Latest news with #Bed-Stuy
Time Out
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Brooklyn is now home to the only Sloppy Joe restaurant in NYC
Do you remember that one skit in 'Portlandia' where artisanal entrepreneurs Bryce Shivers and Lisa Eversman (played by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein) encouraged that everything can be art if you just put a bird on it? Sam Saverance seems to speak the same language. But instead of birds, his mantra is that any food, if you really try, can be Sloppy Joe, uttering the phrase, 'You can slop anything.' And slop everything he has, as Saverance has opened New York's (and quite possibly, America's) first Sloppy Joe-themed restaurant. Saverance is the mind behind Farley's Sloppy Joe's (439 Marcus Garvey Blvd, Brooklyn), Bed-Stuy's home for everything Sloppy Joe-related. Making its debut in June, the tight, quick-service operation reads like the corner of a 1950s diner with black and white tiles that line the floor and the walls, a handful of red stools inside and tables and chairs outside for sitting and a small window that looks into where the 'magic' all happens. You can most commonly find Saverance living his best lunch lady life in the kitchen, spooning up his version of the sandwich on cafeteria trays. But of course, your most pressing question right now might just be a resounding, 'Why?' Simply put, Saverance was ready for another restaurant he could 'go nuts with.' You see, Saverance is already a well-known figure in the dining scene, who, alongside co-founder Liyuwork Ayalew, has been the driving force behind Bushwick's long-running Bunna Cafe, New York's first vegan Ethiopian restaurant. But as Bunna Cafe stands firmly in its authenticity, being carefully creative in certain parameters, Saverance was ready to go out of the box, using the nostalgic snack/meal as a jumping-off point. 'There's nothing sacred about it,' said Saverance of the sandwich. 'It's a goofy, not the most attractive sandwich. But it has a really great personality, because it hits. ' Tasked with improving on the joe, Saverance tapped his friend and fellow neighbor, chef Fred Hua of Ridgewood's Nhà Mình. After trying his first Sloppy Joe ever, Hua got to work, riffing on the original to try to push the sandwich forward. 'We have a mother sauce, and we apply it to all of our different Joe's,' said Saverance. 'There's a base of a mix of veggies—celery, carrot, onion and garlic—and a couple secret things in there to spice it up a little bit.' What resulted at Farley's is a Sloppy Joe menu, seven sammies deep. The Original Joe is just like you remember it, only better. Wrapped in paper in an attempt to keep you and your clothes scot-free, the orange-tinged sandwich is made heartier with its veggie-forward base, with an underlying hint of mustard and Worcestershire, served on a plush Big Marty's sesame seed roll. Variations on the OG continue with The Cajun Joe, made with a few good shakes of Slap Ya Mama! seasoning and cut up andouille sausages. There's even a meat-free Vegan Joe with Beyond Meat and tamari on a vegan roll. And if you come with a little one who is new to the 'slop' game, you can christen their taste buds with the Jr. Joe served on a slider. Following its company ethos, you can even slop your hot dog, just pick a sauce of your choosing. But Farley's takes this Joe on the road, with takes from around the world. There's the Mekong, a Southeast Asian mash-up with fish sauce, crab meat and coconut. The Cubano Joe tackles the iconic, layered sandwich, albeit in 'slop' form, mixing in ground pork and cubed ham, with Swiss cheese and dill pickles. Saverance maintains that, in a way, every culture has some form of food that 'slops' as customers have already suggested Filipino versions with spam or adobo and Polish alternatives that riff off of goulash. 'We can 'slop' any culture if you try,' said Saverance. 'That's what I love about this venture. To have fun with it, respectfully, but also have a sense of humor with it." And if after reading, you've started to feel just that bit of nostalgia for a Manwich, Farley's is hosting a grand opening party this Sunday, July 27, with a live DJ, new menu items and activities for the kids, so you can get your Sloppy Joe on.
