Brooklyn Keeps On Taking It

Dave Wondrich Says Brooklyn Isn’t All Pickle Ateliers and Jerky Pop-ups, Not Like Those Are Bad Things

Here's a map.
Here’s a map. Photo: Courtesy Esquire

“Brooklyn has become as much an adjective as it is a place,” writes cocktail man, historian, and all-around wise man David Wondrich, who goes long on the borough for Esquire. Starting back in 1986, when he moved to a neighborhood entirely devoid of artisanal mayonnaise shops, Wondrich notes the many benchmarks of gentrification over the years, noting his fondness for the persistent quirks: the halal Chinese takeout places and Albanian pizzerias. He grabs a beer at Hank’s and listens for signs of chainification, the Dave & Buster’s and Hooters restaurants coming in. Those who rail against Brooklyn’s often precious food scene may be misguided, Wondrich thinks. “Hipsters might be parasites, but at least they leave the host alive, if only to feed off it,” he writes. “Given a choice between a neutron bomb and a hydrogen bomb, I guess I’ll take the neutrons.” [Esquire]

Dave Wondrich Says Brooklyn Isn’t All Pickle Ateliers and Jerky Pop-ups,