As the storefronts change hands and nationalities in Greenpoint, there's at least one place trying to keep a small homage to the neighborhood's roots. Early, a new sandwich and coffee shop that opened on Manhattan Avenue this week, serves up their version of zapiekanka, the Polish version of what a kid might look at as French bread pizza.
The traditional street food uses a hollowed out baguette as a vehicle for mushrooms, vegetables and cheese, which are baked until warm and melted. At Early, chef Marcin Mroz stuffs his with caramelized onions, mushrooms and garlic, then tops that with Fontina cheese. After a turn in the oven, he adds a sprinkling of chopped chives and a drizzle of truffle oil.
The diminutive shop—founded by Radek Kucharski and Alexandra Siwiec of Bedford Ave's Nights & Weekends—also serves breakfast and other lunch-type sandwiches, from the Kwa'Son ($8) with scrambled eggs, goat cheese, chives, sprouts, avocado and red pepper flakes on a croissant to the R.B. ($10), a pepper-crusted top round beef sandwich on sourdough with gruyere, sweet and spicy peppers and mayonnaise.
Also on offer are coffee drinks from Williamsburg's Toby's Estate, including the increasingly popular Flat White, an espresso import from Australia. Chef Mroz's is vegan, so they'll have baked goodies from Vegan Divas as well, plus super buttery—and decidedly non-vegan—croissants from Pain D'Avignon.
967 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, (718) 383-6963; website
B.E.C. - $8
scrambled eggs, chives, caramelized bacon, sharp cheddar on a brioche bun
KWA’SON - $8
scrambled eggs, goat cheese, chives, sprouts, avocado, red pepper flakes on a croissant
SMOKEY - $9
smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, cucumber, lemon dill mayo on 7 grain
CHICHI - $10
chipotle chicken, fontina, arugula, pickled red onions, cilantro line on a baguette
R.B. - $10
pepper crusted top round beef, gruyere, sweet & spicy pepper medley and mayo on sourdough
12 HOUR - $10
pulled pork with your choice of traditional or Louisiana Gold BBQ sauce, red cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños on brioche
BASIL - $9
lemon garlic chicken salad with basil mayo, celery, arugula, sun-dried tomato jam on sourdough
ZAPPIE - $8
caramelized onion, mushroom and garlic mix, fontina, chives and truffle oil on a baguette
