I loved attending the opening night party for the new Greenpoint, Brooklyn steak restaurant and lounge, Hook & Cleaver. Adorned in all its I’m-so-cool-I–can’t-get-any-hotter with its camouflaged entrance and all! Hook & Cleaver is Chef/Owner Diane DiMeo’s coming out party after her status was elevated, like Charlie when he went through the roof of the Chocolate Factory! She has been a contestant on the Food Network’s show “Chopped” and a runner up on ABC’s “The Taste.”
When I asked Diane how did she come to be on all those national TV food shows, she said that she owned some restaurants in Mexico City and the various shows found HER. I guess if I looked like her AND cooked like her, maybe they’d find me too! Diane also told me that the restaurant space, and hard to find entrance are reminiscent of the prohibition era, hence the steak house and the types of specialty drinks that are served.
Enough about the awesomeness of Diane, although one really can’t get enough of her! After you enter the restaurant, you walk into a cool big bar area on one side of the room and white lounge banquets on the other side. It gives you that “I can’t wait to melt right in feeling.” I noticed fun drinks like Tom Collins were being passed around, but my bff and I opted for a glass of the excellent house red wine.
An adorable server with long black curly hair and a fun loving, funky dressed guy (I guess he was a server too?) served delish platters of brussels sprouts, cheesy cauliflower, bite sized pieces of steak, and ribs to us and the happening crowd. Man, do I love being at a restaurant opening! Everyone has a camera or a film crew and mic with them, myself included.
We were seated at a counter that had an excellent view of Diane and her crew prepping and cooking in the open kitchen. The huge rustic and aged looking windows reminded me of the open kitchens that are an LA standard thrown in with the Brooklyn bohemian feel.
So if you’re on the hunt for a new amazing place to spend your evening, and you want to venture, then take a short trip to Brooklyn! Hook & Cleaver is a short 10-minute drive from the midtown tunnel! You’ll love the place for the scene, the amazing food and of course, Diane!
Check out their website, hookncleaver.com. Please note that they are only open from Thursday to Saturday, 6pm to 11pm. Also, they only take cash, so hit that ATM!
Happy Eating!
This restaurant review was submitted by Rebecca Berman exclusively for NYCTalking. Rebecca Berman is an active Blogger, Editor and Lifestyle Reporter. You can follow her and all her projects on twitter @RebeccaBermanTV
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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