SABOR Flavor

For Daniel Malangone and his brother Neal, deciding to open up a restaurant in Greenpoint was a no-brainer. The brothers, 33 and 24 respectively, grew up on Humboldt Street, and their family has been part of the neighborhood for generations.

Everything else was a bit of a challenge. Previously, the brothers had successful careers in sales. But when the recession hit, they and their family came together to invest in a new business venture. With the idea that people need to eat, even in a recession, they set forth to make their dream happen, never mind the fact that neither had any experience in the restaurant industry.

“Why did we pick probably the hardest industry to go into? I don’t know why,” Daniel said. “We don’t know how to cook; we knew nothing about the business. But we figured if we would succeed anywhere, it would be here, because we have the community behind us. We would never have done it anywhere else because of the neighborhood support.”

Newcomers to the cozy, sit-down restaurant will be hard pressed to detect the inexperience. Though Sabor has been open for just over a week, customers are already sending compliments to the kitchen about the food—a fusion of dishes from all different Latin countries.

“The customers have really liked what I’ve been putting on the table so far,” Head Chef Percival Damil said. “They’ve made me happy.”

The menu, which they plan to rotate every few months, was crafted from scratch by Damil, whose family is from Central America and who has been cooking in New York restaurants for almost ten years. His original creations include appetizers like ceviche served in tostones and shrimp-stuffed avocado; both vegetarian and meat entrees like chile relleno, zucchini torta, skirt steak, tropical pork, and mango-papaya salmon; staple Latin sides such as green and yellow plantains, yucca, and rice and beans; and homemade desserts including flan de leche and chocolate de bolsa.

“The way [Damil] talked about his food, we knew,” Daniel said. “When we tasted it, we couldn’t believe it. It was amazing and it just got better and better. He’s an artist.”

One shouldn’t be fooled by the high caliber of the food and presentation at Sabor—the portions are both filling and affordable, including $4 sides, $10-18 entrees, family meals for four with a whole chicken several sides, and avocado salad for $30, and extremely reasonable lunch specials like ½ a rottiserie chicken, carne asada, or pork chops for under $8, and which include salad, a side, and a drink.

“We had a rule here when we first opened—nobody leaves here hungry,” Daniel said. “We’re not having one of those really expensive places where everybody goes in and gets a little bit of food. I always hated that.”

If you haven’t really heard about Sabor yet, it’s because the Malangones have decided to do a very soft open, making sure they get all of the kinks and mistakes out of the way while business is still just trickling in. They’re frank about their inexperience—as well as what it cost them in the process of opening the restaurant. Though they thought they would be ready to open in a few months since signing the lease in February, debacles with dishonest contractors and architects, problems with kitchen equipment, mishaps with zoning and the Department of Buildings, and other legal nightmares forced them to pour rent and other funds into the stalled project, leaving them with little room for error now that they’re open. They’re confident though, that things will go well now that everything is in place, and with all they’ve learned about the business, they have hopes to open a second Sabor restaurant on the north side within the year if things go well.

“Before, not knowing what we were doing, we didn’t know when people were lying to us. It was a lot of stress on the family. We were lost; nothing went right,” Daniel said. “I gave up after a while. I told everybody I wanted to sell it—after a year, you get drained. You start to think that you really messed up. Now, we know everything about opening a restaurant. We know more than the Department of Buildings knows. We know what we need, so we won’t have to rely on anyone else.”

Getting the restaurant of the ground has been a test of persistence for Daniel, Neal, and their family, but has also proven the kindness and support of the community and restaurant staff. Over the summer, residents and businesses in the neighborhood checked in on the project, offering hands-on help with heating, electricity, and construction. The cooking and wait staff, too, have lent their knowledge and experience, and Daniel credits their hard work, patience, and loyalty for the restaurant’s success in opening.

“We’re not fooling ourselves; we know we didn’t and don’t know what we’re doing,” Daniel said. “But I like how it came out; I like the atmosphere. We wanted a nice quiet place for people to have dinner and a drink.”

Sabor is open until 11pm on weekdays, and until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays. Besides their dine-in options, they also cater and deliver. The restaurant is located at 159 Greenpoint Avenue.