The Barnacle Parade has become an annual celebration in Red Hook, which began on the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. The parade celebrates the community’s resiliency and a tradition of the parade is that it ends at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies (185 Van Dyke St.,) where the family business gives members of the procession free key lime pies and drinks.
I spoke to Steve and Victoria Tarpin along with their son Derek about their beginnings, making it through some challenging times, and the changes they’ve seen in the neighborhood. Victoria gave me a tour and I got to see how the pies are made.
Steve opened up the business 25 years ago and “it originally started after my dad couldn’t find a pie that was up to his standard,” Derek said. “He’s originally from Florida but he moved up here.”
“I made the pies growing up and I’d been making them for friends and family for years before moving here,” Steve continued. “I saw what was around here and didn’t think it was up to snuff so I thought I’d throw mine into the mix.”
One of the important points is that there is no secret formula that makes the pies so tasty. It’s a matter of not cutting corners, putting in the hard work, and using the right ingredients. Key West Lime Juice is very different from the juice that the Tarpins use. One of the keys to Tarpins’ success is using real key limes for their juice.
“The majority of what’s sold on the market as key lime juice isn’t even really key lime juice,” Steve said. “The packaging is very deceptive. That stuff is great for stripping paint and removing rust but it doesn’t belong in food!”
Though Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies has always used authentic ingredients, the business came from humble beginnings and Steve actually started out at a studio apartment on Smith St. for a few years. At first, he relied on “An oven which was held shut with a bungee cord, and at one point I was using three studio-sized refrigerators. I had very helpful neighbors who would let me use their walk-in fridge.”
The Tarpins also talked about Hurricane Sandy which devastated Red Hook.
“It was a shit show,” Steve said. “I was down at the pier and I was holding out until the water started lapping at my feet at the entrance to the business.”
“I saw someone come in earlier in the day with a raft and I just said ‘I’m out of here’ and I took Derek and left,” Victoria said.
“I remember driving down Ferris St. and Greg O’Connell was stuck and said ‘You’ve got to get me home,’” Steve said. “We actually didn’t get hit as hard as the people on Beard St. I think they were eight feet underwater and we were around four or five feet when it was at its worst. It felt like the damage was done and it was time to get to work but we were without electricity for at least a month if not longer.
“The neighborhood was great though, everyone came in and helped out,” Victoria said. “It was people of all ages.”
One memory is the six bottles of mezcal that got scattered in the flood. Neighbors came over and were helping clean and every time they found one of the bottles, they would take a break from searching.
“The turnout from those initial first few days and then later on when we opened the doors to the public was amazing,” Steve said. “It was weird because a lot of the people from the surrounding neighborhoods weren’t really affected at all but lots of people came here just to look and see how bad the people on the other side had it.”
The big response helped inspire the tradition of giving away key lime pies at the end of the Barnacle Parade.
“It was a way to reciprocate to the neighborhood because we always get the help when we need it,” Victoria said. “It’s so nice to see all of the neighbors and the kids at the parade. Steve would also always have a cooler with beer, some tequila, and some whiskey. Now, in the last few years Wet Whistle Wines has donated the drinks. It’s just really nice to reciprocate the good intentions and the love we’ve felt from our neighbors.”
Steve and Victoria also spoke about changes they’ve seen in Red Hook since moving to the neighborhood.
“You used to be able to find places that were much more affordable,” said Victoria. “Not such expensive rents. I remember coming from Columbia over to the pier with Derek and he would take his shoes off and just run around. He would go see the neighbors and everyone would take care of him. We got to know everyone, and we’d go home at the end of the day. His feet were so dirty but he was always so happy. We could never do that today.”
“If someone did that today, their kid would be taken away from them,” said Steve. “The thing I always said about Red Hook when I came here was you don’t choose Red Hook; it chooses you.
“Back in the day there wasn’t all this traffic along Van Brunt St. There could be two cars stopped in the middle of the street and no one honked because once they finished their conversation and they went on their way, then it was your turn to have a conversation. They say the definition of a New York minute is the time from when the light turns green to when you beep your horn. You just can’t do that anymore. Back then everyone knew each other.”
I also asked them about any predictions they had for the neighborhood.
“Now you have the big Amazon facilities and it’s become a place for the last-mile distribution centers,” Steve said. “The distance to the LIE and the tunnel makes it a perfect spot for them. I’m not sure what that means for us for the future but it seems to be the direction the neighborhood is going. ”
As to Steve’s future, they are getting a new machine to squeeze the limes.
“The old machine that we’re retiring, I’ve had that thing for over two decades,” Steve said. “It’s been rebuilt two or three times and it has been a real workhorse. It would be great if we could get another 20 years out of the new one, which is a little different in that it’s made specifically for smaller fruits so we’re very excited about it.”
The machines use brute force to squeeze the limes and do not waste any juice. While the key lime part is obviously what they are known for, the graham cracker crust is also excellent.
Both Steve and Victoria said they were thankful for the companies who supply their ingredients. They use NY’s Birkett Mills to supply wheat and they use honey which is also locally sourced. They get their ingredients from local businesses when they can.
“We know we charge a premium for our product but we really try as hard as we can to at least stabilize our prices,” Steve said. “The best way to do that is with savings in-house with the process or with materials. Fortunately, we’re able to buy key limes by the pallet. Our milk comes from a dairy in Wisconsin and we try to buy direct and cut out the middleman as much as we can. Other times we’ll save costs with stupid stuff like fewer napkins.
“Another thing is not using a fancy bag with a label, just using a plain bag,” Victoria said. “We try to economize in some ways but never in the ingredients and the pies.”
They also try to be environmentally friendly which is why they sell boxed water instead of water bottles. The little things can add up to make a big difference.
“I detest the plastic packaging so that has to go and we’re trying to source that out,” Steve said.
“Another thing is using recyclable spoons even though they’re a little more expensive because we try to be conscious about the planet,” Victoria said.
I also asked the Tarpins about their favorite pies. Derek said his favorite right now is the Victoria (a key lime pie dipped in chocolate with a spicy kick,) and added “It’s an underrated choice but the spiciness and sweetness go together really well.”
Sometimes I’m in the mood for the tart and then other days I’m craving the chocolate so for me it changes depending on the day,” Victoria said.
“I really try to encourage first-timers to try the tart,” Steve said. “The swingle (a key lime pie dipped in chocolate) was more of an afterthought. It’s more of a novelty and I get that people love it, and for good reason, it’s freaking amazing, but I think if people visit us, they should start by trying the old-school pie. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!”
