When I was in j-school in New York in the late ’90s, I heard about how Red Hook was becoming cool. On the other hand, I got the feeling it was still kind of insular — one of my classmates, a beefy guy who was doing a dual master’s degree with the school of international affairs, reported to the class that no one wanted to talk to him because they were all convinced he was a cop.
I finally got my first look at Red Hook when my friend Aram suggested that I come along to pick up his son from day care. We took the free water taxi, which whisks you from South Street Seaport to IKEA’s waterfront parkland. On a gorgeous day, it feels like a joyride.
At first sight, Red Hook seems starkly industrial — but in a kind of beautiful way that would probably appeal more to an artist than a house-hunter.
After a stop at day care, we all headed to Hope & Anchor, a local diner/pub that I was disappointed has no relation to the famous gastropub in London, but still makes a nice mac ‘n’ cheese, with crunchy bits on top and impressively runny throughout the middle. I also had a Caesar salad with real anchovies.
It’s also very kid-friendly — one of the day-care teachers was at the next table, and Aram said that another waitresses there part-time. The vibe was incredibly friendly, neighborhoody — a world away from Manhattan.
Down the street, Baked doesn’t hesitate to mess with traditional comfort sweets. I have a personal weakness for the chile + chocolate combination, so of course I went for a spicy brownie, and a chocolate chip cookie just to have a normal point of comparison. The cafe is a comfortable place to hang out, but we had a boat to catch.
I had my snack later that evening, in bed as I watched TV in bed. I love the way that the burn of chiles (judiciously used) blooms in your throat like cognac, another fine accompaniment for chocolate. Of course, the perfect drink to put out that fire is milk. And the cookie? By some miracle, five hours after I’d bought it, in an air-conditioned room, the chips were as melty as if the cookie was fresh out of the oven. Good … but a little eerie.
Hope & Anchor
347 Van Brunt Street
Red Hook, Brooklyn
(718) 237-0276
Baked
359 Van Brunt Street
Red Hook, Brooklyn
(718) 222-0345
2 responses so far ↓
jessnemritz // Sep 12, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Cute pic of Si!
When I went to Baked with my sister’s kids and friends’ kid a couple years ago, some self-satisfied hipster looked at our group and snarled to his friends, “I’m afraid that’s the future of Red Hook.” Sorry his edgy haven was getting co-opted (so to speak) by young families. What a dick.
I bought the ice box cake I had drooled over in Food & Wine, but it was too sticky sweet. Not recommended utensil-less car eating. The photo suckered me in! That being said, I still like my diner style “Freshly Baked” mug.
cicelyvw // Sep 12, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Wow, Aram said it was really welcoming when he lived there (last year?).
I picked up a postcard with the brownie recipe on it, but now I can’t find it! Argh.
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