Review: Cape House/Rose Gold Cocktail Lounge

At the intersection of Morgan and Knickerbocker Avenues in Bushwick stands Cape House, a New England-style clam shack straight off the salty shores of Cape Cod.  The large outdoor patio and beachy, blue and white color palette project a summery exterior. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical of how a place like Cape House would warm me up on a recent frigid Thursday night. However, my skepticism faded fast. With a mini fireplace, Christmas lights draped around the entire room, and plenty of wintery dishes and drinks to choose from, Cape House proved itself as an all-season spot for drinks, dining, and dancing.

Wes Badrigian, the bartender, greeted me heartily the instant I walked in. With his thick New England accent, fisherman’s sweater, and mane of wavy brown hair tamed only by his backwards hat, Wes serves as Cape House’s unofficial mascot. Wes’s childhood buddy, owner Dana Gardner, later explained that he and Wes modeled Cape House after the houses they grew up partying at with their friends in Ipswich, Massachusetts. These “cape houses” had food, drinks, and fun for everyone. Cape houses played such a big role in their adolescence that it was only natural for them to bring the concept to their new home, Bushwick.

Drinks

Cape House’s drink menu offers a handful of straightforward, playful cocktails full of fresh ingredients in the $10-$12 range. An eight-tap beer list with another dozen in cans/bottles, and a mostly French wine list round out the selection. At my server Tabatha’s recommendation I ordered a Rosemary Ricky ($12) and a Cape Cosmos ($12), their most popular drink. The Rosemary Ricky came in a Collins glass with a fresh sprig of rosemary. A simple drink — made only from tequila, fresh lime juice, and rosemary — the Ricky was light and pleasantly tart, with a strong aftertaste that deeply pleased my inner tequila enthusiast. The Cape Cosmos arrived in a coupe glass with a beautiful, deep red color. Also a simple drink made from vodka, fresh lemon juice, and blackberry puree, the Cosmos was delightfully fruity and sweet, but packed a serious vodka punch.

Seafood

As expected, seafood dominates the menu. The New England Clam Chowder ($7) has a rich, buttery flavor that is miraculously light on the palette. For the more adventurous diners, the recently added Lobster Dumplings ($17) give the menu an Asian zing. Overwhelming the senses as soon as they hit the table, the hand-rolled dumplings double as modern art when served in their large, flat bowl and doused with ginger-scallion broth. The unusual combination of flavors works well, but the intensity of the broth at times overpowers the delicate flavor of the lobster. It may upset the lobster purists, but I enjoyed the dish immensely. When Tabatha came to pick up the empty plate, I was shamelessly slurping the delicious ginger-scallion broth up with my spoon.

For mains, the New England Fish & Chips ($18) is a Cape House staple. The type of fish served depends on the night, and they served cod the night I was there. The giant filet of cod sat royally atop a mountain of salty, crispy fries — a striking yet unpretentious presentation. Though substantial, the batter on the cod wasn’t too heavy at all. The cod inside was tender, flaky, and juicy. Initially the fish was a touch light on flavor, but topped with lemon juice and dipped in house-made roasted garlic tartar sauce, it sang with subtle fishiness. Often an afterthought in fish and chips, the fries at Cape House were given careful attention and complemented the cod very well.

The winter menu also includes Wellfleet Oysters ($13) and Littleneck Clams ($10), sold by the half-dozen. Those avoiding fried food will enjoy Shrimp Bao Buns ($13) and Grilled Salt Cod ($15). Although lobster rolls are only served in the warmer months, the winter menu has a Clam Roll ($16). Stuffed with fried Ipswich clams and topped with tartar sauce, the clam roll is a customer favorite.

For the Carnivores and Vegetarians

Though Cape House’s menu features mostly seafood, meat eaters and vegetarians won’t leave disappointed. Carnivores can sink their teeth into Annie’s Hotdog ($9), the Fried Chicken Sandwich ($15), or two new menu items: the Cape House Burger ($16) and Rabbit Pot Pie ($23). Vegetarians can gorge on the Kale Caesar ($12), Crispy Winter Vegetables ($13), or Ancient Grain Risotto ($18).

