Skip to main content

Rider Brooklyn modernized the dinner & a show experience

Feasting is our column dedicated to cooking, grilling, eating and discovering what’s on the menu across America and the world.

There’s something ultimately special about a night out at dinner and a show. Maybe it has to do with nostalgia. Before people went clubbing or made a night of sharing a pizza and hitting a dive bar (which we love, for the record), going out was a true occasion planned down to the shine on your shoes. Whether the entertainment was a movie, concert, musical, play or what have you, the night wouldn’t be complete without sitting down to a nice dinner before, after or if you were lucky, both. Nestled inside Brooklyn’s new non-profit music venue National Sawdust, Rider is revitalizing pre- and post-theater dining in its own unique way.

Cheeseburger
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Inspired by the idea of a hospitality rider, a set of requests a performer submits to a venue before arrival, the new American bistro and bar reinvents classic dishes with contemporary presentations and thoughtful ingredients. The kitchen is helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Patrick Connolly who returned to NYC to open Rider after stints at Radius in Boston and Basso in St. Louis. He created a menu that’s meant for sharing with standout dishes like the soft egg with foie croutons, sweet sherry yogurt and caviar and an inventive take on the French dip with roasted marrow bone, prepared horseradish and black garlic jus.

Recommended Videos

Is your mouth watering yet? After checking out the restaurant a few weeks ago, we caught up with Chef Connolly to learn a bit more about his inspiration and what’s next for the Rider menu.

Fregola+Turnips
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ve been working all over America in cities like Boston, NYC, your native St. Louis, Philly and now at Rider in Brooklyn. How has cooking in these different locations affected the way you look at food and ingredients?

There’s always a common thread of taste from city to city. Maybe call it 60 percent of food that’s commonly enjoyed throughout America. Then there’s the 40 percent that varies from town to town in terms of cooking styles and, of course, ingredients readily available. For example, I was doing pizza for the past three years, both in St. Louis and Philly. Same dough basically. Slightly different ovens. In St. Louis, they have a style of pizza with a cheese called provel and a sweeter sauce. In Philly, they do what’s called a tomato pie. I did variations of both in each respective city. You always have to adjust for your audience.

Duck BreastRelated: This is how to pair food with cocktails

Rider is attached to National Sawdust, Brooklyn’s newest music venue with a lineup that’s as diverse as your menu. Are you ever inspired by other arts like music when creating a new dish?

I’m a music lover. I listen to music all day. Both music and cooking have rhythm, and cooking just feels more natural to music. I wouldn’t say music inspires any particular dish, but they both do combine a craft and an art to some degree. I’m inspired to just work by anyone who displays creativity and workmanship at the same time. I like to think my cooking has some elements of comfort and other elements of experimentation. Not coincidentally, I like my music, art and fashion the same way.

Many items on Rider’s menu are new takes on the classics – like the deconstructed French dip. Are there any nostalgic dishes you really want to play with next?

I wouldn’t mind messing around with a new interpretation of a fish stick with tartar sauce.

If you could cook for any musician, living or dead, who would it be? What would you serve?

I’ve never thought about it. For some reason, I think I’d like to cook for Elliot Smith – maybe a lasagna.

Photos by Adrienne Grunwald

Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
I tried the Kamado Joe Konnected Joe—here’s how it handled real recipes
Even if you make mistakes you can create crowd-pleasing meals with Kamado Joe Konnected Joe
Pre-heating the Kamado Joe Konnected Joe guarded by with Happy.

I jumped at the chance to test the Kamado Joe's Konnected Joe Digital Grill and Smoker. Like most members of our extended family of avid cooks and eager eaters, I enjoy grilling year-round. Still, my experience has been limited to conventional charcoal grills and three-burner propane grills. I was curious about what it would be like to cook with a ceramic grill, and grew even more excited by the prospect of precise temperature control promised by the Konnected Joe.
Why cook with a kamado-style grill

Kamado-style ovens, stoves, and grills use heated stone or ceramic to provide radiant heat that cooks the food. The Kamado Joe brand of kamado grills cooks with radiant heat, with thick ceramic sections in the cooker. It can take some time to reach the desired temperature, but the grill's heavy insulation retains the heat for a long time.

Read more
How I upgraded my De’Longhi Rivelia to make incredible cold espresso drinks
How to unlock six new cold foam recipes
De'Longhi Rivelia

I first started using the De'Longhi Rivelia espresso machine, the brand's newest fully automatic, innovative, and touchscreen espresso maker for home use. I was instantly impressed with how easy this espresso maker was to use and how quickly it made it possible to prepare all my favorite espresso-based beverages.

Ironically, I was so caught up in learning how to use the machine to make hot coffee drinks that I forgot it could also make cold coffee drinks. Once I upgraded with the De'Longhi LatteCrema Cool kit, I unlocked a whole new world of possibilities for cold coffee drinks, from an iced white flat to an iced cappuccino. This tiny upgrade changed the game, solidifying just how much I love this espresso machine.
De'Longhi Rivelia LatteCrema Cool

Read more
I learned the secrets of the Mai Tai at Hawaii’s most iconic beachfront bar
You can try three variations of a classic Mai Tai
Mai Tai Bar

The Mai Tai is one of the most popular Tiki drinks in the world, known for its sweet and slightly almond-flavored flavor. Until I visited the Royal Hawaiian, I had no idea just how much history lies behind this fruity cocktail. Initially created by "Trade Vic" Bergeron in 1944, the Mai Tai drink later made its way to Hawaii in 1953.

When Bergeron was hired to develop menus for the Royal Hawaiian, he introduced the classic Mai Tai recipe to Hawaii's most iconic beachfront bar, now known as the Mai Tai Bar. During my visit to the Royal Hawaiian, I stopped by the Mai Tai Bar for a special look at how the bartending team makes three of the most popular Mai Tai variations available on their menu today. You can't go wrong with any of these three drinks -- whether you prefer something more subdued or something fruity and sweet.

Read more