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This 100-year-old Bed-Stuy building is now home to a chic oyster bar
Bed-Stuy's latest wine bar hopes to introduce a space where the wine is accessible, the vibe is French and the oysters are freshly shucked on the half shell. A combination of the French words sel (salt) and lune (moon), Selune opened its doors on June 17, taking space in a 100-year-old brownstone. The wine and oyster bar is a labor of love from couple Marc Lioussanne and Bilen Gaga, who lean on their shared passions to bring it to life. Owner of Bistro Général & Mabel in Paris and previous beverage director of Eden Rock in St. Barths, Lioussane brings the hospitality angle, while Gaga's hand touches the interior, with an eye that is shaped by her fashion background and her Ethiopian roots. Salvaged from the previous tenant, a long, hand-stained walnut bar runs the length of the 50-seat wine bar, illuminated with globe lights. Across it, you can find two-seater tables and chairs plus a singular booth that's pushed up against the exposed brick walls painted white. Among a palette of tan leather, brushed gold and deep green accents, including live greenery, a single portrait hangs on the wall. Found near the rear of the restaurant, the painting depicts a scene of African women preparing a shared meal, nodding to Gaga's Ethiopian heritage. Naturally, wine is on order and there is plenty of it thanks to Lioussanne. Curating a selection over 120 bottles deep, the natural wine list is heavy on the regions of France with stops in Italy, New Zealand and Spain. They seem to be making good on their claim for accessibility as glasses can be had for $8-14 and bottles start as low as $27. There's also a list of cocktails for the partaking, including the miso-based Sunset Martini with rice vinegar syrup and the Ti Carib, an island-y number with coconut, allspice, juice and rum. Even the zero-proof varieties hold interest such as the Daisy with chia seeds, apple juice and a smoked lime as does the cherry tomato water-based Ruby Red, complimented with vanilla syrup and black peppercorn. Rounding it all out, the list includes a range of sakes plus beers sourced from Catskill Brewery. No matter what you drink, it can all easily be paired with Selune's French bistro fare and selections of the sea. Oysters are one of the main draws here, plucked from the eastern coasts of Cape Cod and Nova Scotia to Washington's Hood Canal. All can be dressed your way with a fleet of mignonettes for the choosing: ponzu scallion, shallot wine vinegar and lemongrass. If you'd rather your food come from land, you can build your own charcuterie board, starting with cured Jambon De Paris and Duck Foie Gras before selecting a few artisanal cheeses for the nibbling. Each board comes with a baguette and a swipe of butter to eat it all up.
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Brooklyn teacher nabs Tony for theatre education excellence
All the classroom's a stage. A Bed-Stuy theater teacher won a special Tony award last Sunday for helping bring the joy of Broadway to generations of students — becoming the first in New York to nab the prestigious title. Gary Edwin Robinson took home the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Award at last weekend's Tony ceremony for expanding theater access to thousands of students at Boys and Girls High School. Advertisement 5 Gary Edwin Robinson became the first teacher from New York State to nab the Tony for Excellence in Theatre Education Award. REUTERS 'What a lift. What joy it is. Oh, it's like riding on a carpet — the magic carpet!' Robinson, of Fort Greene, told The Post about receiving the honor and rubbing elbows with the theater's elite. Robinson was nothing short of 'shocked' when he heard the news that he would be this year's recipient — and even three days after the ceremony, the excitement was still settling in. Advertisement 'I always said as a kid, 'One day I'm going to go to the Tony Awards. I'm going to get a Tony Award.' And to receive this recognition award is just the tops.' The head of the school's theater program was cast as this year's winner because of his unwavering dedication to his high school students — he developed programming that allows teens to shadow Broadway professionals. He has also leaned on the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program and Broadway Bridges Program to pack the academic year with on- and off-Braodway shows — this year, they've seen 'Hell's Kitchen,' 'Gypsy,' 'A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical' and 'John Proctor Is the Villain.' 5 Robinson has been leading the theater program at the Boys and Girls High School for a decade. Gabriella Bass Advertisement 5 Robinson teaches five drama classes a day and leads a three-year program that explores acting, playwriting, producing, directing and more. Gabriella Bass Robinson lives and breathes theater: he teaches five drama classes a day and leads a three-year program that explores acting, playwriting, producing, directing and more. Many of his students have gone on to illustrious careers in the arts — one is on tour in 'Moulin Rouge,' another is a manager at the famed Apollo Theater and another just finished a TV show. His major emphasis, however, is how theater can enhance his students' lives even if they choose to explore career paths beyond the stage. Advertisement 'I tell [athletes], 'You're going to be selected for a team and with sports figures, you have to do endorsements. That's theater right there; you've got to sell the product and that's where the theater comes in and that's why you're taking this class,' Robinson explained. 5 'Dreams do come true,' Robinson said of the honor. Gabriella Bass 'I have a student who wants to be a nurse . . . You have patients. You might have to sing for the patients and might have to do a little performance with the kids to make people feel better and to heal them. That's where theater comes in,' he continued. 'Theater really can help you in any walk of life. And I say, 'I am that bridge to help you get to where you want to be in your career path.'' Robinson, who has taught at Boys and Girls High School for a decade, was bestowed the award at the 78th annual Tonys on Sunday by Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian. It marked the first time an educator from the Empire State was chosen for the honor — despite the Big Apple being considered the 'theater capital.' 5 The award was presented at the Tonys by Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian. REUTERS 'I get up and I go to work, and I go in to do theater with my students. To receive an award for what you truly love and enjoy doing — okay, I accept!' Robinson said. Advertisement The prize also comes with a $10,000 grant for the school's theater arts program, which Robinson is still mulling over what exactly to put it towards. His students will also receive a visiting master class taught by Carnegie Mellon drama professors. Robinson hopes his success can be another learning moment for his students, telling them to 'find your dream and stick with it.' 'Do all that you can, put your energy into it, and make that a living reality,' he said. 'Dreams do come true. Just stick with it and follow through.'
