Bars around the ball fields

Red Hook Bait and Tackle

We know you're probably excited about Ikea's big opening in Red Hook (well, unless maybe you live in Red Hook), but let’s face it: How much can one really shop for thrifty modern furniture and sample Swedish meatballs?

To that end, there's a far better reason to make the trek to this subway-less ‘hood: the Central and South American food vendors who set up shop every weekend on the ball fields at the corner of Clinton and Bay Streets, where local foodies dream of fresh huaraches, pupusas, and heavenly sweet tamarind horchata. Meddling by various city departments has delayed this year’s opening (late June is the latest estimate), but nobody knows for sure.

Here's a handy guide (it takes you from the F train at Carroll Street, through Red Hook and back again) to make a day of it once the vendors open. Or, if the delay goes on, check out these spots on their own—perhaps on the way to buy your new Poang chair.

The closest subway stop to the ball fields is the Carroll Street stop along the F and G trains. Play urban safari and consult a map before you go because once you get to Red Hook, it can be easy to lose your way around.

P.J. Hanley’s
While P.J. Hanley’s claim as the oldest bar in Brooklyn is up for debate, there's no disputing their giant outdoor patio and vast selection of tasty beverages. Start your day off right with an order of huevos rancheros, complete with a shot of tequila ($10). If you refuse to shoot Patron before noon, there are plenty of other brunch staples to choose from. Expect a mix of hipsters and young families. Keep your eyes open for neighborhood oddities, like Italian men’s social clubs and statues of saints on street corners. (449 Court St., Carroll Gardens, 718-834-8223)

Abilene and Brooklyn Bread
Maybe you have friends who rave about Abilene’s two nightly happy hours, but if you’ve never been here, there are few things better than relaxing out front on an early summer afternoon. For late risers, take a cue from the locals and grab the world’s biggest egg-and-cheese on a roll next door at Brooklyn Bread, then snag a seat and a $6, 16-ounce Bloody Mary at Abilene. (Abilene, 442 Court St., Carroll Gardens, 718-522-6900; Brooklyn Bread, 436 Court St., Carroll Gardens, 718-403-0234)

Alma
If an early start is your thing, head across the BQE for brunch on Alma’s scenic rooftop (their weekend brunch begins at 10 a.m.). Enjoy sweeping views of the Red Hook shipping ports and lower Manhattan while chomping on perfectly prepared Mexican and South American dishes. Their tequila selection will blow your mind, and, yes, it’s OK to have a margarita (or two!) this early in the morning. (187 Columbia St., Carroll Gardens, 718-643-5400)

Hope and Anchor
OK, so more food is the last thing you want post-ball fields, but this retro-style diner and bar has plenty of liquid refreshments as well. Get your sea legs with a Red Hooker, a deceptively simple mix of Makers Mark and peach puree. Stick with the hard stuff (you are near the docks now), or check out their sugar-sweet martinis with names like the Dirty Bananatini, and stay for karaoke every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. (347 Van Brunt St., Red Hook, 718-237-0276)

Red Hook Bait and Tackle
You'd be forgiven if you walked past this bar thinking it was, in fact, a bait shop. Inside this gem of a dive is possibly the finest example of fishing and hunting kitsch around. Bass Pro Shops have nothing on Bait and Tackle’s collection of outdoor-sporting ephemera. Case in poin: taxidermy deer-foot coat hooks beneath the bar. The eclectic beer selection rivals any bar in the city, and the artsy local regulars will happily shoot the breeze about anything from the Euro Cup to affordable housing. And dogs are most certainly welcome. (320 Van Brunt St., Red Hook, 718-797-4892)

Gowanus Yacht Club
Ah, the Yacht Club. Carroll Garden’s answer to a nautical watering hole nowhere near the banks of the lovely (read: gross) Gowanus Canal. Somehow, in a space no bigger than a studio apartment and, literally, on top of a subway stop, the owners have managed to make you feel as if you're at a seaside getaway, complete with cheap macrobrewed beer and freshly grilled burgers and dogs. The Club gets crowded on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but there is no better place to wind down as you recount your Red Hook exploits. (323 Smith St. at President St., Carroll Gardens, 718-246-1321)


Photo by Dan Peterson