This is not a trick question: where is Red Hook? Oh, and, part two, where would you eat in Red Hook?
If you are in Manhattan, you might, just might, get an answer about “in Brooklyn.” If you are in Brooklyn, they’ll point and say “over there.” Kinda. There is a Red Hook district in Brooklyn, just opposite the Statue of Liberty. It’s an amalgam of new apartments and old stone and brick buildings from Revolutionary and Colonial New York. That picture above is from Red Hook and, no, that is not a prison. It’s an old warehouse with the original oval steel doors. It still holds treasures: it one of the storage areas for the huge Fairway market just across the street.
This picture is from the end of Van Brunt Street. A block away and you are in New York Harbor. Go the other direction, a half mile, and you come to a café and bar called Fort Defiance. And that’s where to eat in Red Hook. It’s famous for its Muffaletta. And, in the spirit of old New York, you can get a two-inch thick Dutch Apple Pancake served in your individually scaled cast iron pan.
It’s weekends that we go, because the brunch menu is awesome. The chef is Bobby Duncan, originally from Georgia and experienced in some of the best Manhattan restaurants including Gramercy Tavern. Now he’s in Red Hook, miles from any subway station, but with a kitchen that rings with quality. His Georgia background shows in my brunch favorites, the Savannah: buttermilk biscuit with sawmill gravy, scrambled eggs, and fried chicken. Sawmill gravy? It’s chunky, not smooth, and it’s hearty.
“I thought you were watching your calories,” Suzen began, as I examined my chicken. My wife is attentive. Protective.
“It’s brunch,” I said. I lowered my voice. “For Christ’s sake, don’t offend the chef.”
Like she should talk. She had the Charleston: fresh skillet cornbread, collard greens with bacon, two poached eggs, and mustard hollandaise. I know how she rationalizes food. Her dish was healthy because of the collard greens.
Fort Defiance is at 365 Van Brunt Street and opens on Saturday and Sunday at 8AM. You’ll want to get there early.
Oh, just for information. Fort Defiance is ½ block south of Baked, the best bakery in New York. As long as you are in the neighborhood, …
Back to the Red Hook question. If you ask someone from the Hudson Valley, they’ll say Red Hook is that tiny village near Bard College. That is also a correct answer. And tomorrow I’ll blog on why, whatever it takes, you need to travel to Red Hook to eat at Mercato.
No matter which Red Hook you find yourself in, there is culinary excellence.