Full disclosure:I have eaten at the Hope & Anchor diner in Red Hook many a time, spanning meals from brunch to dinner. But I I feel like this warrants a post because really, I am always up for going there and I am seldom ever disappointed when it comes to my meal. Last night was no exception with one added bonus: Karaoke.
Jes, Sarah B. and I (all former waitresses and one current barrista/beermonger extraordinaire) met up around 9:30 at one of our old haunts, Quarter Bar (20th street & 5th ave). This bar is also one of my consistent favorites. The semi-rustic ambiance of dark unfinished wood and an ever growing collection of found treasures (stuffed pheasant, anyone?) is perfectly complemented by dim ambery light and a selection of plain good music. I went in there intending to get one of their incredibly good Hot Toddies, but ended up ordering one of their specialty drinks, a Rosarita--a rosemary-infused marguerita served up high in a slightly modified martini glass. Delicious delicious delicious. Sarah B. had ordered the same and Jes ordered two rounds of her new favorite old-man drink, a two-bits (pyrotechinal bonus: they light an orange peel on fire).
After calling around to various car services (remember, be safe kids), our good friends at Express 11 broke everyone's record and showed up in literally 3 minutes to bring us to the Hope & Anchor diner on Wolcott and Van Brundt. We could hear the dim warblings of karaoke night as we stepped out of the cab. As we elbowed our way through the slightly older yet drunky-fun crowd, we immediately asked if the kitchen was still open. Even though they were abut to close, they quickly took our food orders at the bar. Now normally, I am livid when I am rushed--but since we had all been their before, we settled on some old favorites before tucking into a corner table where we had front row seats what would prove to be some of the most purely entertaining karaoke performances I have ever witnessed. They were all there--the guy who sang exclusevely from the Billy Joel song catalogue, the good old favorites of total eclipse of the heart and Livin on a Prayer. But this guy stole the show and my heart for his high kicks his hi octane dance performance on the bar while staying perfectly on pitch. ku-dos.
Jes ordered their turkey burger--a perfectly-sized portion that comes with cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and onions in an assemble-yourself spread. It was served with a lightly-dressed green salad (no iceberg) and shoestring fries. Although Jes had requested the fries well-done, they were not so much--but considering that we were served PERIOD, this was really a non-issue. As always, the meal was incredibly satisfying.
I ordered the hot wings appetizer--a generous portion of segmented wings appropriately served with stalks of celery and bleu cheese dressing. I should disclose at this point that I am a hot wing connoisseur and have some very strong opinions in this area. This being said, these hot wings are probably the best I've had in all of NYC/Brooklyn. They were perfectly fried and not drippy with sauce, cooked completely through with no signs of rubberiness. The dressing on the side was served in a small dish--the PERFECT amount--and was clearly house made. My wing-craving was fully satisfied.
Sarah B. ordered the lamb burger--a marinated lamb patty served on olive toast with roasted red pepper and copious amounts of feta cheese. Sarah is a full on fan of this burger hands down. She was quick to praise the Hope & Anchor for squeezing our order in at the last minute and performing karaoke like total pros. Full disclosure: Sarah is a seasoned bartender/barrista/superwoman with high standards and a very discerning palette, and her opinion (in my humble opinion) carry significant weight. Her only criticism was the beer situation...
"The only thing I was disappointed by was the beer recommendation, but we all know I am especially finicky about this area. I ordered an Avery IPA which is a very dry, light, almost citrusy IPA, and because they were of out he recommended me that I didn't like at all because it was much too sweet and dark (amber/red?), and I think he suggested it just because it's also from Denver, but I can't remember what it was called..."In all, very high marks. And I would have to agree. I always look for an excuse to go to the H&A because it's always a win-win situation. Not only is it chock-full of character, it's completely un-pretentious and is all about good food, good beer and a good time. BEST PART: it's a destination, so making the long journey makes everything taste that much better... especially with a beer.
