Arlo Hotels, an independent, experience-driven lifestyle hotel brand with properties in New York, Miami and Chicago, is thrilled to announce the opening of Sungold, located at Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The all-day restaurant, helmed by Chef Michael King, sources local and seasonal ingredients to feature a menu consisting of handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and a diverse selection of small plates and entrees, to stay true to the ethos of offering something for everyone.
Sungold’s decor matches the unique and chic gem of Arlo Williamsburg’s aesthetics. The 60-seat main dining room exposes brick walls and eye-catching light fixture of individually hung pendant lights, while accents of greenery liven up the space. Guests are also welcome to dine in the neighboring lobby bar and lounge featuring floor-to-ceiling brick walls with rotating art and plush velvet banquettes or the chic outdoor patio with lush landscaping and views of vibrant Wythe Avenue. Prior to dining, diners may choose to stop at the hotel’s wrap-around lobby bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, before indulging in dishes with global flavors and techniques.
King, the son of a chef, had an early start in the kitchen, cooking alongside his dad and Italian-American mother at home. After earning a writing degree from Hampshire College in Western Massachusetts, he worked his way through kitchens in Cambridge and Seattle. After arriving in NYC, he was chef de cuisine at Michelin-recommended Vai and later the executive chef at the iconic Royalton Hotel with Morgans Hotel Group. It was as executive chef at Irvington Restaurant in Union Square that King’s love for local and seasonal ingredients was truly ingrained. Before joining Arlo, King was the executive chef of Ace Hotel Brooklyn, responsible for all culinary operations, most notably the popular restaurant As You Are.
“With Sungold, I have been given the amazing opportunity to build a restaurant from the ground-up,” says King, a Brooklynite and father of two. “I have opened many restaurants in my career, but this is the first time that my style of cooking has been the genesis of the concept. Starting with the Italian and Mediterranean flavors I have always loved, my team and I have sought to create a collection of dishes that are approachable, vivid, and satisfying. The hope is that every table is shared – I want guests to really have fun with one another. The menu is light, with the idea that a lot of food can come to the table without anyone feeling overwhelmed,” explained King. “The name Sungold is inspired by my favorite tomato at the Union Square Green Market and a pasta dish I created with it. While this won’t make it onto our menu until July, the name evokes our commitment to seasonality and the abundance of local farms in the Hudson Valley and beyond,” King added.
Highlights on the menu that reflect Sungold’s approachable cuisine include the Coperta ($26), sheets of egg pasta layered with a heritage pork ragu made with an amaro (made locally in Brooklyn by Faccia Bruto) and finished with a hazelnut gremolata and a snowy layer of Piave Vecchio. “I have been tweaking this idea of pork ragu seasoned with amaro for a few years, I’m so happy I got it right in time for our opening,” says King. Smoked Sunchokes ($18) destined to be a fan favorite is slowly cooked over applewood, seared until crispy, tossed with pistachios and citrus, and covered with a tangy brown butter labneh. The Charred Cabbage ($17) is Sungold’s answer to the Caesar salad, with smoked trout roe replacing anchovy, torn croutons, and a poached egg from a local farm.
There are other dishes that play off classics. Sungold’s burger ($26) is inspired by a local drive-in chain in Seattle, which King frequented in his line cook days. The burger is given an upgrade with premium Angus beef, house American cheese (made with sharp cheddar and imported gruyere), and a local pickle mayo. “Paper thin onion rings give our burger the satisfying crunch that the original was missing” King tells us. Christo’s Seven Star ($22) is King’s guilty pleasure; a pepperoni and bacon pizza named for the favorite pizzeria of his childhood.
Neapolitan style pizzas aren’t the only thing coming out of Sungold’s wood fire oven. “We cook over wood as much as possible,” King explains. “Many of our dishes begin or end in that oven. Beyond the flavor imparted by the smoke, at 700 degrees, we can develop a char on our vegetables that we couldn’t with gas. As I developed the menu, I found myself testing more and more things in the wood oven and it has organically become the heart of our cuisine,” King noted. Onions are carefully burned and ground to a powder flavor, a Hollandaise sauce paired with the 22 ounce grass-fed Ribeye ($95), is meant to be shared. The steak is, of course, finished in the oven, taking on the flavor of the wood before being served.
