openings

Bushwick’s New Caribbean Restaurant Will Make You Feel Like Summer Never Ended

Codfish cakes with coconut ranch. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz

Yes, it’s now sweater weather in New York, but you can easily relive the glory days of summer at a new tropical-themed spot, Sally Roots. Matthew Maddy, James Freeman, and John De Piper — the co-owners of Sweet Science and Featherweight — have opened an all-day diner-like restaurant that serves akee and salt fish, jerk chicken, sweet plantains, and a Cuba Libre cocktail.

The name comes from a ‘60s-era Panamanian record label, Sally Ruth — (De Piper credits the change to a “little inebriated miscommunication”). Because Freeman grew up in St. Croix, he has a particular affinity for this kind of food, and De Piper claims that he comes from a long line of pirates, which Grub is not going to bother fact-checking. Maddy, meanwhile, is a James Beard–nominated restaurant designer, and that’s probably why the backyard already feels as perfectly lived-in and comforting as the food. Take a look:

Braised oxtail. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
Charred avocado with shrimp salad. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
Curried chicken. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
Jerk chicken. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
Sugar For My Honey: sorrel tea, beet, lemon, ginger, pearl liqueur, gin. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
Vacation vibes. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
A late-night menu is launching soon, but for now, you can still eat until midnight. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz
And the bar is open until at least 3 a.m. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz/Paul Wagtouicz

Menu [PDF]

Sally Roots, 195 Wyckoff Ave., (347) 425-0888

Sally Roots Will Make You Feel Like Summer Never Ended