On the Avenue: Iconic steakhouse currently ‘hunting’ for new ownership

It’s a new year and there’s a lot at “steak.” The buildings that house Hunter’s Steak & Ale House are currently listed for sale on Zillow.

The properties at 9404 and 9406 Third Ave. provide potential buyers with “a rare and unmatched investment opportunity in Bay Ridge, steps from the R train on Fourth Ave.,” according to the listing.

The restaurant has been a Bay Ridge staple “on the avenue” for more than 30 years. The missus and I can attest that the food and service are always excellent, so we remain hopeful that should the buildings, business or both be sold, Hunter’s will be preserved and continue to serve the community.

The buildings themselves feature six residential units, and “every apartment is individually metered for electric,” according to the listing.

With an asking price of a cool $4.5 million, it may be quite some time before a sale is finalized, but Bay Ridge should definitely come out and show some extra love to this beloved institution in the meantime.

For its part, Hunter’s continues its tradition of offering live music on Friday nights, with Tony Travis set to perform on Jan. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. His set will be followed by a karaoke and dance session with DJ Lee from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. Both are booked at those times every Friday in January, so concerned customers may not need to panic about the restaurant’s imminent closure.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for another beloved Brooklyn eatery, as Tommaso Ristorante shut its doors for good on New Year’s Eve. Located “on the avenue” at 1464 86th St., Tommaso was founded by Thomas Verdillo, who died in December 2020 at age 77. Along with its food, the restaurant was known for its live opera music.

Tommaso will forever hold a special place in my heart, as it was one of “our” spots when the missus and I were dating. When we finally decided to tie the knot after a very long courtship, we had our rehearsal dinner there. I also had a milestone birthday dinner there right before the global pandemic brought businesses everywhere to a halt.

Going back even further, I remember going there as a child with my late parents, who loved the opera performances and tableside chats with Chef Tom.

“Tom had a special way of making all his customers feel as if they were family,” read a message posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page following his death. “He was immensely talented in both cooking and singing.”

Losing any longtime establishment is always a blow to the community, which is why I am hopeful that someone will indeed consider purchasing Hunter’s as the “rare and unmatched investment opportunity” that Zillow describes it to be.

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If you’re doing something noteworthy “on the avenue,” reach out to me directly at [email protected]!