Daleview Biscuits and Beer
Photos by Curt Saunders and Tayo Giwa
Christopher Gandsy, owner/chef/brewer of DaleView Biscuits and Beer, says the concept for his Flatbush storefront was born from necessity. All of the restaurant’s biscuits are gluten-free, due to his wife’s gluten allergy. “We cook gluten-free at home, and we’re both from the South,” says Christopher, 42. “And some things you just want, you know?”
He spent more than two years tinkering over a gluten-free biscuit that could rival his grandmother’s — a staple throughout his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina — before getting it right. But when it came to his brew obsession, he was less accommodating to wifey’s dietary restrictions. “All our beer, except for cider, is filled with gluten,” says Christopher, who makes his own pale ales, brown ale and IPAs. “That was a compromise.”
After years of baking and brewing for family and friends at epic home gatherings, Christopher took the leap and opened DaleView Biscuits and Beer in the neighborhood. He celebrated the restaurant’s one-year anniversary this week.
“You might feel like somebody’s grandma made it for you.”
Christopher describes his Grandma Viola’s biscuits as “the first step on a magic carpet ride through her hot Southern kitchen,” and he learned well by watching her as a kid. The buttery, gluten-free bread at DaleView Biscuits and Beer is just as magical, with browned, craggy tops and a fluffy, moist interior. During a recent visit, the bar was out of their house-brewed beer (though other local hops are available), so we focused on working our way through some of the menu’s 14 biscuit combos.
Highly recommended are their succulent, crispy fried chicken biscuits. Two thumbs up for the Hot Chicken with a boneless fried chicken thigh, pickled onions and sriracha; and the Haven Biscuit piled with fried chicken, bacon and purple slaw. Breakfast is served all day, including the Freaky Frittata — cheese frittata and smashed avocado on a hot, buttered biscuit — but to really get to the essence of the biscuits, you gotta try one simply with a spread of honey or jam (we loved the blueberry).
Christopher has lived in Brooklyn for the past 14 years, but he brought the South with him. DaleView Biscuits and Beer is even named for Dale View, the Columbia, South Carolina neighborhood where he grew up. “I wanted to bring that hospitality and good, home-cooked food,” he says. The cozy restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating for about 20, is designed to encourage conversation as if you’re eating with friends at home. Rustic elements like oak beer barrels converted into tabletops, as well as black-and-white photography from J’ouvert festivities as a nod to the neighborhood’s West Indian culture, lend to the relaxed yet modern feel.
DaleView occasionally holds “secret” dinners with six-course beer pairings (check their website and Instagram for dates), but their biscuit varieties are the bread and butter of this spot (pun intended).
“You might feel like somebody’s grandma made it for you,” says Christopher. “That’s what we’re going for.
1170 Nostrand Avenue, 347-240-5110, biscuitsandbeer.nyc
All photos by Curt Saunders for Black-Owned Brooklyn
