Soothsayer started service this past week at 171 Avenue A near East 11th Street.
Here's the restaurant's description via its website:
Soothsayer offers a unique blend of authentic and contemporary Vietnamese food, which is complimented by exceptional and accessible craft beers, creative cocktails, and wines. Owned and operated by Stephan Brezinsky and his family, Soothsayer endeavors to create meaningful experiences through warm hospitality, high-quality food, and inspired drinks — all with an emphasis on local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients.
Soothsayer is located on Avenue A between 10th and 11th, in the heart of New York City’s East Village neighborhood, where the Brezinsky family has lived and worked for 40+ years
You can find their menu here.
And the space is hardly recognizable from its previous tenant, B.A.D. Burger, which closed in early 2015.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Incoming restaurant on Avenue A asking residents to rally for their liquor license and back patio (42 comments)
like it--emphasis seems to be the FOOD :)
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what we don't need on Avenue A. We need more casual inexpensive choices. BAD was a good idea and neighborhood people really wanted it to work but they just didn't know how to run a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank Keith for trying with vegan/ vegetarian at BAD and also for having a closed facade at his new venture.
There's a really nice casual Vietnamese restaurant around the corner, Sao Mai.
What the eff is an "...accessible craft beer"? Douchey beer-snob places are my favorite.
ReplyDeletewhere is the pho?????
ReplyDeletePho is not consistent with the "unique blend of authentic and contemporary Vietnamese food" that Mr. Brezinsky is purveying, I guess. (Although if someone in Saigon is selling "contemporary Vietnamese food", does that mean it is not "authentic"? I think the better verbiage here would have been "traditional".) Thanks, but I'll stick with Sao Mai when I'm not in Chinatown.
ReplyDeleteI wish they'd put up a "Wet Paint" sign when they painted to facade blue. I went to look at the menu and accidentally touched my coat sleeve to the wood and came away blue. Not cool.
ReplyDeleteAt least there is a fresh coat of paint..
ReplyDeleteSao Mai sucks and the people who work there suck too. The only good Vietnamese is the one down on 1st Ave and 1st St. And the sandwich place on 6th, between A and 1st.
ReplyDeleteThis place looks good, but maybe a little serious. Hope it's good. Wish there was a good Chinese.
In a previous post someone said that this was going to be a neighborhood place and not a destination.
ReplyDeleteThis menu is not geared towards locals at all, in terms of options and price. None of this is the kinda food that would stand up to delivery. Have you looked in the window at the decor? Not exactly warm and inviting to locals. How is this not designed and marketed as a destination spot. Does a neighborhood space really have a glamour shot of the chef with a page long bio on their website?
Give me a break, this crew is trying to become a destination if there ever was one.
How is the emphasis on the food when the wine and beer list has 3 times more options then then food, at least according to the menu on the window. Wine prices are certainly not on the affordable end of the spectrum either.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with Sao Mai. Nice neighborhood place, nice people, good food, not a shitshow.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love to get at Sao Mai
ReplyDeleteGoi Coun-Shrimp Summer Roll
Bun Tom Nuong-grilled shrimp over vermacelli noodles, chopped lettuce
Mang Tay Toi-asparagus in garlic sauce
Boycotting.
ReplyDeleteThey wanted a full liquor license (don't need it, just ask Westville and Tompkins Square Bagels) and they wanted the backyard open until all hours of the night.
Way to make a great first impression to your neighbors on the block, scumbags.
How did they get a full liquor license when they "withdrew its bid for 171 Avenue. It was much ado about the rear yard space, and the applicants’ inability to negotiate with the nearby block associations. Full liquor was sought, yet CB3 advised the team to return next month with a revamped application for beer-wine..."
ReplyDeleteThey don't have a full liquor just beer and wine. Stephan's mommy worked as a school teacher. Stuy-town was originally developed to provide affordable housing to working class new Yorkers. They live in Stuy-town. That's not the East Village. Don't think any school teachers could afford to eat here.
ReplyDeleteThey did a kickstarter and raised $20,000. Take a look at this, it's pretty original in this day and age.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/240021178/soothsayer/description