Hurricane Sandy Destroyed the River Café Kitchen, Floors

Brooklyn's low-lying Dumbo neighborhood was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy's flooding Monday night. The floodwaters inundated restaurants like Bubby's and Governor, causing thousands of dollars' worth of damage, if not more. Among the hardest-hit in the neighborhood?meaning probably among the hardest-hit in the city?might be the neighborhood's Michelin-starred icon The River Café.

According to a Huffington Post report, water first reached the restaurant's doorstep by Monday morning's high tide, though the worst was still to come. By Monday evening, however, the combination of an extra-high tide (because of the full moon) and the storm surge completely wrecked the restaurant. The flooding ruined the floors and knocked around the dining room's banquets, and completely destroyed every kitchen appliance except the range.

Owner Michael O'Keefe estimates the storm caused millions of dollars' worth of damage. Meanwhile, Joe Bastianich tells HuffPo in that same report that the power outage will likely lead to the complete loss of food at his and Batali's restaurants, costing between $50,000 and $70,000 at Del Posto alone.
· River Café, Flooded by Storm Surge, One of Many NYC Restaurants Hit Hard by Hurricane Sandy [HuffPo Food]
· All Coverage of Hurricane Sandy [~ENY~]
· All Coverage of the River Café [~ENY~]
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