New York‘s guide to 25 outdoor dining spots happens to include six Brooklyn choices (and we know there are tons more). In any case, the ones that are showcased in the mag, followed by New York‘s description in quotes, are:
Alma. 187 Columbia St., at Degraw St., Carroll Gardens/Red Hook, Brooklyn; 718-643-5400. “A restaurant in Red Hook made for romance: Start with a mojito, stuffed with mint and served in a latte-size glass, and end with the just-as-fresh Key-lime pie. Service is spacey, but we like to think that the slow pace ups the tropical factor.”
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 1000 Washington Ave., at Crown St., Park Slope; 718-623-7200. “Spring for the $40 annual membership fee, if only for the Wednesday-evening picnicking privileges: Cheese-and-charcuterie specialist Blue Apron Foods is just two blocks away (814 Union St., at Seventh Ave.; 718-230-3180).”
Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. At the foot of New Dock Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-858-4708. “Picnic with a pie from Grimaldi’s (19 Old Fulton St., nr. Water St.; 718-858-4300) and “Mom’s peanut brittle” from Jacques Torres Chocolate (66 Water St., nr. Main St.; 718-875-9772). Walk it off with a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Habana Outpost. 757 Fulton St., at S. Portland Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn; 718-858-9500. “The popular Nolita diner Habana has a Brooklyn spinoff (next to the Lafayette Avenue C-train stop) that’s even better than the original. The scene is part restaurant, part block party—and drinks are served out of a down-home 1949 GMC pickup truck.”
Smith Street. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. “To the chagrin of a couple of curmudgeonly residents—and to the delight of the rest of us—Smith Street has blossomed into an outdoor diner’s paradise. Check out the picnic tables at the Gowanus Yacht Club (323 Smith St., at President St.; 718-246-1321), the lovely backyard at Grocery (288 Smith St., nr. Union St.; 718-596-3335), and the quirky patio at Robin des Bois (195 Smith St., nr. Warren St.; 718-596-1609).”
Tatiana. 3152 Brighton 6th St., at Brightwater Ct., Brighton Beach, Brooklyn; 718-891-5151. “There are about a half-dozen similar cafés on the Brighton boardwalk—and this one is the best. Order the chicken Kiev for yourself, a smoked-fish platter for the table, and wash it all down with homemade kvass, an alcoholic Soviet-era refreshment that tastes a lot like root beer.”
