Five New Myrtle Restaurants in (Almost) Five Weeks

Myrtle Avenue's restaurant scene has grown dramatically over the last few years, and with these five recent additions that have all opened over the last few weeks, you'll have plenty of choices to keep you dining out. Some of these new spots are the endeavors of first-time entrepreneurs, while others are experienced in the restaurant business, but be sure to give them all a try and pop your heads in to welcome the owners and managers of the newest businesses on the block.

Menus for each are available online at MyrtleMenus.

STIRRING UP FLAVOR TAMBORIL STYLE

When Ed Polanco was a boy, his family owned and operated a bakery in Washington Heights. “It was a good business but I would constantly contemplate all of the things I knew we could do to make it better.” But Ed was only in elementary school back then.

“I guess you can say Tamboril is my attempt at making things right,” states Ed. Armed with a long-time desire to be self-employed, as well as an accounting degree and many years in the numbers field under his belt (Ed’s a CPA), Ed opened up his business on Myrtle last week to much anticipation.

Tamboril is named for the small town in the Dominican Republic from which Ed and his family hails. “It’s just north of the capitol of Santo Domingo, and as quiet as it seems to be kept sometimes, it makes THE BEST cigars.”

Tamboril, the new Nuevo Latino restaurant has, according to Ed, “an exciting twist,” offering “classic Latin dishes and well as American dishes with Latin and Caribbean twists.” He adds, “the emphasis is not on spiciness but honest to goodness flavor.”

On the menu are offerings such as coconut tomato salmon, salmon pan-seared and served in a coconut tomato sauce with two sides; chicharonne, signature fried chicken served with golden tostones and Tamboril salad; coconut shrimp casserole, seasoned long grain rice cooked in a fish stock served with deep fried coconut shrimp and a mango ginger sauce; and grilled flank steak with sun-dried chimichurri, served with red wine, steak sauce and two sides. Starters, soups and salads, sandwiches and burgers; or desserts are also available. Coconut flan, anyone? The complete menu is available on Tamboril's website, as well as in PDF format atMyrtleMenus.

“Lots of thought and love goes into the preparation of each dish,” says Chef Yvette James, who hails from the Caribbean island of Grenada, and has experience at many of NYC’s most popular and positively-reviewed restaurants, including Negril’s. Yvette has also prepared food for many a Caribbean dignitary through her work with the UN, hosting CARICOM (international Caribbean community) events. She has been featured in spots on Fox 5 (Caribbean Christmas special) and Gourmet Magazine (Tourism Around the World), amongst other highlights. “Grenada is known as ‘Spice Island,’ and my hope is to add much flavor to the menu and see customers come back again and again.”

For now Tamboril is BYOB as they await a liquor license, but look forward to their fully stocked bar, which will include delicious specialty drinks coming your way very soon.

Tamboril Happenings:

- Weekend brunch beginning Sunday, September 9th and then every Saturday and Sunday after, 10a to 3:30p

- Jazz on Tuesday’s beginning September 11th (Ed is a serious jazz head who practices the trumpet)

- Local artist exhibits. Please call Tamboril if interested in exhibiting. Pratt alum, Gina Jankowski currently showing.

Tamboril is located at 527 Myrtle Avenue (Grand/Steuben), (718) 483-2152
Menu available online at MyrtleMenus


IT IS MOM'S, AND POP'S, AND THEN SOME: MANEE THAI

Husband and wife team Vat and Linda Buakaew have named their latest restaurant, Manee, in tribute to Vat’s mom.

“My mom was from Bangsaka, near the center of Thailand,” shares Vat, “and she was known for her great cooking.”

Manee restaurant is the Buakaew’s second business endeavor, and located at 372 Myrtle Avenue, just about one and a half blocks west of their first enterprise, Myrtle Thai, also on the avenue.

“Manee restaurant isn’t déjà vu,” emphasizes restaurant manager, Pongsak. “It offers something quite different than our first restaurant,” adds Vat.

Manee restaurant offers a range of traditional as well as contemporary Thai options. The traditional dishes, which could also be found in Vat’s mom’s repertoire, include amongst them Karee (jasmine rice and meat served sautéed w/onion, pea, potato, tomato, egg and curry powder); Panang (rice w/meat or vegetables w/string beans, bell peppers and kaffir, and basil leaf); and the famous national dish, Pad Thai.

And with menu offerings like Brooklyn Fried Rice, a rice and chili and basil leaf stir-fry, and the Fort Greene Nest, a crispy egg noodle, broccoli and cabbage mélange, the difference is, well, at least about 8,600 miles.

The décor has cool, bright colors and exposed brick, giving it a more modern and sleek feel than their first enterprise.

And manager, Pongsak also points to the large variety of salads, like papaya; yum (which includes choice of meats, lemongrass and other seasonings); duck; and mixed seafood; as well as dishes like King (jasmine rice w/a variety of seafoods and seasonings) and Saab (jasmine rice w/sticky rice, grilled chicken and papaya salad) on the menu.

Vat says it best: “Manee is a mix of both the traditional and the contemporary and it sacrifices nothing in the combination." He adds that "Manee is a gift from our family to yours…we want our customers to visit and enjoy.”

Manee Thai is located at 372 Myrtle Avenue (Clermont/Adelphi), (718) 222-9992/3.
Menu available online at MyrtleMenus


THIRD TIME AROUND: RUTHIE'S SUNRISE

What better tribute than to immortalize one’s own mother by emblazoning her name on the front of an endeavor of love, sweat and hard work that is the direct result of her own love, sweat and hard work?

