Before there was the Ryan Adams–themed pizzeria and the Wilco-themed sandwich shop, there was the menu inspired by Weezer. Now, in Williamsburg, former journalist Thomas Hudson has opened Pinkerton, named after the Weezer album and the Madame Butterfly character (and because, hey, it just sounds cool). Having written for The New Yorker and the Times, Hudson is following the path of writer turned tavern-keeper St. John Frizell in parlaying his amateur love of drink (wine, in Hudson’s case) into a place of his own.
Forty-two-year-old Hudson says he originally wanted to open something closer to his home on the Upper East Side, but the Community Board there didn’t welcome him with open arms, and rents were cheaper in Williamsburg anyway, so he took over the former home of N.6, left it largely unchanged (see his camera-phone shots above), and this week started quietly serving five wines by the glass (that number will eventually grow to about a dozen, along with a reserve list) as well as a half-dozen local and West Coast microbrews. Hudson is concentrating on “interesting, fun, good wines that are affordable,” with a focus on Washington, Oregon, California, and Australia. “I like New World wines that are kind of bigger and fruitier,” he says. Next week, he’ll add simple small plates like cheese spreads, olives, and maybe panini to the mix, and eventually he’ll make use of his full kitchen. There’ll also be about a dozen sidewalk chairs. As of now, hours are from 5 p.m. till midnight on the weekdays (closed Mondays), and till 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. on weekends.
Pinkerton Wine Bar, 263 N 6th St., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-782-7171
