Are you feline cat curious? Author PEGGY GAVAN is hosting a “Cat Men of Brooklyn” talk at City Reliquary Dec. 5, to discuss the famous furballs of 19th century Brooklyn and the humans who loved them. Gavan will read from her recently released book, “The Cat Men of Gotham: Tales of Feline Friendships in Old New York,” and cover stories of strays with unusual adopted homes and special talents, who paved the way for today’s Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub (RIP) by capturing headlines, and hearts, in their day. City Reliquary, a nonprofit mini-museum in Williamsburg that specializes in rare New York City artifacts and ephemera, was founded by DAVE HERMAN in 2002. The museum hosts rotating exhibits, community collections and cultural events. Gavan’s talk begins at 7 p.m. at City Reliquary, 370 Metropolitan Ave.
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A Park Slope pasta purveyor has branched out with a spacious new storefront, selling made-to-order Italian meals along with goods from a full-scale market. Un Posto Italiano’s new digs at 206 Garfield Place are a major upgrade from its old 250-square-foot home, offering indoor seating for 50 customers, a wide array of premium Italian imports like olive oil, coffee and cheese, and a small patio where patrons can dine al fresco. “It’s a very good selection of what you can buy in New York in one place,” owner ANTONIO CAPONE, who wakes up early every morning to roll out the shop’s pasta dough by hand, told Brooklyn Paper. “It’s good stuff.”
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For those who’ve grown bored of the usual holiday shopping experience, artist, osteologist and Discovery Channel host RYAN COHN may have an antidote — the Oddities Flea Market is hosting a “Holiday of Wonder” market at Villains in Greenpoint. With help from his wife, executive producer REGINA COHN, who also organizes events for Brooklyn’s House of Wax Bar, the “Oddities” star has curated a one-of-a-kind collection of obscure décor, taxidermized creations, skeletal specimens, unique jewelry and macabre arts and crafts. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to local nonprofit Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue. The holiday market will be held this weekend, Dec. 7 and 8 at 307 Kent Ave. For tickets and info, visit theodditiesfleamarket.com.
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A group of Brooklyn restaurateurs are resurrecting one of the borough’s most legendary erstwhile eateries. St. JOHN FRIZELL, owner of Red Hook’s Fort Defiance, and partners BEN SCHNEIDER and chef SOHUI KIM of Good Fork in Red Hook and Insa in Gowanus, are breathing fresh life into Gage & Tollner, the iconic seafood/chop house that closed its 372 Fulton St. home in 2004 after 125 years in business. The trio have taken great pains to replicate the now-landmarked space’s original 1879 interior, using archival photos from the Brooklyn Historical Society to replicate the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, cherry wood walls, embossed lincrusta plasterwork and ornate gas lamps that defined the restaurant’s ambiance. “We don’t want to do a museum piece; we don’t want to be super old-timey about it,” Schneider told Brooklyn Eagle. “But we do want to bring back the spirit and the fun and the great cuisine.” The re-vamped Gage & Tollner opens Jan. 15.
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Brooklyn Museum is currently hosting a massive exhibition from the mysterious French artist JR. The artist is known for his monumental public projects that rely on participation from his subjects, and for tackling hot-button social issues — immigration, women’s rights and gun control, to name a few — through his work, while staying largely out of the public eye. “We are very focused on showing work that is really, truly relevant and connects to the issues that we’re facing in our everyday lives,” curator SHARON ATKINS told the Brooklyn Eagle. At the center of the exhibit is the “Chronicles of New York City” mural, a massive collage of more than 1,000 New Yorkers who were photographed and interviewed by JR during the summer of 2018. He recorded those interviews, on the subject of “what New York City means to you,” and the audio is included in the exhibit. “I think a lot of times, if you ask someone from Brooklyn, ‘What does New York City mean to you?’ They’re going to respond with what Brooklyn means to them,” Atkins said. The JR: Chronicles exhibit is on display at Brooklyn Museum through May 3, 2020.
Two stabbed on party boat at Army Terminal pier 
Armed men rob market