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The River Café (Brooklyn)

The River Café is a restaurant located on a former coffee barge in the East River under the Brooklyn Bridge. It has offered its own ferry service from Wall Street. Opened in 1977 by Michael O'Keeffe, who has also owned several other New York City restaurants, it was one of the first fine dining restaurants in the city to promote locally sourced and organic food, American cuisine, and high-end California wines. Heavily damaged due to Hurricane Sandy in fall 2012, it reopened in February 2014.

History and operations

Michael "Buzzy" O'Keeffe, who also operates other venues including Manhattan's Water Club, opened The River Café in summer 1977 on land on the Brooklyn waterfront leased from New York City, after twelve years of obtaining permits and other prep work.[1][2] In 1981, long before the neighborhood, now known as Dumbo, was accessible via NYC Ferry, the restaurant instituted a house ferry from Wall Street.[3] Its success on a formerly derelict stretch of waterfront influenced the development of the area.[2]

The restaurant pioneered local sourcing, organic and free-range food,[3] and, in an era when New York fine dining restaurants usually offered mostly French wines, offered high-end California wines.[2][4] It was also one of the first fine dining restaurants in New York to showcase American cuisine.[5]

While staff such as the wine director stayed for more than forty years,[6] The River Café is known for incubating American chefs, including Larry Forgione, Charlie Palmer, David Burke, and Rick Laakkonen.[2][7][8] Brad Steelman has been head chef since 2000.[1]

Despite changes to the dining industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, The River Café retains a dress code of jackets required.[9] In 2012, a past and a current employee alleged that the restaurant discriminated against both casually-dressed patrons and those wearing Orthodox Jewish clothing (who are forbidden to order alcohol) by strictly enforcing a minimum charge that was waived for undercover reporters.[10][11]

In May 2019, actress Jennifer Lawrence and her then-fiancé, Cooke Maroney, held their engagement party at The River Café.[12] Several notable figures attended, including actress Emma Stone.[13]

Hurricane Sandy

The restaurant occupies a former coffee barge that rests on an underwater pier in the East River.[2] In October 2012, flooding from Hurricane Sandy caused damage including corroded electrical wiring, lost food and wine, and the destruction of antiques and a piano. Walls also needed replacement after the storm due to mold.[14][15] The River Café was closed for over a year for repairs, despite hopes that it would reopen in fall 2013, either on the anniversary of the storm or around Thanksgiving.[16] It reopened in February 2014[1][17] with a change in its wine focus,[4] and regained its Michelin star that same year.[18] The Cafe lost its star in the 2023 rankings.[19]

External links

References

  1. Pete Wells. An Old Flame Reignited The New York Times, May 20, 2014, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  2. Bryan Miller. View From the River Café: 40 Years of Feasts and Firsts The New York Times, July 31, 2017, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  3. Gaele Greene. Of Food and the River New York Magazine, April 13, 1981^
  4. Eric Asimov. A Storm Washes Away Old Ideas on Wine The New York Times, February 27, 2014, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  5. Moira Hodgson. Made in America: An Elegant New Cuisine The New York Times, May 5, 1982^
  6. Eric Asimov. After 43 Years, the Wine Sentinel of the River Café Stands Down The New York Times, September 10, 2020, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  7. Regina Schrambling. The Restaurant That Launched a Thousand Chefs The New York Times, August 29, 2001, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  8. William Grimes. Restaurants; A Magnet for Lovers, And Chefs, Too The New York Times, February 13, 2002, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  9. Jacob Gallagher. 'Jacket Required' No More? How the Pandemic Changed Dress Codes The Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2021, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  10. Annie Karni. DUMBO restaurant The River Cafe discriminates against Jews: workers New York Post, October 21, 2012, retrieved December 27, 2017^
  11. Ben Yakas. Employees Claim DUMBO's River Cafe Is Very Anti-Semitic Gothamist, October 21, 2012, retrieved March 1, 2023^
  12. Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney Go for Romantic Bike Ride ELLE, March 17, 2024, retrieved July 8, 2024^
  13. Jennifer Lawrence Celebrates Her Engagement Party in a Dress Fit for a Princess Harper's BAZAAR, May 13, 2019, retrieved July 8, 2024^
  14. Joe Satran. River Cafe, Flooded By Storm Surge, One Of Many NYC Restaurants Hit Hard By Hurricane Sandy Huffington Post, October 30, 2012, retrieved December 27, 2017^
  15. Ginia Bellafante. At River Café, a Loss of the Finer Things The New York Times, November 10, 2012, retrieved July 14, 2021^
  16. Florence Fabricant. River Café Opens Again After Hurricane Sandy The New York Times, December 17, 2013, retrieved December 27, 2017^
  17. Jaime Lutz. River Cafe set to reopen for first time since Sandy Brooklyn Paper, January 7, 2014, retrieved March 1, 2023^
  18. Florence Fabricant. New Michelin Guide Has New York Star-Studded The New York Times, September 14, 2014^
  19. Luke Fortney. Michelin Announces 2023 Stars for New York City Eater NY, November 7, 2023, retrieved November 17, 2023^