SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

The grilled whole salmon from the newly-reborn Amberjack V Mediterranean restaurant.

Amberjack V

The Amberjack V (Emmons Avenue, Pier 10), a long-time staple of Sheepshead Bay’s harbor cruise fleet, was reborn when it reopened on Friday as a Mediterranean restaurant operated by the same folks behind Anatolian Gyro (1605 Sheepshead Bay Road).

The new seafood restaurant, cafe and bar will keep the old name to honor its former owners, but won’t be making the trip out into the open ocean anytime soon, said Metin Turan, Anatolian’s owner and now partner in the Amberjack. Instead, they’ll be serving their Turkish and Mediterranean fare dockside, only leaving port for special event cruises.

The restaurant has a full bar and the menu is dominated by seafood, befitting its location on the waters of Sheepshead Bay. It has two floors, seating approximately 150, and in good weather will also have outdoor seating. Belly dancers and live music will take place on the ship’s deck, luring in would-be patrons.

“People want to come and eat and enjoy the city’s waters, and listen to a little music,” Turan said. ”It’s something new and something interesting [for the Sheepshead Bay marina].”

The 120-foot-long vessel was previously owned by Fred Ardolino, who also owns the Atlantis, a larger cruise boat docked in the Bay. The Amberjack V has made history twice – first when Ardolino became the first in the Bay to convert a fishing boat to a dinner cruise ship in the late 1980s; and again on September 11, 2001, when she and the captain, Vincent Ardolino, played a pivotal role helping evacuate survivors from Manhattan to other boroughs in the largest sea evacuation in history.

And if anyone thinks opening a restaurant on a ship in the Bay is a bad business decision after Hurricane Sandy, Turan is undeterred.

“This was here in Sandy and nothing happened to it. The good thing about the boat, as long as you [give the rope slack], the boat goes up with the water,” Turan said. “And you can always take the boat out to a safer place.”

The Amberjack V will celebrate its grand opening at noon on Sunday.

Looks like MetroPCS has opened up a new location at 1401 Avenue Z, on the corner of East 14th Street.

The business opened its doors a week or two ago. It replaces Admire Boutique, which moved across the street and down the block after Superstorm Sandy.

We’re not sure, but this location could be a move for the MetroPCS that was at 1710 Sheepshead Bay Road, which shuttered after Sandy. Another MetroPCS location opened and then quickly closed on Sheepshead Bay Road in 2012, just around the corner from where this one is now located.

Good luck in the new location, fellas.

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz. It was issued yesterday.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is pleased to announce that his district office has returned to its longtime home at 1800 Sheepshead Bay Road.

The office, which was destroyed along with most of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue by Sandy, moved back to the Bay today from its temporary location on Coney Island Avenue.

“As Sheepshead Bay continues its slow but steady recovery from Sandy, we’re pleased to be back among our neighbors and I invite constituents to come in and visit,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said.

The district office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Fridays until 5 p.m. The phone number is (718) 743-4078. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz may also be reached by email at cymbros@assembly.state.ny.us.

Photo by Erica Sherman

State Senator Marty Golden has scheduled two visits of the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Insurance Response Unit to aid victims in his district who were affected by Superstorm Sandy.

• Today, March 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the NYS Department of Financial Services Mobile Command Center will be in Sheepshead Bay, on the corner of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue.
• Tomorrow, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Mobile Command Center will be outside the Gerritsen Beach Public Library, 2808 Gerritsen Avenue.

Staff will be available to assist homeowners and business owners with the following:

• City, state and federal relief programs and how to get help
• Questions about the insurance claims process in New York
• Seeking resolution on your claims with your insurer or bank
• Filing an official complaint against an insurer or bank

Anyone who can’t visit the Mobile Command Center in person can file complaints through the New York State Disaster Relief website, www.nyinsure.ny.gov or by calling the Disaster Relief Hotline, (800) 339-1759, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.

Muni-Meters across the Sandy-damaged areas have been removed and replaced with traffic cones.

ONLY ON SHEEPSHEAD BITES: The Department of Transportation cut down and removed dozens of Muni-Meter machines this week. But instead of suspending parking regulations on affected streets, the agency is asking residents to walk several blocks to the nearest meter and pay.

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KamaSutra sex toy shop got neighbors all hot and bothered when it opened in 2010, but gained some sympathy when it became one of the first stores to make clear it wasn’t reopening after Superstorm Sandy got it all wet and dirty.

Seemingly overnight, a new T-Mobile cell phone store and internet cafe opened up in the 1717 Sheepshead Bay Road storefront, replacing the business and hearkening back to the heady days of, um, cell phone shops opening on Sheepshead Bay Road and internet cafes being a thing. What was that, like, 2004? Where has the time gone…

Welcome to the neighborhood, T-Mo.

A sign hangs in the newly constructed glass storefront of Munchinette, at 1738 Sheepshead Bay Road, proudly declaring that the business will reopen soon.

The eatery – with its smoothies, wraps, sandwiches and protein shakes – has been closed ever since Superstorm Sandy flooded the corridor. Although we haven’t spoken to the owner since the storm, we know he has been planning to give the entire place a facelift for several years.

The new space is already looking good, with the storefront’s walls built out all the way to its property line, adding a bit of space. We, and hundreds of Bally’s members, I’m sure, are looking forward to their reopening.

C’mon already, I’m cravin’ chicken parm here!

Well, looks like I won’t have to wait much longer. The storefront of Delmar Pizza & Italian Eatery at 1668 Sheepshead Bay Road is just about done, with new facade and all. We stopped in there today, and the interior still needs work, but the owner tells us the hardest part is behind them. They were constructing a brand new counter, which looks like it runs a little longer than the previous one – but it’s okay, they’ve pushed back the back wall, too, so the seating area will stay about the same.

They will be open in early spring if all goes according to plan. That’s just a few weeks away, and another reason to celebrate the end of this dreadful, depressing winter.

Source: NYS DFS

If you need help with an insurance issue, the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) Insurance Response Unit is coming to Sheepshead Bay.

Staff from DFS will be providing insurance assistance from its Mobile Command Center (MCC) on the corner of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue (in front of El Greco Diner), March 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

They will be helping homeowners and business owners with:

• City, state and federal relief programs and how to get help
• Questions about the insurance claims process in New York
• Seeking resolution on your claims with your insurer or bank
• Filing an official complaint against an insurer or bank.

Bring all relevant documents with you when you visit the MCC, such as correspondence with your insurer or bank.

If you can’t visit the MCC in person you can always get help with insurance issues or file complaints via the NYS Disaster Relief site www.nyinsure.ny.gov or by calling the Disaster Relief Hotline at (800) 339-1759 Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Delmar Pizza & Italian Eatery at 1668 Sheepshead Bay Road hung up a temporary “opening soon” banner this week. So please – please, please, please, please, please – stop e-mailing, calling, texting, Facebooking and Tweeting me about whether or not they’ll open. They’re opening. Soon.

Just how soon? When we stopped by this morning, the owners there – who’ve been paying for repairs out-of-pocket because of delays in government loans – said they’re confident they’ll be tossing dough before March.

Don’t expect the same ol’ Delmar, though. Yes, it’ll have the classic, scrumptious pizza we all know and love. But they’re altering the floor layout and adding a salad bar. Oh, and all the memorabilia hanging on the walls? It all survived Sandy.

See you soon, chicken parm on a roll. I promise.