Leah had done some work in Red Hook and really enjoyed the neighborhood, especially the now-legendary Hometown BBQ. On a beautiful, cold April Sunday in 2018, we enjoyed an afternoon in the area, touring the Widow Jane distillery and eating lunch at Hometown shortly after.
Widow Jane Distillery
218 Conover St, Brooklyn, NY
widowjane.com
Hometown BBQ
454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY
hometownbbq.com
Widow Jane Distillery
Distillery and chocolate factory tour? Yes please!
Immediately upon entering, you're bombarded by amazing sights: a wall of different spirits, and rows of unique corn breeds which Widow Jane uses to make their bourbon.
The distillery is located in an old chocolate factory - Widow Jane continues making chocolate there today, albeit on a much smaller scale.
At the start of the tour we were shown a variety of mechanical implements, some new and some very old, which are used in the production of the chocolate.
Being located in Brooklyn, of course they had a yard full of chickens.
We walked down the block and they showed us their warehouse, where the barrels of whisky are aged.
Part of the massive still.
After the tour it was on to tastings! We sampled a variety of bourbons. Though we weren't thrilled with Widow Jane's standard bourbon product, we thoroughly enjoyed some of the more unusual varieties, particularly their Bloody Butcher (named for its giant red varietal of heirloom corn) and Chocolate Malt bourbons. Though pricey, these were an enticing addition to our liquor collection.
Hometown BBQ
This was my first visit to Hometown BBQ. I had watched an interview with owner Billy Durney on Mike Colameco's Real Food. During their talk, Mike asked Billy why he opened a BBQ place way out in Red Hook, 20 minutes from the nearest subway stop. Bill responded that traveling and waiting is part of the tradition of BBQ - it's one of the foods that people will drive across state lines only to line up for hours at a time, hoping to get a piece of brisket from their favorite place before they sell out. That's dedication.
Bloody Mary
My knees were bothering me, so Leah offered to wait in line while I secured a couple seats at the bar. I enjoyed a fantastic bloody mary while I sat. If you're a regular reader, you may know that I have a love-hate relationship with this drink - when prepared with care, it's one of my favorites. But when served watery and flavorless, it's always a huge letdown. Thankfully, Hometown BBQ takes their bloody mary seriously, and serves it thick, rich, spicy, and loaded with flavor.
Assorted BBQ and Sides
Lamb Belly Banh Mi
Brisket
Dill Pickles
Mac N' Cheese
Burnt End Beans
Cornbread
Lamb Belly Banh Mi
Brisket
Dill Pickles
Mac N' Cheese
Burnt End Beans
Cornbread
We ordered an assortment of dishes, planning on getting way too much to eat in one sitting and taking the rest home. Everything was absolutely incredible, and I declared the lamb belly banh mi as the best thing I had eaten all year.
Pulled Pork Tacos
Jamaican Jerk Baby Back Ribs
Vietnamese Hot Wings
As our order kept coming, a few gentlemen at the bar to our left took interest, laughing at the quantity of food in front of us. When we told them that we had also ordered a beef rib (which thankfully never showed up due to an ordering error), their jaws hit the floor.
As it turned out, these were friends of Billy, the owner, who joined us shortly after. When our wings arrived, he scrutinized the tray and firmly but politely asked the food runner to send it back and "make it nice". He told us that customers shouldn't have to eat off a messy tray. We really appreciated this - you could see that this was a guy who cared about his patrons and took an active roll in ensuring the quality of his establishment.
