It may be November already, but that’s absolutely no excuse to go into hibernation. There’s plenty of reasons to get out of the house at the weekend, including this excellent one from the folks at The Water Table who are serving weekend brunch and dinner onboard their 70 year old ex-navy boat ‘The Revolution’.
Captain Kelli Farwell and first mate Sue Walsh are behind the floating feast, which runs as a cruise from India Street Pier, and recently returned from the upper east side which served as a temporary location while the Greenpoint jetty was under repair.
Kelli, whose background includes fine dining service at Gramercy Tavern and the role of Wine Director at both Dumont and Rye, has created an onboard menu that is simple but delicious. Â A $40 brunch includes a two hour cruise and a choice of baked apple French toast, zucchini, feta & basil frittata with home fries, or Boston baked beans with bacon and biscuits. Sides and drinks are extra.
We visit for Sunday brunch on a crisp autumn day and are welcomed on board by Captain Farwell who points us and 18 other guests below deck to the cozy main cabin. We’re seated at long tables facing out towards the water, and drinks are served from a menu that includes house cocktails such as the The Captain’s Widow (Gin, tonic &  Lavender Bitters) and the Monkeyfist (Navy Strength Rum, Moxie & fresh lime). We sip our drinks (a killer Old Fashioned and a cup of tea) and gaze out at the glittering water whilst we glide past what remains of the Domino Sugar Factory.
After ordering food, guests are free to wander up to the top deck and enjoy the wind in our hairs as the boat chops over towards Liberty Island. Speaking as someone who’d only seen Lady Liberty from the Staten Island ferry, the proximity we get is fairly thrilling. After a while of trying to look nonchalant, everyone soon gives in to the powerful urge to snap posed shots and selfies. It’s lovely to be out on the open water with the bright sun and chill breeze blasting our faces.
Brunch is served back down in the cabin and is ferried up through a trapdoor from the galley down below. We have the frittata and the French toast, both of which are robust and generous, and feel especially well-deserved after all that salty air! Needless to say, we clear our plates.
The cruise lasts two hours, which is a perfect amount of time for a leisurely brunch, and when we get back on dry land we really feel the effects of our refreshing break from the city.
If you prefer a view of an illuminated evening skyline as you dine,  the dinner cruise costs $75 and has a menu that features the likes of Maine lobster bisque, ricotta meatballs and Mast Brothers chocolate. The Water Table is also taking bookings for an special Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise this Saturday 8th November and a Thanksgiving Dinner, where they’ll be dishing up turkey with all the trimmings.
The Water Table runs dinner cruises every Friday and Saturday 7.30-10pm, and Sunday brunch at 1pm. All cruises depart from the India Street Pier in Greenpoint and can be reserved in advance here.
Were you warm enough inside? This seems so fun.
Yes, the cabin is heated so it was fine!!
I took my mom here for brunch for her birthday this past Sunday. I should have read the reviews on Yelp after reading this post because I agree with all the two- and three-star reviews. I realize it was a chilly day, but the food had a hard time staying warm. Since drinks are priced separately, paying $20 for a cold, messy plate of French toast seems a bit much. Moreover, nowhere on the Web site does it say gratuity is automatically included in the bill. I didn’t have a problem with the service and would have tipped generously anyway, but I disagree on principle with mandatory tipping.