Status of Swim Two Birds Restaurant

[Stew]

Thanks to all the people who have expressed their support.

Thanks also to the construction tradesmen and suppliers who are making this happen.

About two weeks ago, I and one of my partners were at the restaurant when a number of people, passing by, dropped in. It was a delight to meet you and show you how the restaurant is coming together.

It's going to take a bit more time, but we have a great crew working daily, and it's going to happen.

Cheers,

Stew

[ljr]

Great! Looking forward to it.

[MrPlaza]

I haven't even moved to the hood yet and this is already one of my top spots to visit. Very exciting news.

[deja]

Great to hear!

[Stew]

I haven't even moved to the hood yet and this is already one of my top spots to visit. Very exciting news.

I think that our designer, Paul dePoo, has done a beautiful job of designing the space.

For my part ... I want to serve great food at prices that are lower than Manhattan/Brooklyn and work in the neighborhood.

And food that works in the 'hood. I'd love to serve oysters and a seafood platter, but this works only if there is daily demand.

[itsit]

 We're there. Thanks for persevering. Any rough estimate on opening?

[sl]

Good to hear

[MrPlaza]

I haven't even moved to the hood yet and this is already one of my top spots to visit. Very exciting news.

I think that our designer, Paul dePoo, has done a beautiful job of designing the space.

For my part ... I want to serve great food at prices that are lower than Manhattan/Brooklyn and work in the neighborhood.

And food that works in the 'hood. I'd love to serve oysters and a seafood platter, but this works only if there is daily demand.

I hear you. Seafood is tough unless you have a strong sense that the demand is there. It's too expensive to have and not use. I like oysters, but I admit it's not the first thing I reach for as a meal. Even when I'm out with friends. Though, I will say it's definitely a social food. Perhaps it's something that you trot out only for special event-driven occasions, i.e. Oyster night.

Nevertheless, looking forward to it all. I live in LIC now and for every trendy restaurant with good food, there's one or two trendy restaurants with mediocre food that still charge as if they're serving up Michelin-Star quality. I have faith that won't be the case here!

[francis]

I am so, so happy to hear this. Great news and can't wait to indulge myself...with or without the oysters!....although I'm not opposed to washing them down with a gray goose martini.

[Hertog]

Terrific news. Best of luck with the ongoing renovations.

[PizzaRat]

That's great news! Will there be a bar at Swim Two Birds? How late will you be open? So excited to support a new local business!

[Stew]

Any rough estimate on opening?

Once we open, I may express some views on why this is taking so long, but for the moment I'll say only that I no longer give estimates

[Stew]

Will there be a bar at Swim Two Birds? How late will you be open?

As neighbors who were by a couple of weeks ago saw, we have built a bar near the entrance that will seat seven or eight people. Not big, but cosy. The chairs are custom made, they're really comfortable, and I'm in love with them

I would like to see us serving food until around 11:00 pm on weekends (closing maybe around midnight), but this will depend on demand.

Thanks for the questions.

[Stew]

Great news and can't wait to indulge myself...with or without the oysters!....although I'm not opposed to washing them down with a gray goose martini.

Heaven = Eastern US and Canadian oysters + dark/hard/dense rye + dry, minerally white wine OR really chilled straight vodka OR a bracing vodka martini

[Stew]

Still thinking about oysters and seafood platters tonight

Brooklyn's Maison Premiere, which I assume took its name from a Paris restaurant that I worked at called Maison Prunier, has become extremely popular for oysters and platters.

I don't know whether there will be the same demand in Jackson Heights - maybe with younger people - but I want to try offering oysters from Long Island as well as further north to Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.

For a special occasion, I'd be into bringing in some of the truly great French oysters, the subject of Eleanor Clark's "Oysters of Locmariaquer", which won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction.

We're going to have some fun with this restaurant.