Openings

Steve Hanson Does Not Know Where Brooklyn Is

Photo: Patrick McMullan

Pardon Me for Asking got a tip yesterday that Union Smith Café, an odd neighborhood restaurant in Carroll Gardens that recently closed, would be turned into a Mexican restaurant “with the person from Dos Caminos.” That’d be Steve Hanson of B.R. Guest, folks. We called them, and a flack told us, “Steve likes Brooklyn but he doesn’t even know how to get there, so we’re not opening anything there at this time.” (This isn’t the only denial Hanson is issuing today: He tells Diner’s Journal that despite what The Wall Street Journal said yesterday, he’ll have no involvement with the new NYC Hospitality Coalition, because it’s “too aggressive in going after New York City.”)

Other rumors about the Union Smith Café space include the one that says “Jimmy Bagels” of Bagels on the Park owns the joint, but when we stopped by, a manager told us this was untrue. The former USC has a pretty outdoor patio, so we’re hoping our tipsters can help us figure out what the heck is up.

Oh, and Steve. This is how you get there.

Steve Hanson Does Not Know Where Brooklyn Is