Hecho en Dumbo
111 Front St.
(betw. Washington & Adams Sts.), B’klyn
718-855-5288
I will give away a closely guarded secret about Hecho en Dumbo. Not only is it one of the best Mexican restaurants in Brooklyn (and maybe even NYC), it’s also the perfect unexpected seal-the-deal date spot.
My heart always sinks a little when someone promises me a special meal at their neighborhood favorite, and it turns out to be the hottest place in town. Somehow you always end up waiting for a table even if you secured a reservation weeks in advance. And that means your date called up and sat on hold planning this whole spontaneous night. Dorky. Or worse, he has a friend who got him the reservation who he’ll name drop the entire night. Lame. Give me nearly flawless food in a warm, low-key setting over perfection with a line out the door and stark white tablecloths any day. And since Hecho en Dumbo is still relatively unknown (or at least off the radar for the foodie hordes), it retains that we-discovered-it-together vibe.
Why is Hecho en Dumbo still this way? It’s hard to find. Even once you make it to the less-than-convenient area of Brooklyn, you won’t easily locate the restaurant. Dumbo is a strange neighborhood: One street is filled with overpriced boutiques and the next five feel like urban wastelands. On one of those gentrified blocks, next to a crazy-expensive grocery store, lies a nondescript door with a sign for the Brooklyn General Store. By day, 111 Front Street doubles as a café and houses a small modern home-design store, but at night it transforms into Hecho en Dumbo.
Once you’ve settled into a small table or are tucked alongside other romantic hopefuls at one of the large communal tables, you’re ready for the third—and most important—secret to date success. The dim lights and noisy room force you to lean in close and gaze at each other as you down potent margaritas ($9) and feel your face flush from the spicy appetizers. The wind swirls around outside the windowed facade and provides a view of the chilly weather that awaits when you decide to leave, resulting in more margaritas and spicy micheladas cubana (Dos Equis lager with spicy Valentina Maggi, Worcester, lime and salt on the rim, $7) and attempts to stretch out the meal as long as possible.
Don’t expect to find a menu of taquitos and giant wet burritos at this back-to-basics joint. The restaurant uses all natural ingredients and traditional techniques to make the cuisine taste more like Mexico City than New York City. Even the name is a play on the stamp “Hecho en Mexico” found on products and food made in Mexico. Everything is handmade, right down to the spicy tortilla chips and creamy guacamole ($6) and ciabatta bread appetizers spread with black bean puree and pico de gallo ($5). Main dishes are served with handmade yellow stone-ground corn tortillas or flour tortillas, none much larger than the size of your hand.
For the best of what Hecho en Dumbo has to offer, and the opportunity to brush fingers with your date, order the sample platter ($17). This comes with a selection of dishes including the ciabatta black bean appetizer, two tacos, two sopes and two burritas. Each choice has a distinctive succulent taste, and the portions are enough for two. Standouts include the wine-braised steak tacos and burritas and the Mexican cactus sopes.
Now, being a hip restaurant in Dumbo, the restaurant-cum–art space has the requisite MySpace page and a laundry list of live performances. The music is usually pretty good (no mariachi bands in sight), and the tunes add a lively atmosphere to the otherwise relaxing vibe. This is all the better to get your blood flowing and secure an eventful end to your (hopefully) lucky evening.
111 Front St.
(betw. Washington & Adams Sts.), B’klyn
718-855-5288
I will give away a closely guarded secret about Hecho en Dumbo. Not only is it one of the best Mexican restaurants in Brooklyn (and maybe even NYC), it’s also the perfect unexpected seal-the-deal date spot.
My heart always sinks a little when someone promises me a special meal at their neighborhood favorite, and it turns out to be the hottest place in town. Somehow you always end up waiting for a table even if you secured a reservation weeks in advance. And that means your date called up and sat on hold planning this whole spontaneous night. Dorky. Or worse, he has a friend who got him the reservation who he’ll name drop the entire night. Lame. Give me nearly flawless food in a warm, low-key setting over perfection with a line out the door and stark white tablecloths any day. And since Hecho en Dumbo is still relatively unknown (or at least off the radar for the foodie hordes), it retains that we-discovered-it-together vibe.
Why is Hecho en Dumbo still this way? It’s hard to find. Even once you make it to the less-than-convenient area of Brooklyn, you won’t easily locate the restaurant. Dumbo is a strange neighborhood: One street is filled with overpriced boutiques and the next five feel like urban wastelands. On one of those gentrified blocks, next to a crazy-expensive grocery store, lies a nondescript door with a sign for the Brooklyn General Store. By day, 111 Front Street doubles as a café and houses a small modern home-design store, but at night it transforms into Hecho en Dumbo.
Once you’ve settled into a small table or are tucked alongside other romantic hopefuls at one of the large communal tables, you’re ready for the third—and most important—secret to date success. The dim lights and noisy room force you to lean in close and gaze at each other as you down potent margaritas ($9) and feel your face flush from the spicy appetizers. The wind swirls around outside the windowed facade and provides a view of the chilly weather that awaits when you decide to leave, resulting in more margaritas and spicy micheladas cubana (Dos Equis lager with spicy Valentina Maggi, Worcester, lime and salt on the rim, $7) and attempts to stretch out the meal as long as possible.
Don’t expect to find a menu of taquitos and giant wet burritos at this back-to-basics joint. The restaurant uses all natural ingredients and traditional techniques to make the cuisine taste more like Mexico City than New York City. Even the name is a play on the stamp “Hecho en Mexico” found on products and food made in Mexico. Everything is handmade, right down to the spicy tortilla chips and creamy guacamole ($6) and ciabatta bread appetizers spread with black bean puree and pico de gallo ($5). Main dishes are served with handmade yellow stone-ground corn tortillas or flour tortillas, none much larger than the size of your hand.
For the best of what Hecho en Dumbo has to offer, and the opportunity to brush fingers with your date, order the sample platter ($17). This comes with a selection of dishes including the ciabatta black bean appetizer, two tacos, two sopes and two burritas. Each choice has a distinctive succulent taste, and the portions are enough for two. Standouts include the wine-braised steak tacos and burritas and the Mexican cactus sopes.
Now, being a hip restaurant in Dumbo, the restaurant-cum–art space has the requisite MySpace page and a laundry list of live performances. The music is usually pretty good (no mariachi bands in sight), and the tunes add a lively atmosphere to the otherwise relaxing vibe. This is all the better to get your blood flowing and secure an eventful end to your (hopefully) lucky evening.
