If you stopped by Greenpoint Avenue’s Nordic café, Budin (pronounced “Boo-th-in”), any time lately, you might have seen that they’re doing more than coffee and beer these days. Budin has become home to a few regular weekly food pop-ups for lunch, brunch, and dinner. The first is run by two neighborhood chefs needing something to do over the winter, while the other is bringing us all the winter comfort we need.
Chefs Kenny Monroe and Emma Jane Gonzalez are often found cooking up a storm during North Brooklyn Farms’ summer dining series. But, obviously, it’s winter. With the farm closed for the season, the two met up at Budin to brainstorm some pop-up plans. As it happens, Budin itself was looking to bring in someone for food. Now, Kenny and Emma are serving up delicious, healthy dishes every Tuesday and Wednesday at least until April. They start serving at 1pm, perfect for those of you missing lunch at Cassette and Brooklyn Label and keep going until close (10pm). Of course, as with most pop-ups, the menu changes slightly from week to week due to what’s available. Recent menu items included a tasty white bean hummus and charred broccoli on rye toast with the bread coming from Bakeri, a winter vegetable soup, and heirloom grains with mung beans, winter kale and shaved turnip. With the most expensive dishes being about $10-12 plus Budin offering $1 off draft beer & wine, NBK Farms’ pop-up is the perfect inexpensive option.
Of course, it’s easier to stay on the healthy side at the beginning of the week, but really, by Thursday night lately, the state of the world makes me want something to feed my soul. Something like a gooey grilled cheese. And The Blue Light Speak Cheesy is here to help! They’ve been setting up shop at Budin Thursday through Saturdays for dinner and are also there for Sunday brunch. The Blue Light Speak Cheesy has done events at The Diamond a few times, so it’s super exciting for them to be around on the regular. Yes, they have your classic grilled cheese with a little tomato soup, but you can also find them serving up sandwiches like Freaks & Geeks (dill Havarti, herbed feta, sautéed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and olive tapenade), The Forager (taleggio, crispy wild mushrooms, thyme, on brioche), and the Posh Spice (smoked mozzarella, roasted butternut squash, and fried sage). They even have an option for the vegan outlaws among us with smoky cashew “cheese,” harissa, pickled baby heirloom tomatoes, and avocado. And at least once, there’s been a secret menu breakfast taco.
Bonus Budin news: They’re included in this year’s Brokelyn North Brooklyn beer book along with a few other neighborhood gems. Get ‘em while you can.
Budin is located at 114 Greenpoint Avenue. North Brooklyn Farms Pop-up should run every Tuesday and Wednesday until April. They begin serving at 1PM and go until close (10PM). The Blue Light Speak Cheesy Pop-up is Thursday through Saturday, 4:30PM to close; Sunday, 11AM to 4PM.