Photos: Michael Kirby Smith

We recently released our top ten coffee list, but with great shops opening around the city at such a steady rate, we may soon need to expand it to a top 20. The newest arrival: San Francisco’s famed Blue Bottle Coffee is opening its first East-Coast location in Williamsburg next week (the only place in New York where you could get it before was at Gramercy Tavern). The space will include a standing-room-only coffee bar and roastery, the perfect setup for caffeine fanatics to sample the company’s freshly roasted/ground/brewed shots of espresso and cups of joe. Iced-coffee lovers should take note: Five contraptions from Japan will cold-drip brew, while those who like a milky cup should consider the strong New Orleans–style preparation, fortified with chicory. Pastries, meanwhile, will come from Park Slope’s Colson Patisserie until Blue Bottle gets its own in-house baking operation up and running later in the year. 160 Berry St between North 5th and 6th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-534-5488)

Mixed drinks at Fort Defiance (Photo: Roxana Marroquin)

The following restaurants and bars are expected to open by June 24. Always call ahead before heading out, since opening dates can change.

Fort Defiance Food writer and former Pegu Club bartender St. John Frizell opens his own bar and café. Mornings will offer Colson Patisserie’s baked goods and Counter Culture coffee, while more potent beverages will be available as soon as the liquor license clears. Frizell devotes much of his cocktail list to recipes from 1940s world adventurer Charles H. Baker Jr., such as the Colonial Cooler, a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, bitters, Cointreau, soda water and pineapple. Chef Sam Filoramo (the Good Fork) will create one entrée per night, along with a menu of small plates, salads and sandwiches, including a New Orleans–style muffuletta. 365 Van Brunt St at Dikeman St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (718-522-7996)
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Mark Snyder stands before the liquid fruits of his labors. (Photo: Michael Anstendig)

What would happen if you combined Napa Valley know-how with primo North Fork grapes in a former cannonball factory in Brooklyn? That’s the idea behind newcomer Red Hook Winery, which invited The Feed to some barrel tastings of its first vintage, hosted by Brooklyn Based, this weekend. The results are promising. Read more »

A cake fit for a king. Or your mouth. Photo: Beth Levendis

In our age of instant gratification, seasonal treats retain a particular charm. A very French one is the galette des rois, ie Epiphany or kings’ cake. Sold only in January, this butter bomb consists of puff pastry encasing a layer of frangipane (a kind of ground-almond paste very similar to the one used in the better almond croissants in town). The best I’ve found in New York is made by Patisserie Colson, in Park Slope Read more »