Quick Bites: Amazing aguachilies, a restorative congee brunch, sandwiches at Oh Mercy 

By Scott Lynch

The city’s best aguachile is coming to Greenpoint

It was a year ago that Alonzo Guzman and Amy Hernadez opened Mistica on the northern edges of Greenpoint’s Franklin Avenue, surprising everyone by going for an ambitious “Mexican steakhouse” here in Brooklyn instead of an outpost of their justifiably adored Jackson Heights aguachile spot, Mariscos El Submarino.

And Mistica had a lot of great food! But as Guzman told Brooklyn Magazine last week, “when we did Mistica we were trying something different from what we have in Queens. Something more fancy. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for us and Mistica is closed.”

Verde and negro shrimp aguachile, $23 each (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Ah, but this seemingly sad story has an extremely happy ending: Instead of abandoning North Brooklyn, Guzman and Hernadez are turning Mistica into El Submarino II, with the same beachy vibe, same mustachioed cartoon logo and, most important, the same menu as their Queens location.

After two weekends of trial runs, the Greenpoint Submarino is opening for real on June 1, with that big backyard ready for a summer of margaritas and molcajetes of marinated seafood. Just make sure you get as many different kinds of Guzman’s aguachiles — essentially, amped up ceviche — as you can handle. Whether negro, verde, mango habanero or red (my personal ranking), all of these beauties pack a wallop. Just shockingly good stuff.

There are other worthy offerings here as well. The Submarino coctel de camaron, the regular ceviche, and Guzman’s fish tacos all bring a big personality to the party. But really, the aguachiles are the star here. Order with abandon.

The Greenpoint Mariscos El Submarino is located at 222 Franklin Street, right near Green Street, and is scheduled to open on June 1 with hours from noon to 11 p.m. daily     

Your new favorite brunch is at Maya Congee on Fulton

Layla Chen is a somewhat unlikely Brooklyn brunch hero. Born in China, raised in Hawaii, Chen moved to Bed-Stuy in 2008 and, after years in what she called “a corporate situation,” was desperate to do something different with her life. “I wanted to do something that was an expression of myself,” she tells Brooklyn Magazine. “I wanted to build something in my community.”

So with no real restaurant experience beyond absorbing the lessons of her chef father and uncle back in Hawaii, Chen decided to open “a little shop” on Gates and Tompkins in 2017, near enough to her apartment that it felt like home. She started with farm-to-table “American” sandwiches, but “the community inspired me to be myself,” she says. “Brooklyn people are very cultured. They want something different, and I have something I know, something unique that I can share with people here.” And Maya Congee was born.

Chen’s Bed-Stuy spot specialized in bowls of congee, of course, topped in various ways (the spicy pork is a personal favorite), as well as several types of loaded-up bahn mi. Asian groceries were a key addition during the early pandemic, so much so that, when Chen opened her second Maya Congee in 2022 on the Clinton Hill-Prospect Heights border, she devoted a good chunk of the space to provisions, to go along with seating for about 12.

Also on Fulton Street: booze! Or, at least, rice wine, which inspired Chen earlier this month to launch a weekend-only brunch menu featuring Hawaii-vibing tropical sake cocktails. Think mango mimosas.  Alcohol aside, there are several special new dishes here too, including an open-faced whitefish cheese melt, avocado toast with housemade furikake and possibly the best frittata I’ve ever eaten, studded with bits of Chinese sausage and paired with some first-rate home fries.

Chinese sausage and cheese frittata, $13.95 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Or stick with Chen’s biggest crowd-pleaser, the “Wake Me Up Congee,” a hearty bowl of creamy, chewy rice porridge packed with some terrific stewed pork, smoked cheese, soft boiled egg, and slices of avocado. Spoon on the tableside chili crisp for maximum pleasure (and wake-up-ness).

The brunch-serving Maya Congee is located at 1013 Fulton Street, right near Grand Avenue, and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The brunch menu is available on weekends only.  

Greenpoint’s Littleneck Outpost finally reopens as Oh Mercy

Fans of chill vibes, good coffee and fantastic sandwiches were dismayed last summer when Andy Curtin shut down his Littleneck Outpost on Franklin Street. Not only did Greenpoint lose a favorite neighborhood daytime hang, it also seemed like the end of the long, glorious, tumultuous story of Brooklyn’s Littleneck mini-empire.

Potato and egg, $12; Cappy, $15; Chicken confit, $16 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Take back those R.I.P.s though, because Curtin made good on his promise to reopen here on Franklin, and, as of last week, the cafe is back up and running with a new partner, Clark Riley of nearby Stowaway, a new name, a spiffy new design and — get this — a liquor license, so now you can drink beer and wine here all day instead of just coffee. Coming soon: nighttime hours, with a new menu of small plates (and more wine).

Plenty of good things remain too. Oh Mercy’s all-day menu has many of Littleneck’s best sandwiches on it, including that lively potato and egg number with Calabrian chilis and provolone cheese, and the decadent chicken confit beast. The pretty backyard patio is still here too, the perfect place to spend an afternoon doing as little as possible.

Oh Mercy is located at 128 Franklin Street, at the corner of Milton Street, and is currently open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with evening hours coming soon.