DINING OUT: Yellow Hook Grille

Although it’s only been open for six years, Yellow Hook Grille is already a Bay Ridge institution.

Run by native Ridgeites Rob Long and Stephen Jackson, the corner restaurant is spacious and cool with the largest sidewalk café in the neighborhood. Long and Jackson used to own Fairway, a small bar on 86^th Street near Seventh Avenue. When a space became available at Third and Ovington Avenues, the pair jumped at the opportunity to expand.

“We were originally looking for something in Williamsburg and decided to keep it local,” Long said.

Yellow Hook Grille serves up American fare. It has a new menu featuring lighter options for the summer. “We offer everything from steaks, to pizza to chicken francese and everything in between,” Long said.

And what a menu it is!

From the appetizer section, we enjoyed the Goat Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla ($11), Maryland Crab Cakes ($11) and Mango Barbeque Pork Shanks ($11).

The Quesadillas were bursting with fresh mushrooms, roasted red peppers and goat cheese. Served with sour cream and tomato salsa, the tasty triangles boasted delightfully flaky exteriors and a meltingly tender, pleasingly tart filling.

The Crab Cakes were not your ordinary kind. Served with Remoulade and raspberry dressed greens that were topped with strips of roasted red pepper, the combination was somewhat fruity and tangy. The cakes had no breadcrumb filler at all, just luscious chunks of real crabmeat, cubed red pepper and picked relish – perfect for a summer evening.

The Pork Shanks were a big hit. The tender meat came right off the bone and the super sweet and tangy sauce, made with cinnamon with back notes of chili pepper, was deliciously unique.

As an entrée, one of our pair had the Grilled Chicken with Spiced Pecan Salad ($15). The chicken came drizzled with sweet-tart raspberry vinaigrette, perched atop a bed of mesclun that was studded with all sorts of goodies – candied pecans, red grapes, dried cranberries and chunks of apple.

The other had the Pan Roasted Salmon ($19) which was served with Ratatouille and Olive Tapenade. The salmon was flavorful and paired perfectly with the vegetables in the ratatouille – chunks of yellow and green zucchini with onions, tomato and garlic. Yum!

For dessert, one of us opted for the Cheesecake ($5.95). Light and refreshing – -the perfect finale to a summer dinner – it was crustless but was instead dusted with the finest graham cracker crumbs. Flanked by two swirls of whipped cream, the slender slice of heaven was artfully arranged on a plate drizzled with caramel.

The other had Orange Sorbet ($6.95) which was served inside a whole orange rind. It was totally refreshing, sweet and tart. One could easily tell that it was made from fresh fruit – no artificial sweeteners here!

While we did not imbibe since it was a work night, Yellow Hook Grille has a full bar, with 12 craft beers on tap that rotate on a regular basis. There are also daily blackboard specials that don’t change. Tuesday night is Lobster Fest, when for $20 you can get a one and a quarter pound lobster, with sides and glass of wine. Thursday night features a prix-fixe menu, three courses for $20.13. And don’t miss Sunday Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

See you at Yellow Hook Grille!

Yellow Hook Grille

7003 Third Avenue

718-238-1089

Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Free delivery between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.