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Food

New Restaurant And Bar Openings: Smashburger, Imperial Woodpecker, Morgane, Duo, Dos Toros

By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 9, 2011

Modified Jun 9, 2011

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Melissa HomSmashburger: Just when we thought the city couldn't get any more saturated with artisanal burger places, Denver-based blog phenom Smashburger opens its first New York location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Priding itself on the "better burger," Smashburger smashes (duh) its made-to-order "100% fresh, not frozen" beef on a flat grill so that it sits in its own juices before it is seasoned and served in a "fast-casual" environment. There are also plenty of Smashchicken dishes and Smashsalads to go around. Each Smashburger location features at least one menu option to cater to local culture (we're not really sure how this worked at the Montclair, N.J. location). Franchisee Jim Denburg dreamed up Brooklyn-specific burgers including the Brooklyn Burger served on a pretzel bun with grilled pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles, onion, yellow mustard, the Spicy Baja Burger, and even a "made-from-scratch" Black Bean Burger (here's looking at vegetarian Brooklynites!). Plus, nothing says blending in with the locals quite like offering Brooklyn Brewery beer, wine, Haagen-Dazs milkshake, and Stewart's root beer float options. Borrowing its "insiders-only secret menu for those-who-know" business model from In-N-Out and challenging its main competitor Shake Shack for the best "fast casual better burger," Smashburger births its New York empire in the "ever-growing food culture" of Brooklyn before plans to colonize the other four boroughs and Long Island. (Elyssa Goldberg) 80 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn; (718) 222-1101

 

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By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 9, 2011

Modified Jun 9, 2011

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Click through on the photos for the latest bars and restaurants popping up around town, which include Smashburger's Brooklyn debut, Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls in the West Village, the new French bistro Morgane in Williamsburg, the lavishly-appointed Duo on Madison Avenue, and the new Carmine Street location of Dos Toros. And check out our features on the new outdoor Lot at 30th Street beer and food garden under The High Line, and the new Montreal bagel outpost B&B Empire in Cobble Hill.

Tagged

dos toros

duo

gallery

morgane

new restaurant and bar radar

restaurant openings

smashburger

sno ball

williamsburg

John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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