Splitting Hairs in Forest Hills

On a recent 50-degree day, I pushed open the door at the soon-to-be Bonfire Grill to see what was shaking there. Lots of wood and workers, for starters. Amid the saw dust, and in spite of the toxic paint smell (water-based, they said!), I understood that it was going to be a beautiful place, and man, what a bar. Feeling emboldened by easy access, I went into the building’s basement to sniff out an owner, whom I found in an office that lookeding semi-loaded (the office, that is!) with a laptop and flat-screen television. My kind of management.

A chat revealed the following—

• The owners have other restaurants, most notably one on the Upper East Side called The Uptown Lounge.
• One of the owners used to work at (or own—it’s one of those two) the Irish Cottage, so when Wine Bar put out signals that it was closing down, he moved on it. That explains why this particular restaurant management team is banging some stakes into Forest Hills.
• I asked if they were hiring; my impression is that they had already run through that process, but if anyone is interested, keep checking craigslist in case they advertise for more staff. And of course, once they open, just ask the manager.
• Yeah, we heard there’s going to be brunch on weekends. Mardi Gras also serves brunch, by the way, and Bonfire’s owner did mention that particular down-the-block competitor as comparable to what they have in mind, though their menu will be more aligned with Uptown Lounge’s. Actually, I just hope that by “brunch,” they mean starting at 9, because that’s a painful void in Forest Hills since UJs closed down.

Projected opening date, at least as of that conversation, is March 10, so keep your eyes open and let readers of Splitting Hairs know if you get there first.