Beer, Small Plates Spot Coming to Former Oak and Iris Home

The owners of the Park Slope eatery Alchemy are working their magic on Windsor Terrace, turning into a beer and small-plates spot. 

Kevin Read, who owns Alchemy along with his wife Georgia, told Patch they took over the space in late May, and hope to have the new restaurant open in September. 

"One thing I think we do well [at Alchemy] is we've got really tasty food that’s not too fancy, and I think we want to emulate that a little bit," he said, adding that 20 taps of beer will be accompanying the menu of upscale bar snacks, salads and entrees. 

"We're just trying to garner a place where you can go and enjoy yourself for a good beer and a really nice meal." 

Read, a Windsor Terrace resident of two years, said he'd been looking to open another restaurant for some time when a friend tipped him off to the newly empty Oak and the Iris, a nice piece of corner property located at 2826 Fort Hamilton Pkwy. A stroll through the inside was all it took: Read wanted in.

He quickly got his wish. He recently acquired work permits to renovate the building's interior, namely, adding another bathroom, and is currently working on securing a beer and wine license. 

While Read said the new restaurant—the name of which he is not quite ready to reveal—will start out serving mainly dinner, he hopes to quickly expand the menu to brunch, and eventually, begin serving breakfast and lunch as well.

Though he realizes some neighbors are still sore over losing the Oak and the Iris, Read said he's optimistic that the new place will quench local thirst for a classy neighborhood watering hole. 

"I think people are really excited to have a place where they can have a beer," he said, noting that as it stands now, residents are forced to travel to Park Slope or over to Cortelyou Road for a similar experience. 

"We’re sort of trying to be that casual neighborhood spot that you just love to hang out at."