GO Brooklyn: Full articles

Thanksgiving? It all starts with a great turkey

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:32 EST

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

No matter how much effort we put into our side dishes, the turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table. Yes, there are some people who don’t like turkey, feeling like they’re wasting valuable plate space with a balsa-wood bird. But you can turn those critics into carnivores by brining your turkey overnight.

Brining ensures that the finished product will be moist and flavorful — and stuffing the fowl with aromatics like apples, onions, clementines, sage, rosemary and cinnamon helps add a lovely flavor.

And in the never-ending debate over high-heat or medium-heat cooking, I prefer to stand in the fire. I start my turkey in a 500-degree oven to develop a beautiful golden color and crisp skin, then cover the breast with an aluminum foil “shield” and continue cooking at a lower temperature for about two hours. This method ensures that the breast meat is done at the same time as the dark meat, so the whole turkey is nice and moist.

Bottom line: This is a turkey that everyone will enjoy.

Cider Brined Roasted Organic Turkey with Giblet Gravy

Makes a 15-pound turkey for 12 people with some leftovers

For the brine

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, unpeeled

1-1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1-1/2 teaspoons juniper berries

1 teaspoon whole cloves

5 pieces whole star anise

5 cinnamon sticks

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup Kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 quarts apple cider

2 quarts chicken stock

Cold water to cover

2 trays ice cubes

For the aromatics

1 apple, quartered

1 small onion, quartered

1 clementine, halved

2 sprigs fresh sage

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cinnamon sticks

Cut a piece of cheesecloth eight inches square. Place the peppercorns, ginger, allspice, juniper, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and rosemary in the center of the cloth and tie together with kitchen twine. In a large pot, combine the salt, brown sugar, apple cider and spice bag. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for five minutes, cover and set aside to steep for 30 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool. Remove the spice bag and discard. (The brining liquid can be made to this point and refrigerated up to five days ahead).

In a pot large enough to hold the turkey, combine the brining liquid and chicken stock. Remove the giblet bag inside and rinse the turkey. Submerge the turkey, breast side down, in the brining liquid and add enough cold water to cover. Place the ice cubes — which tighten the skin — on top, cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours, or up to 18 hours.

At least one hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and drain well. Allow to air dry in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Stuff the turkey with the aromatics. Tie the legs closed with kitchen twine.

Set a rack in the center of the oven, have ready a roasting pan and rack large enough to hold the turkey. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Rub the turkey all over with vegetable oil. Make a foil triangle that is large enough to cover the entire topside of the breast. Fit it to the turkey, to form a shield, and then carefully remove the shield and set aside for later (place it down carefully so the foil shield keeps its shape). Sprinkle the entire bird lightly with salt. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, being careful not to hit the bone. Place the turkey on the rack in the pan and roast to develop a beautiful golden brown color.

After one-half hour, decrease the temperature to 350 degrees, place the foil shield over the breast, and cook for an additional two to two-and-a-half hours until the thermometer reads 165 degrees. Remove from oven, cover entirely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For the gravy

1-1/2 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 rib of celery, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 small onion, thinly sliced

Contents of giblet bag, rinsed, neck cut into two-inch pieces.

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt and pepper

In a heavy bottomed soup pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook until slightly softened, about eight minutes.

Add the giblets, increase the heat to high and brown the pieces, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes. Add the flour and stir well to combine. Keep stirring for an additional two minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a medium pot until hot. Slowly whisk the stock into the browned giblet mixture. Add the bay leaves and brown sugar and stir to combine. Bring the gravy to a simmer and reduce until the desired consistency. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the gravy, discarding the solids, and keep warm until serving.

Comment on this story.

Who says bacon can’t get dates?

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:31 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

These are a great appetizer to serve while you are waiting for everyone to arrive. They can be prepped up to two weeks ahead and frozen. Pop them in the oven 20 minutes before your guests are expected. Early arrivals will hope the other guests get stuck in traffic.

Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates

Makes three dozen hors d’oeuvres

18 Medjool dates, pitted, cut lengthwise in half

36 whole blanched almonds

12 strips center cut bacon

Line a four-sided cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray. Place one almond into the center of each date half. Pinch and roll the date around the almond.

Cut the bacon into thirds, lengthwise. Wrap each date in a piece of bacon and place cut side down on the greased foil.

When ready to bake, center a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is cooked. Serve warm.

Comment on this story.

Stuffing with a difference!

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:32 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

I love to use different types of sausage for this bread pudding. I recently discovered some wild boar and red wine sausage at our local Los Paisanos family owned butcher on Smith Street. It was an incredible substitution for the pork sausage here.

Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage and Escarole

Makes 12 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, peeled, cut in half, and thinly sliced crosswise (roughly one and one-half cups sliced)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 pound fresh mild Italian sausage (about four links), casings removed

1/2 of a large head of escarole, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly (about two quarts sliced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons water

6 large eggs

1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1-1/2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

10 cups (one-inch cubed) French or country-style day- (or two-) old bread

Pour oil into a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and stir often until soft and lightly blonde, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in garlic and crumble sausage into pan. Stir often until meat is no longer pink, eight to 10 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat if necessary.

Add escarole to sausage mixture in pan and reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper and add the two tablespoons of water. Stir until escarole is wilted, about four minutes. Remove pan from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Dijon, salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika until combined. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Stir in one cup Gruyère (reserve the remaining half cup for sprinkling over the top).

When ready to bake, combine the custard and the sausage mixture in a very large mixing bowl. Add the bread cubes and combine well. Let the mixture soak for at least 30 minutes, and up to two hours, depending on how dry your bread is. (There should be no “crispy” pieces of bread in the mixture after soaking)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Scrape mixture into a buttered nine-inch by 13-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the bread pudding with the remaining cheese.

Bake until top is golden and pudding is slightly “pouffed,” about 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. If top is brown after 30 minutes, cover loosely with foil and continue to bake. Serve warm.

Comment on this story.

A killer mushroom soup

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:34 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

This is a great soup, full of wonderful earthy mushrooms. Roasting the mushrooms concentrates their flavor. It is an elegant first course that acts as a preview of the delicious meal to come.

Roasted Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry

Makes 12 servings

2-1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms (cremini, portobello, shiitake and white button), cut into one-inch pieces

3/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion

3 carrots, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 celery ribs, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped coarsely

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped coarsely

5 cups Vegetable Stock

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup dry sherry

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees. Spray two cookie sheets lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms with 1/2 cup of olive oil, two teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Divide amongst the two cookie sheets and spread out evenly. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes, until tender.

In a large heavy bottomed pot set over medium heat, combine onion, carrots, celery, cumin, remaining olive oil, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook while stirring occasionally until softened, about 20 minutes.

Add the roasted mushrooms and cover with the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the fresh parsley and thyme and cook for an additional five minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a standard blender (in batches) until desired consistency. Return to soup pot, and stir in heavy cream and sherry. Add additional vegetable stock if the soup is too thick. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of warmed heavy cream and chopped parsley for garnish.

Comment on this story.

Mashed potatoes with a parsnip twist

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:35 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

Everyone loves roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and the parsnips add a subtle sweetness that I adore. The toasted breadcrumbs sprinkled on just before serving may be gilding the lily, but I love the buttery crunch it lends to the creamy mash.

Parsnip and Potato Mash with Roasted Garlic and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Makes 12 servings

For the roasted garlic cream

24 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup best quality breadcrumbs, unseasoned

1 clove of peeled garlic, minced

2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into two-inch pieces

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Center a rack in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the 24 garlic cloves in a small baking dish. Drizzle one tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil over the garlic, and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the garlic is soft and golden. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, butter, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and heat until the mixture is hot and the butter is melted. Add the roasted garlic cloves and puree with an immersion blender until smooth (alternatively, you can puree the mixture in a blender until smooth). Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator up to five days or until ready to use.

Heat the remaining olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toast while stirring until golden, about three minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until just before serving.

On the day of serving, place the potatoes and parsnips in a medium-large pot. Cover with cold water and add one tablespoon salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil, over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well and return to pot (keep very warm).

Meanwhile, reheat the garlic cream until hot over medium heat, but do not boil. Pour the hot garlic cream over the still warm potatoes and mash to desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Sprinkle the toasted garlic breadcrumbs over the top just before serving.

Comment on this story.

These baked pairs are one great dish

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:31 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

I love something sweet next to all these savory dishes, and these baked pears are perfect. As an added bonus, they smell like absolute heaven in the oven. This is a great “signature” dish for you or your kids to make. It’s so easy and delicious, it’ll become a new tradition for sure.

Baked Forelli Pears with Salty Pistachios

Makes 12 servings

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup of water

6 Forelli Pears

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup vegetable stock

Kosher salt and pepper

For the spice butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons minced candied ginger

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Salty Pistachios

1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, shelled

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Center a rack in your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a pie plate or cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray. Combine all the spice butter ingredients and mix until well blended. Chill before using. In a small bowl, combine all pistachio ingredients, spread out on baking pan in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before chopping roughly into pieces.

When ready to bake on day of serving, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and water. Slice the pears in half lengthwise, and remove the core with a melon baller.

Lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Dip the pears in the lemon water (to prevent browning) and place them cut side up in the baking dish. Evenly divide the spiced butter between the pears, filling the hole from the core in each one. Pour the sherry and vegetable stock into the baking dish and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until knife tender. Place the baked pears on a serving dish and spoon some of the cooking liquid over each. Sprinkle with salty pistachios and serve warm with the meal.

Comment on this story.

And of course you need cranberry sauce

By Melissa Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:34 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Melissa Murphy

for The Brooklyn Paper

This recipe will help use up that box of clementines! The cranberry sauce can be made up to one week ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

Jellied Cranberries with Clementine

Makes eight servings

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

Zest and juice of three clementines

1 cup sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Combine ingredients in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half. Pull out the cinnamon sticks and spoon the cranberries into a 12-ounce mold which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cool to room temp before wrapping in plastic and refrigerating until cold (at least three hours). Gently loosen the sides of the jelly with a small sharp knife before inverting onto a serving dish.

Comment on this story.

The meal is useless without this pie

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:16:30 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

for The Brooklyn Paper

There’s only one way to punctuate the perfect meal — and that’s with Melissa Murphy’s perfect apple pie. We ran this recipe last year and offer it again as a tribute to its lasting greatness.

Apple Pie with Buttery Cinnamon Crumble

Serves one Murphy family

For the filling:

8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced to 1/4-inch slices

Zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated

Juice of one lemon

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Crumble Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

Center a rack in the bottom-third of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (to catch drips), and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the apples with lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle the sugar, flour and salt over the apples and combine well. Pour the apples into a nine- or 10-inch unbaked pie shell, and spread evenly.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt with your fingers, rubbing the mixture between your hands so that there are no lumps. Add the melted butter and mix with your fingers until combined. Crumble the topping over the apples.

Place the pie on the lined cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 55–60 minutes or until the juices are bubbling thick and a toothpick inserted into the apples offers little resistance. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Comment on this story.

Finally, real British football with real British food

By Will Yakowicz — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:10:03 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Will Yakowicz

The Brooklyn Paper

Plenty of bars show European football matches, but at the long-awaited Black Horse Pub in Park Slope, you can watch Manchester United live while eating fried eggs, Irish bacon, black pudding, sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and fried toast — and wash it down with a spot of tea or a pint of Guinness.

“To get a man out here and watch football at 10 in the morning, you need the full English breakfast,” said Brian McNally, the co-owner of the Black Horse Pub. “This isn’t just for Brits, but for the entire neighborhood.”

And if you miss the morning football, there’s also a Sunday afternoon roast — a big beef seasoned with thyme, rosemary, and sage, and surrounded with brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding.

“It makes us feel like we’re at home eating Ma’s roast on a Sunday,” said David Sheeran, president of the Barnstonworth Rovers, a Manhattan football club, who was drinking and eating with his teammates on a recent Sunday.

Mick Baldwin, co-owner and head chef, said that Sheeran had perfectly captured the goal of this Cockney castle.

“We are a neighborhood bar, serving residents some good comfort food, and everyone’s a winner, you know what I mean, mate?” he said.

Comment on this story.

Got something to say? Stick it in this artwork

By Will Yakowicz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:51:01 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Will Yakowicz

The Brooklyn Paper

Art is supposed to be honest — but is it supposed to be this honest?

“The best decision I ever made was divorcing you.”

That’s one message that a viewer left inside “Last Words,” an interactive piece of sculpture now on display at the Pratt Institute that takes people’s inner-most secrets and turns it into art.

Artists Michael McDevitt and Otis Kriegel constructed a large cardboard cluster of honeycombs and invited the public to fill the holes with their thoughts — whether from the heart or a different organ.

“It could be a note to a loved one or [a] zinger you didn’t say in your last argument,” said McDevitt, a Pratt professor who co-founded with Kriegel the seminal eight-year-old group Illegal Artists, which always involves viewers in the making of the project.

This piece is about self-reflection, thought, and human connection and using an interactive public space as a forum to create art — a worldly take on the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, where the faithful write down their prayers.

Illegal Artists has done this kind of thing before. Previous projects included a DUMBO storefront covered entirely in Post-it notes two year ago. Another piece, called “The God Project,” featured a large poster of the word “God” with a comma that urged people to complete the sentence.

McDevitt says that such interactive art “is a way to read a passersby’s mind.

“Our spaces in public allow people to contribute and become part of the art itself,” he said.

It certainly does that. One note in “Last Words” read, “Dad, I love you. I hope you’re pain is free from you, and you are happy.”

Then again, not ever message makes artistic sense, such as “If you’re so against tourism, why did you sign up for this tour?”

Then again, maybe it does.

Comment on this story.

Finally, Tom Mylan is on our meat hook!

