Fort Defiance
A newbie but a goodie, Fort Defiance is the kind of place you'll want to check out before everybody else starts mobbing the joint. The Word on Columbia Street says it was "named in honor of the Red Hook fort built for the Battle of Long Island in 1776, during which Washington defended New York City from the British, is already off to a good start and can only get better"
Grub Street comments on this bar/cafe's classic cocktails, "none containing more than four ingredients — a nod to summer as well as a thumbing of the nose at the overseriousness of the cocktail revival," and notes that Fort Defiance's "muffuletta was designed to be as close to the Central Grocery standard as possible. That is, [owner St. John] Frizell had sandwiches shipped from New Orleans and challenged two local bakeries to match the bread, then had his chef Sam Filloramo reverse engineer the olive salad."
Gothamist adds, "Frizell designed the restaurant to evoke some of his favorite places he visited on assignment as a food writer... [and said] that he intends Fort Defiance to become a casual neighborhood spot that doesn't draw too much intention to itself, 'the type of place you can get a coffee in the morning. Then you can get a glass of wine and maybe a bite to eat later on in the evening.'” What's your take on this place?
Reviews (11)
BH76 wrote a review on August 28, 2009 12:08 PM
How can this be considered a restaurant?There is almost NO food other than snacks for dinner. It sounds like a lovely bar but no way is that dinner menu that of a real resturant.
promenade wrote a review on August 28, 2009 1:18 PM
We love this place - true the full dinner menu is not available yet, but what they do serve is delicious and thoughtfully prepared (from cheese selections, shrimp salad, oysters, etc. and even their cashews and olives are yummy). I can only imagine that their dinner menu will be equally as well done - I also think the service is lovely.
Kris wrote a review on August 28, 2009 3:01 PM
Cocktails are fantastic, as are the snacks. They also have a large and delicious selection of non-alcoholic libations. Staff is nice.
Combustiblegirl2 wrote a review on August 28, 2009 3:14 PM
Best. Coffee. Maybe ever. Certainly that I've had in a long time. I'm totally addicted. Muffuletta is fabulous and the drinks are outstanding at half the price of a lot of other fancy cocktail joints. Definitely an amazing place for a snack and a drink. But you could easily while away hours there.
dirty_hipster wrote a review on August 28, 2009 4:44 PM
Is this the place a Pegu Club guy is affiliated with?
Nomi wrote a review on August 29, 2009 3:16 AM
Yes, EXCELLENT coffee. And pastries. That's all I've had here so far, so that's what my food rating is based on.
I don't mind that some of the "Restaurants of the Day" are not full restaurants. So what? Why can't they be reviewed for what they are?
Kara wrote a review on August 30, 2009 10:11 AM
dirty_hipster -- Yes, the owner is a former Pegu Club bartender. My husband says he had the best Manhattan of his life here, and it only cost 8 bucks. I had a great salad (made with mizuna grown in Red Hook), a huge Dark & Stormy (that also cost $8), and the muffuletta is definitely a destination sandwich. Since they're open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I think it's totally fair to classify this as a cafe.
saarinen wrote a review on August 30, 2009 5:45 PM
Agreed that this is in no way a restaurant. They have been saying for months now that food is coming. From what the staff has said to us, it is yet another "finger food" Frankies knock-off just like nearly every other place that has opened in this area and failed over the past year. Why not be different and actually try serving real food? This area could sure use it. It certainly doesn't need another specialty drink place when there is no food and practically no public transportation. I love Red Hook but just wish some "real' restaurants would open.
lapmax75 wrote a review on August 30, 2009 9:35 PM
saarinen - that's why Good Fork is so great. I wonder why it hasn't been Restaurant of the Day, despite all its praise. The owners were even guest competitors on Throwdown with Bobby Flay recently - they seem like really nice people.
Combustiblegirl2 wrote a review on September 1, 2009 5:30 PM
Real restaurants in red hook:
The aforementioned Good Fork
Hope & Anchor
Anselmo's (for the brick oven crowd)
O'Barone (in the former 360 spot)
Viva
Kevin's
Home/Made
Bars with a real food menu (ie not just tapas/finger food):
Ice House (great BBQ)
Botanica (has dinner and brunch on the weekends)
Rocky Sullivans (now with Lobster boil on Fridays--woo hoo)
And let's not forget the best kept secret in Red Hook: Fairway Cafe.
You can get a dynamite lobster roll and host of other sandwiches (they also serve breakfast), for a great price and sit out back with the most amazing view right on the water. If you doubt me check out the New Yorker from a few weeks back with the Brooklyn Bridge on the cover. Anne Carson's poem in part is set in Red Hook at the Cafe. I think that's a first for the neighborhood.
herkimermaid wrote a review on September 3, 2009 12:05 PM
This place is GREAT. The interior is beautiful, the service is professional but laid back, the cocktail menu is amazing and the snacks (I've sampled better than half of them) are incredibly yummy. I don't know what they put in the deviled eggs but OMG they're good. The cocktails are practically artisanal the way they're prepared, each one with love and care the way they should be :) My understanding is that they're still in soft launch phase and that they'll be opening the restaurant portion of the place shortly. I'm definitely looking forward to that.
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