Red Hook Tavern’s Strangely Stiff Paean to Old-School New York | The New Yorker

"This past July Durney opened Red Hook Tavern as a tribute to classic old‑school taverns and legendary New York establishments, but I felt it often sagged under the weight of that concept, coming across as a strangely stiff, self‑conscious paean to nostalgia from the moment a besuited host named Benny insisted on shaking each customer’s hand. The narrow dining room, in a former liquor store, is theatrically heavy on early‑twentieth‑century wood, exposed brick, and floral wallpaper and feels uniquely suited to winter; the menu skews to colder climes with pan‑roasted (not fried) chicken served with gravy‑capped mashed potatoes, a New York strip with creamed spinach, chicken‑liver pâté, and vegetable dishes that read like root‑cellar fare. Much of the food is admirable—especially the burger, made from dry‑aged beef that’s bevel‑edged yet loosely packed for juiciness, layered with orange American cheese and crunchy raw white onions on a sesame roll from the same bakery Peter Luger uses; it came without ketchup and, to my surprise, didn’t need it. The place is less accessible than its inspirations—you need a reservation weeks in advance or to wait at the bar while others linger over tasting pours—and entrées run $22–$49." - Hannah Goldfield