Made of two grass-fed patties and covered with American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, and “special sauce,” then stacked neatly together, the burger is truly perfection in a bun. A touch sweet, meaty, and cheesy, it proves the Cape House kitchen can cook more than just fish. The pleasant, texturally diverse Kale Caesar is tasty, but nothing extraordinary. Conversely, the Crispy Winter Vegetables nearly stole the show. Piled onto a black truffle-whipped tofu mousse came a healthy serving of fingerling potatoes, sunchoke, and petite brussels sprouts, all cooked to perfection and finished with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Though every element of the dish was delectable, the true star was the black truffle tofu mousse. To call it a lighter, airier, trufflier version of hummus doesn’t even do it justice. Truly a revelation of flavor, every Cape House diner should treat themselves to a taste.

I tried Annie’s Hotdog last, washed down with a hot Spiced Cider ($10). Sticking to the drink menu’s simplicity, the cider had just four ingredients: bourbon, apple cider, a few cranberries, and winter spices. The floating cranberries evoked holiday imagery, while the wintery spices combined with the warm, bourbon-spiked taste transported my nose and tastebuds to a snowed-in ski lodge fireplace.

Inspired by Hot Dog Annie’s, a roadside hot dog shack in Leicester, Massachusetts, this was no ordinary hotdog. Gardner came over to the table to explain that in New England, it’s pronounced “hutdog.” He then walked us through the culinary elements: the thick, juicy “hutdog,” Leicester’s famous molasses BBQ sauce, the diced white onions on top, and the classic chopped, buttery New England bun, toasted to perfection. As Gardner explained the dish and its inspiration, his eyes lit up and he filled with energy. His passion for New England food and culture has really shone through in every aspect of Cape House.

Dancing

After dinner we went down to Rose Gold Cocktail Lounge, the neon-laden dance club below Cape House. With a separate entrance on the side of the building, Rose Gold is a standalone club that opened just a few weeks ago. Once downstairs, Jerrell, the bouncer, and I, made our way down a narrow, red hallway into the main room. With all black walls and optical illusion-inducing black-and-white-striped floors complemented by neon lights and a smoke machine, Rose Gold nails the unique, David Lynch-ian vibe that Gardner envisioned for the space. “We were really going for a Twin Peaks theme,” he told me. They also drew inspiration from Nicolas Winding Refn’s artistic crime film, Drive, and old covers of Frank Herbert’s Dune series.

The crowd was what you’d expect at an underground Bushwick dance club: a mix of hipsters and locals all there to have a good time. Everyone was cheerful, and the atmosphere gained energy as the night wore on. Not everyone danced, but everyone enjoyed The Juan Maclean’s housey disco and funky dance beats.

Rose Gold’s cocktail menu is different from Cape House, sporting slightly more complex drinks. The Bobby Peru ($14), named for Willem Dafoe’s gangster character in David Lynch’s 1990 film Wild at Heart, combines gin, Contratto fernet, and Antica Torino Vermouth to make a fresh, herbal, and delicious drink. Those looking for something sweeter can go for the Gold Spark ($14), made of rum, apricot liquor, cognac, and champagne. Rose Gold also has a nice selection of beer and wine, as well as reasonably priced well drinks ($7). Between the noirish-artsy atmosphere, quality music, amiable crowd, and bevy of drinks to choose from, you’d be hard pressed to find a better spot for late night drinking and dancing in Brooklyn.

Between the two, Cape House and Rose Gold have your entire day off covered. Come for a delicious brunch, stay and drink with your friends all day, then eat some dinner before heading downstairs to dance into the wee hours of the morning.

Have you been to Cape House or Rose Gold Lounge? Any questions about my experience there? Feel free to post in the comments or find me on Twitter @austinjruby.