Get a taste of Grand Street during its inaugural Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week is back. And this time, Brooklynites can show some of their own small businesses a little post-Valentine’s Day love by eating at some—or all!—of the 14 participating restaurants in East Williamsburg’s Grand Street Restaurant Week.

From Monday, February 17 through Sunday, February 23, diners can get a $10 two-course lunch or $25 three-course dinner at places like Desy’s Clam Bar, Curry Heaven, Ooba, Dar 525, Lily Thai, Williams & Bailey, Grand Morelos, Bahia, Café Chillo and more.

Organized by the Grand Street Business Improvement District (BID), the restaurant week is the first of its kind for local merchants, who are universally excited to show regular and new customers alike what makes them—and Grand Street—special.

“I love [the idea of] restaurant week and hope that people come out to try new restaurants, drawing attention to Grand Street,” said Darien Martinez, co-owner of the three-year-old Ooba restaurant and lounge. “Lots of attention is paid to Bedford Avenue, but Williamsburg is so much larger. We have a great location and it’s not as congested.”

Ooba, located at 617 Grand Street between Lorimer and Leonard Streets, is offering a pre-fixe dinner menu of American and Spanish fusion cuisine and bar food the likes of ham and cheese empanadas with a refreshing cilantro blend sauce, freshly fried green plantains topped with chorizo, to-die-for marinated grilled skirt steak with a shot glass of olive oil and garlic sauce, crisp and fruity sangria, and ridiculously decadent flan.

Ricardo Picόn and Clarisa Penzini of The Sandwich Shop agree with Martinez, adding that the local community was a main draw for them when opening their nearly four-month-old sandwich sanctuary at 658A Grand Street, which will be offering $10 lunches and $18 dinners throughout Grand Street Restaurant Week.

“It’s a really nice way to do a sample test of what a restaurant is about,” said Picόn, who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. “With sandwiches, it’s hard because it’s a casual food, but Clarisa spent a year developing and researching the menu, so every ingredient and item is special and well-thought out.”

A few of our Sandwich Shop favorites include the melt-in-your-mouth Cubano sandwich and the Korea sandwich featuring kimchi Greenpoint mom-and-daughter business Mrs. Kim’s Kimchi. Paired with some of Clarisa’s homemade pesto, sriracha mayo, pickled onions and radishes, homemade black bean chili, potato leek soup, and Venezuelan cheesecake, you can’t go wrong.

Local resident Zach Hancock has eaten at long-time Grand Street restaurant Lily Thai before, but said he is looking forward to visiting some new eateries. “A few of these restaurants I’ve wanted to try, so [restaurant week] is convenient,” Hancock said. “I’ve always wanted to try Desy’s Clam Bar and Dar 525.”

Check out the full list of Grand Street Restaurant Week menus available at www.GrandStBklyn.com.

GRAND STREET RESTAURANT WEEK

Grand Street, between Union and Humboldt Streets

February 17-23