Last night a friend and OTBKB reader dialed up Red Hot Szechuan for delivery—and what do you know? No one answered.
She was miffed and a tad confused. You would be too if you were in the mood for some of their delicious Bok Choy or General Tsao’s Chicken.
Gowanus Lounge posted that he too heard that the place was closing. But being the ever-so-cautious journalist that he is, he’s calling it a "rumor."
"We add a grain of salt because the last time such a rumor floated
around it turned out the restaurant was being redone a little and was
only closed for a few days."
Well, I’m going to add a wallop of MSG to the mix. You know, this rumor might only last about an hour. But I think the place is closing. And I’ll go out on a limb with that.
Dear local shopkeepers:
if you’re going to close suddenly, can you leave a note, a Dear John letter or something. What’s a blogger to do? Let alone a customer in need of some wonton soup.
Sincerely,
In need of an explanation
it’s AMAZING! red hot has reopened as Red Hot II! looks like the same menu but a better dining area if you go there. just walked past there today and the place was hopping! so happy. we’ve been ordering from tofu since red hot closed and it was pretty horrible. we didn’t find one main entre that we liked and we tried them all.
They have a sign in the window, they’re re-opening soon!
http://www.eattoblog.com/red-hot-returns/
Red Hot was certainly a cut above the other Park Slope Chinese restaurants. It was not Ollies or Grand Sichuan. Red Hot’s steamed vegetable dumplings were very good. Either the landlord has other plans, or demanded rent beyond Red Hot’s owner’s willingness to pay. It is a significant loss for Park Slope. We moved to Victorian Brooklyn a few years ago, and Red Hot was one of the few reasons I continued to return to 7th Avenue. We have one notable Chinese restaurant on this side of Prospect Park, Yen Yen on Church Avenue at East 4th Street (near Ocean Parkway). We also have an excellent restaurant on Cortelyou Road, The Farm on Adderley. And the owner of The Farm is a partner in a French restaurant opening this month on Newkirk Avenue & Argyle Road, Pomme de Terre. The rents here are not in the Park Slope stratosphere, mostly because this area is not as dense in population as Park Slope. If the owners of Red Hot are listening, please come here. We’ll have a parade.
I’m already craving their veggie fried rice :(
what a horrible shock. they were the best, a park slope institution. We ordered from them all the time. My mouth is watering as I think of their Golden Green Jade — succulent rectangles of perfectly fried tofu with spinach and brown sauce. Or their chicken with eggplant dish. Man, I can’t deal with this. They closed because of rent, what else could it be. This neighborhood, this city, and this country are going to hell. I hope you’re happy you greedy capitalis pigs.
went by there today, and sadly, all the tables in the place were gone. we tried calling last week for our usual fix (the orange tofu was divine) and no answer. so sad! this was one of the first restaurants i ordered from regularly after moving here 6 years ago. i guess Tofu is the only game in town now, eh?
We like Tofu on 7th Avenue (btwn. 3rd and 4th), fresh, fast delivery and lots of good vegetarian options…the broccoli is especially fresh and tasty…718-768-5273.
Breaks my heart to learn of Red Hot’s closing. I’m among those of you who make trips to the Slope just to schmack on some of their goodstuffs. And those of you who’ve committed their phone number to memory, like an old friend.
Since moving out of P-Slope a few years back, it’s become somewhat of a ritual to build extra time onto any zipcar rental to allow for a swing-by to enjoy some of their cosmically-splendid Red Hot Spicy Black Bean Tofu. Aw, I’m drooling. Drooling and crying.
If anyone hears that they’re reopening elsewhere, please shout out. Come here, come here — come to Ft. Greene! The rents are a hair cheaper — barely, but still…
Remember, LaChoy makes Chinese food … swing American!
Make your own!
Gd fuckin damnit this pisses me off. How could they fuck this up???? How much volume do you need to succeed in this neighborhood???
a) This place’s phones were literally always ringing off the hook. (mechanical phenomenon!!)
b) The owner-lady behind the counter kept having nicer and nicer coats and jewelry (a sign of success, no??)
c) my fear is that the gdamn neighborhood is so fucking rich at this point and rents so high, that only a fucking bank of america can survive on 7th ave. Open a fucking duane reade there! how’s their mooshoo? DISASTER
d) I realize that I’m a gay yuppie scumbag that’s part of the gentrification problem, but i still need my fucking SESAME TOFU.
