Red Hook always felt like the type of place that got just the right amount of everything. Where a little more (subway, mall, etc) or a little less could be detrimental. From the top of my head, you got a chocolate factory, a lobster place, the city’s best BBQ (Hometown), solid Thai, one of the best burgers in town, breweries and bars galore, and pizza. Not to mention Ikea. It can use a good Italian though residents seem fairly happy with Bar Mario for some reason (one and done for us).
But Cafe Kestrel feels like the type of place no one knew Red Hook was missing. An intimate neighborhood joint offering… ok, if I cant call it by the default “New American”, its European, or South European to be as precise as I can, which really means… New American. While the menu seems all too familiar (Chicken, fish, salad, etc), the end result wont.
This was a rare double dessert situation. When you just had a very full meal, and decide to order two desserts instead of the usual one. Judging by how many people share desserts around us, I’m sure many of you can relate. During a meal that feels like nothing can go wrong, it feels criminal to stick to the usual game plan. Besides, who can pass on a Sundae and an Apricot tart.
Just about all the publications about Cafe Kestrel will tell you how tiny it is. It’s too tiny to have a host, and more than 6 tables. You quickly get to know the folks sitting next to you, with just a few inches of separation. All the women by the wall, and the men, apparently all with bladder issues facing them. It’s much easier to get to the bathroom from the aisle seat. It felt like eating with new friends, except that since its Red Hook, more like chaperoning new friend’s kids.
Cafe Kestrel is a good match for anyone that enjoys and appreciates good food. If you enjoy salads and fish especially, you may want to put them on top of the list. When it rains during the meal, you may hear “soup?” murmurs all around you as the chef/owner Dennis Spina also promises soup on rainy days. Judging by the kind of range we experienced, you may want to come here for soup as well.
From start to finish, it was a clever use of top notch ingredient. From the Hors D’Oeuvres section, the Baguette with seaweed butter was an indication of things to come. Save some bread for the salad. Fried Zucchini Flowers stuffed with Stracciatella is normally enough for most places. But here Spina tops them with a nice mix of spices including aromatic fennel pollen. Just a few but very explosive bites.
“Cafe Salad” looks fairly pedestrian, but quite brilliant once you dig in. Good use of Yellow Beets, Red Rock Cheddar that looked like Butternut Squash, surprising everyone around us as well, Walnut Praline & a nice lemony dressing. Lamb sausage is another dish that tasted much better than it looks, especially once you combined all the ingredients.
The mains were even better. The chicken, served crispy thin, with an addictive dates puree, capers, carrots & Herbs De Provence. A forkful of pure bliss. Ordering the Cod with Fava Beans over the Steelhead Trout was a tough but seemingly correct decision, even though I cook Cod very often at home. Delicate, and immensely flavorful.
Excellent Apricot tart, and a Sundae to finish. The Sundae could have been easier to manage and appreciate from a bowl if I can be picky. The drinks were not nearly as memorable, but fine. Efficient, all female service, on this night at least. No miss or even a near miss. In fact I would gladly order the same exact dishes again next time. Go!
Cafe Kestrel
293 Van Brunt St (Red Hook, Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Baguette, Zucchini Flowers, Cafe Salad, Chicken, Cod, Apricot Tart
Eating With Ziggy 