Brooklyn’s Solar-Powered Block Party
ByKatie Knorovsky
October 10, 2007
2 min readAll IT needed to hear to inspire an outing to Brooklyn’s Habana Outpost can be summed up with these incredible words: bicycle-powered blender.
So on a recent long weekend in Brooklyn, this IT staffer hightailed to the Latin café, touted as New York’s first solar-powered restaurant and home of the world’s first sunlit chandelier. A green oasis amid the urban grit, the lively eco-eatery more than lived up to expectations.
The scene at Habana Outpost is like the best block party you’ve ever attended, but a whole lot greener and without your dorky neighbor attempting the electric slide. From noon to 6 p.m., servers and customers take turns peddling the power behind slushy smoothies and cocktails. Chef Oscar Teco serves up tasty grilled corn (rubbed with mayo, cotija cheese, chile powder, and served with a lime wedge) and inexpensive Cuban nosh from inside a bright red truck outdoors. Best of all, a rowdy blend of locals mingles in the colorful outdoor garden, a courtyard lined with recycled-plastic picnic benches and below huge solar panels.
The third and newest of New York’s family of Habana restaurants, Habana Outpost functions as a community-gathering place, perfect for catching a glimpse of authentic Brooklyn. Highlights: Attend free screenings of movies like E.T. on Sunday nights; scour for flea market bargains and locally designed creations at the free weekend market; and come back often to check out the rotating art exhibitions on display inside.
Since the Outpost is open seasonally, be sure to visit before it closes Oct. 31!
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