Brownstoner’s Cafe Officially Opens This Saturday
With free Wi-Fi service now available, brownstoners east of Malcolm X now have a place to surf and sip! I paid a Sunday afternoon visit to Brownstoner’s Cafe (212 Patchen Avenue, between Macon and MacDonough Streets). Their doors will officially open this Saturday. Bed-Stuy native and owner Winfield Harrell Jr. remembers when he first opened in 2005. He recalls when the store was hidden behind plexiglass and metal. Today, the windows are transparent, inviting customers to come in and stay for awhile. That’s exactly what Winfield wants to convey. His vision continues, even though recent business strategies have changed.
When you walk in, there’s an instant feeling of sandwich shop nostalgia. Vintage diner art covers the walls, along with black and white photography of children, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia Jackson, and a picture of Winfield’s father. Bruce Springsteen songs played during my visit. How fitting to be in such an atmosphere and hearing “Glory Days” while waiting to be served.
The menu is rather diverse. Pan pizzas, wraps, panini, grilled burgers of all sorts. You will find it here. I ordered the fried cat fish with collard greens and rice & peas as side orders. I am telling the truth that I’ve NEVER seen collard greens so green in my life. Full of flavor and pleased to know that their greens don’t contain any pork or turkey. I’m sorry southerners, but I imagine you won’t find any “pot liquor” here!
There’s a reason for such a diverse menu. Head Chef Jorge Howell is Panamian and cooking is a multifarious experience for him. He’s into what he calls “fusion cuisine,” where there is something for everyone and it’s okay to mix it up. “If you want to come, I have something for you!” He can be a charmer with his expertise and his Spanish accent. He was so passionate about the many house specialties. I mean, the dishes just kept coming! And presentation is everything.
First from the brunch menu, he introduced his version of a popular southern dish – sinfully sweet and savory honey chicken and waffles, served with strawberry butter and syrup.
The food fusion continues with a Cuban Caribbean inspired roast pork with Cuban black bean rice and cassava.
Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, he’s serving up butternut squash soup – a very seasonal delight.
More cheese please! Brownstoner’s five cheese mac-n-cheese in bechamel sauce!
There’s also the Italian farro salad, which Jorge says is multigrain based.
Soul food with a twist – baked barbecue chicken with spinach mashed potatoes and collard greens, made with fresh herbs.
Then there’s good ‘ol home fries, blanched style.
Last but not least, Jorge’s island tropical chutney, made with mango, cucumber and pineapple.
I wish i could say that I at least sampled some of these dishes, but I was so stuffed from my original order! By the time I finished talking with Jorge and Winfield, twilight already descended.
Brownstoner's Cafe Owner Winfield Harrell Jr. and Head Chef Jorge Howell
Surprisingly near closing time, the cafe seemed to fill up. More notably with kids and teens for takeaway. Winfield has a heart for kids and likes to see them come in the store. He offers guidance when he can. No surprise there, since he has worked within the prison system for about 20 years. Students from the Excellence Charter School, located across the street make their way to Brownstoner’s. There’s a kid’s menu available, along with a children’s morning menu and an afterschool special menu from 3-5 pm.
Whether you’re around the corner or somewhere nearby, take a few minutes to patronize Brownstoner’s Cafe.
Brownstoner’s Cafe
212 Patchen Avenue (between Macon and MacDonough Streets)
(718) 453-3360
Hours:
Tuesdays – Thursdays 7am-7pm
Fridays 7am-9pm
Saturdays 8am-9pm
Sundays 9am-6pm
20 November 2009, 11:09 am
I’m confused. This very place was Orchid Cafe opened as Orchid Cafe about a month ago. I even recognize the photos on teh walls and the furniture. If you go to Orchid Cafe’s website they say that they had to close and will be looking for a new location in the neighborhood. Any idea what’s going on here?
20 November 2009, 3:01 pm
Yes. it was the former space of Orchid Cafe. Very confused! Can anyone shed some light on what exactly happened?
20 November 2009, 3:36 pm
Word on the street is that the 2 girls who ran Orchid weren’t pulling their weight so he booted them. I went in there a bunch of times and was disappointed again and again. One outing consisted of raw fish, overcooked fish and undercooked pizza. They never even had coffee available in the morning. It’s too bad, but we’ll see if this lasts. It was also Want’z Cafe for like a week.
20 November 2009, 7:48 pm
as mentioned in the post, recent business strategies have changed – that includes the name change, branding and ownership. winfield is the brownster’s cafe owner and has on staff a professionally trained chef. according to them, they are working on building a website.
20 November 2009, 7:55 pm
**brownstoner’s cafe**
21 November 2009, 3:14 am
I was trying to place this location, and then Want’z hit me. What a bizarre name for a food business anyway. I hope this one does much better. Glad to see REAL food being offered.
21 November 2009, 9:39 am
The food looks delicious and the decor is cute. I wondered why I never heard from Orchid Cafe again, this explains it.
Also, afterschool special menu = brilliant. Not all places want to attract kids, especially middle/high school age, but the area definitely needs something for them, so if Mr Harrell is open to it, kudos to him! They need a safe, fun place to hang out.
21 November 2009, 2:34 pm
I am a small business owner in Bed Stuy. And, I would like to see small businesses in this area succeed and prosper. Good luck to you Winfield and I am sure the Brownstoner’s Cafe will served the community well. I will drop in and check you guys out soon.
23 November 2009, 11:26 am
Yes i wish him all the luck and want to see this cafe make it and stay right here in the area.I go there for breafeast try the french toast its great.
