South Village Hospitality, the group behind restaurants like Carroll Place, will open its doors to their newest venture, Ainslie. Located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the wine bar and beer garden serves up hearty Italian dishes, including wood-fired pizza. The kitchen is helmed by NYC veteran chef John DeLucie. Hailing from Puglia, Italy Erasmo ‘Mino’ Lassandro runs the wood-fired oven as a lead pizza maker. Jessica Duré, formerly with Broken Shaker, is currently overseeing the beverage program.
This beautifully structured restaurant is an architectural dream. We were in awe of the decor and wood panel details. It almost felt as if we were transported into a wooden cabin, far away from the hustle and bustle of NYC. Very relaxing and chill. Ainslie is a 10,000 square foot 340 person multi-level venue. The space is very open and roomy while the setup and lighting give off a cozy feel. The only thing missing for us was a fuzzy blanket!
The food menu packs a lot of affordable choices like a Carbonara Wood-Fired Pizza for $16 or a housemade pasta (Spaghetti, Ravioli, or Pappardelle) ranging from $14-$16. The wood-fired pizza and Free-Range Chicken Parmigiana were two of our personal favorites. It’s been a while since we’ve had a perfectly cooked chicken parm. It was still crispy and well-seasoned when it arrived at our table. Usually, it can be doused in sauces, making it very soggy and bland.
The drink menu consisted of eight $14 specialty cocktails. As tequila lovers, we opted for the Electric Blue (Milagro Blanco Tequila, Chili, Maraschino, Lo-Fi Gentian, Ginger, Lime). During our visit, we were lucky enough to have Jessica Duré behind the bar. Duré perfectly crafted each drink order and from chatting with our seatmates, each cocktail had the perfect balance of alcohol and mixers. The drink menu also includes 20 wines by the glass, four wines on tap, and 16 beers from local craft breweries on tap.
The initial hours of operation are Tuesday – Thursday 5pm – 2am; Friday and Saturday 3pm – 3am; and Sunday 3pm – 2am with weekend brunch hours to follow in the coming months. On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Ainslie will feature a live DJ from dinner until close. Ainslie Italian Wine Bar and Beer Garden will officially open on Thursday, September 12th at 5:00 PM in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (76 Ainslie St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, 347-725-3400).
Cheers!
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Photos: @thomaslphoto & @xojohn