PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — In the Paris neighborhood where chef Boris Ginet grew up, cafes and eateries had a very “communal” feel, he said.
“People sit at long tables, they sit together, they have to get up to grab water,” he said.
Now, he’s trying to recreate that feeling in a new fast-casual restaurant, Risbo, set to open in the new year on Flatbush Avenue and Parkside Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.
The eatery will be a rotisserie with a global menu, he said, offering roasted meats of all kinds with inspiration taken from all over the world, including the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe where Ginet lived as a young man.
“The food’s going to be very different,” he said, with flavors ranging from “North African to French to Italian to West Indian [and] South American.”
Risbo will also have a full bar with wine, beer and cocktails, he said. Approval for a liquor license is still pending from the state, but the local community board approved the application in September.
The restaurant is the first solo project for Ginet, a self-described “contractor slash chef” who is personally renovating the space at 701 Flatbush Ave. near Parkside Avenue, a former real estate office.
Previously, Ginet has worked at several Brooklyn eateries, including Choice Market in Clinton Hill which he designed and built. Now, he’s hoping to make his new spot a “relaxed” place designed for everyone.
“My friends have very diverse backgrounds and I tried to create a space for my friends,” he said.
Prices at Risbo will range from about $12 to $15 for dinner, he said. The restaurant will open with evening hours only, but may extend to brunch and lunch eventually. A full backyard at the space will open next summer, he said.
