383 Bar and Grill Is Open In Gowanus

After four years of plans and renovations, the former carriage house at 383 Carroll Street is set to open Friday as the 383 Bar and Grill.

Located only feet from the Gowanus Canal, with its large open space and dark wooden interior, the restaurant will likely be a great cooling off spot on a hot summer day, and a lively but comfortable watering hole for later hours.

“Everything new is inside something old,” said co-owner Danny Tinneny Sr. The restaurant's location, in a former horse stable, could date as far back as the mid-19th century. Tinneny Sr. has owned the buiding and the space around it (north to Union Street and east to the Gowanus Canal) for the last 37 years, and has used it for everything from a storage space to a crate-shipping location.

Over four years ago, a promoter from The Brooklyn Yard across the street (now known as ) hosted a party at 383 Carroll Street, which was a huge success.

“Back then it was just a vacant building, but everyone liked the space,” said Tinneny's son, also called Danny Tinneny. “I forget who threw the idea in my head, maybe it was my father. And we just went with it.”

The spot boasts a full bar and food that is, as Tinneny Jr. called it, “pub grub with a twist.”

Chef Ronny Esposito from The Mussel Pot in Manhattan will be making the basics, such as burgers, fries and wings, but there will also be steamed mussels in a variety of sauces.

They're going local with their beers: craft beers like Kelso and Brooklyn Lager will be on tap, but customers can also opt for a bottle of Bud Light or Heineken.

Originally the space was going to be a cafe, but after over 2 years of renovations, they decided to create a bar and grill instead. Two years later, the Tinnenys, along with partner Tommy Venditelli, still rushed to finish the renovations in time.

“We did all the work ourselves, that’s what took so long,” Tinneny Jr. said. “We did the underground plumbing, the sheetrock, the electric. It was me, the old man, and that man right there,” he said, pointing to Venditelli.

They even had to install a fourth floor to avoid flooding from the canal, more than six feet above the original floor of the building.

Tinneny Jr., who commutes from Staten Island daily, is a huge fan of Gowanus, and looks forward to opening a restaurant there, even though, as he said, “We’re definitely off the beaten path.”

“Smith Street’s a very hot place, Fifth Avenue is a very hot place. Somebody had to be the first guy on Smith Street, somebody had to be the first guy on Fifth Avenue,” Tinneny Jr. said. “We’re the pioneers.”

Everyone involved with the project seems open to trying just about anything. As Tinneny Jr. said, "We're willing to change with the tide."

In other words, what customers want, customers will get.

There is plenty of space to expand, and Tinneny Jr. is thinking about putting in a beer garden out back, in addition to the outdoor patio that’s already there. The indoor space is gigantic, with room for live music and private parties.

Are they bringing in a pool table?

“Not yet,” said Tinneny Jr.. “But if they want it, it’ll be here the next day.”

The Tinnenys give off a feeling of ease and familiarity, making their bar the type of place you want to go to kick back, enjoy a drink and have a good time with friends.

It might be that this classic bar and grill is exactly what the neighborhood needs. There’s something about a dark, cool, pub-style restaurant with simple fare that attracts even the most sophisticated of patrons.