Zurilee Pizza Bar -- A Game-Changing Restaurant to Open Its Doors at 755 Flatbush Ave.
On November 16, 2015, ZuriLee Pizza Bar (pronounced zoo-ry-lee), the much-anticipated newest addition to the burgeoning Prospect Lefferts Gardens region of Flatbush, Brooklyn, will bring a distinctive range of wood fired pies to the neighborhood and redefine the term “pizza joint” for its natives and new residents.
With a menu that goes far beyond your typical pizza fare and ingredients that are locally sourced, ZuriLee Pizza Bar merges the familiarity of one of America’s most beloved food items with the vibrancy of the Caribbean culture that has sustained Flatbush for decades. The East Flatbush, topped with impeccably seasoned jerk chicken; the Black Out, an oxtail-infused delight that is a formidable adversary to the average pepperoni pie; and the Bake & Salt Fish which reminds us that our next island getaway is incredibly overdue – are just a few unique dishes the restaurant will be offering to thrill the palates of its patrons. ZuriLee – a portmanteau of the middle names of two of the owners’ daughters – will also offer items for the slightly less adventurous appetite, including an Atlantic Salmon and a Habanero Bronzini.
The innovation does not end at the menu, however – the décor and interior design of ZuriLee is unprecedented in Flatbush. The 2200 square foot space is equipped with a 23 foot-long bar, designed by Brooklyn-based woodworker Henry Shaulov, and stocked with over 40 different types of tequila and a 12-beer draught system. Live musicians will provide entertainment on select nights and patrons will be treated to wall-to-wall artwork hand painted by Richie Soto, a visual artist who is also Brooklyn-based and whose illustrations are just as colorful and offbeat as the menu.
ZuriLee PizzaBar is the second establishment conceptualized and operated by the Brooklyn Burrowes Restaurant Group, a team of four Guyanese-American brothers who also founded MangoSeed, which brought Caribbean food in a more refined – yet still authentic – form to Flatbush, in 2009. The brothers grew up mere blocks away from where the two restaurants now sit almost side-by-side between Clarkson and Lenox Avenues, and are committed to playing a pivotal role in the neighborhood’s evolution. Future projects range from more hospitality businesses to real estate investments; but at present, all focus is on establishing ZuriLee Pizza Bar, which is truly a culmination of all things Burrowes Brothers, as a Flatbush staple and will spearhead the transformation of the community they call home.