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36 HOURS IN RED HOOK

36 Hours in Red Hook

36 Hours in Red Hook

What to eat between sightseeing and gallery hopping. 

By Shianne Diop 

May 12, 2019

Named by Dutch settlers for the color of the soils and shape of the land

Its cobblestoned and re-paved streets mirror mix of art and culture on the Brooklyn waterfront.

 

36 Hours in Red Hook

Friday

1) 12 p.m. Local Deli

F&M Café is defiantly a local favorite. Your classic neighborhood deli offering sandwiches, breakfast meals and rotating menu of buffet style lunch offerings. A small store, with counters that wrap around the walls and a few tables; this place feels like home.

2) 1:30 p.m. Ice Cream

Ample Hills, an ice cream brand with locations throughout New York; adds a special flair to their Red Hook location. The location functions as a museum and an ice cream factory. Visitors can learn a little bit about the company history, see ice cream being made and tour the factory. Don’t leave without trying “The Hook”  a flavor unique to their Red Hook location. It’s a burnt sugar ice cream with salted fudge.

3) 3 p.m. Wine

The area is home to wineries, breweries and distilleries offering tastings of their creations. The Red Hook Winery focuses on wines from vineyards around New York state and has 150 bottles of their own Red Hook Wine. For $18 they offer tastings of 4 wines by the glass or for $35 taste 4 Red Hook Wines and sample 2 aging wines straight from the barrel.

4) 5:30 p.m. Pizzzzzzzaaaaaaa

After tasting all the wine you could eat head to Mark’s Red Hook Pizza, another neighborhood favorite. Serving up classic New York style slices and other Italian fare.

 

5) 7 p.m. New Kitchen

If you’re in the market for a kitchen makeover, check out the German Kitchen Center at their 2 Red Hook showrooms. Offering close up views of their craftmanship.

 

6) 8:30 p.m. Bars

End the night at one of the neighborhoods many history rich bars.

 

Saturday

7) 1 p.m. Sweets and Other Stuff 

Hard to miss with their bright orange door, Baked makes sweet treats, sandwiches , hot and cold beverages. Offering both classic and unique breakfast options. Like the Hot Pocket (no not that hot pocket, but something like it); egg, meat and cheese incased in a flaky crust. Known as “the hangover cure” this savory breakfast treats will help you recoup from the previous nights libations. Baked is known for their pastries which they offer a wild variety of. The also offer flourless and gluten free options.

 

8) 2:30 p.m. Hometown Favorite

Simple, to the point and tasty. Hometown Barbeque is serving up platters of  the best barbeque in town. There is no Opentable here, no table cloths and no express line but no one seems to mind.  Lines stretching from one end of the large wooden interior building to the other incur wait times over 2 hours. The wait grants you permission to order from a small but complete menu. Meat, either on a bun or directly on your tray and it is delicious. The offer a couple of sides that pair well with barbeque and the 2 bars keeps patrons liquored up and ready to endure the long wait. Beware, the smell of smoke will leave with you. Expect to spend about $50 for 2 people and an additional $30 at the bar.

 

9) 5 p.m. Gardens, Baseball and food trucks

Journey through Red Hook Park to the baseball field. It is little league season. Swarms of families armed with coolers and folding chairs cheering on their little athletes. Right behind them, a row of food trucks ready to feed the hungry masses. Offering range from classic food truck fare like burgers and hot dogs to unique Argentinian and Colombian dishes.

 

10) 7 p.m. Seafood by the Seaside

Lodging

Area is sparse when it comes to lodging save for a few motels unless one is willing to travel nearby neighborhood of Sunset Park an AirBnB would be the best option for staying in the area. AirBnB’s in the area average from $60-$100 a night.

 

 

Food & Drink Tourism

Deborah & Shianne

Food & Drink                                                         Tourism on the Brooklyn Waterfront

Food & drink tourism is travel for food and drink related activities. Food & drink can bring tourist from near and far. Tourism for food & drink isn’t just to restaurants and bars it also encompasses related activities like visiting markets.

During our visit to the Brooklyn Bridge Park we observed several food & drink related activities. There were both newer options and places that have history in the area. We noticed that there were places that serve all levels of food needs. There were small kiosks, an upcoming market, formal and casual sit down restaurants. The food & drink options attract both tourist from far and neighborhood locals. The Brooklyn Bridge Park and surrounding areas could use more in drink offerings.

Activities discussed were:

The River Café- Landmark location on the Brooklyn Waterfront opened in 1977 when the Brooklyn Waterfront was undeveloped.

Cecconi’s Dumbo- Italian restaurant and bar located in Empire Stores. Offers discounts to regular customers, consisting of Dumbo residents and people who work in the building.

NoMo SoHo Reflection

Visiting and touring NoMo SoHo was a great experience. We got the not only see the variety of rooms and amenities they offer but also meet staff of various positions. The hotel has a unique location, beautiful decor and unmatched views. I felt inspired by the visit to NoMo SoHo. Hotels aren’t a branch of hospitality I was interested in going in. Seeing it first hand and meeting people that work there have widened my perspectives. I am particularly interested in the revenue department. During the visit I learned that I would prefer to work in a boutique hotel rather than a larger one because it allows for more personal relationships and dealings with other staff and guest. I also learned the importance of LinkedIn for networking around the industry.

Shianne Diop

Always eager to learn something new. This is the statement that best describes me. Unafraid to try new things; be it food or experiences. This method has lead me through life. As a student progressing into the professional world I am often unsure of myself and where I want to go but I know hospitality is where I want to be. I am a guppy in the hospitality industry and not yet sure where in the industry I will land. Hard working and unafraid to step into leadership positions; where I often fall short is in confidence. I am excited to push myself and work through that by jumping into field all about making others feel welcome and comfortable. Lover of people, lover of food, lover of travel, lover of life.

I am a former computer systems major but decided to make a switch to hospitality management. After two semesters in computers I realized what I really want to do is something more people oriented that can incorporate my love of travel. My academic goal is to cliché as it sounds, learn as much as possible. Gaining new knowledge or starting a database of knowledge on a new subject brings me joy. In my studies I hope to take what I’ve learned to help me become a more well-rounded person. More specifically I hope to learn the finer details and inner workings or the travel/tourism industry. I am also excited to try my hand at cooking classes. I think it may be an eye opener to something I may be more interested in than I had thought. I have yet to have an actual job but where I lack in career experience I have abundance in life experience. I have experience in selling and serving in volunteer work and have logged lots of hours in my grandmothers kitchen. My career goal is not yet clear but id like to be established in the tourism field.