Vinegar Hill House

72 Hudson Ave., Brooklyn, NY

8.8

map & more

Neighborhood
Brooklyn
DUMBO

Cuisine
American

Nearby
Brooklyn Bridge

718-522-1018

Official Website

By Andrew Steinthal
July 27, 2009

Oh Brooklyn. You’re so close, yet so far away. It definitely takes extra motivation to get Immaculate Infatuation to venture to BK, especially Dumbo. How anyone can live there and not go completely insane from the constant noise accompanying living under two bridges is beyond me. It makes you empathize with the troll from “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”. However, when we heard that a couple who met on the job at Freemans (one of our all-time favorite restaurants) opened Vinegar Hill House (V.H.H.) in Dumbo, we took it as a sign that it was time for Infatuation to expand out of borough. So without further ado….drum-roll please…we present our first Brooklyn review.

The first thing that will hit you when you walk into V.H.H. is the heady smell of smoldering firewood coming from the wood-burning oven in the open kitchen. V.H.H. has a more rural feel to it than Freemans, although they are definitely cut from a similar cloth. Feel like you’re eating in an eccentric friends dining room filled with vintage chotchkies and old family treasures? That’s because you are. The owners actually live in the house directly behind the restaurant and use the tree laden patio in-between for quaint garden dining. The old time vibe is cool, but they might want to look into some new outdoor furniture. We witnessed a fully plated table across from us crumble to the ground, spilling fine food and wine everywhere. It was kind of nuts.

Despite their lack of functioning furniture, the Hill House is well worth the trek to BK. It’s hip without giving off that “too cool” vibe some restaurants can have. The food is outstanding and, for a change, affordable.

Food Rundown:

Chicken Liver Mousse with vinegar and pistachios
Chicken liver is just not my thing, but everyone else at the table was freaking out over it. Sorry Grandma, I know how you feel about your chicken livers. I just don’t get it!

Wood Oven Roasted Octopus
Perfectly roasted and mixed in a little bowl with charred lemon, olives and white beans. Every bite is rich and savory.

English Pea Ravioli
On paper pea ravioli doesn’t sound so sexy. Don’t be fooled. You need this badly and may have to order two. It’s that good. If the meal stopped after apps, this would win for best dish.

Cast Iron Chicken with roasted shallots, sherry pan sauce
Freemans chicken entree is one of the best in town so it’s not surprising that the Hill House follows suit. Served in its own piping hot personal pan, it’s juicy in all the right places. Another winner right here and up there with my favorite chicken dishes in the city. Can I get a hell yeah please?

Red Wattle Country Chop with fingerling potatoes, creme fraiche, dill
Sounds pretty ridiculous, right? The presentation somehow trumps the description. Meaty slabs of glazed pork chop on top a wood chopping board. This will be the first dish you notice at V.H.H. because there’s one on or en route to every table in there. It’s love at first sight, and at first taste.