Josh Cohen of Anella, Calyer, and St. Vitus reached out with the exciting news that he and wife Blair Papagni are planning a yet-unnamed restaurant and bar for the sprawling Williamsburg space that housed Royal Oak. Also onboard are Matthew Maddy of Weather Up, and Matt Zala, who designed the Tertulia and Beauty & Essex spaces. While the food will keep to the same progressive American vein as the couple’s other restaurants, “it’s a pretty big space for us,” Cohen says of the 174-person digs. He hopes to use the back room (where you might’ve spent some Saturday nights dancing hard) for D.J.’ed old-school jazz and private events, and possibly buffet brunches; come spring, there should be sidewalk seating for outdoor brunching. “There’s no proper restaurant in the area,” points out Cohen, who lives with his family nearby. “I’m really excited about the people I’m involved with. Plus, I know everybody around here.” Look for a mid-January opening on this one.
