Cool World is a new bistro from the team behind Celestine and Grand Army

By Scott Lynch

Cool World, a new brasserie, opened without fanfare last week in the short-lived Xilonen space on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg border, and it comes swaggering into the neighborhood with impressive hospitality cred.

The owners are Noah Bernamoff, Julian Brizzi, and Rachel Bailin, who also run Celestine in Dumbo, Grand Army in Boerum Hill, and the swanky newish Pebble Bar in Rockefeller Center. Bernamoff is also the guy behind the great Mile End in Boerum Hill, and still co-owns Black Seed bagels; and Brizzi also manages Rucola in Cobble Hill and Nicky’s Unisex in Williamsburg.

So all of that pretty much guarantees that Cool World will be a both organized and a lot of fun — and, based on our lengthy meal here on night number two, it is both of those things. But what’s extra exciting about the new spot is the kitchen crew, led by chef Quang Nguyen and pastry chef Amanda Perdomo, both from the acclaimed Wildair on the Lower East Side.

A cool world inside and out (Scott Lynch)

“Every space has its own character and its own sort of appeal,” Bernamoff tells Brooklyn Magazine. “What we really want to be at Cool World is a neighborhood restaurant with food that you can eat every day, that a whole table of people can come to with all their specific requirements and have a great time. So maybe some people would call it a bistro, maybe some people would call it brasserie. Whatever it’s called, we think of it as a neighborhood restaurant.”

Nguyen’s menu is stacked with classics, with plenty of curve balls thrown in to keep things lively. The raw bar, for example, has oysters, of course, and shrimp cocktail, but there’s also scallops in a melon aguachile.

Raw scallop in melon aguachile, $22 (Scott Lynch)

The rarebit toast is flecked with bonito, a plate of shishito peppers and squash blossoms is done up tempura style, and the excellent wedge salad co-stars smoked shiitakes and a potent black garlic ranch.

Wedge salad with smoked shiitakes and black garlic ranch dressing; $14 (Scott Lynch)

A half dozen entrees are available, with enough variety and appeal that, if possible, ordering and sharing everything for the table is the way to go. The lamb shoulder is prepared as a confit, so it’s dense and rich, with a pair of bright toppings — a sabayon and a chimichurri — evening things out.

Confit lamb shoulder, $36 (Scott Lynch)

The steak frites guest stars umeboshi, or salted Japanese plums, and the roasted duck gets some acid from pluots and an orange jus.

Nguyen is equally mischievous with his seafood, like the pile of lovely, tender mussels laden with the funk of both miso and ‘nduja.

Mussels with miso and ‘nduja, plus fries, $22 (Scott Lynch)

And the crisp, pan-roasted skate wing comes with pho broth. The fries that arrive with the mussels are terrific, and can also be ordered as a side, though Nguyen’s loaded-up dirty rice feels like the winner in this category.

Dirty rice, $8 (Scott Lynch)

Perdomo’s flaky pastry shell that forms the base of Cool World’s vegan entree, a hearty mushroom tart packed with maitake, is a marvel of butterless baking.

Vegan mushroom tart, $26 (Scott Lynch)

And her desserts nearly steal the whole show. The lemon tart gets torched for a crackling finish, then topped with syrupy cherries, and the many-layered coffee and pecan opera cake provides an instant party.

Lemon tart, $9 (Scott Lynch)

The off-menu vegan dessert, a delightfully sour cherry granita, is worth asking about even if everyone at your table eats everything. But our favorite of the dessert foursome was maybe Perdomo’s floating island, a mound of sticky meringue sitting in sweet creme anglaise and finished with caramelized peaches.

Floating island, $9 (Scott Lynch)

Beer and wine is available, of course, and cocktails clock in at $16 and include the likes of a frozen rum and coke and a mango mezcal daisy. Bernamoff told us that frozen drinks will also be sold out of a takeout window soon, as well as “fried chicken sandwiches and other things like fried chicken sandwiches or complementary to fried chicken sandwiches.”

As far as the name Cool World goes, the restaurant is not a homage to Ralph Bakshi’s 1992 cartoon/live action movie which played as a kind of raunchy Roger Rabbit and featured Brad Pitt. “It’s not meant to be ironic or jokey,” Bernamoff said. “Anyone can come here and feel cool because we’re just going to treat you like a VIP, and hopefully you’ll enjoy your food and your drinks. It’s just a nice, fun, comfortable restaurant to come to and that, we think, is what makes it so cool.”

Bonus: the infinity mirrors in the bathrooms make for really cool selfies.

Cool World is located at 905 Lorimer Street, at the corner of Nassau Avenue, and is currently open on Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight.