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Photographs: Lizz Kuehl

Another reason to hop on a bus to Red Hook: the carefully calibrated cocktails at Fort Defiance. Drink in these extra pictures and check out our four-star review. (And the food is good too.)

Pork belly with figs and pistachios at A Voce Columbus (Photograph: Marlene Rounds)

According to Jay Cheshes, A Voce Columbus “charms without ever trying too hard,” and garners four out of five stars. [TONY]

The Upper West Side’s farm-forward Recipe gets four stars for being a neighborhood restaurant that serves “reasonably priced, homespun dishes that are executed with sophistication.” [TONY] Read more »

Burger with bacon, Gruyère, a fried egg and onion rings at Gus and Gabriel (Photograph: Lizz Kuehl)

Jay Cheshes gives three out of five stars to Michael Psilakis’s Gus and Gabriel, which serves “fatty foods rarely encountered outside the Midwest. Much of it is delicious, and nearly all of it is obscene.” [TONY]

Laut in Union Square gets three stars, but the trick to eating the best dishes is to focus on what the restaurant “does best—Malaysian cuisine.” [TONY] Read more »

The march to Fort Defiance this Saturday

The always-charming Mr. St. John Frizell—he of Red Hook’s newly opened colonial café and bar, Fort Defiance—may have found his own equivalent to the infamous repeal day party at Employees Only. Read more »

Mixed drinks can now be legally sold at Fort Defiance (Photo: Roxana Marroquin)

The Feed just got off the phone with food writer/former Pegu Club bartender/Fort Defiance owner St. John Frizell, who shared the exciting news that the liquor license to his recently opened Red Hook restaurant (and bar-in-waiting) has officially been approved. Since its opening, Frizell has been operating the café and restaurant portion of the business during the day. He should receive the document tomorrow, and plans to extend his hours starting Friday, July 17. With the change will come his 1940s-style cocktails inspired by world adventurer Charles H. Baker Jr. Mark your calendars!

Mixed drinks at Fort Defiance (Photo: Roxana Marroquin)

The following restaurants and bars are expected to open by June 24. Always call ahead before heading out, since opening dates can change.

Fort Defiance Food writer and former Pegu Club bartender St. John Frizell opens his own bar and café. Mornings will offer Colson Patisserie’s baked goods and Counter Culture coffee, while more potent beverages will be available as soon as the liquor license clears. Frizell devotes much of his cocktail list to recipes from 1940s world adventurer Charles H. Baker Jr., such as the Colonial Cooler, a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, bitters, Cointreau, soda water and pineapple. Chef Sam Filoramo (the Good Fork) will create one entrée per night, along with a menu of small plates, salads and sandwiches, including a New Orleans–style muffuletta. 365 Van Brunt St at Dikeman St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (718-522-7996)
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As reported yesterday by Gothamist, Fort Defiance, the Red Hook bar from writer-mixologist St. John Frizell, is nearing completion. They mentioned that the bill of fare will include Counter Culture coffee, local beers on tap including cask ale from Brooklyn Brewery, cocktails and a muffuletta sandwich (yum). To further whet your appetites, the Feed snagged shots of the space, still in plywood phase, viewable after the jump. Read more »