Get ready to be transported to a beachside spot in New England new Bushwick restaurant Cape House!
Cape House, which we briefly teased a few weeks ago, officially opened this past Thursday in the former Amancay’s Diner location at 2 Knickerbocker Ave.
Both the menu and décor are modeled after the “clam shacks” native to New England towns, and you can look forward to tasting seafood staples such as fried clams, scallops, and haddock.
Owner Dana Gardner who grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts but has lived in Bushwick for almost 10 years, has been dreaming of finding a place in the city to satisfy his constant craving for the kind of food he was so used eating back home. Confident that this concept would kill it in the neighborhood, he teamed up with business partners Ben Ward and Andy Miller and chef Jay Berta to bring his dream to reality.
The interior is highly thematic, with wooden walls painted white and a stretched sail across the ceiling, brightly illuminated by oversized Christmas lights after dark. Nautical trinkets line the shelves of the walls such as seashells, miniature sailboats, and real-life photos of the owner’s family on beach days back in New England. Gardner explains that he was specifically going for a “nostalgic element.” There is ample bar and table seating and a large outside that will be tented over come winter to maximize use of the space.
The menu is focused on New England-style seafood but has more universal options as well. Their specialty dish are their fried whole belly clams and scallops that are served either on a roll or on their own with a roasted garlic tartar dipping sauce. The batter is light and flaky and the whole piece quite literally melts in your mouth.
They also offer a cheeseburger which is part of a $10 beer-and-burger special on Monday through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The greasier food on the menu is balanced out well by healthier options such as colorful salads made from seasonal market vegetables, raw crudo dishes, and charcoal grilled seafood.
The full bar features a cocktail menu of tiki-style drinks that come frozen or on the rocks and a large selection of New York and New England beers, canned and on draft. This weekend Cape House will also launch a brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. offering more traditional brunch-style egg dishes. Further in the future, they will eventually open their downstairs room for late-night dance parties with DJs and live music.
Whether you are a New England native craving some home cuisine or just looking for some delicious and unique seafood to snack on, be sure to check out Cape House.
Take advantage of their $1 house beer promotion going on all this weekend from Friday the 14 through Sunday the 16 of October.
Profile
Cape House
A New England style restaurant and bar offering sea food and traditional American cuisine.
2 Knickerbocker Avenue between Ingraham Street and Johnson Avenue (off of the Morgan Avenue Stop on the L train).
Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m. – 2 a.m., Wednesday through Friday 4 p.m. – 4 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
(718) 821-2580