This is a fucking mess. Anything but my gddamn redhot you bastards. I couldn’t give a shit about mark ratner. destroy that whole neighborhood and turn it into a fucking disney microsoft parking lot. but leave my redhot where it is. fuck.
aww–red hot was one of the first slope restaurants that i dined in when i moved to the neighborhood. it will be missed.
Hey Vita!
I’d totally forgotten about Kar. Yes, that was the best! Thanks for reminding me.
and rh,
I too have friends who come back (or rather, used to come back) to the Slope, only for Red Hot Szechuan.
Very sad! I was a big fan of Red Hot. There hot & sour soup and steamed spinach dumplings will be missed!
It’s confirmed (by landlord) that Red Hot Szechuan is closed. On the one hand, I appreciate a note in the window of a closed business (esp. a longtime one)–who wants to keep trying them if they’re not going to open?; patrons & the community do form relationships with the staffs; and one relies on fave foods. On the other, there are myriad upsets, disappointments, and sheer logistical details to juggle to close a restaurant. You can hardly blame them for not handling that one step. I think it’s unfair to suppose that Freddy, his wife, and the rest of the nice folks at Red Hot were just about “the money.” They’ve been part of the neighborhood about twenty years (or more), if I’m not mistaken. Rents are rising in the Slope and everyday another LOCAL business is shuttered. D’Agostinos? Book shops, restaurants, smaller businesses are likely to give way to chains and the aforementioned banks and cellphone stores. For years folks complained that there was nothing but realtors on Seventh Avenue; with those realtors came a new P.S. demographic, and with that seems to have come new expectations for what a business must achieve to stay afloat. It doesn’t seem to be local businesses unless community members ourselves figure out how to make that possible. Does it mean pressuring realtors to adjust expectations of the landlords who’ve jacked up the rents on commercial spaces on Seventh? Pressuring the landlords themselves? Becoming landlords ourselves to allow for the kind of neighb. businesses we want? It seems like a community conversation is a good place to start–perhaps local community leaders and civic reps. could facilitate.
I agree re: businesses leaving notes when they are closing. So many DON’T. I mean if they truly consider themselves part of the community (and maybe they don’t?) wouldn’t they do so?
There was a restaurant that was on Fifth Avenue for about two minutes called Surreal Cafe (now Miriam) and on the menu was the sweet story of the owner’s love affair and how he decided to start that restaurant. I was really taken with the story and his journey. I couldn’t believe someone who wrote that missive would just close his restaurant without warning. But close he did! I felt personally betrayed.
Is it that they are embarrassed? Is it that now that they can’t make money … that’s all it ever was to them anyway? Very puzzling.
Laila’s also – closed without warning. Cocette put a note up. Second Street Cafe – closed without warning.
I think there is a sea change going on right now in Park Slope and it’s going to look like somewhere between Bleecker STreet in Manhattan (all high end shops) and the equivalent block with cell phone stores and banks. The entitlement-people will see what affluence does to a neighborhood that some thought could always remain diverse.
Oh geez.. let it be so. This was a mediocre quality restaurant but in the last few years people elevated its status. No kidding. Now when Kar’s was open at 5th ave between 8th and 9th street (or the original on opposite side of street that was primarily a restaurant rather than really take out) we had something to be proud of in the way of Chineese food. My true feeling. ….unless the next Chinese Restaurant that opens up is terrific I will go to Brooklyn Chinatown or save in for Manhattan Chinatown. I know we all grew up here in NYC with tradition of take out food is Chineese food but there are so many places in PS that will deliver or prepare the food for you to pick up that are great.. they are just not Chinese.
That was my only reason for going back to Park Slope! (Don’t tell my Slope friends that.)
Red Hot wasn’t bad. Anyone else recommend a replacement that can get me Chinese food without the home of the Knicks involved … because noone puts MSG in their Chinese food these days, no? or just one near 3rd Street that delivers fast and fresh?
We live very close by, so when Red Hot didn’t answer the phone last night, my husband walked by. The chairs were up on the tables and the door was locked BUT he did see kitchen workers in chef’s whites working in the back. I hope they don’t close – they’re the best Chinese in the South Slope by far.
I also passed it Sunday. Call if Red, Hot and Through.
On the other hand, the Japanese restaurant on Seventh near Berkeley is down but coming back. It’s totally gutted and carpenters this afternoon, Tuesday, are busily putting up new wooden–I don’t want to get too technical for non-carpentry-savvy readers–new somethings.
I walked by this afternoon and the gate was down and the place was dark. Hmmm.
Someone please say it ain’t so. Please?