Governor Will Not Reopen

The owners of Colonie, Gran Electrica, and Governor announced over the weekend that, due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, they will not be reopening Governor.

"In the aftermath of this dreadful storm, we assessed the destruction at Governor caused by five feet of water, and we were determined to rebuild our fledgling restaurant.  But despite our commitment and the subsequent and remarkable outpouring of support in all forms--from individuals, the restaurant industry and the community, we have, regrettably, been forced to accept that the scope and scale of repairing the damage to our restaurant is beyond our means financially.

It is with a very heavy heart that we must humbly face up to this fact."

We had the good fortune of eating at Governor shortly after the restaurant opened, but the unfortunate news serves as a reminder of the storms severity. We're sad to see the restaurant close, as it had quickly received city-wide acclaim, neighborhood praise, and two stars from Pete Wells in the mere four months it was open. Benefits held and donations made since Sandy have raised over $50,000 for the restaurant, but Tamer Hamawi, one of three owners, "estimated the damage at $300,000 to $350,000," writes Wells in an article for Diner's Journal. The owners are offering to return all the donations.

Along with Hamawi, Elise Rosenberg and Emelie Kihlstrom will continue to pour their efforts into their other two projects, "We will continue to operate Colonie and Gran Electrica and refocus our efforts on making these businesses viable in their Brooklyn neighborhoods for the long term." The statement also reveals that Brad McDonald, who served as the executive chef for the restaurant group, will be moving on "to spend time with his wife and two young children." [StongBuzz] [Diner'sJournal]

Pete Wells Hangs with the Governor

Remember that scene in Scent of a Woman when Al Pacino's (blind) character Colonel Slade tears it up behind the wheel of a red Ferrari?  That was all shot in DUMBO in '92.  Twenty years later, chef Brad McDonald and the trio behind Colonie and Gran Electrica opened Governor in the same Brooklyn neighborhood.  Today, Pete Wells gives their efforts two stars.

Tamer Hamawi, Elise Rosenberg, and Emelie Kihlstrom have opened three restaurants since February 2011, when they introduced their vision to the world via Colonie on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.  The restaurant received a star from Sam Sifton three months after it opened.  In March this year, the trio got their hands messy with masa and opened Gran Electrica on Front Street in DUMBO, serving their take on the cuisine of Mexico.  Governor opened in July four months later and two blocks east.

Wells finds the DUMBO neighborhood similar to Tribeca, "With its axle-shattering cobblestones leading to a river, its expensive lofts, its S.U.V.’s and au pairs and its acronym."  There was a heavy on the food this go round, as will likely be the case when you're talking about a chef who has Noma and Per Se on their resume, a fact McDonald is guilty of.  The celery root "pasta" was "cool, smart and unexpectedly seductive."  The flavors in McDonald's version of beef tartare "hit you right where they should," and McDonald's desserts are equally appealing, "A disc of chocolate ganache, outfitted with bits of cocoa Rice Krispies Treats, was dark and intensely brooding, and a flat macaron topped with cajeta was an ideal partner for macerated strawberries.

Restaurants in Brooklyn like Saul and Franny's are key players in the Brooklyn dining scene.  Newcomers like Governor, Battersby, and Gwynnett St share an ambition to elevate the borough's cuisine.  A growing presence of like-minded restaurants reflects a shift in the borough's dining trends.  While Governor may not be a fine dining restaurant, the fare is fine and the room is elegant.  These things come at a price and add to the fact that a meal in Brooklyn is becoming more likely to reflect the price of dinner across the river in Manhattan.  In his review of Gwynnett Street today, Ryan Sutton explains "Brooklyn fine-dining has become as expensive as Manhattan dining."  He encourages New Yorkers to, "Get used to it."

For more on Governor, check out our First Bite.

First Bite: Governor

Welcome to First Bite, a new feature at DigestNY where we post about some of the city's most anticipated restaurants shortly after they open. We'll take some pics, eat some food, digest, and then report back to you. This go round it's Governor in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood. It's the third restaurant from the team behind Gran Electrica nearby on Front Street, and Colonie in Brooklyn Heights. Bradford McDonald is the chef. His time at Per Se and Noma shows in his clean flavors and slick plating.

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