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Kid-approved Pasta Louise has been delighting folks in famously family-friendly Park Slope since it first opened in 2020. Its success led to a cafe expansion not too far away in 2022, and on Wednesday, March 20, a decidedly grown-up destination will follow with the debut of Bar Louise.
Appealing to wee ones and their minders just makes sense in the area, but owner Allison Arevalo also operates her spots with an ethos of excellence, something her youngest guests might not even notice. That standard will extend to Bar Louise, where the older folks sure will.
“We put tremendous effort into hospitality, at both our locations,” Arevalo says via email. “We spend many hours training our staff on the difference between service and hospitality, and what it means to give truly great service. We plan on doing the same at Bar Louise.
“Yes, Pasta Louise is a family restaurant, but we excel at giving fine dining service. We also often surprise people with just how fantastic our cocktails and wine list are, and of course, our incredible food,” she adds. “In terms of hospitality, Bar Louise is not a big jump for us. Our guests will still receive the warm, welcoming service they expect from us. The biggest difference, aside from the lack of pasta, will be the lack of kids! I can't tell you how many neighbors have said to me that they were waiting for me to open a grown-up Pasta Louise!”
This grown-up Louise is cocktail forward, with wine as well, in elegant environs, Arevalo says. A beautiful light installation comprised of 30 flower-wrapped crystal chandeliers is suspended from the gleaming gold ceiling. “We wanted it to feel familiar, like your grandmother's house, but if your grandmother was kinda fancy,” she says.
There’s room for 10 at the bar, with four more stools in the window. The 40-seat dining room includes a duo of big banquettes, and the backyard will open in the warmer months ahead. The inaugural cocktail list includes tipples like the Brooklyn rose, made with rose petal-infused gin, strawberry, lemon and egg white, served in a coupe, and the first crush, Bar Louise’s house martini, made with gin, dry vermouth, green tea umeshu, capers and a lemon twist, served in a Nick and Nora glass. Deviled eggs with salmon roe, pigs in a blanket, and duck legs populate the small and large plate menus.
The New York City hospitality landscape, of course, has undergone times of great uncertainty since Arevalo opened her first Brooklyn venture four years ago.
“Our first location opened in July 2020, right in the middle of Covid,” she says. “It was not easy! Trying to navigate NYC regulations during a time of such uncertainty was very stressful . . . it’s stressful regardless, but during COVID, when it was impossible to get a hold of people for inspections or even to answer questions, I felt like I was guessing half the time.
“Aside from COVID, the process of opening a bar and opening a restaurant is pretty similar,” Arevalo says, “Especially if the restaurant serves alcohol. The biggest difference for me is size. Our restaurant seats 75 people and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner six days per week. Between the restaurant and the cafe down the block, we have 80 employees! The bar is half the size with only about 15 people on staff, so we were really able to hone in on the details. It feels way less daunting! That being said, adding a third location is scary! I love spending time at the restaurant and at the cafe, to be there for my staff and to chat with guests. I foresee it being difficult to split my time three ways, though luckily the locations are all a few blocks from each other, and I live in the neighborhood.”
There’s also that new conceit: Bar Louise is intended for caretakers to take care.
“We want Bar Louise to be a place to unwind with friends, partners, co-workers . . . a place to bring special people, and to get away from life for a bit,” Arevalo says.
“There are A LOT of parents in Park Slope. We love that they bring their kids and in-laws to Pasta Louise. We want them to get a break when they come to Bar Louise.”
Bar Louise will open at 221 7th Ave in Brooklyn on Wednesday, March 20.