PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — Locally distilled scotch and lobster rolls are on the menu at a new gastropub opening this summer in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.
Kalkin Narvilas, who also owns Italian eatery Cent'Anni, which opened last year on Franklin Avenue, is planning the as-yet-unnamed pub about a mile away at 569 Flatbush Ave. near Midwood Street.
"We’re going to have a lobster roll on a pretzel bun, and some short rib sliders," Narvilas said. "We’re going to have 24 draft lines and high-end whiskeys and scotches with a focus on local New York breweries and distilleries."
Though it's a far cry from the traditional Italian cuisine at Cent'Anni and Narvilas' Washington Heights Italian eatery Saggio, the planned pub could be similar to Narvilas' earlier Hell's Kitchen venture, Blue Ruin, he said.
"This isn’t my first rodeo," said the restaurateur, who appeared before Community Board 9 seeking support for a full liquor license Tuesday night for the new Flatbush Avenue establishment. "I definitely need to get open, but assuming there aren’t any hidden traps waiting, I think as early as June."
The board's public safety committee, which handles liquor license applications, gave its enthusiastic support to the project.
"Mr. Narvilas has [an] impressive history as a restaurateur," said committee chairwoman Rosemarie Perry. "The committee was duly impressed and voted unanimously to recommend a beer, wine and liquor license."
Despite a recent boom of new business in the area, Narvilas, a Brooklyn native, said he was confident his new eatery would stand out from the crowd.
"We want to be a breath of fresh air, filling the void," Narvilas said. "I know there are a lot of restaurants on Flatbush, but what we’re bringing does not exist on Flatbush Avenue."