By Andy Campbell — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:43:26 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Andy Campbell

for The Brooklyn Paper

Celebrity butcher Tom Mylan has broken his silence!

On Wednesday night, The Brooklyn Paper cornered the camouflage-, Buddy Holly glasses- and cigarette-wearing Mylan outside his newest venture, The Meat Hook, and got the legend of lard to talk about the butcher shop he’ll open on Monday.

It wasn’t easy to get Mylan to open up anything but a pig carcass, alas. With the chop shop set to open in three days, the former house butcher for a restaurant group that includes Marlowe and Daughters, was in no mood to chat.

“It’s basically three dudes with sharp knives, and the sky’s the limit,” said Mylan, 33, referring to his buddies and co-butchers Brent Young and Ben Turley. “We like cutting ourselves, you know, lots of pain and blood — so it works.”

Along with a variety of previously grass-fed whole animals for sale, Mylan will join and Brooklyn Kitchen owner Harry Rosenblum to offer courses and demos for aspiring cooks — everything from beer brewing to pig butchering to bread making.

For now, of course, the three butchers are focussing their masochistic energy on Thanksgiving and refurbishing their 7,000-square-foot warehouse into what Young called “the kitchen of our dreams.”

“It’s also a forum to put a lot of weird and awesome stuff in front of the public,” he said.

Beef cheeks are only the beginning. Though the meat isn’t organic certified, Young said it’ll come from small nearby farms that the three will visit themselves. The business will set itself apart by catering to the average Joe who wants a cut for dinner, he said, rather than providing for expensive restaurants.

Two laboratories upstairs will eventually have experts on call every day to help locals conquer any kitchen problem they’re facing at home.

“It’s recession-proof,” Mylan said. “People tend to cook at home, so we might as well have better meat for less money and give them a little help on the side.”

When asked why he fancied blades and hanging carcasses, Mylan shrugged and yawned. Turley added that the three fell into their line of work, and happen to play well as a team.

The first step to success? Opening day.

“We’re gonna have to go balls to the walls on Monday,” Turley said.

It was unclear whether he was talking about the butchers or the meat.

Comment on this story.

Comedy comes to the Knitting Factory

By Meredith Deliso — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:06:02 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Meredith Deliso

Community Newspaper Group

Comedy is coming to the Knitting Factory.

On Nov. 15, “Saturday Night Live” writer Hannibal Buress started hosting a weekly stand-up show at the Williamsburg venue, inviting friends and doing his own routine.

“We’re trying to diversify our programming,” said Chris White, a talent buyer for the venue, which has broadened from music to include a sewing party called “Yarn Dolls” on Sunday afternoons and “Largehearted Lit,” a monthly reading series hosted by author Jami Attenburg.

Buress was a natural fit “because he’s a neighborhood guy,” said White.

For his part, Buress said he was jazzed to be honing his craft on stage with fellow comics Kumail Nanjiani and Baron Vaughn. “It’s great to just to be able to have my own place to try new material and not have to take the train anywhere,” he said.

Living in Brooklyn has helped the Chicago native’s material.

“I saw two Hasidic Jews walk past each other without speaking,” goes one of Buress’s new jokes. “I thought that was weird. If I saw someone with the exact same outfit as me from head to toe, I’d at least stop and say. ‘That’s a nice hat.’”

Comment on this story.

Bar owner defies tarot reading and opens anyway

By Shane Kite — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:16:58 EST

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By Shane Kite

for The Brooklyn Paper

The tarot reading made it clear: “It’s not in the cards!” But bar owner Jesse Levitt ignored the cautious divinations and took inspiration from a different occult omen: He’s steered his destiny to bustling Washington Avenue, where on Nov. 20 he’ll open a new Americana-laden drinkspot filled with Coney Island-style ambience called the Minor Arcana.

Levitt (pictured) says he turned a dismal New Year’s Day reading at a Brighton Beach tarot den — a larkish test of the cosmos which foretold of “bad times” for his new venture — into canny manna: The will to carry on with launching a bar amid the worst recession ever.

But instead of listening to the reading, Levitt, who also owns Kings County in Bushwick, merley renamed his bar from the Flying Monkey to the Minor Arcana, a tarot term that refers to the set of prescribed destinies that one can actually change.

To play up the occult angle, the arty saloon will feature a cabinet of curiosities; a custom-built tempered glass bar that will feature three-dimensional work from local artists; and 1930s-style adverts with modern takes on freak show icons like the strongman and the bearded lady on the walls.

And the vibe? Chill, not shrill.

“It’s a neighborhood spot that’s a fun place to raise a glass; a drinker’s bar,” Levitt said. The artworks are “conversation starters.”

Comment on this story.