O' Barone: A few months back, some new activity was spotted taking place in the old 360 restaurant on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook. Italian language cookbooks popped up in the front window, only to be replaced a few weeks later with a copper zabaglione pan with a clip-on electric mixer and a map of Piedmont. It turns out all the props were really just hints of menus to come: an Italian chef named Fulvio Leone has gotten together with a few close friends and finally reopened the restaurant as O'Barone. The short menu features small plates, salads, and fresh pasta dishes, and there's also a full wine list. A sampling of salumi and cheese is $14, and a plate of melted tomino and pancetta over grilled radicchio is $8. The salads—like barley with tuna, tomato, and celery ($8)—favor lighter, summery flavors. Getting heavier, a plate of casarecce with sausage Bolognese is among the entrees. The sausage comes from nearby Carroll Gardens pork institution Esposito and Sons. Prices are typically $8 for appetizers and $12 for mains; nothing costs more than $16. 360 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook; (347) 599-2758 (Hugh Merwin)
Cowgirl Seahorse: This Front Street bar and restaurant is a new satellite of the militantly upbeat West Village theme restaurant Cowgirl. And yee-haw, it opens tonight for the first time, with the promise of "Southern comfort food" meets casual "beach chow." For tonight you can lasso their mini-menu at the bar, where nachos, tacos, sandwiches, and apps will make their debut until midnight. A manager tells us that "fish boats" will also be available, but cautioned that these vessels are made of paper, filled with grilled seafood, and are generally not seaworthy. Tomorrow, the full dinner menu will get in the saddle, and we're told a debate is currently raging over whether to serve lunch. Stay tuned, y'all! 259 Front Street at Dover Street; (212-608-7873)
Vue Restaurant and Lounge: Located in the Hotel Le Bleu, this place boasts a spacious roof deck with sweet sunset views of Park Slope and Manhattan. Chris Cheung's "New American" menu adds Spanish and Asian accents to shot ribs and seafood, as well as featuring more straightforward renditions of burgers and filet mignon. We're told the most popular item so far is an appetizer of tomato mozzerella crisps, which comes with an artichoke stuffed with garlic. The specialty cocktails range in price from $10 to $14, and include a Green Zombie: Spiced rum, B&B, pineapple juice, and a tall straw that comes filled with Bacardi. The owners expect to open a rooftop lounge next week, but the Green Zombie should be taken away from the edge. Hotel Le Bleu, 370 Fourth Ave between 4th and 5th Streets, Park Slope; (718) 625-2177
