Swoony’s, an ‘American bistro’ from the Cafe Spaghetti team, opens in style 

By Scott Lynch

It was opening night at Swoony’s Bar and Grill, chef Salvatore Lamboglia’s follow-up to his great Cafe Spaghetti right around the corner, and the place already felt like a beloved old favorite.

Not in a worn or sleepy sort of way — Swoony’s is fresh, alive and spiffy — but the service was relaxed and confident right from the start. The house was packed with Carroll Gardens locals and a scattering of cool kids, and Lamboglia’s playlist leapt unapologetically from disco deep cuts to old school crooners and back again. Most important, the food was on point, the end result of a talented kitchen crew having a blast.

“I’m from Bensonhurst, but I’ve lived here in Carroll Gardens for 20 years,” Lamboglia tells Brooklyn Magazine. “This is home. I love it here. So to open a second spot so close to Cafe Spaghetti, and so close to where I live, it’s a dream come true. Plus my dad worked in this exact kitchen, under this hood, many years ago when it was Two Fifteen [Cucina Napoletana]. That in itself is special to me.”

Much of the Swoony’s team worked together at Cafe Spaghetti, and the new place has the same effortless conviviality they nailed over there, but food-wise this isn’t really a sequel, or even a spin-off, of Lamboglia’s first hit.

Lamboglia calls Swoony’s “an American bistro,” and, except for a lobster orzo, you won’t find any pasta on the menu here, or even anything overtly Italian. Instead there’s mashed potatoes, and short rib au poivre, and a wedge salad, and prawns with horseradish, and hanger steak with cowboy butter. “To me, this is comfort,” he says. “It’s soulful. It makes you feel good.”

That it does.

My party of two ordered none of the dishes I mentioned above (though I hope to eat all of them soon), but everything we did get, we loved. The Swoony’s burger is a decadent, double-patty delight, oozing melted American cheese and Thousand Island dressing, a few pickles bringing the acid and, plot twist, it’s served on a lovely soft Portuguese roll. A pile of excellent, heavily salted fries completes the package.

Swoony’s burger and fries, $25 (Scott Lynch)

Two separate Swoony staffers cited the dorade, done up “Manhattan Clam Chowder Style,” as a potential sleeper hit here, and I think they may be right. The fillet is lovely, the skin fairly crackles, and it’s surrounded by littlenecks, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. Portions are substantial, but you probably want to add a side of Swoony’s super-cheesy creamed spinach with whatever else you’re getting, just because it totally rules.

Dorade done up “Manhattan Clam Chowder Style,” $29, with a side of cheesy cream spinach, $11, lurking behind (Scott Lynch)

There’s so much temptation in the starters section of the menu, but after much debate we decided on Lamboglia’s harissa lamb meatballs (“I have to have some kind of meatballs here,” he said) sitting in a puddle of tomato and cucumber yogurt sauce.

Lamb meatballs with cucumber yogurt, $13 (Scott Lynch)

There is also a killer crab Louie, the sweet, mayo-y crustacean salad surrounded by lemon-drizzled vegetables and a jammy egg. These were both very fun and very good.

Crab Louie, $18 (Scott Lynch)

Chocolate mousse and vanilla soft serve lead off the brief list of desserts, and they’re both probably a fine way to end your meal, but there’s no way I could resist Lamboglia’s French Toast, finished tableside with a generous pour of maple syrup made by a neighbor of his named Ken. Signature cocktails will run you about $15 each, wines by glass between $12 and $16, and draft beers are $8, though you can get a bottle of Miller for only $5.

French toast for dessert, $10 (Scott Lynch)

As far as the name of the joint goes, Lamboglia says, “I thought of so many names. So. Many. Names. And then my designer called it ‘Swoony’s’ and I didn’t like it, but after a couple of days I was like you know what? I think we’ll call it Swoony’s. And now that it’s Swoony’s, it sounds like what it looks like. It sounds fun, and it sounds jazzy and like a place where you want to have a steak and a martini.”

Swoony’s is located at 215 Columbia Street, between Union and Sackett Streets, and is currently open from Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. There’s seating for about 60 at the bar and in the dining room, some of which is saved for walk-ins every night.