This year’s Zagat Survey has a lot of Brooklyn on the menu.
The anticipated restaurant list has 340 Brooklyn eateries in the 2015 New York City guide, 75 more than last year. The surge represents the biggest jump in the borough’s listings in 20 years, according to Zagat.
Brooklyn leaders said they are not surprised since the borough has become the go-to place for foodies.
“You don’t have to go to Manhattan for great food,” said Carlo Scissura, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “People from all over the world want a taste of Brooklyn.”
Of the 160 newly-opened New York restaurants that were added to this year’s Zagat, 56 were in Brooklyn, including Mex-Taiwan joint Lucky Luna in Greenpoint, Grand Central Oyster Bar in Park Slope, and American restaurant The Runner in Clinton Hill.
Many of the newcomers recently opened in Brooklyn, according to Zagat. Some of the eateries’ managers said they were excited to be recognized so quickly.
“It’s our first venture and you know we thought we had a good feeling it would be received well,” said Adam Geringer-Dunn, the executive chef of Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co, which opened in July.
Tim Zagat, the guide’s co-founder, said New Yorkers’ tastes are changing and the influx of new Brooklyn residents, developments and amenities such as the Barclays Center led to the creation of great restaurants.
“When I was growing up, generally people went from Brooklyn to Manhattan to eat. Now it’s the opposite,” he said. “Everything in Brooklyn is becoming more fashionable.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams added that the diversity of each neighborhood comes with its own set of food choices.
“I started to notice there is a great difference. In 1984, when I was a police officer, you needed to be a detective to find a great place to eat,” he joked. “Now, you don’t have to search that far.”
Some restaurant owners said in turn they like adding their stamp to the communities. Lauren Kaelin, director of marketing for the Ample Hills Creamery, said the owners enjoy the atmosphere at their Prospect Heights and Gowanus locations. Their loyal customers helped to spread the word-of-mouth that added to their popularity, she said.
“We really pride ourselves in being a part of the community and welcoming the community into our shop,” she said.
Scissura predicted that Brooklyn will continue to be a major presence in the Zagat Guide as younger and talented chefs move into the borough.
“The dynamics are shifting and we continue to attract the creative types from all industries,” he said. “The borough is big and we haven’t reached the promised land.”
And top winners of the 2015 Zagat NYC public opinion survey:
Le Bernardin: Top Food, Top Service
Daniel: Top Decor
Sushi Nakazawa: Top Newcomer
Gramercy Tavern: Most Popular
Top winners by specialty:
BBQ: Mighty Quinn’s
Coffee: La Colombe
Dim Sum: RedFarm
Ice Cream: Ample Hills
Lobster Roll: Pearl Oyster Bar
Pizza: Paulie Gee’s
Ramen: Chuko
Sandwich: Il Bambino
Tops in the outer-boroughs:
Brooklyn: St. Anselm
Queens: Sripraphai
Bronx: Roberto
Staten Island: Denino’s Pizzeria
The 2015 Zagat NYC guide also included a burger survey for the first time. Peter Luger’s came in at #1, followed by Burger Joint, Minetta Tavern, B&B Winepub and Spotted Pig.
(with Lorena Ramirez and Georgia Kral)
