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 30th 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.
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