The duo behind the much loved Gowanus seafood restaurant Littleneck are all set to unveil their newest venture in Greenpoint in April. The new cafe, aptly named Littleneck Outpost, will be located at 128 Franklin Street, right next door to Shayz Lounge and at the corner of Milton Street.
When we met with owners Aaron Lefkove and Andy Curtin they told us that the plan is to keep the Greenpoint cafe as more of a daytime operation than its Gowanus counterpart. They will start brewing La Colombe coffee and serving breakfast to early birds from around 7am, then continue through until early evening.
“There are plenty of bars in the area” says Aaron, “but not enough great daytime spots.”
They are currently working on a lunchtime menu which will include existing favorites such as their lobster and clam rolls, but which will also introduce some delicious new sandwich options.
They are planning on making up picnic boxes that customers can swing by and collect on their way to the park. Devouring a Littleneck lobster roll while skyline-swooning in Transmitter Park followed, perhaps, by an Ovenly salted chocolate chip cookie is certainly one decent way to spend a summer’s afternoon!
The cafe will also sell Littleneck-favoured grocery items such as speciality pastas, smoked fish and house-made foodstuffs, as well as some selected kitchenware: “Aprons, vintage items…just stuff that we like” says Andy.
The new space on Franklin Street hasn’t been used commercially for over 30 years so has presented a fair challenge in being transformed, but the renovated interior is now looking bright and lovely, with creamy walls and big marble countertops. When we visited last week their team of builders were just getting started on the front windows which will make for a gorgeous sunny spot from which to sit and watch the world go by.
As we stood outside surveying the entrance, a twinkly-eyed elderly chap came by and admired the metal work at the front: “Ooh those beautiful old gates” he said, “they’re what you young folk would call vintage! What’s it going to be anyway? Not another bar?”
No definitely not another bar. But it will be a place to get a stonkingly good fish sarnie.