The River Cafe

In 1977, when the city of New York faced financial collapse, no one believed that a restaurant located in a desolate neighborhood near the Brooklyn docks would be a success. But Michael Buzzy O’Keeffe didn’t just see an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline, he saw amazing potential. After pleading with city officials and banks, he finally secured the approvals and resources to open what would become “the Harvard Business school of the culinary world,” according to Bryan Miller of the New York Times. In addition to launching the careers of several noteworthy chefs (David Burke and Larry Forgoine, among others), O’Keefe contributed to the redevelopment of the Brooklyn waterfront. Decorated with a Michelin star and a slot in the Restaurant Hall of Fame, The River Cafe continues to reinvent the formula for restaurant success. Chefs craft such entrees as house-cured rack of lamb, spinach and egg ravioli, and American red snapper with artichoke puree. As guests devour elegant American dishes, their eyes feast upon breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge, which arcs just above the restaurant. Those looking for an even more intimate and tasty view of the bridge can find it on the dessert menu, which not only hosts such treats as goat-cheese cheesecake and chocolate sticky toffee cake, but also a chocolate replica of the famous bridge.