Longtime NYC Chef Bringing 1st Solo Eatery To Crown Heights

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A new cafe on its way to Franklin Avenue promises to bring the nostalgia of grandma's cooking to the neighborhood — with a unique, international twist.

Agi's Cafe, set to open this fall, is the first solo project for longtime chef Jeremy Salamon, who will honor his Eastern European and Jewish heritage with a menu dedicated to his Hungarian grandmother.

"I’m opening this cafe to preserve my grandmother's distinctive view of Hungary & Eastern Europe and share this often forgotten cuisine with a new generation," Salamon wrote on a Kickstarter for the cafe.

The eatery will open at 818 Franklin Ave., a storefront near Union Street that most recently housed Butter & Scotch, a bar that closed last fall after six years in the neighborhood.

Though an official date has not yet been announced, it is set to open its doors in the fall and most recently got the support of Community Board 9 for its liquor license application.

Salamon, 27, has worked in the restaurant industry for more than 16 years, starting when he was just 11 years old helping chefs at a country club, according to an Eater profile.

He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America and worked alongside chefs in Locanda Verde, Prune, Buvette and Via Carota before becoming executive chef at The Eddy and Wallflower in Manhattan, according to his Kickstarter.

The chef has been planning his solo venture for two years, he said.

"[Agi's Cafe] is an accumulation of my passion, 16+ years of restaurant experience and ambition to finally operate a business of my own," he wrote.

Agi's will include a breakfast, lunch and pastry shop menu with Eastern European and Jewish influence, including schnitzel sandwiches, donuts, specialty cakes and Shabbat dinner boxes.

"I want to create a vibrant neighborhood cafe that reflects the hospitality and generosity of my grandparents. A place to grab a quick pastry and cappuccino in the morning or enjoy a sandwich with friends in the afternoon. A place to catch up with friends and loved ones," Salamon wrote. "Agi’s should feel like home to everyone."