Good Cheap Eats: A Walking Tour of Red Hook
by Barbara Jean Briskey

While some reports signal hope that we may be emerging from the Great Recession, eating out can still feel like a luxury. Still, eating out in walking distance of Red Hook village doesn’t have to turn into a budgetary anarchy. Several spots in Red Hook have good food, cheap — defined as healthy, fresh, and made on-site, at under $10. Given the goal to eat cheaply, water has to be the drink of choice. Sipperly’s in Red Hook has abundant wine selections at a fraction of the restaurant cost. Plan ahead, and drink your alcohol at home.

Lunch: Taste Budds makes delicious salads, sandwiches, and wraps, all under $9. The Red Cook Curry House offers an assortment of soups (under $5) and delicious lentils with garlic sauce ($9). Vegetable samosas ($3.95 for two) are a tasty and filling lunch. J&J’s Café on the corner of Market and Broadway is a lively place with soups, salads, sandwiches, paninis and a wonderful homemade veggie burger. Hana Sushi, a short walk from the center of Red Hook, has a “lunch box” (lunchtime variation of a bento box) and an assortment of sushi, sashimi, and sushi roll lunch meals all under $10. If you want authentic Mexican/Latin food, Tello’s Green Farms serves traditional dishes all priced under $10, but be sure you have time because preparation can be a bit slow. In season, Tello’s uses homegrown organic produce.

In a separate but remarkable category and within walking distance if you don’t mind traversing the shoulder on Route 199 for a country block or two, is the Burrito Stand. This tiny trailer admirably feeds its large and dedicated following... seasonally, for lunch, and only when it’s not raining. The Burrito Stand is now located at the Hardeman Orchards farm stand, and has—bar none—the best fresh picnic-style burritos ever.

Dinner: For those who love finely prepared food in a welcoming environment, Flatiron Restaurant on South Broadway offers ambiance and excellent wait staff. They have a small selection of $10-and-under foods, including a local burger dressed up well and served with shoestring fries. Roasted eggplant with organic brown rice is popular among the vegetarian crowd. Several side dishes, including brussel sprouts with mustard and grilled asparagus, will satisfy light eaters. Mercato on East Market Street has several vegetarian salads and a few appetizers that are plenty for a light meal, including grilled Northwind Farm sweet sausage with broccoli rabe and marinara sauce for $7. They also serve mushrooms and seared polenta with beets and goat cheese for $10, enough for a luscious small meal.

As summer days turn long and warm, there is nothing quite like a good meal out with friends or loved ones. We can ride out the tail end of this recession in style, with good food and our budgets looking brighter for it.