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Farm-to-Table Restaurant and New Coffee Shop Open in Bed-Stuy

By Camille Bautista | February 12, 2016 4:49pm | Updated on February 15, 2016 8:30am
 Eva Jean's, a new farm-to-table restaurant, opened on Kosciuszko Street near Bedford Avenue this month.
Eva Jean's, a new farm-to-table restaurant, opened on Kosciuszko Street near Bedford Avenue this month.
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DNAinfo/Camille Bautista

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A farm-to-table restaurant and café serving up locally sourced goods has made its home on Kosciuszko Street in Bed-Stuy.

Eva Jean’s, a new eatery at 30 Kosciuszko St. between Bedford and Nostrand avenues, opened its doors on Feb. 5.

Owner Michael Hurt named the business after his grandmother and drew influences from 1930s Paris and 1940s Hollywood for its décor, he said.

After serving time in the army and moving to New York to pursue acting, Hurt partnered with co-owners JW Perkins and David Siemenski to achieve his dream of opening a restaurant, he said.

The venue’s 1,800 square-foot-space holds about 50 people, with seating in the front and a rear dining room with a fireplace.

“I just want people to come in and be really comfortable and feel like they’re in their living room,” Hurt said. "But also get top-notch food for a really affordable price.”

Eva Jean’s menu, which includes breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, was curated with the help of Brooklyn Cured founder Scott Bridi and Plutarco Tapia of Flatiron’s 11 Madison Park, Hurt said.

Selections, which the owner describes as “very new-American and eclectic,” include a chicken chorizo scramble with fingerling potatoes, scallions, pickled red onions and avocado, and buckwheat and celery root lasagna with kale and ricotta.

“It’s a menu put together with passion,” Hurt said.

The restaurant is waiting on its liquor license and hopes to serve domestic wines and cocktails.

The eatery’s design uses reclaimed wood, along with artwork featuring pop-culture photomontages of Frank Sinatra and John Lennon, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull.

Opening at 7:30 a.m. on Monday through Friday and at later hours on the weekends, Eva Jean’s also offers coffee and breakfast to-go.

“I want them to know that we’re here for the neighborhood,” Hurt said. “It’s a great neighborhood and we want to highlight Bed-Stuy as a cultural center for Brooklyn.”

Eva Jean's, which opened at the beginning of February at 30 Kosciuszko St., serves coffee and breakfast to-go along with brunch, lunch, and dinner. Photo Credit: DNAinfo/Camille Bautista

Further south in Bed-Stuy, another café is set to open on Saturday on Putnam Avenue near Tompkins.

Brooklyn Kettle, a new coffee shop with pastries and paninis, debuts at 420 Putnam Ave. from husband-and-wife team Ayo and Farai Agbede.

The duo moved from Fort Greene to Bed-Stuy two years ago and sought spots in the neighborhood to get a good cup of coffee.

When options seemed scarce, they decided to come up with their own solution, Farai said.

The couple looks to bring a “community” vibe, similar to that found in Capetown, South Africa, where they married, Ayo said.

“People come together for coffee, tea, and they don’t even know each other. The second definition of ‘kettle’ is people assembling together to share different ideas,” he said.

Ayo, who comes from Nigeria, said Brooklyn Kettle would be a welcoming place for all.

“I'm from Africa and go by this premise: when someone comes to your home, you’re supposed to offer them kola nut, meaning you’re supposed to offer them life,” he said, referencing a symbol of hospitality.

The café will serve coffee, tea and pastries, the owners said. It will open at 7 a.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Eva Jean’s and Brooklyn Kettle, visit their websites.