On one side is a lunchroom. Counters of freshly prepared Eastern European cuisine line the room, the aroma of pierogi, stuffed cabbage, beef stew and baked goods fill the space. This business—essentially a new Eastern European-themed luncheonette in Gulf Gate, is a story in and of itself. But at the Brooklyn Blues Restaurant, which opened this past summer, the luncheonette is only half the story.  On the other side of the restaurant lies a banquet hall, with white table cloths, darker wood walls and a small stage. This is where Brooklyn Blues comes alive, three nights a week, with live music. The music, says owner Leonid Golfeld, isn’t just restricted to the Blues or jazz, which happens at least once a month. All types of musicians, from rock bands to saxophone players, come to perform in the musically-themed banquet hall, where vinyl records line the ceilings and keyboards and guitars are hung on the walls. “I wanted to make something that wasn’t modern,” says Golfeld, of the banquet hall’s vibe. “We have a lot of modern restaurants in this area, and I wanted to create something with an old-fashioned feel.” Golfeld comes from Philadelphia by way of Ukraine and has made his career previously in the wholesale food industry. Golfeld decided to open Brooklyn Blues after the success his sister Marina Polischuk-Rasin had with her Eastern-European eatery, Little Brooklyn Food House, in North Port. North Port has a large Eastern European and Slavic community, a factor that has led to Little Brooklyn’s success. While some of the initial customer base of Brooklyn Blues has drawn from the Eastern European community here in Sarasota, Golfeld is hoping that the live music and authentic food—all made in house—bring a larger crowd, especially to the lunch room. “It’s all about food and entertainment,” says Golfeld. “A lot of people know about the restaurant, but not the lunch room. We have all types of Ukrainian, Polish, Hungarian and Eastern-European food. We make everything in house and smoke our own meats too.”  SRQ