When the first Dutch settlers arrived in New Amsterdam at the tip of Manhattan it did not take them long to discover the rich farmland just across the East River in an area they named “Breukelen” after a town in the Netherlands. Today the food of Brooklyn is still a draw for those in Manhattan and points far beyond.
It used to be that Manhattan was the place to find the “latest thing”, especially in food. Restaurants aplenty could be found to feed its 1.6 million inhabitants, serving any cuisine you could imagine. But as rents went through the roof, experimental restaurants were priced out, so ambitious chefs looked across the East River to open their own restaurants.
Traveling abroad, the Brooklyn “brand” has been gathering steam for some years now, and mentioning “Brooklyn” summons images of hipsters making cool things from scratch. Being a proud resident of the borough, I am always a bit surprised to hear people’s impressions. But finding the Brooklyn that the world imagines is a bit more difficult than one might think. For every uber-cool workshop, bar or shop, there are acres of old Brooklyn. But that makes the discovery of great places all the more special.