Boulton and Watt

After Pickle Day Albert and I wandered til we found a good brunch spot, with the goal being bottomless brunch.  Nothing jumped out at us until we got to the edge of the LES and saw Boulton and Watt, a spot we had each been to a couple times and enjoyed as a bar.  But now we were in broad daylight and unsure if it would work as a place to eat.

Not only did they have food, they had a large, thoughtfull menu and were doing a booming business.  What I thought was a bar first and restaurant second may actually be the other way around.  It also kept with the pickle theme as they feature tons of pickled veggies as snacks and a few different pickleback versions.  We'd been pickling it up all day so we decided to chill and just order normal brunch.  Albert ordered the full English breakfast, which came with two eggs, house-made pork sausage, bacon, stewed beans, wild mushrooms, and a hash brown cake.  Tons of food for $16.  I ordered the braised short rib and bone marrow benedict, which was served on a hunk of country bread instead of english muffins.  It was delicious.  Though I was feeling carnivorous that day, I was still impressed to see plenty of inventive vegetarian options on the menu like a cauliflower souffle, fried oyster omelette, and frittata with goat cheese, braised leeks, and wild mushrooms.  We didn't end up finding a bottomless brunch deal, but the cocktails were only $5.  Typically a bottomless deal may work out to $10-$15 on top of the entree price and though you may end up drinking more than two or three, they won't be as strong as the drinks here.  The mimosa, for instance, includes gin so your $5 will get you pretty far.

Pino

With no signage, it took me foreverto figure out the name of the new wine bar in my neighborhood.  I finally learned it was called Pino when I got close enough to pick up a menu from one of the tables.  I put my bag down while I was reading what they had to offer and by that point there was no turning back.  When the big work tote hits the floor, I've settled in for the evening.

It was a long day.  The kind where the emails didn't stop til after my bedtime.  I wanted wine.  I deserved wine.  That's their jam at Pino so I had plenty to choose from.  My only critique is that no glass was less than $11.  I would have loved a nice $9 glass...then I would have probably ordered three instead of two.  The only other downside was the meat and cheese plate.  Just not up to snuff.  I was a little concerned about how the rest of the meal would be, but my complaints end here.  I felt like I had to order the shrimp after the bartender said "the sauce is fucking unbelievable."  He was right, thought I wouldn't call it a sauce so much as a slightly spicy tomato broth filled with corn and heart of palm.  I also loved the turkey meatballs in red wine sauce.  I tried to see if I could get the chef to admit to putting pork or veal in there because I thought there was no way that could just be turkey.

I love how intimate this place is.  You can't get away without having a conversation with the chef and bartenter because everything is kind of on top of each other.  The tables are spaced out enough but the bar feeds right into the kitchen area and everybody seems to pitch in where needed.  The ease of striking up a conversation is what makes it a neighborhood spot.  The guy next to us at the bar was all too eager to chat about our common 'hood and when the bartender was disappointed not to get a girl's number before she left he responded "no big, they're here every week."  People want our Murray Hill to become a place where people want to stay instead of the transient area it has a reputation of being and Pino is doing its part to help.

E's Bar

It's good to have friends in different neighborhoods.  It makes you feel worldly.  It's even better when those friends make a point to explore their own neighborhoods and let you know of new, fun places.  That's how we learned about E's Bar, a spot that just opened about 3 months ago in the UWS.

With stickers on the ceiling, red pintuck cushions, and neon signs they are clearly going for a grungy, East Village vibe.  They're almost there, but it's still a little too new and clean to feel truly dive-y.  The food menu looked good with some well priced specials but we had already eaten so we focused on two far more important things: drinks and games.

Drinking is fun.  Games are fun.  Put them together and you're bound to have a blast.  They have Sorry and Connect 4, but my favorites are Cards Against Humanity and Jenga.  Cards Against Humanity is an obvious choice because it gets hilarious and obscene, especially when you're imbibing.  Jenga, however, may sound like an odd choice.  What makes Jenga here particularly fun is that it's dirty Jenga.  Someone has written tasks on the blocks that must be completed before the blocks are replaced on the tower.  It's kind of like Jenga: Truth or Dare Edition.  I am a big fan of day drinking, but sitting around for hours on end can get a tad boring.  Throwing games into the mix keeps it lively.  It also means I'm likely to stick around longer - nice thinking, E's Bar.

