This year marks the 40th anniversary of Broadway Stages. In celebration of our 40th trip around the sun, we are shining the spotlight on the heart of our community – the local businesses that provide the essential or simply enjoyable, goods and services that allow us to thrive and delight in this great city we call home. We begin the series in our beloved Brooklyn with a look at the local shops that line our streets, providing a livelihood for our neighbors, family, and friends. Join us on the journey and get to know the people and businesses that make our community home. Today, we feature a hip shop in Greenpoint – a place for books (about food and drink) and food – Archestratus. 

We first met Archestratus during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our green rooftop partner, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm (the Farm), reached out to this hip shop in Greenpoint to add their produce to the list of provisions sold at the shop.  At a difficult time when the Farm was unable to open their rooftop farmers market due to the coronavirus, Archestratus welcomed the produce from the Farm with open arms.

Archestratus, a place for books (about food and drink) and food, opened in 2015.  The store’s namesake was an ancient Greek poet who left behind verses on what he loved to eat, especially the fish and the seafood of Sicily. Business owner Paige Lipari’s heritage hails from Sicily and she brings her Italian passion to everything – at Archestratus and beyond. Lipari is a poet, music maker, cartoonist, cook, and published writer; “Family of Many Enzos,” a collection of her poems and illustrations, was published by Augury Books in 2012. Prior to opening Archestratus, she worked as an editor and in many of NYC’s finest bookstores.  

On any given day, you can find imported coffee, specialty Italian dry goods, like dried pasta, an excellent selection of cookbooks and an array of other books about food, as well as gifty things including journals and planners. It’s truly a vast and interesting collection that you simply must explore. 

Like so many others, the pandemic also had an impact on their business model. They knew that they would need to make some changes to safely serve their clientele. They decided to establish an online store for books, added grocery items and fresh produce, which continues to be quite popular!  Today you can order boxes of organic vegetables from nearby farms (like our own Eagle Street Rooftop Farm when in season), and fresh provisions like a variety of cheese, house made food like Nonna’s garlic chicken and eggplant parm, as well as a variety of cold and hot drinks, including tea, beer, and wine. You can dine in, or order online for pick up. 

They also host several in-person events, and offer space for classes, readings, screenings, tastings, performances, dinner parties, book clubs and more!!  Take a look at there events page here.

These unique, small businesses help to make Brooklyn a diverse, cultural and artistic mecca. Not only do they provide a variety of unique, engaging and nourishing goods and services to our community, they also play a crucial role in fostering positive economic growth within Greenpoint and its surrounding communities.

Archestratus is open every day from 11 am to 7 pm with lunch available at the café from 11 am to 4 pm.  And they even host happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm!  Check them out online or in person at 160 Huron Street in Greenpoint. If you are looking for something fun and nourishing – for the mind, body, and soul, check out Archestratus and when you get there, tell them that Broadway Stages send you.