Val's Opens in Red Hook, NYC: A Diner and Bar in the Former Pitt's Space

Val's, a diner and bar, has opened at 347 Van Brunt Street at Wolcott Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The room was once home to Fort Defiance and then Pitt's. The Red Hook Star-Revue first reported a July target for the opening, and The Infatuation published its review on October 19, calling it exactly what the neighborhood needed.

Three people are behind it: Victoria Viscusi, chef Allie Gassaway and Laine Pelka. The name comes from their initials and also nods to the nearby Valentino Pier. Gassaway and Pelka worked at the same address when it was Fort Defiance, and Viscusi and Pelka are longtime bartenders. They say they wanted an affordable, all-day neighborhood spot, a kind of living room for a part of Brooklyn with few daytime places to eat.

The menu is deliberately broad. Eater describes Gassaway's pancakes as a Texan, New Mexican and New York mash-up made with fermented blue corn and whipped spice butter. There are also waffles, Denver omelets and blue-plate specials from spaghetti and meatballs to falafel. The Infatuation singles out the hot spinach artichoke dip, saucy but crisp buffalo wings, a tuna melt on thick Texas toast and meatloaf. The priciest item is "Dinner," a $32 plate of steak, caesar salad and fries.

Drinks are the draw for budget-minded visitors. Almost every cocktail is under $15, including a $13 martini with a gordal olive and a Cherry Coke spiked with vanilla vodka. A beer-and-shot combo costs $7. The Wait List Special pairs fries with a small martini for $12, aimed at people waiting for a table at Red Hook Tavern nearby.

You seat yourself and order at the bar. Val's stays open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The team expanded the bar into the focal point of the main dining room and added a mini arcade alley with pinball and other games. Prices come from press reports.

(Details are drawn from points that agree across reports by The Infatuation, Eater New York, Red Hook Star-Revue.)