The Spectacular Simplicity of Val's Diner in Red Hook

Victoria Viscusi, Allie Gassaway, and Laine Pelka have created something special and egoless here on Van Brunt Street

Val’s is located at 347 Van Brunt Street, at the corner of Wolcott Street, and is currently open on Thursday through Sunday from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight, with more days coming soon

Victoria Viscusi, chef Allie Gassaway, and Laine Pelka are three best friends who, as Pelka told Brooklyn Magazine, have spent a combined 50 years total working in hospitality—mostly in Brooklyn, where Viscusi was born and raised and where all three now live.

And though they’ve been talking about creating their own place together for as long as they can remember, it wasn’t until the ideal corner spot opened up (RIP Fort Defiance 2.0, and then Pitt’s) in the heart of their favorite neighborhood (Red Hook, where much of that shared work experience accumulated) that the trio knew they had to finally take that leap of faith and live out their dreams.

“I live right here on Van Brunt and think this community in Red Hook is very, very strong,” said Gassaway. “So all we’re trying to do is to give the people what they want.” And if the love and support the team received from locals on opening weekend is anything to go by, what the people want is Val’s.

Entrance to Val's Diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Photo by Scott Lynch

As is promised on the hand-painted signage outside, Val’s (an acronym built from the trio’s first names) functions equally well as both a diner and a bar, with satisfying, unfussy food and drinks, served in a warm and welcoming environment.

Chef Gassaway runs the kitchen, sending out a tight menu of expertly-executed classics. “I want the food to be accessible,” she said. “Stuff you can eat multiple times a week and not have to think about it. There’s no ego attached to this. It’s a diner. We’re keeping it simple.”

Two eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast, $13, from Val's Diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Two eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast, $13 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

There’s breakfast-all-day (and night) of course, so you can tuck into a syrup-soaked stack of blueberry pancakes or buttermilk waffles whenever you want. Both of these looked great, but I went the savory route, with two sunny-side-up eggs laid out on a platter loaded with chewy bacon, beautifully charred hash browns, and buttery slabs of Texas toast. Absolute heaven.

Spinach artichoke dip, $10, from Val's Diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Spinach artichoke dip, $10 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Tuna melt with waffle fries, $14, from Val's Diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Tuna melt with waffle fries, $14 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Bar snacks include Buffalo wings, three kinds of fries, and a stellar spinach artichoke dip, which hits the table bubbling hot and I assure you will not last long enough to get cold. For something more lunch or dinner-ish, there’s a big funky Bad Girl Salad, a cheeseburger, a $32 steak-and-Caesar plate, and, the sandwich that finished off my feast, one of the best tuna melts in town.

Gassaway told us that she plans on expanding the menu later in the year and introducing weekly blue plate specials just to mix things up, but right now “we’re just really having fun in the kitchen,” she said. “Lots of dancing and laughing. And happy people make good food! Plus it just feels good to serve this community. Red Hook’s been begging for a diner like this for years, basically since the Hope and Anchor closed.”

Dining room at Val's Diner in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Photo by Scott Lynch

The basic layout of the space will be familiar to Pitt’s or Fort Defiance regulars. The front room has a long bar, a row of booths running along the wood-paneled wall, and a nice big eating counter by the window looking out onto Van Brunt. The back room is darker and cozier, with a smaller bar and tables semi-crammed beneath a low ceiling. No matter where you post up, though, Val’s is a great place to drink. Pre-made draft cocktails, which they offer because, as Pelka put it, “we like our drinks really cold and served fast,” start at $12 and include both classics and fun stuff like a cherry vanilla-vodka Coke, and a “blue booze” Mexicali blast. A bottle of Bud is $5; add a shot of whiskey for just two bucks more.

“Laine and I are bar people,” said Viscusi. “As native New Yorkers we know how important bars are as a ‘third space’ for socializing and gathering, so we wanted Val’s to feel really welcoming to all. I’ve been doing this for so long because I love it, and I really enjoy giving someone a good experience. So to see people eat and drink here and walk away happy, it makes me feel so good.”