ABC Beer Co.

As we were walking into Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter, Albert and I noticed a beer store next door.  We thought nothing of it at the time (after all, there are beer stores all over the city), but when we finished supper, we noticed there were people inside.  It was a little late to be shopping for beer and, besides, they didn't look to be shopping.  They were just hanging around having an all around good time.  At that point we realized ABC Beer Co. is much more than just a beer store.  It's a hangout.

It reminded me a lot of Good Beer because both places sell a ton of different craft brews in the front (make your own 6-pack style + growlers) as well as offering 12 rotating beers on tap.  And make sure you look at the taps themselves here.  They were custom made by a vendor found on Etsy.  The clip on tags are a great way to note the always changing selection, along with the beer's origin, ABV, date tapped, and price.  The difference between the two places is that while Good Beer may have more actual beers to take home, ABC Beer Co. has a stronger emphasis on the bar part.  They may not do beer flights like at Good Beer, but they stay open later and there is more space in the back for casual drinking - enough space to throw a party, even.  They also have a nice menu of snacks like meats/chesse plates and sandwiches.

 

Rathbones

In all the times I had been to Rathbones, it was only ever for drinks.  I actually always wondered who would possibly ever eat there - the food can't be that good.  This is a place where softball teams gather after a game and fans go to watch sports on the many tvs.  It's neighborhoody, a little divey, and looks just like the local watering hole it started as 30 years ago.  Turns out, they do actually have great food.  And really amazing deals.

Tuesdays are 2 for 1, not just on the drinks but on the burgers and sandwiches as well.  Considering nothing is all that expensive to begin with, this is a steal.  Nothing was going to stop me from ordering the burger.  I didn't even need to look at the menu.  Albert has been pushing to add Rathbones' burger to the list as a contender ever since we started scoping out the best burgers in the city so it was absolutely necessary for me to try it.  That said, when someone suggested getting a large order of wings for the group to share, there was no arguing from my end of the table.

Many burgers have a gimmick, and in this case it was the bun.  Instead of a regular bun, they used an English muffin.  I thought it was a great change of pace.  It's just a bit sour and its pockmarks soak up the burger juice nicely.  The wings were also very good, especially if you request them extra crispy like we did.  The large comes with 16 wings and is only $9.95.  Can't beat that...except you can.  On Tuesday they do $0.35 wings.  Do you understand how many wings that'll get you?  All the wings.

 

Blackbird

Britney Spears' "Toxic" called to me like a siren song.  After hitting up two bars, Liz was ready to dance.  Unfortunately, my go-to dj spot in the East Village had a line so we figured we would just walk around until we found someplace fun.  "Follow that music," I said and we walked in the direction of the beats. There wasn't even a real sign on the door, but the small decal of a bird's silouhette indicated we were at Blackbird.

The first room is a bit more low-key so you'll see half the people sitting in booths.  But just hang a left and you'll find a second room with its own bar and the dj who attracted us in the first place.  There is still a booth or two back here, but you won't find anyone sitting in them.  Everyone here favors standing while shaking their hips a bit.  The prices are reasonable and the music was lifted right off my iPod, which means it went from pop to classic rock to motown.

Albion

Sad days.  Whiskey River, the fratty cabin of a bar in my neighborhood is no more.  But wait!  As Albert and I walked past recently, we noticed the dark door was suddenly open...and there was life inside!  The atmosphere is totally different.  It's no longer made to feel like a lodge and a bar lines the length of the front area, making it feel narrow and more like a hideaway.  There is almost nothing to signal the name of the place except for a sign dangling high above the bar so we stood in the street looking around ourselves for a minute before figuring out it was called Albion.

The decor is seriously boring.  Cheesy medieval-esque sconses hang on the wall and there is nothing special about the tables or booths.  BUT there is a garden area in the back that makes up for the bar's lack of decorative flair with natural light.  There is also a huge list of craft brews - 30 on tap - that will entice any beer lover.  They all ring in at about $7 but are only $4 during happy hour, which lasts until 8 PM every day.

