Opening Wednesday, 21 Greenpoint brings thoughtful, honest food, and a uniquely Brooklyn vibe to the vibrant Greenpoint neighborhood. Owners Sydney Silver and Homer Murray have brought on Chef Sean Telo—a Brooklyn Magazine “30 Under 30” honoree whose career spans Atlanta’s James Beard-nominated Miller Union and  STG Trattoria, in addition to Williamsburg’s Extra Fancy—to showcase his talents with a bold new menu.

Both veterans of Brooklyn’s dynamic dining scene, starting with Silver’s Williamsburg staple, Roebling Tea Room, Silver and Murray see 21 Greenpoint as an opportunity to keep the elements guests loved most about the space’s previous restaurant, River Styx, intact while adopting a new level of service tailored to Chef Sean Telo’s cooking style.

“We love Sean and are thrilled to have him on board,” say Murray and Silver. “He’s exceptionally talented and can elevate the most unassuming of ingredients to create spectacular dishes, plus, he is locally sourcing, and all that jazz.” Regarding the new menu format, Murray says, “There’s definitely a focus on sharing amongst tables. Hell, if you don’t want to share with the person you went out with, you shouldn’t go out anyway.”

Chef Sean Telo’s daily evolving menu at 21 Greenpoint reflects what’s in season, with a focus on repurposing normally discarded ingredients, from land and sea, to offer food that is good, clean, fair, and accessible to everyone. His background in cooking Southern, New England, and Italian cuisine is evident in the dishes, which range from assorted small plates that encourage sharing and sampling, to large-format meat and seafood dishes and a selection of housemade pizzas. Breads and pastas are also made in-house, with produce, meats, and seafood sourced from 150 local purveyors such as Catskill Provisions, Hudson Valley Cattle Company, and Ronnybrook Farm Dairy.

“The design of the menu is to first and foremost utilize ingredients from local farms, with as little waste as possible,” Chef Telo says. “We aim to cook with what's around us and present it to the neighborhood in a way that's elevated and familiar.”

Dishes include:

STEAK TARTARE ON ROASTED MARROW BONE Gulden’s mustard, smoked onion jam, lamb fat bread

FRIED LATE SUMMER EGGPLANT hot pepper oil, goat milk yogurt, 36 chambers

NEOPOLITAN STYLE PIZZAS including a white clam pizza with pecorino, garlic, guanciale, fresh oregano

UGLY VEGETABLE SNACK cultured butter, carrot tops, salt

Large-format meat and seafood dishes include:

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE FRIED RICE linguica sausage, Portuguese allspice, two eggs

SEAFOOD STEW Rhode Island squid, mussels, little neck clams, potatoes, aioli, grilled bread

21 Greenpoint will serve dinner Tuesday through Saturday, with an all-day Sunday series that celebrates unused ingredients from the previous week with an ever-changing roster of dishes and beverages.

Punchy, unexpected flavor profiles extend to the beverage program. Signature and classic cocktails draw inspiration from seasonal fruits and vegetables used in Chef Telo’s dishes, with a focus on showcasing a diverse spirit selection.

Cocktails include:

HONORABLE JUDGE apple brandy, cognac, oloroso sherry, amaro montenegro, fresh apple

6’7’8’ BUNCH banana rum, pineapple, coconut, lime, orange, grapefruit, Elemakule tiki bitters, cinnamon

SMOKIN’ PEACHES tequila, mezcal, peach, lime, agave nectar, habañero shrub, lime oils

The refreshed space radiates warmth, contributing to the lively, welcoming atmosphere Silver and Murray visualize for their guests, inviting them to converse over craft cocktails at the candlelit bar or with a selection of shared tastes for the table. Upon entering the restaurant, patrons are greeted by a newly constructed bar enhanced by a striking mirror spanning the entire back wall. To give the front room a more intimate feel, dining nooks that Silver describes as “cozy pockets” are sectioned off from the bar area with partitions, and walls have been freshly outfitted with vintage wallpaper. Guests can observe the chefs at work through the open kitchen, complete with a wood-burning pizza oven surrounded by a custom circular shelf displaying a collection of cookbooks, preserved vegetables, and firewood. The back dining space consists of three distinct areas—ground-level seating, an open mezzanine area, and a raised back room to accommodate larger groups, creating a comfortably snug, yet convivial atmosphere.