Anchors Aweigh!

Hope & Anchor Diner
347 Van Brunt St @ Wolcott
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-237-0276
www.hopeandanchordiner.com

Last Saturday a trip to the Brooklyn Ikea left me yearning for classic, rustic, hand-made, solid wood, American furniture.  And anyone who knows the maze that is Ikea knows it takes a good two hours to navigate towards the inevitable exit, and in those two hours you work up an appetite which, while hearty cannot be satisfied by the cheap hot dogs and Swedish meatballs.  Sorry, I just take issue with eating a meal in a furniture store (unless it’s Williams Sonoma, but that’s for another post.)  Anyway, we made our purchases and headed north on Van Brunt and stopped a charming fixture at the corner of Wolcott, the Hope & Anchor Diner.

This was only our second time here in as many years.  The place looks like a classic diner you’d see in the movies.  Not kitschy though.  There’s a counter that fronts a fully stocked bar including plenty of bottled beer options, and manned by a couple of cute hipster waitresses and one dude.  They even have a glass and steel case filled with desserts – cakes, pies, and giant Rice Krispy treats.  The dining areas are decorated with local artists’ paintings.  The narrower hall between the front & rear dining rooms has a pool table, and an old canvas American flag on the wall.  The bathrooms are decorated with old sailor tattoo prints.  It’s a cool place.

We were handed menus which aside from the food choices contain old advertisements cut out of magazines, and strewn about haphazardly.  A nice touch to complement the wonderful array of brunch and lunch choices.   One dish that stood out in both our minds from our previous meal was the gazpacho!  For a measly $5 Kristina & I shared a bowl of the soup.  It is perfectly cold, just shy of spicy enough (we added some green Tabasco), and perfectly pureed.  I ordered a limeade for $2 and she got a Diet Coke.  I decided on the lamb burger for $9, and Kristina got the Wolcott burger – a big beef patty with Swiss cheese, onions, and mushrooms for $8. 

The lamb burger is divine.  I got it cooked medium.  It’s topped with goat cheese, roasted red pepper, and some kind of a curry sauce served on toasted black olive bread and a side of fries similar to those found in McDonald’s.  I took my time savoring every bite.  Kristina’s was good too, but I was happy with my choice.  I considered a Rice Krispy treat, but thought better of it.  Sure, after a lamb burger what’s a few extra calories?  I have to at least try to fool myself into thinking I’m making an effort to lose weight.  15 lbs by the middle of October.  Place your bets.

The total bill came to $27.75.  They take cash and credit cards.  The beauty of a lunch like this one is 1) it was enjoyable, and 2) I ate very little for dinner.  But again, that’s for another story.

~Sam