The team behind Smorgasburg farm-to-sandwich fixture Landhaus and The Wood combine for the ultimate al fresco dine and drink experience

The chefs behind Landhaus, the beloved farm-to-sandwich and grilled maple bacon sticks Smorgasburg fixture, along with the owners of the popular Brooklyn neighborhood bar and DJ venue The Woods, have partnered to launch a season-perfect venue for early fall outdoor dining enthusiasts.

Serving twists on American classics that complement the bar’s selection of craft beers, artisanal spirits, and cocktails, Landhaus at The Woods offers casual dinner in the courtyard, a boozy weekend brunch, or late night snack at the bar.

Chef/partners Matthew Lief, Michael Felix, and Maria Dela Cruz met while working at Le Caprice at Manhattan’s Pierre Hotel, then launched Landhaus as a stand at Smorgasburg in 2011. Joining forces with The Woods, they’ve now built a full kitchen and updated The Woods’ courtyard to include indoor and outdoor beer garden style seating.

Lief was born in New York City and spent much of his childhood between New Jersey and Maine. He moved to South Africa to work for his brother’s organization, the Ubuntu Education Fund, which helps children orphaned by HIV. Originally contracted for six months, he stayed four years, during which he assisted unemployed elders in creating food gardens, ran soup kitchens, and was introduced to braai, the South African style of barbecue. Felix grew up in a multicultural LA household, with a Mexican father and a half-Korean, half- Mexican mother—a mix that resulted in family dinners that ranged from bulgogi to carnitas. After relocating to New York at the age of twenty, he started working at The Grand Hyatt, where he spent four years before moving on to Le Caprice.

Dela Cruz’s diminutive stature (4’11”) belies the fact that she will “out cook anyone.” Born in Manila and spending early childhood between Los Angeles and the Philippines, she studied at The Art Institute of California and, after graduating, moved to New York, rising through the ranks to become a sous chef at Soho House before moving on to Le Caprice.

The partners’ new eatery will introduce an extensive menu that reflects their diverse culinary backgrounds: American, Korean, Mexican, and Filipino. Fresh, inventive takes on American and Southern classics include the Haus Burger, with Creekstone beef and haus sauce; Grilled Cheese Deluxe—a three-cheese sandwich on rosemary Pullman bread with mushroom butter; the SXSW (beef frank, with oxtail chili and queso jalapeno); and the venerable Steak Sandwich with horseradish potato and arugula. Large dishes are highlighted by the Crispy Confit Chicken Wingz (sweet, spicy, and smoky at once); Pollock Fish Tacos with chipotle crema, cabbage, and pico di gallo; and the current Industry staff obsession Chicken & Waffle (southern fried wings with Belgian waffle in maple butter…transcendent). Anything ordered must be accompanied by the grilled corn with crumbled feta, cilantro, and other spices. Diners order directly from the rear kitchen or from the two bars and have a variety of seating options, and guests can also dine at communal tables in the main room or rear bar.

Early fall enticements include Tiki and frozen drinks available at the outdoor bar. Tiki options include a Ginger Mai Tai, a Blue Hawaiian (blue curacao, vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice, and agave), Zombie (with gold rum, orange juice, lime, agave, and housemade ginger juice), and the Beach Bum with bourbon, pineapple and chambord. Frozen drinks include a selection of margaritas (with flavors like strawberry daiquiri and mint vodka lemonade) as well as a Spiked Arnold Palmer with bourbon.

Landhaus at The Woods
48 S. 4th Street / 718.710.5020 / thelandhaus.com