We are doing 4 wines with small plate pairings for $35. Our guest pourer will be Elena from Vias Imports and she will be able to answer any question you have about Italian wines!!!
And the upcoming tastings:
3/7 – Grandma’s Sherry
3/14 – Ronald Reagan’s Wines
3/21 – Organic & Biodynamic Wines
3/28 – Belgian Craft Beers
4/4 – Burgundy
4/11 – Wines of the Revolution
Neighbor Andy Novick just launched a new audio blog, and the first entry is a recording of Crooks and Perverts playing at The Castello Plan this past Wednesday. To help celebrate The Castello Plan’s second anniversary tonight, the band will be back to play some more–you’re welcome to stop by to join in the party, but if you can’t make it, Andy will have a tape delay of the performance up on his site. He notes the site is optimized to look best on an iPhone.
Congratulations to The Castello Plan, which is celebrating its second anniversary this week. Ben sends this note of thanks to the community, and invites everyone to share a complimentary glass of champagne and snacks this Saturday, February 25 at 10pm.
Tomorrow is the first night of The Castello Plan Beer and Wine Festival, and they’re starting out with naturally fermented wines. Taste four natural wines for $35, 8pm, Wednesday, February 22. Call 718-856-8888 to reserve your spot.
The Castello Plan is starting up a Wine & Beer Festival next week. There’s a different tasting every Wednesday night at 8pm for the next eight weeks. Each tasting costs $35–call 718-856-8888 for reservations.
Spend Valentine’s Day at The Castello Plan, where they’ll be having a special four-course, prix-fixe dinner, complete with wine pairings and live music, for $55 per person. Just want to stop by for a nightcap? They’re hosting that too, with champagne, desserts, and a live harp, starting at 11pm. For more information and reservations, call 718-856-8888.
Additionally, they’ve got a new winter menu available, which you can check out here.
New Year’s Eve events are rolling in, and if you haven’t made plans yet, you might consider making a reservation in the neighborhood in the next few days. Here’s a good one from The Castello Plan:
Two seatings are available on New Year’s Eve, so you can stop in for dinner before heading to a party or to watch the ball drop from your own comfy couch, or you can ring in 2012 in at the restaurant.
The 6pm seating is $60 per person, and the 9:30pm seating is $80 per person. Each includes a feat of 10 plates, half a bottle of wine, and a Champagne tasting.
Seating is limited, call 718-856-8888 to make reservations.
The Castello Plan is hosting a special night of world music starting this evening at 8pm:
Jerusalem-born Zafer Tawil is an accomplished Palestinian musician whose areas of expertise include the oud, violin, qanun, and Arab percussion. He has performed with some of the most celebrated world music artists, including violinist and oud master Simon Shaheen and Rai singer Cheb Mami. After moving to New York in 2009, jazz drummer Philip Mayer soon discovered the world of frame drumming- as discovery that led him to India, Spain, Italy, and Israel where he studied Arabic percussion with such masters as Zohar Fresco and Yshai Afterman.
You can learn everything you need to know about choosing wines that will make the whole family happy at Thanksgiving (or ones to keep for yourself) if you sit down for a glass at The Castello Plan and ask Ben for help. Even Saveur knows this, and the magazine consulted him when they asked several sommeliers to suggest wines for Thanksgiving that are worth buying by the case:
Les Chais du Vieux Bourg “BB1″ 2008
Sommelier Ben Heemskerk of Brooklyn’s The Castello Plan says: “Do you know what your sommelier or favorite waiter is going to bring to their Thanksgiving dinner and not share with the rest of the table? This wine. Dirty yet classic; round yet crisp, this is fantastic wine from a fantastic region, the Jura (also known as the worst-kept secret in the elusive wine world).”
Reminder that the Prospect Park South Halloween Parade gathers at 5pm, and the West Midwood Halloween Parade gathers at 6pm.
Looking to fill your kids’ bellies with actual food before they gorge on candy? Picket Fence has a deal today where kids can eat free, with an adult purchase.
Prefer to avoid the clamor of children in costume? Try the Castello Plan, where Sean Moran will be playing the blues, and glasses of blood red wine will be $6 all night.
Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky sent a note earlier today that she’s left her post at The Castello Plan, and she wanted to send her thanks to the neighborhood. Sounds like we’ll see her again soon, though.
Dear Ditmas Park community,
As of this afternoon I am leaving my post as Executive Chef of The Castello Plan. It has been a pleasure to get to know all of you. It’s been a pleasure to cook for you and to share my passion and love of culinary. I want to say thank you to all of my loyal customers. I always looked forward to seeing you at dinner and at brunch, getting to know your tastes and being able to bring something new and exciting to your pallet. A big thanks to all the happy couples who chose me to cook for your weddings, your engagements, your birthdays and other celebrations.
Although I will not be returning to this restaurant I will continue to cook, and will make an announcement in the coming weeks about where my new kitchen will be. I hope to see you all very soon and to cook many more exciting meals for you. This is not goodbye, only a short break between meals. Have a happy Labor Day everybody!
The Castello Plan’s Ben Heemskerk tells us he and Avi Shuker “are proud of the successes we have achieved at The Castello Plan over the last 18 months and would like to thank Natasha for her contribution.” They are working on a new fall menu with their new chef, and will share all the details in the coming weeks.
The New Yorker ventured out to Cortelyou Road recently, and they liked what they found at the trifecta of Mimi’s, Market, and the Castello Plan.
They suggest you try Mimi’s for “hummus so fresh and flavorful it might change your life” (which you can get at lunch too), and they recommend the Castello Plan’s extensive and interesting wine list, which is “sold convincingly by a gently professorial staff,” adding that “it’s a lovely place to have a glass or three.”
Good advice! Grab a bottle for yourself tomorrow when Evanescent, with Bliss Blood and Al Street, play live beginning at 8pm.
Performing this week at The Castello Plan are two artists who play the area a lot, but if you haven’t caught them yet, now’s your chance. Clay Ross is up tonight, Monday, August 1, and Michaela Anne is in on Thursday, August 4. As always, the music begins at 8pm.
Just a heads up that there’s a Groupon deal available today for The Castello Plan: $55 for a wine- or beer-tasting package for two (normally $112). It includes:
Tasting flight of 5 half pours
Wine or belgian beer
Cheese & charcuterie board
Three small plates included
Snatch one up and maybe bring someone who’s never been before.
In general, I think it’d be great to see more of our local businesses on Groupon. If you own a business or want to encourage one of your favorites to get a deal going, you should check out GrouponWorks, their site for business owners. Just make sure to do your homework and figure out if a daily deal is right for you. There is some skepticism about whether it results in enough new repeat business to justify the investment.
A last-minute reminder to check out some great New York City musicians tonight at 8pm at The Castello Plan: Charlie Burnham (pictured), David Phelps, Marcus Rojas will all be playing.
Stop by, enjoy some music, wine, and a new dish of rabbit leg and thigh roasted with thyme & garlic served with Yukon potato in a white wine, carrot, and ginger bisque.
A new dinner menu at The Castello Plan includes this drool-worthy BBQ pork sandwich with pickles and house cherry-BBQ sauce. Also, tonight they’re doing a Father’s Day Special: Ribeye steak served with roasted peaches, pureed yams & summer black truffle from France. Yum–I don’t think you have to be a dad to appreciate that!
Jay and Lee from www.rumbaflamenca.com will be performing at The Castello Plan on Saturday afternoon at 2:00. Enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon on the patio of The Castello Plan with live Spanish Guitar.
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