Old Brick Update

Williston residents hungry for an alternative to Ponderosa and Chili’s were pleased when the cozy Old Brick Café [1] — which dished up eggs Benedict and storied chocolate-chip cookies from 2005 to 2007 — reopened last August under new ownership. But the doors only stayed open a few months. According to building owner David Herskowitz, who ran the café the first time around, the problem was the concept: “The bottom line is, I did breakfast, lunch and brunch [when I ran it], and [the new owners] did the same,” he says. “You just can’t support that away from Taft Corners.”

Back in control of the restaurant, Herskowitz is planning a more drastic change for the 19th-century farmhouse’s next incarnation. Scheduled to open by April, Monty’s Old Brick Tavern — named after Herskowitz’s golden retriever — will be a cozy neighborhood pub with a bunch of beers on tap and a focus on good eats. Herskowitz is hoping to build a clientele of local folks looking for a relaxed, after-work meal. “The food is absolutely the most important thing,” he attests, mentioning that he’ll offer “creative sandwiches and chicken wings” along with more upscale comfort fare.