Brooklyn Winery, the grape operation making and pouring small-batch wines in Williamsburg, expands their footprint tomorrow with the opening of BKW, their new full-service restaurant in Crown Heights. Owners Brian Leventhal and John Stires, together with executive chef Michael Gordon, aim to serve dishes that pair well with their wines, naturally, some of which will be produced steps away from the dinner table at an on-site new micro-winery designed to try out new techniques. They'll also be pouring some vintages that came from the winery's first harvest.
Root Beer Glazed Pork Ribs ($22) with baked beans and Hanger Steak ($25) with homemade bbq chips sound more like backyard grill offerings than a wine bar, but more "traditional" wine pairings like charcuterie and cheese plates are available as well. As the wine bar formula changes, so too does the food accompanying it. That extends into taboo territory, too, like mixing wine with cola in a Kalimotxo Float ($10) with mascarpone gelato that'd have some of the old guard clutching their wine glasses in horror.
The thrust of the beverage operation will be the wines, though a beer and cocktail option will also be available. Their whites by the glass are exclusively from the Finger Lakes region of NY state, but many of the reds hail from points west in California. Those dipping their toes into oenology can opt for a wine flight of Light and Bright ($14), Off The Beaten Path ($15) or make up a trio of their own ($16).
747 Franklin Avenue, 718-399-1700; website. Open Thursday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Friday - Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Closed Mondays.
