[title]
Perhaps you’ve heard a friend rave about their meal at Crown Shy, with special attention paid to the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Or maybe you saw the jumbo goldfish from Flatiron's latest seafood house swim across your Instagram feed last year. For this and more, you have pastry chef Renata Ameni to thank.
Moving to the U.S. from Brazil when she was 26, Ameni has cooked pastry at some legendary locations in the nation, including Jean-Georges and Eleven Madison Park in New York to California’s three Michelin-starred Manresa, now closed. In 2021, the chef returned to the East Coast and developed the pastry program Crown Shy and Saga working under one of New York’s best talents, chef James Kent.
In an Instagram video, Ameni described working alongside chef Kent and their shared dreams for her to open her own spot. “He always wanted me to open a bakery. I always wanted to open an ice cream shop,” she said, saying that he wanted to call it Renata’s Helados. However, she reasoned she didn’t want to open just an ice cream shop due to the seasonality of it all. Early last year, the hospitality group was tapped by the co-working and innovative hub, The Refinery at Domino to open an all-day concept. Reigniting the conversation, the two jumped at the opportunity.
Sadly, Kent suddenly passed away in June of last year. Since his passing, Saga Hospitality rebranded as Kent Hospitality with the commitment to continuing the chef’s legacy. Part of that included moving forward with his planned expansions, including Flatiron’s seafood house, Time & Tide, and Gregory Gourdet’s multi-concept takeover of the Parisian department store, Printemps (three of which are now open). As of today, the last project Kent had a hand in is now open in Williamsburg. The first Brooklyn venture from the hospitality group, Birdee is serendipitously located at 300 Kent Avenue.
The 3,000-square-foot all-day cafe and pastry counter rests on the ground floor of the former Domino Sugar factory building. The morning menu includes Strawberry Coconut-Cheesecake Danish and a Pepperoni Pizza Croissant, plus a sturdy Egg Sandwich on a Kaiser roll that will only run you $10. Lunchtime calls for the Chicken Caesar Sandwich on focaccia or the USDA Prime Italian Dip with giardiniera, basil-mayo and provolone. Inside the glass pastry case that doubles as a counter, Ameni flexes her Brazilian roots with Pao de Quelijo, Alfajores and Brigaderio or Brazilian truffles. Alongside it, you can find her famous dessert at Crown Shy and Saga: the Sticky Toffee Pudding Trifle. Speaking of her popular favorites, Ameni is bringing her ice cream to the shop. Coming later this spring, Ameni will soon scoop up her famed Satsuma ice cream with toasted meringue and honeycomb and a Strawberry Pistachio Kataifi.
So stop by and grab a pastry on the way or sit a spell and say hello to Williamsburg's latest.
Birdee is now open from 8am-4pm daily.