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Published at 1:48pm
Published on 7/24/08
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Family-friendly or hipster central? Hasidic or Hispanic enclave? Williamsburg has struggled with identity for decades. But Ivan Kohut, part owner of the Radegast Hall & Biergarten (113 North 3rd St at Berry St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-963-3973), which opens this month, is counting on the strength of this universal truth: Everyone loves beer.
The 4,500-square-foot watering hole and restaurant will attempt to bridge the demographic gap the way Habana Outpost does in Fort Greene and Water Taxi Beach does in Long Island City. And unlike the latter two, this place will be open year-round.
Central European beer halls have been in New York City since the mid–19th century. “It was common for Europeans to take their entire families to beer halls on Sundays; it was a way to spend time together,” says Kathleen Hulser of the New-York Historical Society. Kohut, one of four owners of the Radegast Hall, hopes to appeal to both families and singles. “We saw all these restaurants where parents were so uncomfortable,” says the rugged Czech native. “There was this huge taboo against having kids there.”
Happily, the new spot has room to accommodate the inevitable stroller brigade. The bar area boasts 2,000 square feet, and the garden measures 2,500 square feet, with retractable roof panels for all-season drinking. Quirky touches, like a mural of Radegast (the Slavic god of hospitality), vintage Czech signs, and female barkeeps dressed in blousy white tops, vests and flouncy skirts, make the Biergarten poised to become a cult favorite.
Oh yeah, the suds. Look forward to a well-curated selection of 13 beers, including the coriander-spiced Dentergems (a Belgian white beer), creamy Krusovice (a Czech pilsner) and, of course, Pilsner Urquell.
If you don’t worship at the altar of brew there’s still plenty to drink. A dozen European wines will be sold by the glass, and a full bar will include Czech liquors (served straight-up) such as honeyed, herbal Demänovka and citrus-tinged Fernet Stock.
Authenticity extends to the grub: A seasonal menu will be loaded with Czech dishes like quail in porter sauce and rabbit stew (as well as our beloved bratwursts, knockwursts and other sausage). Nods to the melting pot include Spanish chorizo and mussels with leeks and cream sauce.
Will such a place be welcome in Billyburg? When asked what she thinks of a family-friendly Czech beer hall opening in Brooklyn, Hulser laughs: “Isn’t it amazing how history repeats itself?”
