Gaze over the waterfront from River Caf of Water Street

Gaze Over the Waterfront from River Caf of Water Street

The River Caf can be found on the waterfront beside the Brooklyn Bridge of New York City, which explains why its name has the River in it. It is one of the most well-loved and spacious restaurants in the city, with an outdoor patio that can accommodate up to 150 diners at one time. The name of its street alone will tell you where it is: #1 Water Street – now how’s that for a Brooklyn address?

Besides being a popular waterfront restaurant, the River Caf (and of course, Michael Buzzy O’Keefe, its owner) have a claim to fame since they have been able to churn out more highly skilled American chefs than any other eating place in the country. Some great names in the culinary world came from River Caf – such as Brad Steelman, Rick Moonen, Rick Laakonen, David Burke, Charles Palmer, Larry Forgione, and Rick Stefan , who have all become renowned in the US for their top-notch cooking expertise. But River Caf itself was a labor of love by Michael O’Keefe since he had to persuade the City of New York through many years of talks to permit him to construct his elegant River Caf restaurant. An additional risk in building River Caf in its current location was that the neighborhood at that time was pretty blighted and neglected by city authorities. But Michael’s gamble paid off since River Caf has been able to gain many accolades since it was introduced in 1977. Even Gault Millau, a respected culinary guide in France, chose River Caf as among the five best restaurants of New York –proving that despite its location, the restaurant could still be a crowd-drawer that serves excellent food. Many attribute the resurgence of the Brooklyn waterfront after River Caf came into the picture to the ongoing presence of River Caf in the area.

This 2007 would be the 30^th year that River Caf has been operating, pretty good for a Brooklyn restaurant. People come to River Caf not just for the excellent food choices, but also because of the nice view of Lower Manhattan that is afforded them from the restaurant. People say River Caf qualifies as a special-occasion eatery, the type of place you bring a date to when you want to impress him or her, or perhaps your boss if you want to earn brownie points in your company. Do not go to River Caf if you desire culinary gymnastics (meaning, food that perplexes rather than just satisfies the belly and the palate at the same time.) Instead, head for River Caf if you want food that is pleasant and comforting to sample in an atmosphere that definitely won’t cause indigestion. For dessert, you might try the chocolate-based replica of the Brooklyn Bridge (it’s rumored to be quite good to eat, not just look at.) Another great feature of the River Caf menu is its vast wine list, which contains around 300 selections that mostly come from California and France. It is possible to order half bottles for certain selections.