I thought I'd take you through a peek inside one of my favorite places in the neighborhood. Radish is a new gourmet shop here in Williamsburg that has the vibe of an old school general store. It's the place I go when I want something homemade and fresh — but am too lazy, or my refrigerator's too empty, to cook up something myself (consider it guilt-free takeout.) I adore how the entire shop is set up, simply charming. Gray Staub dutch ovens are lined up with the day's prepared hot meals — all with twists on flavor and often many local ingredients. The current menu of dinner foods includes braised Long Island duck legs with a housemade kimchi and half roasted Bobo Farms chicken marinated in yogurt and spices. Wow, right?
The cool vintage refrigerator (they call Dylan) in the front has been restored and works. They also make their own drinks at Radish. I had a plum spritzer that day which was fantastic. And they always serve homemade ginger ale and Irving Farm coffee.
I'm absolutely obsessed with the aprons that all the employees wear at Radish. They are quite simply the best aprons I've ever come across. Not feminine nor masculine — a utilitarian gray fabric with pockets and soft leather ties. From day one, I've been asking for them to sell these aprons (which were made specially for them.) Here's hoping someday.
And the stripey straws! They sell Jack and Lulu's stripey straws! A bunch of paper straws are at the counter, too, so you can grab a free stripey straw for your spritzer.
I love how Amy and Laura of Radish have filled the shop with so many vintage finds. From the vintage sugar tongs to the antique cakestands, it's inspiring to see all the found pieces in the shop. I also love this chalkboard idea they came up with: they had two large chalkboards built and an artist friend painted drawings of the in-season fruits and vegetables for each growing season. That's the summer chalkboard (on the back is spring.)
I'm a huge fan of their sandwiches. I pretty much lived on their steak sandwich for a couple months — the sandwich is made with gorgonzola and balsamic-strawberry jam on ciabatta bread. So good. I ordered a bunch of those steak sandwiches for our Father's Day outing — it was the perfect portable lunch. For summer, they've been carrying some amazing lobster rolls (and I'm a picky lobster roll eater since I get them all the time when we're in Maine.)
Radish also sells some of the best-of-the-best picnic essentials. The tiffin sets are identical to the ones I got as a gift for our wedding — and use all the time. I love their wool picnic blankets with the leather sash tie. They also sell OOTS lunchboxes, biodegradable plates and silverware, and more.
You can actually buy a bottle of one of their homemade syrups to make your own ginger ale or plum spritzer — they also sell their yummy balsamic vinegar by the bottle. The packaging is pitch perfect.
Even their coffee bar setup on a vintage stove is super cute.
Of course there is an iconic radish salad at Radish. Did you know there are so many varieties of radishes that there's always one in season?
A big thank you to the Radish team, and Amy and Laura, for letting me take over their shop with my camera. But mostly, thanks for giving Dan and me a healthy takeout option when we're too lazy to cook at home. It's always a treat to pick up food from your shop.
If you're in the area, I highly recommend picking up a lunch or dinner from Radish. Or just stopping by for a peach rosemary sprizer and a stripey straw.
Radish
158 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn
718-782-2744