North River Lobster Company

A good chunk of our Sunday was spent aboard the North River Lobster Company's vessel or, as I like to call it, "Lobstah Boat".  The downside is that there are no crazy food or drink specials so you can't plan this as an all you can drink booze cruise unless you plan to shell out the bucks.  The upside is that it's no-strings-attached easy.  The boat sets sail four times per day for a 45 minute ride around the Hudson.  You don't need to buy tickets to be able to leave the dock, you just have to be on the boat (which is free to enter).  The doors remain open while the boat is docked so you are free to chill for as long as you want.  In our case, we boarded at around 4:30 and hung around the deck, soaking up the sun and drinking beers (a bucket of 6 for $24 - a dollar off per beer) until the boat set sail at 6 PM.  At some point in there, we ordered some food.  I thought the shrimp po boy was definitely lacking, but I enjoyed the lobster roll.

Basically, this is like The Frying Pan, except it actually moves.  Since the company just launched, it's not crazy packed yet.  It's a great way to enjoy the views the city has to offer but with no sort of forced payment.  Some of the best things in life really are free.  I wish the lobster roll was one of them.

Tequila Park

Apparently I am the only person who works in Midtown West that didn't know about the rooftop at Hudson Hotel.  Not only does such a place exist, but it's a gorgeous space.  The roof looks alive with all the ivy growing through it and the furniture is substantial enough to be indoors so it doesn't feel like the afterthought flimsy patio furniture often is.

As the name would imply, Tequila Park specializes in tequila cocktails but they have a full bar so you can feel free to branch out beyond what is listed on the menu.  The only downside is that there is no waitress service even if you'd reserved a table.  You have to actually walk to the bar to order the [pricey] cocktails.  Not a huge inconvenience, but a little more difficult if you want to order food which can only be done at a separate bar.  The food, however, was good and worth sharing with your group.  We tried some tacos that were good, but what I would recommend is the guac and the nachos.  The guac itself is good but what makes it standout are the homemade tortilla chips.  The nachos then take those chips to the next level with a shrimp kimchi topping.  Sounds strange but it worked as some sort of Asian salsa.

If you happen to get rained out (as we almost did) the indoor area is just as nice though with a totally different library vibe with tall ceilings and a pool table.  The whole place manages to not feel like a typical hotel bar.

 

Grey Bar and Restaurant

Flatiron has always been an area worth visiting.  You can do some shopping at places like Anthropologie, chill in Madison Square Park, or enjoy the wonder that is Eataly.  But when it comes to bars, there are only a few to choose from.  Most of the bars in that 'hood are really just restaurants that happen to serve drinks, but that's not always what I'm looking for.  26th Street has always had a few good spots, but in the last year or so, the street has really blown up.  Now it is what I would call a "strip" - restaurants and bars, one right after the other.  You've got Hog's Pit for the rowdy set, Flatiron Hall for a more reserved crowd, and now Grey Bar somewhere in between.  Nothing truly stood out, except the walls and chandeliers.  Big fan of those.  They also made a great mint julep for the Derby that could only have been better if it had been served in a julep cup.  The prices are middle of the road and there are plenty of tvs for game watching so it works as a good go-to in the neighborhood.

Flatiron Beer Hall

There are a few standards when it comes to beer halls.  You'll usually see communal picnic tables and giant pretzels.  You'll find both of those at Flatiron Hall, but you'll also find them in a more refined space with medieval looking chandeliers.  There's no sawdust on the floor but the tables are still communal and inviting for groups.  The prices are also a bit higher so I wouldn't consider this an all-day spot like I would other beer halls.

Left: Love the taps on marble
Right: a nod to the flatiron location

Sweetwater Social

I get what they're trying to do at Sweetwater Social.  They want to give you the best of both worlds.  In one place you can have high end cocktails and low end games.  It may be the only place with a shufflepuck table and drinks fancy enough to be served with those giant ice cubes.  I really appreciate the attempt to combine two different vibes.  Just because you enjoy bar games doesn't mean you can't also enjoy a well crafted cocktail.  But is everybody as well rounded as me?

