At the beginning of last summer, I heard news that made my heart drop. My favorite, local red sauce Italian restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the neighborhood institution known as Frost, announced it was closing its doors after over 60 years in business. As the community rapidly gentrifies, trading families for high rollers and Italian Americans for Meta employees, Frost was a garlic-flavored anchor. For those who never had the pleasure of dining at its eponymous Frost St. location, the restaurant was uniquely old school, fairly priced, and absolutely delicious. In other words, a modern rarity.
The understatement of the millennium is that Williamsburg has been changing. And with it, the native Italian American businesses that used to inhabit its blocks are disappearing. I recently learned that before my own time here, there used to be a business that solely made and sold mozzarella right on my block. Today, in the same building, there’s a smoke shop.
A new generation is sweeping into the neighborhood, largely unaware of its history; private enterprises are being demolished by private retailers and, as a result, there’s a significantly diminished Italian influence.
But every so often, there’s a glimmer of hope. Some cannoli at the end of the rainbow. In fact, cannoli are on the menu at Bar Madonna, a welcome new Italian face to Williamsburg’s dining scene. Usually, when you hear of a new addition in the neighborhood, it’s a luxury brand or a 30-story luxury tower. While stylish, Bar Madonna is neither a luxury brand nor a luxury tower; it's a casual Italian eatery that bridges a gap from old school to the new generation.
One facet of said bridge is the design, from the custom plates with quirky illustrations of the owner’s Italian family members, to collaborating with the popular artist and close neighbor, KidSuper, who designed everything from the staff’s Mechanic shirts to the massive paintings that adorn the loft-like space.
The cocktail menu bridges that gap as well, with offerings such as the Moka-pot inspired Bialetti (with vodka, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Oloroso Sherry, hazelnut and coffee) or Nonna's Half & Half (a martini that blends vodka and gin). Meanwhile, its spin on the Cipriani’s-born Bellini revs up the drink with peach, plum, gin and prosecco. The liquor shelf at Bar Madonna is full of old school standards and hard to find libations. Of course, there’s sambuca, but there’s also Cardamaro, an apertif made with wine, cardoon and blessed thistle (the latter two ingredients being artichoke-adjacent).
The food menu at Bar Madonna extends the motif of a low-key Italian joint that is hip yet approachable. Their Smashed Meatball Parm sandwich is both succulent and crispy; the Calabrian Wings are made with Calabrian hot sauce and a buttermilk vinaigrette. There's grilled octopus with spicy radish and mint, and a Caesar salad of grilled romaine and wild boar bacon. My favorite thing on the menu is the Crispy Chicken Agrodolce: a juicy and flavorful sandwich served on a soft roll that comes complete with cabbage slaw and roasted tomatoes. It’s something I still dream about at night…Until I’m woken up by the yells of the construction workers who are building a luxury condo next door.
