Hamburger America — the Soho burger counter from burger historian and filmmaker George Motz — kicks off a new collaboration today with Brennan & Carr, the storied Sheepshead Bay roast-beef shop that’s been open since 1938.
Motz, best known for his documentary and book Hamburger America, celebrating classic U.S. burger styles, opened the restaurant in 2023 at 51 MacDougal Street, at West Houston. The spot serves a rotating selection of regional American burgers inspired by Motz’s research.
For the latest monthly burger special, Motz is tapping Brennan & Carr — the Brooklyn institution famous for its broth-soaked roast-beef sandwiches — to bring over its Gargiulo burger, from Brennan & Carr chef Eddie Sullivan. Sullivan will also be cooking at the restaurant during the Village Halloween Parade this week, slinging burgers outside to parade-goers. The collaboration arrives ahead of Hamburger America’s two-year anniversary at the end of November, with more specials planned to mark the milestone.
A second bakery location of sorts
Laurel Bakery — from the Redwood Hospitality team behind Place des Fêtes and Café Mado — is now running mornings at Margot (179 DeKalb Avenue, at Washington Avenue) in Fort Greene. The Columbia Waterfront bakery will serve its breads, viennoiserie, pastries, and sandwiches Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with items like canelé, pain suisse, kouign amann, brown-butter chocolate chip cookies, and jambon beurre, plus coffee from SEY.
Michele Brogioni — from Italy’s Michelin-starred Il Falconiere and New York’s Armani Ristorante — has been named executive chef at Manhatta ( 28 Liberty Street, at Nassau Street). The Fidi restaurant launched by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group opened in 2018 under chef Jason Pfeifer. Brogioni will feature items like tuna crudo with chickpea socca, wild-mushroom ravioli with chamomile butter, and a black-truffle chopped cheese. And over at Libertine — the West Village French bistro from Cody Pruitt and Jacob Cohen (also behind Chateau Royale) — has named Matt Almquist as executive chef. Almquist, whose background spans kitchens including Jean-Georges and Roberta’s, will introduce dishes like zabuton steak, duck liver mousse with Thomcord grapes, roasted halibut with sorrel and dashi, and seared foie gras with figs.