Ruth West, bka Ms. Ruthie, or simply, Ruthie, was merely preparing the foods that she learned during her childhood in Bayboro, North Carolina to provide sustenance for her family, when she noticed that the love for her cooking extended well beyond her own family. So she opened up the first Ruthie’s in Brooklyn in the 1960s (which she later closed and relocated to another Brooklyn location a decade ago).

“The recipes at Ruthie’s are tried and true, it’s a proven model,” says John Monroe, Miss West’s son, and co-owner along with Stephanie Galloway, of both soul food establishments on Myrtle Avenue, Ruthie’s and Ruthie’s Sunrise, located five doors away and the latest of their culinary powerhouses.

Ruthie’s Sunrise is a family-run eat-in dining establishment complete with garden, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ms. West, by the way, oversees the food preparations at all three Ruthie’s, ensuring that the restaurants maintain their authentic, down-home Southern quality.

Ruthie’s menu includes many soul food classics, including candied yams, collard greens, macaroni and cheese and southern fried chicken. Check out the menu for a full range of delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner options, including salads, soft drinks, and desserts.

“The Ruthie’s logo is similar to that of Rolls Royce’s because the food is classic quality—the Rolls Royce of soul food if you will," adds Stephanie Galloway. “We treat our customers like royalty. The food, décor, and feel all reflect that. Our customers view Ruthie’s as a home away from home, and we treat them accordingly,” states John Monroe.

Ruthie's has previously been voted #1 Soul Food Restaurant in the 5 boroughs by UPN 9 News.

The restaurant can be reserved for corporate meetings and other private functions on Tuesdays. A large grand opening event is planned for next Spring in tandem with the official opening of the restaurant's garden. Stay tuned.

Ruthie's Sunrise is located at 570 Myrtle Avenue (Emerson/Classon), (718) 399-3700.
Menu available online at MyrtleMenus


"FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN, LEND ME YOUR TASTEBUDS!" AT KUOTE

Kuote is a play on the word “quote” of which there are several, including the words of Maya Angelou, Einstein, Lady Diana, and Bob Marley, blown up, framed and hung on walls throughout Myrtle’s newest dining establishment.

“Words have power,” says Ed, the eldest of the brothers Fowler, Ed and Richard. “I have always surrounded myself with positive words and sayings because they have the power to catch in our spirits and to affect us subconsciously 24-7.”

With the under $7-dollar take out meal and slightly more for sit-down options, you won’t need many more positives than that. The menu includes a variety of salads, rotisserie, jerk and honey BBQ chicken, wings, burgers, seafood, pasta dishes, and more.

Complimentary appetizer is included with meal purchase throughout September.

Computer software engineers by training, Ed and Richard have worked in the IT and real estate fields for several years between them. The first time restauranteurs stress that “the restaurant business is not much of a jump from what we’ve done previously. At its core is problem-solving,” says Ed, “and our job is to make sure to include the variables which will drive Kuote to success.”

Kuote is a family-style, casual dining experience. Opt to eat-in at this friendly aquamarine and brown designed atmosphere or get take out or delivery (free delivery to home, work and Fort Greene Park).

The bar up front is lined with an 11-foot wide aquarium designed and built by Richard himself. Happy hour is Monday thru Thursday, 4p to 7p, with $3 beer and drink specials.

Kuote Restaurant is located at 330 Myrtle Avenue (Carlton/Washington Park), (718) 858-3303.
Menu available online at MyrtleMenus


MYRTLE'S LONG-AWAITED ITALIAN FARE: IL TORCHIO

Il Torchio, Myrtle Avenue's new and long-awaited Italian restaurant, is open for business!

The owners, the Costabiles, are no strangers to the neighborhood, owning the restaurant's building and other property about a stone’s throw from the restaurant.

Pamela Costabile has a long history working in the restaurant business, and met business partner, Andrew Chew, working at a popular dining establishment at the South Street Seaport. “We hit it off and worked very well together,” said Pamela. “I knew that I wanted Andrew to be a part of the vision for Myrtle Avenue.”

Il Torchio offers a complete menu of classic Italian fare, including wines, insalate, panini, pasta, riso and dolci. Entrees, for example, include penne alla vodka with shallot vodka tomato sauce and a touch of cream; farfalle with sautéed spinach, roasted plum tomatoes and mascarpone blush sauce; and rigatoni alla bolagnese with veal, pork, beef, red wine and fresh tomato sauce. Salads include the classic rucola e funghi, a salad of arugula, roasted mushrooms, goat cheese, pecans and balsamic vinaigrette.

The new restaurant, whose name means 'the wine press' in Italian, “grew out of the idea of offering incredible wines with scrumptious tapas of Italian cuisine,” shared Pamela. As the name implies, a fine collection of wines are available.

The Costabile’s are also directly responsible for the store’s beautiful storefront design, having built it out themselves. “You see well-designed storefronts throughout NYC, so why not raise the bar on Myrtle Aveue,” expressed Peter (Pamela’s dad) and Frank Costabile, who are cousins and the restaurant’s co-owners along with Pamela.

Il Torchio is located at 458 Myrtle Avenue (Washington/Waverly), (718) 422-1122.
Menu available online at MyrtleMenus