dream that would finally become Monarch Theater Restaurant in February of 2019. The name, while both paying homage to the history of the space, also felt fitting given its proximity to a neighboring cinema and live music venue, and inevitably speaks to their joint appreciation for old black-and-white Asian cinema.

Their patience, appreciation, and imagination for the space is felt in every inch of the interior, and this delicate-yet-seductive aesthetic is what initially attracted us to the place. Standing outside, looking into the windows made me feel as if I’d been transported back in time, to the gilded age of theater where a hundred performances became a thousand stories in a million moments, captured.

Stepping inside, I saw how the bold, theatrical theme is playfully and artistically balanced; a busy, tile-patterned floor juxtaposes the stark white walls. A dramatic, vintage-inspired staircase bisects the delicate dining room. A jungle of plants basks in the mid-afternoon sun while black-and-white emulsioned onlookers stare back, frozen in time, in dramatic photos. A life-like papered wall is interrupted by a buzzing neon sign demanding that you and everyone else present eat more noodles. The second-floor balcony, the one the owners initially envisioned, stands boldly and sacredly as an outdoor oasis, looking out onto a perpetually bustling Brooklyn street corner.

Given the elegant interior, we felt slightly ashamed that what initially brought us into the space was a meager sandwich board with the words “ginger chicken dumplings” sketched rather hastily upon it. 

Pleasantly and inevitably, the food took center stage during our stunning experience at the Monarch Theater Restaurant. Here’s what not to miss, culinarily. 

What to Eat at the Monarch Theater Restaurant

Chili Cabbage

Start here to warm up your palate to the dynamic flavor adventure you’re about to experience. Bold and fresh, with just enough depth from a smattering of roasted peanuts and sneaky fried onion, it made us realize that this is the way all salads should be. 

Onion Roti with Cashew Curry

This felt like the most familiar, comforting dish we experienced, which was appreciated. Straightforward, savory and delicious, you’ll be happy it’s part of your table.

Agedashi Mushroom

Lightly fried with sweet potato flour, this complex little mushroom is somehow both crisp and soft and dances in a pool of soy and something slightly sweet, making it my favorite performance of the starters on the table. Don’t miss it. 

Pan Fried Ginger Chicken Dumplings

The initial temptation that brought us into the Monarch did not disappoint. These were both the most elegant and delicious dumplings I’ve had in recent memory; savory, seductive little pillows topped with microgreens and paired perfectly with what should be (if it isn’t) a very, very secret sauce recipe. Absolutely do not miss this integral part of your experience here. 

Sweet and Sour Pork 

This is a pork belly that you no longer recognize. It’s like the pork belly that defiantly says, “Fine then, I’m going OUT!” and then slips into a sassy little number you didn’t even know it had and dances boldly out into the night without looking back. Resting dramatically on a plate with its new hip friends Hijiki and Hibiscus, it has all the elements to be the standout dish of the meal. Take notice.

Cod in Coconut Lime Broth

By far the most beautiful presentation of cod I’ve ever seen, and a perfect, light balance to the more intense dishes in our experience. Order this to feel better about yourself and to see how far the chef can (and does) stretch his limits here. 

Spicy Minced Pork Noodles

The dish you won’t be able to stop thinking about days later, and for good reason. Spicy and intense, it’s hard for them not to take center stage at what became quite the dramatic omnivoral experience. They also, fortunately, were neither too heavy nor too overwhelming to the other dishes on the table. This is a must-order.

What to Drink

We started with cocktails, which we found perfectly balanced yet punchy enough to keep us interested. I was tempted to indulge in the Solong Luang Probang, an elegant blend of Absinthe, Giffard, and Creme de Violette that I’m confident I wouldn’t soon forget, even if tempted to drink 5 more.
My partner in drinking (and life) chose the Night Market, a dangerous blend of a Japanese beer distillate (read: nearly grain alcohol concentrate, from beer), coconut, lemongrass and black pepper that felt oddly more elegant the more we sipped. 

