Steve's Key Lime Pie in New York City

The Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn is industrial, honky-tonk, and a little kooky. While Williamsburg now has a Chanel store and the tourists have brought their selfie sticks to the streets of Dumbo, Red Hook feels like it's still got something untouched, funky and local. And Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie is perhaps a perfect example of this.

Steve's is nestled between several famous Red Hook breweries - and is perhaps the closest institution to the Statue of Liberty (at least from Brooklyn! Maybe?! Don't quote me). Although the bakery is just a takeout window, they offer about a dozen picnic tables in their parking area and if you walk 10 feet past the bakery, you'll find tons of grassy areas in the Louis Valentino Jr. Park and Pier.

You'll need to order two things at Steve's:

1. A key lime pie (this might seem obvious)

2. A Swingle.

Let's start with the key lime pie. This is a perfectly balanced key lime pie. It's not gut-punchingly sour, yet the true lime taste is still deeply present. And it's not too fluffy - it's creamy and rich, staying far away from a mousse-like impostor. The crust is crumbly but also sturdy and sweet. All things said, it's an excellent, fresh, handmade pie. And bonus points for the cute 4-inch tart option - perfect for sharing if you just want a few bites.

Now, let's discuss the second item you'll need to order: The Swingle. What the hell is a Swingle? This is a great question and I have no information regarding why this item has this name. But what I do know is that The Swingle is not to be missed. While the key lime pie is the namesake of the institution (perhaps Steve's Authentic Swingle didn't have the same ring to it), The Swingle is what everyone in line is ordering.

To put it simply, The Swingle is basically a pie popsicle. Perhaps a relative of the cake pop! The dessert is shaped like a whoopie pie, but on a popsicle stick: It's disc-shaped, almost like a big cookie. The inside contains a circular cut of pie, dipped in a chocolate outer layer, then frozen. I got the raspberry variation, which came with a stripe of fresh fruit in between the pie and chocolate.

At first, I was skeptical of this creation. Pie on a stick sounded heavy and like a waste of a popsicle stick. But The Swingle was delightful: the cold crunch, the fresh frozen fruit, and the crumbly crust in the middle of the chocolate all worked perfectly.

Steve, well done and congratulations for bringing "The Swingle" into the New York City vernacular.