Celebrating Community
In November, the Mexican eatery Claro became the first restaurant in Gowanus ever to win a Michelin star. Executive chef T.J. Steele, previously of Union Square Cafe, and restaurateur J.T. Stewart, who also co-owns the nearby New American spot Freek’s Mill, opened Claro in the summer of 2017 at 284 3rd Avenue. Generally regarded as the world’s authoritative fine-dining manual, […]
It’s 4:30 on Monday morning. An empty school bus rolls up Van Brunt Street. The flag outside the VFW flaps in the pre-dawn October chill. And the plate glass windows of the Red Hook Coffee Shop shine brightly in the dark, illuminating 80 year old Jose Antonio Piraquive, aka Tony, kneeling on the floor putting vegetables into the refrigerator. Tony […]
Amateur cooks battled for prizes and bragging rights at the Brooklyn Casserole Takedown, held on October 21. The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club (514 Union Street) had hungry contest goers scattered about, as they were eager to name the top six dishes. For a 25-dollar ticket fee, they ate the participating casseroles in an ‘all-you-can-eat’ style and voted for the […]
Pizza Moto is a brick-and-mortar located right on the border of Red Hook and Carroll Gardens at 338 Hamilton Avenue. While it is known for its Neapolitan-style pies, the pizzeria has a rotating menu with toppings from farmers markets and their New York State pasture-raised meats partners. Co-owner and executive chef Dave Sclarow says their pizza dough is made over […]
A version of this story first appeared in the Star-Revue’s August 2017 print edition. A burnt out bulb. A busted car. A broken knee. Future biographers might note a theme laced through Vander Carter’s culinary career: things keep breaking. But Carter — a Carroll Gardens entrepreneur behind the food startup JestGreen — only sees crisis as a chance for growth. […]
I’m hungry, but I dutifully wait for lunch. Because lunch is at Defonte’s. I spend the morning writing at the Star-Revue’s warehouse office, pretending coffee is enough. The hours slouch by. When I can’t take any more typing, I bolt out the door and head down Van Brunt Street. Armed with a notebook and cash, I try my best to […]