Sungold’s mixologist, Armando Acevedo, who stands as the creative force behind the hotel’s unique bar, created a menu of specialty libations that pairs perfectly with Sungold’s dishes featuring a thoughtfully selected wine list, craft beer selection and craft cocktails. Guests sip on flavorful concoctions such as the Joker’s Wild ($19) with butterfly pea-infused Casamigos tequila, fever tree ginger syrup, lime juice; or the Smoked Swine Ol’ Fashion ($23) made with WhistlePig six-year rye, Whistlepig maple syrup, black sesame, coffee bitters for a different take on the classic. Another of Acevdeo’s favorite is the Aeroglider ($19) which includes Maker’s Mark bourbon, pineapple infused aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice.
Desserts are also meant to share. There is a rich Chocolate Tart ($14) made in a pint nut crust served with whipped creme fraiche and studded with crunchy pomegranate seeds. The Semolina Cake ($14) is lush with citrus flavor, paired with a blackberry sorbet and lime yogurt. Alternatively, guests can finish their meal with Moonlight Chevre ($16), an ash-ripened goat cheese from the Hudson Valley, served with quince jam, smoked Marcona almonds and house- made seeded crackers.
“The opening of Sungold will surely add to the guest experience at Arlo Williamsburg,” said William Burpitt, Arlo Williamsburg’s general manager. “Now, when guests or locals visit us, they’ll be introduced to an elevated culinary offering.”
The all-day restaurant located inside the Arlo Williamsburg hotel at 96 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn, NY will be open daily from 7am to 10pm with brunch on Sat and Sun from 7:30am to 3pm. Arlo’s signature version of the happy hour, Lucky Hour will also be available at Sungold, Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m, featuring an Espresso Martini, fries, and a fortune cookie offering an opportunity to win a complimentary stay at Arlo Williamsburg for the lucky few, all for $15.
Sungold, along with the hotel’s iconic rooftop pool deck, and the Water Tower bar, both with stunning views of NYC promise to make Arlo Williamsburg a neighborhood staple and a must-go destination for out of state visitors.
About Sungold at Arlo Williamsburg
Sungold restaurant, located inside Arlo Williamsburg, features Mediterranean, Italian-inspired dishes helmed by Chef Michael King. The neighborhood restaurant sources local and seasonal ingredients for its menu consisting of handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, a diverse selection of small plates and shareable entrees, to stay true to the ethos of offering something for everyone. The name Sungold is inspired by the chef’s favorite tomato at the Union Square Green Market and evokes the team’s commitment to seasonality and the abundance of local farms in the Hudson Valley and beyond. The 60-seat dining room boasts exposed brick walls and eye-catching light fixtures of individually hung pendant lights, while accents of greenery liven up the space. Guests are also welcome to dine in the neighboring lobby bar and lounge featuring floor-to-ceiling brick walls with rotating art and plush velvet banquettes or the chic outdoor patio with lush landscaping and views of vibrant Wythe Avenue. Sungold is located at 96 Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The all-day restaurant is open daily from 7am to 10pm with brunch on Sat and Sun from 7:30am to 3pm. For news, updates and what’s cooking, follow @sungoldbk on Instagram or visit SungoldBK.com. Call (718) 362-8100 for information and reservations, or via OpenTable.
About Arlo Hotels
Arlo Hotels is an independent, experience-driven hotel brand, a home base for explorers and a launch pad for all things local. Easy style and friendly faces welcome guests into a community-driven environment, and intuitively designed guest rooms provide peaceful places to rest and recharge. Each location is a living room away from home, a desk while working on the road, and invites guests to travel their way, every day – with a few surprises along the way. The Arlo portfolio includes Arlo SoHo, Arlo NoMad, Arlo Midtown and Arlo Williamsburg in New York; Arlo Wynwood in Miami; and Arlo Chicago. The brand has more hotels on the horizon, including a Washington, D.C., location opening in 2024. For news, updates and a little wanderlust inspiration, follow @arlohotels on Instagram or visit arlohotels.com.
