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2017 Dine In Brooklyn shaping up to be delicious

Local eateries preview Restaurant Week treats at Borough Hall

February 22, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Yo Teerawong, representing Pinto Restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, shows some of his culinary creations during the Dine In Brooklyn preview at Borough Hall on Tuesday. Photos by Mary Frost
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Reporters and community members got to preview local edible delights on Tuesday as Borough President Eric Adams launched the 2017 edition of Dine In Brooklyn at Borough Hall.

Dine In Brooklyn is the borough’s own version of restaurant week, celebrating and promoting the local foodie culture. It kicks off on Monday, March 20 and continues to Thursday, March 30, with dozens of establishments offering three-course dinner menus at $28 per person, two-course lunch menus at $15 per person, and weekend brunch menus at $12 per person.

BP Adams, who has famously become a vegan after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, told the crowd that menu options were increasingly important.

“You’ll find more and more people are conscious about what they eat,” he said.

He also stressed the economic and social positives of dining. “Nothing communicates a new friendship better than a good meal.”

“We know great food starts in Brooklyn. So, it makes total sense to ‘Dine In Brooklyn’ and support local economic development by eating and drinking in the borough,” Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrew Hoan said in a statement.

He added, “We are proud to once again partner with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on this savory effort and to welcome the New York City Hospitality Alliance as a sweet addition.”

Adams was also joined by New York City Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie. The Hospitality Alliance has been working with restaurants to create “rich” menus which are both attractive to foodies and also profitable, he said.

“It’s all about economic development, it’s all about great food, and it’s all about Brooklyn,” Rigie said.

Unlike some other restaurant weeks, restaurants in Brooklyn pay nothing to participate, Adams’ spokesman Stefan Ringel said.

Restaurants participating at Borough Hall on Tuesday included Pinto Restaurant, a Thai eatery on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights; Miti Miti Mexican restaurant in Park Slope; the Greenhouse Café in Bay Ridge; Therapy Wine Bar in Bedford Stuyvesant; House of Juice in Prospect Lefferts Gardens; BKW by Brooklyn Winery in Crown Heights and more.

Yo Teerawong, representing Pinto, said the restaurant uses local ingredients and has crafted a seasonal menu.

For Tuesday’s tasting, “I created a red pomelo salad, in season,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle. “It has fresh red pomelo with Thai herbs, peanuts and red pomegranate, with a spicy lime dressing.” He also created a flavorful vegetable medley “that you can enjoy at any time.”

BKW by Brooklyn Winery offered delicious roasted sweet potato medallions with bacon jam, spiced glaze, and chive cream. Brooklyn Winery, which makes all of its own wine in Williamsburg, sources its grapes in New York State as well as the West Coast, said Adam Cornelius, general manager. The restaurant opened seven months ago, and this is the first time it is participating in Dine In Brooklyn.

Adam Cornelius, left, general manager of BKW at Brooklyn Winery, discusses the restaurant’s menu with a fan at Tuesday’s preview.

Angela Terry from Therapy Wine Bar served a desert best described as a chocolate trilogy, with layers of white, milk and dark chocolate, paired with a Brachetto, a sweet, sparkly red wine.

“Our specialty is that we are a date bar,” Terry told the Eagle. “So everything that we do is sharable, small bites. It’s a nice place to go out and enjoy each other.”

Angela Terry, with delicacies from Bed-Stuy’s Therapy Wine Bar.

Shawn Hunter, general manager of Miti Miti bar and bistro, handing out pork belly tacos and crispy brussel sprouts, said the restaurant focused on “Colombian with a pan-Latin influence,” along with Mexican, with some items from an original tapas menu. Owners George Constantinou and Farid Ali Lancheros also own Bogota Latin Bistro, right across the street from Miti Miti.

Shawn Hunter, representing Park Slope’s “modern Mexican” restaurant Miti Miti.

John Keegan, from the Greenhouse Café Restaurant, served eggplant rolatini with three cheeses. He said the dish was a specialty of the restaurant, which has a full-size bar, entertainment and three dining rooms.

John Keegan, with a soul-satisfying pasta dish from Bay Ridge’s Greenhouse Café.

Keegan praised Dine In Brooklyn and urged food lovers to take advantage of the great prices and delicious menus.

“Come out and enjoy some great food from all over Brooklyn,” he said. “We welcome you.”

BP Adams, left, with New York City Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie.

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This story was updated Feb. 23 with a statement from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commence.

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