Gather 'round folks - New café 'Gather' opens in South Slope

Remember when that subpar burrito place Uncle Moe's closed their doors on 7th Ave and 9th Street back in December 2011? And then we spent like, two years walking by its taped up windows, speculating what the hell would open up there? (We swear - that Starbucks rumor we reported was totally accurate at the time, though they pulled out a few weeks later). Well no more need to speculate! The covering on the windows came down yesterday on a new café named Gather. And wouldn't you know it? It looks amazing. 

Patrons of Moe's will probably remember the nasty, run-down space that was 341 Seventh Ave - the type of place where you tried your best not to look at the filthy floors, messy tables, and perpetual "C" grade in the front window when you walked in. Thankfully, the folks behind Gather did a pretty extensive renovation, wiping away any remnants of Uncle Moe's that might still be lurking around. A beautiful new counter, clean walls, ample seating, and a pink neon sign reading "Gather" make the space warm and inviting. 

But it's the food that really grabs my interest here. In addition to the café usuals (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, pastries, etc), Gather offers a pretty extensive food menu. Oatmeal, granola, frittata, and breakfast sandwiches are served in the morning. Soups, sandwiches, entrees and sides (Lemon Brick Chicken, Short Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Vegetable tagine, etc) come for lunch and dinner. "Gather's dishes are inspired by the man cuisines we love, both exotic flavors and the comforting reminders of home," according to their website. "They come from carefully sourced fresh, honest and seasonal ingredients, and are full of fruit and vegetables, whole grains and fresh herbs - delicious, nourishing and sustainable." (The word "organic" seems to be missing there, but bravo, Gather, for getting all your other buzzwords in there). They will be open from 7:30AM - 8:30PM Tuesday - Saturday, and 8:30AM - 8:30PM on Sunday (closed Mondays).

Park Slope has its fair share of pretty stellar cafés. Hell, within a two block radius of 7th Ave and 9th Street, you've got Crespella, Grumpy, Naidre's, and Colson Patesserie alone (Almondine shuttered, post-Sandy). There's also 7th Avenue Donuts and Dunkin Donuts (groan), if you're looking for the simple coffee/pastry option. That's some extensive competition. But Gather seems like they'll fit in well amongst the group, while standing out with a fresh food menu. I for one won't complain about having another place to grab a bite to eat near my apartment (#lazy). 

But what do you guys think? Excited for Gather? Anyone give it a shot yet?