In an effort to be all things to all people, the shufflepuck table is about half the size it's supposed to be and the tvs seem like an afterthought.  But then small touches like patterned paper straws reflect the extra attention devoted to the bar menu.  Our crowd ended up a bit confused, not sure where to fit in between the dive/sports bar games and the elegant cocktails.  I anticipate, however, that the bar will be adored by 25 year olds who want a fancier night out but aren't ready to move to quiet wine bars.

 

Parker & Quinn

When I realized my parents would be staying right by Albert's new office, I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out the bar/restaurant he discovered during his first week on the job.  Parker and Quinn is a gastropub which basically means it's elevated bar food with fancier drinks.  The vibe is a tad more upscale, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it swanky.  The place is divided into a bar area and restaurant area, but the bar itself is in a circle so half of the bar is in the restaurant space.  The setup made the place feel more communal...which is exactly why I would steer your attention towards the many share-able items on the menu.

The octopus was good, but I thought the pimento cheese was the real winner.  Another cheese based dish, the broc and cheese (mac and cheese with broccoli) was also very nice.  My caesar salad was good (nice and crunchy, good amount of dressing) but I thought the scallops were a little flat (physically - as in squished down) and a bit over-seasoned.  I saw some pizzas (flatbread style) pass by and thought they looked pretty tasty.  It's exactly the kind of food and drink you want when it's time to unwind after work.  The kind where you can nibble and share but still feel like you ate something real (I don't get that feeling from potato skins...do you?).

The Dardanella cocktail

Tria

After dinner with Brooke, Albert and I decided to stay out for just two more drinks.  When you're only in the city for 34 hours, the goal should be to pack as much in as possible.  We had passed Tria while walking around during the day and decided it was worthy of our nightcap.

We may have just eaten but, as I said, the goal was to pack in as much as possible and I needed to do my part...especially when I saw the cheese list.  I took charge of assembling the meat and cheese platter while Albert focused on the craft beers.  The server then helped me pick a wine that would work well with our selection.

It's rare that a wine and cheese bar has such a good beer selection but more should follow suit.  It means everyone gets what they want because beer swigging guys don't feel like they're compromising by going to a girly wine bar.

McGillin's

Our room wasn't quite ready when we arrived in Philly, which was fine because Albert had no intention of going there.  His alma mater (St. Johns) was already in the second half of their basketball game against [coincidentally, Philly-based] Villanova.  Priority numero uno was finding a bar to watch the game so we left our bags at the front desk and took to the streets to find a sports bar.  Since we were new to the area, it took a while to find a place that was showing the game and had a good vibe.  Just as we thought we found the perfect spot, we realized none of the tvs were showing the game.  We were about to turn around when I noticed a back door.  Hark!

Though the window of the door leading into the alley, I thought I saw the bright lights of a neon pub sign.  I didn't just find an acceptable viewing spot, I found a perfect bar.  McGillin's is the oldest pub in Philly and therefore draws a mixed crowd.  I loved seeing such diverse group.  I saw septuagenarians in sports coats two tables away from college kids and one table away from wedding guests fresh from the ceremony.  It was far more crowded than any similar pub in New York would ever be, but the bartenders still tried to make it feel like an intimate spot.

McGillin's set the pace for the whole trip.  Everyone in the bar was incredibly happy so I, in turn, was happy.  One point for happiness.  Point number two comes from a unique experience.  In this case, was surprised to find a beer sampler for $9.50 - that type of thing is big in breweries, not pubs.  The carousel included five local brews plus a sixth of the drinker's choice.  Finally, McGillin's gets a third point for introducing how economical it must be to live in Philly.  I would say the whole tab was $10 less than it would have been in New York.  I believe those three points make up for the three points by which St. Johns lost to Villanova that day.  

B Flat

B Flat calls itself an "authentic bar".  If a bar serves alcohol, I would consider it authentic...but that's just semantics.  I suppose they consider themselves legitimate because they have a whiskey on the menu that is $28 for 2 oz.  I am not the kind of person that would order that but still found the rest of the drinks "authentic" enough for my liking.

It didn't take long to figure out this was a Japanese bar.  All the bartenders and patrons were Asian and the menu had strong Japanese influences, like green tea and in the case of my cocktail, yuzu and shiso leaf.  If they meant this was an authentic Japanese bar, they have probably earned the title.

