SADLY, FORT DEFIANCE IS NOW CLOSED.
My second trip to Red Hook brought me back to Fort Defiance. I was here just a few days earlier for another Time Out list item, the Iced Coffee. But this time, it was time for dinner, so the deviled eggs were now available.
There’s a very funny moment on my Bar Mitzvah video where the camera catches me discovering an hors d’oeuvres that looks creamy and sweet. It was my first experience with deviled eggs and for whatever reason, at 13, I decided that they were gross.
I’ve tried them many times since and they’re still not my favorite. But after tasting the ones at Fort Defiance, I can safely say that they’re the best deviled eggs I’ve ever had. These were spicy and sweet with a delicious tangy bite and a fun texture from mustard seeds. Each bite really revealed something else. I loved discovering all the other ingredients: celery salt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and greek yogurt (which I think makes these the smoothest, creamiest deviled eggs ever).
I wish I could say that the rest of Fort Defiance’s dishes were as successful. Once again, it seems that Time Out has picked out the two gems from the restaurant. We also ordered a Green Papaya Salad with Duck Confit. This salad was bordering on disgusting. The confit was fatty and cold. Who wants to eat cold fat (unless it’s in ice cream)? The dish reminded me of the way my kitchen smells on Thanksgiving before I’ve had a chance to clean it. It’s unappetizing grease and fat. Needless to say, I didn’t finish the salad.
The Pat LaFrieda skirt steak wasn’t nearly as offensive as the salad but I still found it lacking. The meat was overcooked (we ordered it medium rare) and the chimichurri sauce didn’t add much to the dish. The meat was a bit dried out and I’m betting most of the side vegetables were frozen at one point.
This was also disheartening because Fort Defiance is a very colorful and warm neighborhood spot. The service was a bit slow (we were there for close to 2 hours!) but friendly and helpful. They’ve got a great cocktail list and a promising brunch menu. Maybe we came on an off-night or just picked the wrong things. Or maybe the secret is to make a whole meal out of those deviled eggs. And at $3 a pop, a 13 year old Bar Mitzvah Boy could even afford them. And he just make like these.
Would Fort Defiance’s Deviled Eggs make my Top 100? Based on my experience, nothing else here would come close, but these eggs are a special anomaly and were absolutely delicious, earning a 9 out of 10.
