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Borough restaurant legends Joe Carroll and Francesco Panella reveal their loving tribute to ’80s fern bars—Oleanders, at the McCarren Hotel & Pool

by derek de koff

Being an entrepreneur in the New York bar and restaurant business is not an occupation for the weak of heart. A mere glance at the roster of 16,000-odd full-service restaurants and approximately 3,000 bars, and one is quickly faced with the inevitable question of “What in the world could I possibly do that’s unique?” From hookah to hookup, piano bars to pubs, and Country & Western to good old-fashioned dives, it seems the libation landscape has been well and thoroughly surveyed.

So when in doubt, go back in time…

For example, where were you when you first heard that fern bars were back? If you’re anything like us, you were already primly seated on a bentwood chair at Oleanders, waiting patiently, even fondly, for a Beef Wellington and Harvey Wallbanger, vaguely wondering what time tunnel you’d just slipped through.

Situated in Williamsburg’s McCarren Hotel & Pool, the space is a culinary collaboration masterminded by two of the burg’s most celebrated restaurateurs: Joe Carroll (Fette Sau, St. Anselm) and Francesco Panella (Antica Pesa). After your third Grasshopper and second forkful of Pasta Primavera, you may ask yourself, “Is there some sort of theme at play here?” Well, yes.

Oleanders is a winking tribute to a design and service aesthetic of the ’70s and ’80s—one that was oddly short lived. “Fern bars” of that period (the name a nod to their often-seen fern plant-strewn décor) were upscale taverns that typically catered to singles (protoyuppies were frequently spotted among regular denizens), often decorated lavishly with designer glass lamps and other high-end accoutrement.

Exploiting that retro concept to the fullest, the decor here features Tiffany lighting and richly unkempt flora, high ceilings, a shimmering copper bar, and slightly sinister (okay, terrifying) portraits of woodland creatures on the gold-hued walls. Think of it as your own kooky cocktail den; the perfect antidote to previous tenant The Elm, a rather austere affair that never quite set the locals on fire.

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With 85 seats indoors and 50 more outside surrounding the pool, visitors are strongly encouraged to splash through a few laps and then slosh over to a table to dine in soggy swimming costume. Thinking preppy? We hope so, because nights at Oleanders are spent sitting alongside the roaringly fake digital fireplace, engulfing shrimp cocktails and Burgundy snails before dashing off to the rec room to play some foosball. It’s a chance to act like you’re too young to know what retro Americana even is.

The classic French and American cuisine—courtesy of executive chef Kevin Choknowski—is unabashedly nostalgic. Entrees include Chicken Under a Brick (peppered with heirloom tomato panzanella and goat’s milk feta), and an upscale reimagining of Pork Chops and Apple Sauce with rosemary brown butter and Vidalia onions. Perhaps most popular, though, is the dry-aged burger, with smoked bacon and aged Swiss, served on an English muffin.

Created by James Beard Award-winning mixologist Dale DeGroff, the extensive cocktail menu nods to the ’80s wincingly sweet libations (including Pina Coladas, Alabama Slammers, Harvey Wallbangers, and the aforementioned Grasshopper), but lovingly updates them. There’s even a Long Island Iced Tea that’s—dare we say—elegant (Mell Vodka, Beefeater Gin, El Dorado 3yr Rum, Cimarron Blanco Tequila, Combier, Coca Cola, lemon juice, and sugar).

Not to worry: the hangover is thoroughly contemporary.

Orleanders
McCarren Hotel & Pool / 160 N 12th Street
718.218.7500 / oleandersnyc.com