One visit to Grindhaus is not enough, by Katherine Rivard

Whenever my boyfriend rattled off ideas about where to eat in Red Hook, he always suggested Grindhaus as a potential option. I was never tempted. The name, Grindhaus, conjured up images of either a fratty biergarten or some kind of German dungeon. That all changed recently after we walked down Van Brunt and decided to give it a try.

Grindhaus, which opened in 2014, has the welcoming sidewalk appeal of many other restaurants in Brooklyn — a cute wooden door, a big front window, and some dangly lights. But everything else sets Grindhaus apart. I found myself transfixed by the motley décor, which leaves all conventional standards behind—from the zebra print ceiling to bountiful displays of fake flowers. The eclectic mix of paintings and wall hangings only intensify the feeling that whoever decorated the place was not trying to follow any typical design standards. This playful nonchalance comes through in both the service and the food itself.

As we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted and seated by a friendly waiter in t-shirt and jeans. Throughout the meal, he provided helpful suggestions for what to order. Going beyond “A lot of people like this…,” he made suggestions based on how hungry we were and how he personally approaches the menu. From around the corner, we could see the chef busily preparing dishes, but that did not stop him from taking moments to thank guests as they left or to say hi to regulars.

The revolving menu consists of seasonal American food with heavy splashes of Asian influence. After being told that the roasted koji cauliflower was a lighter option, we opted for squash dumps—crispy pierogi-shaped dumplings filled with smoked honeynut squash, and drizzled with tahini, coconut broth, and Szechuan oil. On a cold fall day, they were the perfect starter.

For the main course, we split a chicken sandwich and the duck & waffle. I rarely say no to fried chicken in any of its forms (Korean fried chicken, schnitzel, Buffalo wings, etc). Nevertheless, my belief that fried chicken will always be mouthwatering has led me astray numerous times. This was not the case at Grindhaus. The sandwich was a succulent breast of buttermilk fried chicken, smothered with a special sauce and pickles, all atop a house made bun. It was paired with a side of chunky fries and flavored mayo that had me dunking every single bite of fry into the mayo while exclaiming “What is that flavor?!” (Spoiler—it was nori.)

Meanwhile, I’d snickered at my boyfriend’s decision to order the duck & waffle, but soon realized that—just as I had been too quick to pass on a restaurant with the word “grind” in its name—I had overlooked one of the most unique offerings on the menu. The meat was perfectly tender, and the dish was far more complex than any order of traditional chicken and waffles: it was just slightly sweet, with an extra spice from the sweet chili brown butter, and perfectly autumn-ized with the addition of fried sage. It took every ounce of my willpower to turn down the miso panna cotta for dessert, though I later regretted my decision after seeing some Yelp reviews claiming it was the pièce de résistance.

Other menu items I look forward to trying (if they’re still on the menu) include Parker Haus rolls (with mushroom mousse and mac powder!), an atomic wedge (with lardons!), crispy lamb noodles (with basil oil!), brussels sprout fried rice (with bonito flakes!), and a whole roasted fish (with hijiki!). The drink list is thoughtfully curated, with clever little descriptions of each. Overall, I left with a curiosity about all the other flavors I had yet to uncover.

New Yorkers are a privileged bunch. Even for restaurants I’ve loved, I rarely re-visit, knowing that there is an endless supply of delicious spots to try. With Grindhaus, I left wondering how soon I could return to try other dishes and who I would pick to share the experience with. Next time it will be me adding Grindhaus, quite forcefully, to the list of potential Red Hook dinner options.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

4 Comments

  1. Soured in Red Hook

    A stellar review. I’ve known Ms. Norris and her culinary talents for two decades, and find I am never surprised and always delighted. Welcome aboard.

  2. Noreen O’Loughlin

    Agreed! The food is surprisingly unique & delicious.

    • Thank you, Noreen! We were so delightfully surprised by this straightforward review. Hopefully I get to feed Ms. Rivard again and shake her hand. Chef Kevin Speltz has got to be THE most fun chef I ave worked with since I caught the bug at a place called Michael Anthony’s on the cusp on the Hamptons back in the early 1980’s. That kitchen made me fall in love with restaurant life and I vowed to have my own the very first day I spent of the floor as a busgirl. The kitchen was always up beat and happy and it translated into the food. I have had my share of egos and attitude in the kitchen here but I’ve never been able to truly replicate that joy of yore until Kev came along. I am beyond grateful to have him back helming the kitchen and we are thrilled you can taste it. We are all happy and grateful to be here each and every service and hope it rubs off on all of our diners. Thank you for dining with us!

  3. Aw, shucks! Thank you but it’s honestly the talents of chef Kevin Speltz who dazzled us from 2016-2018 and lucky for me, has reopened this crazy Haus with me armed to the teeth with even more fun to plate. I could not have even thought about reopening if my brother from another mother couldn’t hop along for this latest incarnation!

On Key

Related Posts

Eventual Ukrainian reconstruction cannot ignore Russian-speaking Ukrainians, by Dario Pio Muccilli, Star-Revue EU correspondent

On October 21st, almost 150 (mostly Ukrainian) intellectuals signed an open letter to Unesco encouraging the international organization to ask President Zelensky to defer some decisions about Odessa’s World Heritage sites until the end of the war. Odessa, in southern Ukraine, is a multicultural city with a strong Russian-speaking component. There has been pressure to remove historical sites connected to

The attack of the Chinese mitten crabs, by Oscar Fock

On Sept. 15, a driver in Brooklyn was stopped by the New York Police Department after running a red light. In an unexpected turn of events, the officers found 29 Chinese mitten crabs, a crustacean considered one of the world’s most invasive species (it’s number 34 on the Global Invasive Species Database), while searching the vehicle. Environmental Conservation Police Officers

How to Celebrate a Swedish Christmas, by Oscar Fock

Sweden is a place of plenty of holiday celebrations. My American friends usually say midsummer with the fertility pole and the wacky dances when I tell them about Swedish holidays, but to me — and I’d wager few Swedes would argue against this — no holiday is as anticipated as Christmas. Further, I would argue that Swedish Christmas is unlike

A new mother finds community in struggle, by Kelsey Sobel

My son, Baker, was born on October 17th, 2024 at 4:02 am. He cried for the first hour and a half of his life, clearing his lungs, held firmly and safely against my chest. When I first saw him, I recognized him immediately. I’d dreamed of being a mother since I turned thirty, and five years later, becoming a parent