And as we did, we were lucky to sidle up next to Jason Mezydlo at the bar, the beverage director and resident wine expert who was in the process of tasting and testing the next round of mostly natural wines to add to the list. We couldn’t help but inquire about the particular appeal and rather nuanced names behind the cocktails that were beginning to elude us. He then revealed his passion for and extensive knowledge of Southeast Asia, and thus the flavors, spices, and pairings that go best with what could be intimidating flavor profiles.

As we sat and experienced dish after surprisingly unintimidating dish, he let us sample enough wines to know we’ll be back soon to see what he selected, and to drink our way through Southeast Asia, cocktail-ly. Although in the end, we were pleasantly surprised by his very approachable recommendation of the Beer Lao, a drinkable Vietnamese beer he jumps through hoops to import, partially for nostalgia and wholly for its perfect pairing ability with nearly every dish.

The Monarch Theater Restaurant is an unexpected performance amid a street of seasoned neighborhood standouts. This performance-space-turned-restaurant is reminiscent of the gilded theater age with a noticeable penchant for urban panache. Its ambiance will draw you in, but its bold, exotic menu and elegant tiki bar cocktail list will keep you coming back for more, and often, long after its much-anticipated debut. 

We all are familiar with the New York minute. But what about the New York hour? What happens if we multiply this notorious “minute” by 60?    

We get a formerly familiar measure of time that is hustled, frantic, fleeting, and coveted. So the way we decide to spend such hours is important. Add into that equation a plethora of top-rated restaurants and a lack of time and a culinary appetite for adventure and therein lies the ultimate omnivore’s dilemma, nearly every night.  

I’ve found that the best way to solve it is to make a buffet out of a neighborhood. Plan to embark on a food-based happy hour exhibition that allows you to sample one emblematic dish from multiple destinations so that your dinner decision can be made with more confidence. Also, it’s really fucking fun. I’ve left you some breadcrumbs first through Greenpoint. Get a little taste of it below.

Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Happy Hour | Greenpoint

A fish counter with a penchant for service, this white-tiled silvery-scaled spot on Nassau Ave offers oysters for $2, beer and cider for $5, wine and cava for $6 and a full, freshly caught menu a la carte. And it makes me want to remind you that $1 oyster promotions are completely unsustainable. Places that are still offering this deal regularly are likely getting oysters from places that are farming them in a way that destroys the delicate and necessary ecosystem. So stop expecting and seeking them. At Greenpoint Fish, their passion is seeking the most responsibly harvested seafood possible, and their specials are based upon whatever there was a surplus of at the market that day. Meaning you’ll get a briney, fresh, and salty-esque exploration of the best in season, sustainably. We got 2 of each of the 3 in abundance that night, plus a couple glasses of rose. This only set us back $11 each and set us forward to embrace the remainder of these sacred hours. Their happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 2-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 4-6pm. Find them at 114 Nassau Ave.

El Born, Greenpoint | Happy Hour

The idea for a food-based happy hour crawl was based upon a trip I took to San Sebastian, where every Thursday night they have a self-guided, walking tapas-tour, each bar in the city offering one signature dish that comes with a glass of wine. Thus it was only fitting to hit my favorite Spanish restaurant in town as part of this piece. Their happy hour tapas menu lets you choose from 10 offerings (including a personal paella) plus beer, wine, sangria or vermut for $5. Plus I heard through the fermented grapevine that they’ll be introducing a Tapas Tuesday deal that will leave you with unlimited tapas for a very limited budget. Update coming soon.  

For tonight, we chose a tortilla espanola and the croquetas del dia (each for $5) and a house-made sangria, leaving satisfied and hispanophiled for $10 (plus tip!) each. Their happy hour (and so many other nightly deals) runs Monday through Friday, 3-7pm. Find them at 651 Manhattan Ave.

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Alameda, Greenpoint | Happy Hour

Alameda is the Spanish word for an urban orchard or charming tree-lined street, and this hidden gem on Franklin feels as mystical and natural as if it was grown out of the neighborhood’s natural environment and its inhabitants needs. With an ovular bar that instinctively brings people together, an imaginative cocktail list that draws you in, plus a Monday-Friday beer and a burger deal that lets you experience the best burger (and requisite worst beer) in Greenpoint for just $12, this is a place that hardly needs incentive to keep you coming back.  

