Is the New Hot Spot Spicy?

By on August 20, 2008 7:35 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Food

The customers at the new Spicy Pickle restaurant [143 Montague Street] seem to think it’s a “spicy” new hot spot. The people I spoke to were return customers who raved about the food. Others walked in and already knew what they wanted – like they were old time Spicy Pickle regulars.

What makes it different than other franchises? It has a neighborhood feel. First, I was greeted cheerfully as soon as I walked through the doo

r. Bob Sheahan Jr., one of the partners, stressed this was important to him.  Also, he insisted on showing the space’s character by exposing the bricks on one wall. It does give it less of a cookie-cutter feel. He and Jon Young (the other owner) want the restaurant to become part of the Brooklyn Heights community. Jon is already a resident of the nabe and Bob is looking to move here shortly.

I was surprised to hear that the breads/muffins are baked on premise from scratch. That is a nice touch, and they will have free Wi-Fi soon.

The owners are aware that people are somewhat upset about yet another franchise hitting Montague Street. They want to show you that this franchise is different. Bob said all he wants is for people to give it a try and let them convince you.

I haven’t had the food personally yet, but I plan on going in the near future. If you have, let me know what you think.

Share this Story:

, , , , ,

←  Older Comments
 →
  • my2cents

    Clearly we need a Hawaiian Tropic Zone where Heights Books is moving from.

  • hickster

    i think we need a drop-in therapy center..like one of these chair massage places, but with like 10 therapists where all the neighborhood residents can work out their angst about the lack of amenities they desire

  • Stan

    It’s called Open Thread Wednesday.

  • http://www.pievscake.com yo is right

    I think we need a spa for kids, cause their lives are filled with so much stress…damn somebody beat me to the punch! Oh well, I guess I won’t quickly fail at opening a business.

  • ABC

    speaking of the bagel place, anyone notice they’ve lowered their prices?

    http://eater.com/archives/2008/08/bagel_crisis_update_one_store_lowering_prices.php

  • Ethan

    AEB: “I don’t understand why this seems to be such a challenge”

    Yeah, I don’t know what’s so challenging about it either. Just simply raise the $300,000-$400,000 needed to open a place and the $200,000 needed to run it until it turns a profit and then devote 18 hour days to it and viola, you’ve now got a mere one store open.

    You should be able to do that easily since, ya know, it doesn’t seem to be such a challenge.

  • Ethan

    Clark & Hicks:

    Why does everyone love Lassen & Hennigs so much? Its 7 dollars for a spoiled tuna wrap. And they really need to stop glazing their cakes. I’m sorry but plastic looking pastries aren’t appetizing. But what I really hate about the joint was the consistency. Even when I was willing to get ripped off on a wrap, one week they stopped selling them, then started again, then stopped but you can order from the 37 minute long wait at the counter, but then they decided to sell them again, but no tuna, just bizarre concoctions of pesto chicken cranberry turkey pine nuts with lettuce and halavah wraps. I hate places you can’t rely on and you can’t rely on Lassen – and thats if you want to get ripped off.

    I’ll probably never eat at Spicy Pickle only because, as mentioned above with Lassen, I hate sandwiches that take something basic, tried, true and awesome, and then add these ingredients that make it sound fancy but really just make it taste bad and then charge more for it. That’s essentially every sandwich at SP. BUT say what you want about it, at least it can be relied on to be that way every time. So if you do find one you like, you know it will be there the next day.

    I’m psyched for the new Greens though, can’t wait to try it!!!

  • AEB

    Ethan, above, of course the wherewithal–financial, etc.–is required for any enterprise that hopes to make a success of itself in NYC, which is where we live.

    My point was that no one appears to step up to the plate (no pun, etc.–or maybe…hmmmmm….) in re establishing a BH restaurant of note, whereas in other Brooklyn nabes, others do and frequently.

    Perhaps I should have been more explicit about this.

  • Hannah

    I’m with Ethan – L&H fans never cease to amaze me.

    LCD: I tried on of the Veggy Ginger’s lunch specials. Rice was great, wonton soup was great, main course not so much. But they DID just open and am sure they’ll have a bit of growing pains. Am excited to try the rest of the menu – sure as hell can’t be worse than Tenda. But I do miss kim paris – I liked their food a lot.

    H.

  • luvtheheights

    So what’s the deal with the new yogurt places on Court St? Is Pinkberry opening next to Court St. Office? Heard there were 3 opening. One is open already. Went there yesterday. It was just OK. Why can’t we get one on Montague?

  • Deepty

    Waaayyyy too expensive!! $8 for a sub thats the size of a regular sandwich. The large salad is the size a small one from Hale & Hearty. Not worth the $$

  • teuffel shuffle

    Ethan, I presume you were referring to me.

    I was comparing the turkey “sub” I had at Spicy Pickle to a comparable one from L&H or GOE. I didn’t say I “loved” L&H, but at least they use actual carved, oven-roasted turkey for their subs (which are actually the size of a “sub” as you generally know one) instead of two (literally, two) extremely thin slices, Spicy Pickle Style, for the same exact price.

    I get two things at L&H- subs/sandwiches (not during lunch rush) and the self-serve iced coffee(s), and I dig both. Love the idea of the self-serve so you don’t have to stand in line behind 10 people in Starbucks as they order their orange mocha frappucino lattes with skim milk and two equals, when what you want takes .5 seconds to prepare.

    So yeah, that’s why I like L&H.

←  Older Comments
 →