Red Hook Lobster Pound, located at 284 Van Brunt St., celebrated its 10th year in the neighborhood on April 25. Hungry guests chowed down and received 10 percent off their bill.
The idea behind the restaurant formed after owners Susan Povich and Ralph Gorham took a trip to Portland, Maine, and brought home fresh lobsters. Ralph had told Susan that they should open their own lobster pound; she thought it over and said the idea was brilliant, the very next day. Soon afterwards they started selling freshly caught lobsters and lobster rolls at the Brooklyn Flea.
Word caught on and the duo received great support since their concept was new and different at the time. Years later they added wooden picnic seating to their Red Hook dining room and built a kitchen to make and sell other seafood dishes and sides. After Superstorm Sandy hit, they had to rebuild from scratch. After being closed for four months, they served their first post-Sandy lobster roll to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“About four years ago Red Hook was really changing and we felt it. We needed full service and wanted to establish ourselves more in the neighborhood,” Susan told us in mid-May during a busy lunch service. “We’re happy to be a part of the community and are glad people come here as a destination and come here to experience the neighborhood.”
Red Hook Lobster Pound is open Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 am to 9 pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am to 10 pm; and Sundays, 11 am to 9 pm.
Top photo from Red Hook Lobster Pound’s Facebook page (post)
Author
George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.
