Buttermilk Channel

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Some old salts say the tidal strait known as Buttermilk Channel owes its name to the Brooklyn farmers who used to drive their cattle across it at low tide to graze on toothsome Governors Island grass. Others claim that the channel crossing was so rough for Manhattan-bound dairymen that it practically churned their milk into butter on the way to market. Apparently, Ryan Angulo, the chef of the Carroll Gardens restaurant named for the body of water, doesn’t know who to believe. His American bistro menu includes both grass-fed flatiron steak (presumably not from Governors Island) and buttermilk batter–fried chicken. Those and the rest of the offerings seem geared for these comfort-starved times: There are snacks (housemade pickles) and daily specials (Maine lobster, roast chicken for two); there are sausages served in toasted rolls and ham-wrapped brook trout. The space is homey, too, with a butcher-block bar and a communal table made out of ceiling beams from an old Red Hook warehouse. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Reservations are only accepted for parties of five or more.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Bar Snack (2009)

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