Oleanders—opening tonight in Williamsburg—is bringing Harvey Wallbangers, lobster thermidor, and lush greenery all under one roof. The ambitious effort is led by Joe Carroll (Spuyten Dyvil, St. Anselm, Fette Sau) and Francesco Panella (Antica Pesa), and its all housed inside the McCarren Hotel. Specifically, it's where The Elm used to live.
The concept here is Fern Bar, which if you don't know, is a place where you're likely to find a lot of brass, ferns, Tiffany lamps, and at least the ghost of one preppy icon wearing Laura Ashley or Topsiders. There are almost always lemon drop martinis, because the first fern bar invented them in the 1970s—Oleanders will have those, too.
You'll find the menu below, created by chef Kevin Chojnowski, and behind the bar Dale Degroff is recreating retro cocktails, with a seasonal splash.
Carroll told Grub Street, "We wanted to do something fun and interesting, too, so it wasn't just another Brooklyn restaurant or a burger place. It's going to be super casual. We want people coming in here from the pool and eating here in bathing suits." Speaking of which: there's a big bonus here: on top of the 85 seats indoors, there are 50 outdoor seats located around the hotel's pool.
Oleanders is located at 160 N 12th Street, btwn Bedford and Berry in Williamsburg; (718-218-7500)
