After serving the neighborhood for ten years, Greenpoint’s Esme (999 Manhattan Ave.) is closing on Sunday, May 12 after one final Mother’s Day brunch service.
10 years ago, Esme was conceived by a group of friends. They had never owned a restaurant, they did not have a celebrity chef on board, and they did not hire a PR team, Esme’s managing partner Matthew Ricke told Greenpointers
Nevertheless, Esme quickly became a neighborhood favorite. After a successful run, the team decided that the time has come to move forward “to make room for rest, new ideas, and new opportunities.”
“Since opening in 2014 we have strived to be a true neighborhood restaurant. We all lived, worked, ate and drank in Greenpoint, and our vision was to create a space for first dates, Sunday brunch, a burger at the bar or a spot to bring Mom and Dad when they visited,” Ricke said. “We weren’t sure we were adults, but we wanted to create a place where you could at least eat like one.”
“As the neighborhood has grown so have parts of our business,” Ricke continued. “Our weekend brunch is an incredible event both to attend and to execute, but with more great places to eat and drink in Greenpoint opening every day we simply feel that the best thing we can do is to create room for new projects and ideas.”
Ricke told Greenpointers that he and his team will be working with the landlord at 999 Manhattan Ave. to find a successor for the space. He also said he plans to help team members find new work.
Esme is known for its warm and welcoming environment and easy, seasonal menus. Their brunch program has always been popular, offering mouthwatering pancakes and other brunch classics. The dinner menu includes steak frites, lamb pappardelle, and a burger. Both menus offer an excellent fried chicken sandwich.
Until it closes, Esme will be open for dinner starting at 6 p.m. every night and for brunch Friday though Sunday. In an announcement on Instagram, Esme noted that locals can stay tuned for announcements along the way. Ricke also said that guests can email esme@esmebk.com with any questions.
Nice place, good people. I went there once with friends. Not my type but food was good and staff nice. Very popular with friends.,
Good luck to them.
Still not sure why so much development has happened in that part of Greenpoint – when the G is your only subway, commuting to the city is a nightmare. You’d think these developers and restaurants would build up the area around every L stop but they haven’t. Very perplexing.
Best and most consistent restaurant in GP. Will miss you guys!
The $6 for half dozen oysters on their snack menu were golden.