It is very easy to walk right past the bar as it is basement level in TriBeCa, but if you're in the mood for a sophisticated evening (and by that I mean low voices and Jazz music playing) this is a great spot.

Good Beer

For Albert's birthday I gave him monogrammed beer mugs and then took him to Good Beer so he could put them to good use.  As his present, he got to build two custom 6-packs and enjoy a beer flight.  He was like a kid in a candy store.  If a craft beer ships to NYC, you can bet Good Beer will have it so Albert ran around the store stocking up on new IPAs to try.

What I love about Good Beer is that it turns into a store/bar hybrid.  I had only ever been inside during the day when everyone is just picking up beer to drink on the weekend.  When we went at 9 PM on a Friday night (it stays open til 10), there were plenty of people there for no reason other than to drink.  And why not?  When they have about 12-16 (I did a bad job at counting) beers on tap all for $6/pint, it's a great place to grab a drink.  The flights come in sets of four (you can pick any four from the ones on tap) for an equivalent of 2 beers at $8 total.  The bottles and cans are reasonably priced as well.  Nothing was more than $3, which makes it much cheaper than the Whole Foods beer room.

Since there are few tables, most people just threw their scarves and coats on the window sill and placed their flights precariously on shelves around the store.  It's a great, low key place to grab a drink just before or after dinner as you get your East Village evening started.  If you have any beer loving guy friends, this is a great place to introduce them to.

Grace

This New York Times article got me all sorts of pumped.  I love a good Irish pub when it's filled with patrons.  It's not too stuffy and I can get my whiskey on.  I'm also into mixology because I think there is an art to crafting a good cocktail.  [Anything I haven't yet mastered is considered "art" to me.]  Grace combines both in one place.  And the best part: the entire menu was designed by female bartenders from the city's most well know craft cocktail bars.  Chicks are underrepresented in this scene so it's nice to see them getting some respect.  As Beyoncé would say, "Who run the world?  GIRLS."

We tried out Grace as my November pick immediately after going to Albert's pick, Whitman and Bloom.  Liz met up with us as soon as her Megabus pulled into town, suitcase and all.  She and I both ordered the White Seahorse because I can't get enough of cucumbers.  It packed a punch...though you couldn't taste it.  Liz knew Albert and I were a couple cocktails deep and wanted to catch up so she ordered a Fireball shot.  Unfortunately, they don't carry Fireball so the bartender used Jameson and bitters to create something that tasted just like it.

It could be because I knew the bar's background or it could just be because the drink was good, but I thoroughly enjoyed Grace.  It's hard to beat the casual atmosphere of an Irish pub with the bespoke cocktails of a downtown hipster bar.

Floyd's and Their Beer Cheese

I figured beer cheese was basically my beloved pimento cheese but with beer.  If anything, I thought it would just have a whippier consistency.  Unfortunately, Floyd Beer Cheese was a bit too crumbly for my taste.  The flavor was spot on.  A little hoppy from the beer, smoky from the bacon, and just a bit spicy.  I thought it would soften up when it got to room temp but it just wasn't the case.  The people who buy and sell it at Smorgasburg would tell you it's the texture I was looking for.  Maybe I got a bad batch?  If it was just a bit more spreadable, I would be eating it daily.

Though the cheese didn't quite reach my high hopes, I was a big fan of Floyd, the bar.  It's divey with an indoor bocce court and baroque couches for reading.  It was a perfect second stop on our Saturday bar crawl around Brooklyn Heights.

Bourbon and Vine

I recently had my first bar hopping excursion in Astoria.  I don't know if it's considered a full hop since I only went to two bars, but that's two more than I'd been to before.  The second bar we went to really struck a chord with me.  The whiskey chord.  I hear it now as if from a pitch pipe.

Bourbon and Vine may have hipsters at the bar and bourbon behind it, but everything feels nice and relaxed.  The chalk wall behind the booths encourages participation from the bar's patron's and it's hard to take a bar too seriously when somebody has scrawled a Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball" joke on the wall.

I surprised myself by ordering a glass of wine instead of whiskey.  I was further surprised when the bartender topped me off with a little extra.  The only disappointment was that they stopped serving food at midnight, 24 minutes before we tried to order.  I was really looking forward to trying the Cap'n Crunch breaded spiked pb&j.  Next time.