One of Fort Greene’s most popular cafes has opened in Williamsburg. Baba cool, an all-day cafe, opened a second location on July 16th at 47 Withers Street. The space has a large backyard with petanque, a sport from Provence, France in which opponents try to get boules close to a target.
During the day, baba cool serves up colorful toasts, salads, bowls, sandwiches, and pastries as well as coffee drinks, tea, and specialty lattes. There are many vegetarian options and even some fully raw dishes, like the cool bowl with summer squash and cauliflower rice. At night, the smaller bar food menu focuses on small plates like whipped ricotta, crispy chicken wings, and oysters with ginger mignonette. Baba cool serves natural wines, beers, and cocktails, including the St. Agrestis Spritz, featuring Greenpoint based St. Agrestis.
Founder Gabriella Mann opened baba cool’s first location in 2014 with a focus on simple dishes featuring local producers. The name comes from a French phrase for hippie, and sets the tone for the space. They also have a merch line, of which 15% of proceeds support students at the Food and Finance High School. They also partner with the school on a paid internship program. The signature apparel design is the avocado bum, which shows two avocados in place of a bum, available on either a sweatshirt or a tshirt. Baba cool is open daily from 8 am to 11 pm and accepts reservations on Resy.