Pok Pok Reveals Brooklyn Restaurant Location; Ricker Minimizes Role at Ping

The collective squee heard from New York City food writers this morning can be attributed to the following: Andy Ricker announced/confirmed the upcoming location for his full-service New York City Pok Pok restaurant — it's slated for Brooklyn's Columbia Waterfront in Red Hook. The 127 Columbia St. address had formerly housed a Mexican cafe best known for its colorful garden and outdoor patio. In an e-mail blast, Ricker writes that Pok Pok Ny "has a tiny dining room and a big outdoor seating area, kind of like Pok Pok PDX," and "Ny" represents a play on words that in Thai, would translate to "in the city."

Though no opening date has been set for Pok Pok Ny or Ricker's previously announced Lower East Side wing shack (the new official name, btw, is Pok Pok Wing), Ricker writes that his jet-setting responsibilities have led to a decision to "minimize my role as owner/operator at Ping Restaurant to relieve some of the pressure." Ricker notes that he will remain executive chef and advisor "for the foreseeable future," but that day-to-day operations and Ping's "future direction" will lie in the hands of partner Kurt Huffman (ChefStable) and John and Janet Jay.

More information about Pok Pok Wing/Ny opening dates as they become available.
· Pok Pok [Official site]
· All Previous Pok Pok Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous Ping Coverage [Eater PDX]