The River Café (Brooklyn)

The River Café is a Michelin starred restaurant located on a former coffee barge in the East River under the Brooklyn Bridge.[1] It opened in June of 1977 after twelve years of obtaining permits and other prep work, and owner Michael "Buzzy" O'Keeffe also operates other venues including Manhattan's Water Club.[2] [3] While early reviews of their food were mixed, the restaurant was one of the first in the city to promote high-end California wines when many were limiting their menus in French wines.[4][5]

While staff such as the wine director stayed for more than forty years, the restaurant is known for incubating American chefs, including Larry Forgione, Charlie Palmer, David Burke and Rick Laakkonen.[2][6][1][7]

The restaurant was heavily damaged due to Hurricane Sandy and re-opened in February 2014 with a change in its wine focus.[8][3][4] Long before DUMBO/Fulton Ferry was accessible via NYC Ferry, the restaurant offered a house ferry from Wall Street.[5] Despite changes to the dining industry as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, The River Cafe remains a dress code of jackets required.[9]

References
  1. Miller, Bryan (31 July 2017). "View From the River Café: 40 Years of Feasts and Firsts". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  2. Schrambling, Regina (29 August 2001). "The Restaurant That Launched a Thousand Chefs". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. Wells, Pete (20 May 2014). "An Old Flame Reignited". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  4. Bellafante, Ginia (10 November 2012). "At River Café, a Loss of the Finer Things". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. Greene, Gaele (13 April 1981). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. p. 60. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  6. Asimov, Eric (10 September 2020). "After 43 Years, the Wine Sentinel of the River Café Stands Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  7. Grimes, William (13 February 2002). "Restaurants; A Magnet for Lovers, And Chefs, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  8. Asimov, Eric (27 February 2014). "A Storm Washes Away Old Ideas on Wine". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  9. Gallagher, Jacob (21 June 2021). "'Jacket Required' No More? How the Pandemic Changed Dress Codes - WSJ". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

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