What if I told you there's a secret window to slow-cooked happiness somewhere in Crown Heights? Would you believe me? Can you suspend disbelief long enough to ponder an unmarked restaurant selling delicious chicken that falls right off the bone? This is a story with no signs, doors, menus, or sales tax; just a man named Papa selling Caribbean home cooking to those in the know.
Located on Kingston Avenue, the poultry portal in question is nothing more than a propped-open gap in a gold-painted wall. It's been running strong for years. "Six or ten?" Papa asks each customer—his dishes of curry goat, marinated chicken, oxtail, and sauteed fish comes in only two prices, and are sized to match. Rice, beans, and chopped vegetables accompany each, and everything arrives piping hot in a styrofoam container. Your dining options are, of course, limited, but then the benches of Brower Park are only a 5 minute stroll away.
Just call it "Hole in the Wall" Papa said during a recent visit, when I sampled his chicken and curry goat, which both arrived in near-bursting containers. Papa moved to Brooklyn from Jamaica eight years ago, and before he and his brother started this chicken operation, the corner shop used to be a newsstand and meeting place for tired-out cab drivers.
A peek inside the secret window (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Curry Goat and Marinated Chicken entrees (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
The Hole in the Wall is open Monday - Saturday, and at these prices it's not just a bargain, but satisfying break from the bustle of Franklin Avenue, where one can get lost amidst the brunch wait lists and mountains of organic scones. Despite a total lack of advertising and promotion in a neighborhood brimming with West Indian eateries, the chicken cavern has managed to keep its simple and tasty operation running. Papa opens the window when his morning prep work is finished, and closes up shop when the day's stock runs out.
When I asked him for more and more details—Why just a window? What's in the sauce?—all he gave me was a blank stare. The Hole in the Wall is a place of unspoken simplicity. Let's not ruin this with words.
[h/t Edible Brooklyn]
