This covers so much territory that we don’t even know where to begin. The info comes from our most valued Red Hook source and much has been reported here and there, but it makes a strong impression viewed in its entirety. We think we’ll just let the tipster tell the stories:

The consortium that operates the Tini/HandMade empire has announced that HandMade (located in the glorious Barbara Corcoran building that was going to change Red Hook forever) will now be serving food AND selling sewing stuff and housewares. Does this mean that Tini’s operations will be moving towards Pioneer Street come spring? Pretty much everybody in the world knows that Michael O’Connell has poured water water into Red Hook’s bottomless barrel of broken promises by not getting the Cheyenne Diner across the East River. But hosts of hopefuls are lined up to fill the perceived void in Red Hook eating options, depression be damned. On Van Brunt alone, a five new eateries are in the works. The brick oven pizza place at Van Brunt and Sullivan looks about the closest to opening; the former 360 space was promised for January but progress looks, um, subtle; the ballyhooed Stumptown -Frankie’s cafe/roastery is supposed to open soon on the corner of Commerce and Van Brunt – which is going to create a fascinating olfactory collision come summer, since the coffee roasting is across the street from a notorious-smelling calamari processor; sausage-party palace Grindhaus is being built out near Pioneer St.; And, finally (to my knowledge) a place tentatively called Ft. Defiance is being worked on at the corner of Van Dyke and Van Brunt.

Got it all?