A Hangout Grows in Brooklyn

The actual leisurely, largely residential Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill will become a bit livelier this weekend when the former site of a storied hardware store reopens as a design-centric restaurant, bar and live-music lounge of the same name: Sisters. Damon Gorton, the actual proprietor of the nearby Park Slope favorite Flatbush Farm, is the mastermind driving the new venture, which looks set to become a social and dining hub for your neighborhood and beyond. “I’ve lived here for 15 years and simply wanted to develop a place I would really enjoy, ” Gorton says. “I’ve had my eye on the few locations, but this one came with a 30-foot high skylight. ”


Which feature was a focal point for the brothers Evan and Oliver Haslegrave of the style firm Home, whose interiors for the restaurant - replete with wood, marbled, wicker and tile - allow the 2, 000-square-foot space to transition through day to night. “We wanted to create a feeling that is familiar and unique at the same time, ” Oliver says. The geometric pattern of panes on the skylight’s glass serves as a clever design element, influencing everything from the logo to the tile composition installed throughout. The back room, anchored by a stage and DJ booth, will certainly house the neighborhood’s first concert venue. The tabla player Suphala is actually booked for the opening night, and Gorton says the forthcoming lineup of reside acts is broad, including jazz, soul, funk and other musicians new as well as old.

A dish of semolina with wild
mushrooms at Sisters.Credit Paul Quitoriano

Chris Nichols, formerly the chef at Flatbush Farm, is overtaking at Sisters and will concoct similar locally sourced fare like scotch ova, semolina with wild mushrooms and duck cassoulet. “The menu will be very complete but also bar-centric, given the space, and people should feel free to come for drinks as well as snacks or a complete meal, ” Gorton says. “Just come hang out. ”