The nighttime menu at Pan Pan Vino Vino (120 Norman Ave.), a cozy bakery by day and wine bar by night from the team behind Nura (46 Norman Ave.), has been overhauled by Chef Alex Ureña and his “innovative approach to modern Spanish cuisine.”
A Spanish menu seems like a no-brainer for Vino Vino as the bar’s name is a nod to the Spanish idiom “llamar al pan pan y al vino vino” which roughly means “tell it like it is.”
The cuisine will also be a welcome addition to the neighborhood at a time when an influx of coffee shops, pizza spots, and Greek restaurants have continuously popped up, with Spanish fare limited to a couple of (albeit delicious) options like El Born (651 Manhattan Ave.) and El Pingüino (25 Greenpoint Ave.).
When Vino Vino first opened, the menu focused on Italian ciccetti from Chef Jackie Carnesi, formerly the executive chef at Nura and now the executive chef at the newly-reopened Kellogg’s Diner (518 Metropolitan Ave.).
Chef Ureña will now have to fill Chef Carnesi’s shoes, but luckily, Chef Ureña’s resume is impressive including Blue Hill, which was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant during his time there. He also launched his own Spanish concept, Ureña, which is now closed.
Chef Ureña’s new menu for Vino Vino starts off with plates of various cheeses and meats, followed by classic Spanish tapas like patatas bravas, anchovies, and pan con tomate, plus a vegan option of oyster mushrooms in cashew cream sauce. The menu gets slighter heavier as it progresses with shrimp and peppers, fluke crudo, and lamb meatballs.
The last two menu items are chicken with chorizo and oyster mushrooms in a squash puree and red wine reduction, and braised short ribs with celery root puree, baby spinach and pickled onions. Like Carnesi’s previous menu of small Italian snacks, many of Vino Vino’s new Spanish offerings will include Pan Pan’s homemade breads.
Locals can expect even more dishes from Chef Ureña soon. “This is the first version of what he’s doing, but he’ll be developing it further over the new few months,” Pan Pan Vino Vino’s Michelle Lobo told Greenpointers.