Defonte's – Red Hook

Defonte's is a counter shop on Columbia Street in Red Hook, and fried eggplant is the thing to notice: sliced paper thin and battered, it stays crisp even under sauce. The move regulars make is to add "hot salad," a crunchy mix of lightly pickled vegetables (it's cold, despite the name). Other picks: the Prosciutto Special (fresh mozzarella, fried eggplant, prosciutto, roasted peppers) and the potato and egg hero in the morning. It's cash only, opens early and closes in the afternoon, and it's shut on Sundays, so check before you make the trip.

Address: 379 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (at Luquer St) Phone: (718) 625-8052

Sources (checked 2026-11-11): defontes.club (address, Red Hook, menu: Nicky Special, Valentino Special, hot roast beef; "since its inception in 1922"); Willa Moore, The Infatuation, 2025-02-25 (Nicky's Special ingredients, Prosciutto Special, hot salad, paper-thin fried eggplant, cash only, opens at 6 am every day except Sunday, opened 1922); DB Kelly, Tasting Table, 2025-10-19 (same address); phone from NYC Tourism and Time Out New York (both 718-625-8052).