Sneak Peek Inside Carlton Park

Carlton Park, the new farm-to-table restaurant on the corners of Park Place, Carlton and Flatbush, will not open until at least late March, but enough construction has been done in the former shoe repair/jewelry shop to give us an idea of how it will look.

Look past the construction material and sawdust and you'll see that dominating the space are two curved counters where customers can eat, one overseeing the open kitchen and the other at the bar (the restaurant will have a full liquor license). That area is sectioned off by a hip-high wooden wall that replicates the curve from the counters.  

The other theme is wood, the area behind the bar is wood, a central pillar is covered with brick-like blocks of wood, the Carlton Avenue door is made from reclaimed barn wood, and the brick walls are decorated with beams from inside demolished interior walls. 

There are two enormous windowed garage doors that can be opened in the summer onto Park Place. Owner Greg Yerman is seeking city approval for outdoor seating on both Park Place and Carlton Avenue.

But the most interesting element of the new restaurant are tables designed by Yerman that have plexiglass window onto shelves underneith. The shelves can be used to keep keys, cell phones and other essentials off the table. The windows are there to make sure patrons don't forget their belongings (Yerman designed these after having forgotten many a cell phone himself).  

The kitchen will be headed by Bill Kooper, who worked as sous chef for Danny Meyer for six years at Blue Smoke and The Modern.

The food will be local, seasonal and organic as much as possible, Kooper said. Much of the menu will change weekly, based on what’s available at the farmer’s markets, but will nearly always include Long Island clams, a burger, a steak and the catch of the day. Some of the local suppliers include Samascott Orchards, Satur Farms and Raphael Winery.

But despite the reclaimed wood and local, organic menu, Kooper said the goal is to create a casual, neighborhood spot.  

“We want it to be an unpretentious place where anyone can feel welcome,” he said.