A new restaurant is taking over the corner locale that previously housed Greenpoint’s beloved Enid’s. The newcomer is Bar Bruno, a Mexican bistro with one location already in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood.
The owners of Bar Bruno, Shannon Kimball and Mike Saleh, have been working on the new Greenpoint location for a year, experiencing delays along the way due to the pandemic.
“I want to open as soon as possible, but I’ve come this far so, I want to do it right,” Kimball told Greenpointers.
The good news is that “everything is moving forward” according to Kimball. The liquor license has already been obtained, a huge hurdle for the restaurant industry. There is no concrete grand opening date right now, but Kimball hopes to open Greenpoint’s Bar Bruno in a few weeks.
Bar Bruno will serve a mix of traditional Mexican dishes and bistro classics, plus cocktails, during lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Bar Bruno is family-friendly, offering a fun kids menu complete with coloring and kid-friendly classics like hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and quesadillas.
The regular menu is fairly large, with a tapas section featuring the popular Kale Dip, several salads, tacos, tortas, and larger plates. Kimball said that the Amish Chicken is a great order. “It takes 25 minutes, but is worth the wait,” she said.
The brunch menu includes the aforementioned tapas, salads, and tortas, plus a list of brunch classics like a Breakfast Burrito, Butterscotch Pancakes, and Huevos Rancheros.
As for cocktails, Greenpointers can expect some exciting options. “We have the best margaritas in town,” exclaimed Kimball. She explained that Bar Bruno’s bartenders make fresh lime juice everyday and use El Humidor tequila.
At Bar Bruno’s Carroll Gardens location, other frozen cocktails like the Frozen Paloma and Frozen Mojito grew in popularity during the pandemic, so Kimball ordered two frozen machines for the Greenpoint location. “I think it will be a hit, especially with McCarren Park across street,” said Kimball about the frozen cocktails.
The Carroll Gardens location just turned ten and is a staple in that neighborhood. Kimball explained that the bar there makes it easy to chat with others and she hopes the bar at Bar Bruno’s Greenpoint location will have the same feel.
“I was at Enid’s in the beginning, and I know how important Enid’s was to the community. I know I have big shoes to fill,” said Kimball.