Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Now Open: Unauthorized Obama Eatery
“In an apparent bid to stand out in the crowded fast food market, a Brooklyn business has rechristened itself ‘Obama Fried Chicken.’ Previously known as Royal Fried Chicken, the eatery, located at Rockaway Parkway and Rutland Road in Brownsville, unveiled its revamped name last Thursday afternoon when the business’s new awning was installed,” says the Smoking Gun. We can only wonder if this fried chicken joint will meet the same fate as Sixpoint’s Hop Obama beer.

Ditmas Park: Home of the City’s Best Hummus
1209 Cortelyou Road (Westminster Road), Ditmas Park; (718) 284-4444
The New York Times reports on the Israeli hummus parlors popping up around the city and says, “The newest of these hummusiot also happens to be the best. Mimi’s Hummus opened in February on Cortelyou Road, the Restaurant Row of Ditmas Park.” At this 8-table spot, owner Mimi Kitani — an Israeli with Moroccan-Kurdish parents — draws culinary influences from each culture and serves 5 types of hummus priced from $8 to $9.

Pizza Pizza
Bloggers across Brooklyn are buzzing about two newcomer pizzerias set to open this week — Ignazio’s (4 Water Street, Dumbo; 718-522-2100) and Anselmo’s (354 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook; 718-775-5386). Time Out New York says that Ignazio’s “menu is mostly devoted to thin-crust and Sicilian pies. Special versions include toppings such as lobster or seasonal greens, like baby dandelion and chicory.” And Slice shares the story behind Anselmo’s: “[Jack] Stella, one of the joint’s three partners, runs a chemical business down the street. He and his colleagues in that business originally bought the building that would house Anselmo’s as a sort of clubhouse where they could take smoke breaks. While gutting it, he discovered the coal oven, and realizing he had the proverbial diamond in the rough, made plans to turn it into a pizzeria. Their loss of a smokers’ lounge is our gain as coal-oven aficionados.”

After the jump: 3 new grocery stores, a new restaurant from a Red Hook ball fields vendor, a secret new Williamsburg eatery, Buttermilk Channel hits the big screen, and more…

“Weird, Awesome Grocery Stores in Brooklyn”
Brooklyn Based gives us the skinny on “three new artisan grocers are slated to open in the next six weeks.” Brooklyn Standard (188 Nassau St. at Jewel, Greenpoint) is scheduled to open today, peddling “as many products from local artisans as possible, and will provide kitchen time in their fully inspected restaurant kitchen for nascent operations.” Brooklyn Fare (200 Schermerhorn Street, Downtown Brooklyn) will feel “something like the Soho Dean DeLuca, but cozier and less stuffy,” and Franny’s off-shoot BKLYN Larder (228 Flatbush Avenue, Prospect Heights) will “carry staples like olive oils, meats and cheeses and some ‘Franny’s style’ prepared foods.”

Red Hook Ball Fields Vendor Opens Restaurant
“This weekend, [Lourdes Pena] and her husband opened Casa Vieja, at 60-07 5th Ave in Sunset Park (between 60th and 61st)… We ate there tonight. Fresh guacamole ($8), cazuela de mariscos ($13) (shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams in a tomato/chipotle broth), enchiladas verde ($6), and pozole ($8). Holy eff, the food was good.” [Chowhound francesb]

Quick Bites
Former Dressler and Dumont chef Cal Elliot has secretely opened a new Williamsburg restaurant called Rye, says Eater… Marco Polo in Carroll Gardens is opening a wine bar, Cobble Hill Blog reports… The Feed said that Sean Penn was filming a scene at Buttermilk Channel on Monday, but according to the comments, the scene starred Naomi Watts playing Valerie Plame… And finally, Eater patiently awaits the opening of Gowanus Yacht Club.