Top pickled picks in NYC

Cabrito's hot-and-dirty martini, with pickled jalapeño liquid and a cured jalapeño spear

Top pickled picks in NYC

Brine time! Every day is pickle day with these brined bites...

Char No. 4
Since opening last year, this boozy restaurant trafficking in bourbon and bacon has become Carroll Gardens' breakout hit, serving elevated artery-cloggers (fried pork nuggets, anyone?) to folks craving classed-up southern comfort food. While the copious whiskeys and bourbons get big play (when broke, we favor the one-buck shots of Kentucky Gentleman), the pickle program is equally impressive. 

Pucker up? Oh, where to begin? The fatty, fabulous house-smoked bacon is topped with lettuce and pickled tomatoes for a twist on the classic BLT, while the chopped pork is served with pickled onions and peppers. But our favorite brining experiment is the house-cured lamb pastrami. Sliced razor-thin and served aside rye-caraway toast and coriander aioli, the peppery meat makes us moan in pleasure, thanking the gods for the gift of salt and water. (196 Smith St. between Baltic and Warren Sts., Cobble Hill; 718-643-2106)
 

Wheelhouse Pickles
The company's cartoony, anthropomorphized pickle mascot—look at those teeth!—helps separate these Brooklyn-based briners from the artisanal pack. But the Wheelhouse crew backs up the flash with substance, crafting crunchy wonders found on store shelves citywide.

Pucker up? Wheelhouse makes sweet bread-and-butter pickles, as well as sour cukes crafted sans vinegar, but the stars are the lesser-loved fruits and vegetables. The Irma Pears are pickled in mirin, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and soy, along with notes of tangerines and scallions. The Gin 'N' Turnips get a long turn in Hendrick's Gin, while the Big Bang Okra possesses a slow-building burn that'll forever alter your opinion of the much-maligned vegetable. (wheelhousepickles.com)
 

The Brooklyn Standard Deli |  Papacito's
Former Brooklyn Label chef Cody Utzman is duly dedicated to fermentation. At his eco-friendly, upscale Greenpoint bodega Brooklyn Standard (a chandelier dangles from the ceiling; house java is boutique Stumptown), the cook crafts everything from hummus to seitan in-house, even pickling his assiduously acquired veggies. Same goes for Utzman's other operation, bustling Mexican restaurant Papacito's, which offers drool-worthy tacos, bulging burritos and luscious guacamole. 

Pucker up? Peruse Brooklyn Standard's shelves for goods sporting the standard label: That's the house line, featuring an ever-changing selection of pickled beets, kimchi and whatever else is seasonally available. At Utzman's Mexican cantina, the fermented star is the pungent, crunchy red cabbage, served atop grilled-tilapia tacos showered with cilantro and onions. (The Brooklyn Standard Deli: 188 Nassau Ave., Greenpoint, 718-472-2150; Papacito's: 999 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, 718-349-7292)
 

McClure's Pickles
This family-run brining team has roots in both Brooklyn and Detroit, where the pickles (only farm-bought veggies are used) are produced according to the McClure clan's great-grandmother's recipe. The wares are vended at gourmet food shops and, naturally, the home for countless small-batch goods: the Brooklyn Flea market. 

Pucker up? Instead of inundating the marketplace with a dozen kinds of veggies, the McClure crew sticks to a simple one-two punch, preparing two flavors in pickle and relish form. The garlic dills are delightfully stinky, requiring a pack of minty gum to eradicate that vampire-killing flavor. Even better are the spicy garlic dills, which pack a serious current of heat. Better yet, we like using the leftover brine to give our bloody Marys an extra kick. (mcclurespickles.com)
 

Pickle cocktails: Bushwick Country Club | Cabrito | The Redhead
Olive brine has long starred in the dirty martini, and pickles have played a prominent role in making the bloody Mary a meal. But mad mixologists and demented drink slingers are tweaking this saline-and-vegetable formula to tasty results. 

Pucker up? Order the "pickle back" at Williamsburg's Bushwick Country Club, and abrasive Old Crow comes with a thimbleful of McClure's pickle brine. Not eager to shoot salty juice? Hit West Village taco shack Cabrito. Its hot-and-dirty martini is made with vodka or gin, olive juice and pickled jalapeño liquid, then finished with a cured jalapeño spear. For a tamer tipple try southern-fried East Village restaurant Redhead. The eatery's eponymous Gibson mixes gin, vermouth and a couple drops of pickling juice, along with a trio of house-pickled Gibson onions.

Bushwick Country Club (618 Grand St., Williamsburg,, 718-388-2114)
Cabrito (50 Carmine St., 212-929-5050)
The Redhead (349 E. 13th St., 212-533-6212)


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Photo by Natasha Ryan