After The Mars Bar, Then What?
Update: Mars Bars bas been demolished. The space is now a TD Bank. I’ve been to Mars Bar, but it was a long time ago. The place smells funky. The beer comes in bottles. The bathrooms have an especially bad…
Good Beer
When it comes to beer I’m not that picky. There’s beer and then there’s good beer, and I drink the good kind. Good beer can be almost anything: a sour lambic, a chocolate stout, even the odd IPA. Something from…
Barcade
When I showed up at Barcade on Sunday it occurred to me I hadn’t visited in about six years. A whole new generation was there, sipping microbrews and gazing into vintage arcade games. Think about it: today’s 22-year-old was born…
Hecho en Dumbo
Lately it seems like everyone’s moving to the Bowery. Now Hecho en Dumbo, whose owners shuttered their Brooklyn location last fall, is open for business on the newly-chic stretch above Houston Street. And by “newly,” I’m talking about what’s happened…
Drop Off Service
Some bars seem to foster out-of-the-blue conversations with total strangers–Drop Off Service is one of them. If you’re a reasonably-attractive lady there’s a good chance someone will try to talk to you (for better or worse). Also, someone may try…
Cask Ale Festival
If you missed out on Oktoberfest, not to worry–Chelsea Brewing company is currently holding their biannual cask ale festival, featuring nearly 40 beers. For more on the joys of sipping warm, flat-ish, flavorful ale made the way they used to…
Wechsler’s Currywurst
Currywurst, a dish so popular in Germany that it has its own museum, is essentially sliced sausage, slathered in sweet-and-spicy tomato sauce, served with fries in a paper bowl. It’s meant to be eaten on the go, likely in the…
Mayahuel
Mayahuel feels like a tequila sanctuary that’s stationed halfway between glitzy LA and old Mexico–quite a trick, considering its entrance is affixed to East Village’s Indian Row. While walking past hosts hawking $8.95 curry specials, you’ll spot a squat, corrugated…
Back Forty
Update: Back Forty has closed, but a Soho location remains open. I wanted to like Back Forty. I’m all for elevated gastropub fare and Greenmarket ingredients, and I even like the rusticated interior design that’s in vogue these days. And…
Scratcher Cafe
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, so you know every Irish pub in this town will be packed to the gills with bellowing guys in green plastic tophats. Probably a good night to carefully seek out a low-key setting. Scratcher, located just…