Housed in what once was a bustling turn-of-the-century factory, Rye embodies Brooklyn's living and breathing history - a poignant example of how both past and present continue to coexist harmoniously on Williamsburg's south side.

With his reverence for Brooklyn's earlier days in the front of his mind, chef/owner Cal Elliott worked to reveal and refurbish the factory's original wood-planked floors and restored a 100-year-old mahogany bar with hand-carved oak columns.

Keeping with this philosophy, Rye is almost entirely restoration. Each tabletop and base is a little different; the doors were rescued from dumpsters, and the windows from an old woman's attic. In other words, the entire restaurant was designed and constructed by its owner and general manager, all the way down to each unique salt and pepper shaker.

In these ways, Rye, free of outside investors, remains true to the DIY spirit and history of the Brooklyn neighborhood in which it resides.

Click for more about Cal Elliott.