Habana Outpost reOpens today!

I'm excited about today's reopening of one of the nicest recent brooklyn additions, Habana Outpost.

Located on the corner Fulton and South Portland in Fort Green, it's both an open air space and indoor restaurant/bar/market/social meeting point. Cuban/Mexican flavored food rule the day just like at "Habana Café" (the first in the Habana family of establishments in Soho) but among differences between this locale and the Manhattan original is that Habana Outpost boasts a mini fountain, solar power, biodegradable utensils and a human powered smoothie making process in addition to the great menu.

People love to chill at Outpost and they love the food (I do too) so expect to wait for your order and expect to be rewarded for the wait. Fortunately the atmosphere is socially mellow so you're bound to have someone to chat up (frequently a looker) while you strain to hear if your name's been announced.

Another thing about Habana Outpost is it provides a great window into who and what is new in the neighborhood simply because so many people can't help but to lounge there.

Personally I feel I see newer and newer faces every year which occassionally makes me wonder how many long time neighborhood residents drop in. After all the while Habana Outpost is relatively new (opened in 2005) and there is a history of this sort of eclectic mix of social interaction (food, movies, flea markets) in Brooklyn culture in general and Fort Green/Bed Stuy in particular. For example the West Indian Day Parade and to a slightly smaller degree the African Street Festival have provided a mix culture, food and social atmosphere for over 35 years in Brooklyn and while I see residents from Fort Green and Bed-Stuy at those events I feel like I don't see as many of those locals at the newer great establishments like Habana. It makes me wonder if long time residents feel as inclined to drop in as I do.

So Brooklynites tell a friend grab your elders or bring the kids and let's all toast to new face and old faces enjoying the delicious food(especially the mexican roasted corn) the smoothies, chilled beers and general goodtimes that have made Habana Outpost a cool addition to summers in Brooklyn.