23 November 2009, 1:02 pm
Had the collard greens – the best ever! Never tasted anything like it in my life… and I hate collard greens
23 November 2009, 3:19 pm
Word is on MY street is that this used to be a dingy pizza shop that was hardly ever open and pizza was HORRIBLE. The food was bad and the place was sketchy and had got robbed numerous times at gunpoint. Then I see the same guy partner with these girls who changed the space into a cafe. I heard they left because he wanted to turn it back to the greasy spoon which is why they are looking for a new location. I visited Orchid or Orchard on the opening and the food was great and I LOVED THE SALAD DRESSING. I am confused because I spoke to him and he said he had two partners and they had transformed the place, but now they are gone. I think he used them and then booted them because the chef guy was the same chef the girls had.
24 November 2009, 12:37 am
I think that Winfield failed with the pizza shop because he was not the Orchid Cafe. So he got a whiff of their popularity and decided that he didn’t want to be a landlord/subleter and probably booted those folks out. I visited the Orchid Cafe and like the atmosphere, sorry that it did last longer than a New York minute. I agree with brooklynnjewel’s comment.
24 November 2009, 9:30 am
From what i know they where not able to pull thier weight at the end of the month when they had to come up with thier share of the bills.
24 November 2009, 10:53 am
Well I don’t know about the bills and such things and to me that is bad business for him to use them and then to tell the community that they didn’t come up with their share of the bills. I find it hard to believe especially since it states in the article he opened in 2005. He has not had a stable business there, first it was a pizza place, then it was soul food spot and all were really bad. That was four years ago and now all of the sudden after Orchid cafe he wants to open up a cafe. I went in there this morning and it looks just like Orchid so what did he really change. I think the pictures of the cafe and food tell a different story of what the cafe really is. I think once the dusk settles he will be right back to the neighborhood greasy spoon.
24 November 2009, 4:06 pm
All I have to say is that I wish Winfeld well, but I really don’t like what I saw happen with Orchid. I don’t believe I ever saw him there the times I came to eat. But I remember the girls well. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth walking passed Orchid before it opened almost everyday… watching those proud young ladies working on wood outside and to find out that they are not part of that location any longer. I have lived in this community for 38 Years. Supported many new business and have seen them come and go. What I choose to go by is what I see and not what I am told. One of the girls that owned the Orchid bought me a meal the second time I went in there (the Honey Fried Chicken and Waffles), because I left my wallet home that afternoon and had just had surgery a month before so she didn’t want for me to walk all the way back home. I really appreciated that. I am sorry IRVING, but I don’t believe all the stories I hear. So again, I wish Winfeld well, but I am no fool. Good luck with your new made place and I hope Orchid really does come back soon, God willing.
24 November 2009, 6:26 pm
Look further back in the blog and read what acr wrote. All i do is wish well to whatever cafe or establishment opens and hope they do last in the Bed-stuy community.This will make our area the place to go instead of having to always go outside to Park Slope,Dumbo,Clinton Hills ect.
24 November 2009, 6:48 pm
I do wish them well, whatever restaurant is in the space. Yes, the girls were VERY nice at Orchid Cafe, and very attentive. That wasn’t my issue. My issue was that every time I was there they had me waiting FOREVER for food (40 mins for the raw fish entree) or even coffee (not even having it in the morning or wanting me to wait 15mins at 8am). What food, or really just the baked goods, I did get there were good. If I see them sticking around for longer than a month, maybe I’ll venture back in. It would be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood to have a restaurant that had great food AND great service.
24 November 2009, 7:22 pm
“Yes, the girls were VERY nice at Orchid Cafe, and very attentive.” “waiting FOREVER for food” “What food, or really just the baked goods”
I am very sorry to say my dear Irving and acr that you are not making much sense to me, and you are being extremely conflicting. I am not going to battle with you both of you, because it seems your words are coming from some other place. May God bless you both and (your) place. I wish you two luck. Just be more willing to listening to your customers and with that I would continue my support of small business’ in my community…
possibly adding your location back to my list again.
24 November 2009, 10:58 pm
This is not a battle as far as know just everyone giving thier own insight on the situation as they see it i thought.
25 November 2009, 12:58 pm
IRVING, they were not even there a month – - in terms of your comment about not coming up with their share of the bills!! I am with you, too Brooklynnjewell. Alison and Talima put a lot of their creative energy in that location, and really transformed the place in terms of the menu and interior design. I also wonder if Mr. B over in Cllinton Hill will take umbridge with the establishment’s new name!
25 November 2009, 4:47 pm
Ha! PamG, you hit the nail on the head. I was wondering how ‘Stoner would feel about the name too…
29 November 2009, 5:54 pm
I hope it works out for you. Wishing you much success.
03 December 2009, 2:36 am
We ate there once when it was Orchid and it was fantastic. Alison gave us some fresh-baked bread pudding while we were waiting for our food. We went back another time for breakfast, seemingly after the Orchid girls were gone. It was still decent, but the service was a little spotty. The next time we went by was on Monday night, and we found it to be closed. So we tried again this past Tuesday, but we got there too late- some time before 8pm. We noticed a menu in the window that had heroes, pizza and wings on it.
I don’t know about the whole story and what even to believe, but it seems like one of the keys to a successful restaurant is to be open. In our corner of Bed-Stuy the only other choices for dinner are Peaches and Saraghina. If Brownstoner’s was open at night, we would go. You have to be open at night if you want any kind of business. People in this neighborhood are dying for more choices. I hope this guy figures something out and can make something work.