Cheer up, all you despondent lunch-goers accustomed to dining at the picturesque corner of Brooklyn and Trumbull in Corktown.
After McNally's decided to close up shop and focus solely on its downtown location, longtime waiter Greg Mudge was inspired to take over the space. His restaurant,
Mudgie's, will open Feb. 1.
Mudge will take lessons from his years spent with McNally's. "I think I have a very good idea of what people in this area want," he says. "I have been hearing them ask me for eight years!" However, Mudgie's will not attempt to emulate or imitate McNally's -- for example, he envisions the decor being much sparser.
The menu will be vegetarian-friendly and will lean towards soups and salads rather than sandwiches -- although there will still be plenty of those to chose from. There will be a variety of ice cream floats and "Mudgie's Fudgie," a hot fudge sundae topping a brownie.
Mudge had always envisioned himself owning a restaurant, but had not expected it to come so soon. "I just had to take this opportunity to do something," he says.
Mudgie's will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. He hopes to eventually add a few nights of dinner service and Sunday brunch.
Source: Greg Mudge, Mudgie's
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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