Knowing that it doesn't take reservations for parties under 6, I prepared myself for the hour + long wait that I was definitely expecting.
Lucky for us, as soon as we walked in I zeroed in on two empty seats at the bar and was happy to learn you can order off the full menu. Mind you, the bar is first come, first serve and petite - maybe fits around 10 people at a time. As we sat down, I sort of patted myself on the back knowing that we were the last people to sit down and everyone else was just starting their dinner - unlucky for the next pour souls who walked through the door...you'd be in for a wait.
Off to a good start, it only got better... We started with a green papaya salad with ruby shrimp and the watermelon/melon salad with shishito peppers. Delicious! Both salads were crisp and refreshing and I especially loved the surprising combination of the watermelon with the peppers. Sweet + Salty = my favorite combo!
For our main dishes, I went for the Spaghetti with Lobster sauce. I'm not sure why, but somehow I thought it would be refreshing and light. Ha! Not sure if it was all that refreshing, but it was great. The sauce had a perfectly infused lobster flavor and the spaghetti was cooked nice and al dente. My boyfriend of course ordered the Red Wattle Country Chop - the whole reason we came - and it did not disappoint. I have to say it was probably the best pork chop I have ever had. Served sliced like a steak (and honestly it even kind of tasted like a juicy steak), the pork was wonderfully tender, with a light pink center. Served on cheese grits, I could not think of a more perfect meal. Plus the portions were pretty generous (always a plus!). Lastly we also had the sweet corn side dish - served cold (surprising to me), and seemingly freshly shaved off the cob, it was crunchy with bursts of sweetness. I've never quite had corn like this...
For dessert we finished it off with the Mexican chocolate bar - rich and fudgy with a hint of spice. Unfortunately we were both a little knackered and didn't have wine - but have heard wonderful things about their very reasonably priced wine list. Plus they just opened a wine bar next door (which I imagine will be a very convenient place to wait out the long waits during the winter...)
Lastly, I just want to talk a little about the decor - it feels like a really quaint farm house/cottage with both a downstairs area as well as a backyard garden. It is about a 10 minute walk from the York station in Dumbo and in a slightly remote/desolate area. But no worries - car service is available for your ride home if you so desire...
As I am pretty discriminating on new restaurants (most of the time I think "ehh it was good, but I wouldn't come back.." - I would definitely come back to Vinegar Hill House. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked wonderful - I was like, I want that, I want that.....
Vinegar Hill House
72 Hudson Ave
Brooklyn, NY
718-522-1018
From Manhattan - take F to York. Walk south on Jay street, turn right onto Front Street and make a left 3 blocks to Hudson.
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