Although the burger is hard to refuse, we opted instead for the oysters with a refreshing cucumber mignonette ($2 each) and a couple of tequilas on the rocks for a total of $13 each (plus tip!). The added bonus was the poured-on-site polished concrete bar, the art-deco inspired molding, the back-lit and enticing shelves of spirits and the always personable service that was hardly reflected (thus aptly tipped upon) by the meager check. Their happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5-7pm. Find them at 195 Franklin St.

Le Fanfare, Greenpoint | Happy Hour

The atmosphere at this Italian spot in North Greenpoint feels like it should be saved for special occasions; the long communal farm tables dotted with fresh flowers makes it nearly impossible to imagine yourself and 35 very good-looking people celebrating with endless bottles of wine and big, warm plates of pasta and salty charcuterie, seductive glances and warm toasts and enough laughter to make you not even mind that the silk dress you saved just for this occasion is now dotted with marinara sauce because you’ve never been this happy at a dinner ever in your life. Just you know, as an example. However, the service, menu, and happy hour deals will remind you that you should be coming here often and making any day feel like an occasion. Every flavor combination is exquisitely curated; never too much yet deeply satisfying, it’s delicate and pure and memorable which is just the way I imagine life on the island of Sardinia to be. Their happy hour menu gives you a taste of their best starters, which is the perfect way to wet your appetite for the homemade pastas and decadent entrees on the menu.

We couldn’t help ordering something unabashedly seafaring with the mussels and also went for the stone-ground polenta to keep us grounded in some down-home Italian comfort. For $12 each we had a wine and our selected small plate while sitting around the charming round marble bar and gazing out of their floor-to-ceiling glass entryway at snippets of life passing through our favorite area of the neighborhood. Their happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5:30-7pm. Find them at 1103 Manhattan Ave.

Naked Dog, Greenpoint | Happy Hour

The last stop on our happy hour tour took us to a quiet corner on West Street and into one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the area. The Naked Dog is fairly unassuming; rustic-chic interior, excessively pleasant staff, unique lighting selections and an overall feeling that makes you want to stay for a while. This feels nice. This is comfortable. This seems homey. And then the food arrives and you take your first bite and you desperately feel the need to disrupt the comfort and serenity and grab the person next to you and say, what the fuck is happening right now? They are serving some of the best dishes in Brooklyn in a completely unassuming atmosphere. And their happy hour deal lets you sample the best of these flavors for just $5 a dish. We went for the burrata, the meatballs, and the fried calamari. We opted for a happy hour cocktail each, one gin-based and one tequila-based to keep our bases covered. Our 3-plate and 2-drink special put us back $12.50 each (plus tip). Their happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 5pm-7pm. Check the hours and menus here then find them at 47 Java St.

What Not To Miss

The Wedge Salad

The Mozzarella Sticks

The Burger 

Any Dessert

And Beer

Frosty mugs. Really fucking frosty. Frosty enough to etch your initials into it before you drink it. Frosty enough to make you second guess that it’s a Bell’s Two Hearted that you’re sipping on. Twice. Get a beer, any beer.

Brooklyn, I’m Trying… to eat like I’m in Paris.

Bistro Petit

What not to miss

How not to miss it

it’s rare that owning a restaurant feels like a labor of love, but emmy squared (and the full family of emily pizza joints) feels and tastes exactly like that. true love for the art of food, for the craft of pizza, and for each other. owners matt and emily’s first meal together was pizza, and after 13 years and 3 new york pizza restaurants, they landed at this- Emmy Squared, a detroit-style pizza oasis in south williamsburg.

it’s common in a city known for its pizza to get a bit of pizza fatigue. and when i know that there are so many exemplary by the slice joints, it’s rare that i venture to a formal sit-down restaurant to enjoy a slice. obvious notable exceptions being paulie gee’s, roberta’s, and lucali.

what not to miss

how not to miss it

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what not to miss

how not to miss it