Soaking Up the Sun, Summer, and Sauce
In the sweaty summer month liquids are essential. This month I have gotten out and about in the city and taste tested some drinks that not only cooled me down, but gave me a happy summer buzz. Okay, to be fair I get a summer buzz without alcohol, because I am after all a teacher with the next two months off! I digress; back to summer drinking: it’s about not just what you’re drinking, but where you’re drinking it. Atmosphere and extras are the key words here. A good summer drinking establishment should have:
- Comfortable seating with the options of indoors, outdoors, shade, and no shade.
- Food or at the very least a great selection of take-out menus. This is an important one, because drinking on an empty stomach is an easy way to ruin your summer fun.
- Music and/or other forms of entertainment. I am personal fan of: jukeboxes, dance floors with d.j’s that actually take and play your song selections, megatouch game consoles, cards or even better Jenga, and most importantly a group of great friends to provide scintillating conversation (this you’ll have to bring with you, but a good place will provide fun for the whole gang).
The 13th Step-East Village-149 2nd Avenue
This is a new bar that came recommended to some friends and I by way of an eccentric waitress at the establishment, more about her later. I haven't spent that much time in the East Village; I can admit the truth: I'm just not chic enough to be a regular in that part of town. Someone, however, has to hit the ground running and check out the hot spots for you loyal blog followers, so there I was Friday Night. The 13th Step, I found after a little digging, is actually a saying that refers to "...the efforts of an old timer who tries to screw a newcomer or someone with less than a year of sobriety" (urbandictionary.com); in bad taste, you decide. The name aside, the place was not bad at all. There were a bunch of things that made it really great and couple of things that needed to be overlooked. Here's the breakdown: good: location, nightly drink and food specials (sadly we didn't try the $5 code blue bombs offered Fridays), GREAT playlist (I rocked out all night long), lots of tables and booths, a full menu of bar food available all night long (we loved the zucchini sticks with wasabi sauce and crispy onion rings), two beer pong tables, t.v.'s everywhere, free shots, and a wild waitress/reality t.v. star. Not so good: really loud (am I dating myself here?), crowded, a preppy young wall-street clientele who aren't exactly my people, shady/fuzzy rules at the beer pong sign up, and our favorite waitress might be leaving soon! Now back to the waitress, Scout Durwood who is an aspiring actress and comedian, is a riot and not only treated us to two rounds of free shots, but also kept us laughing all night long. There was something about her still married girlfriend who is a cancer survivor with a "chemohawk", maybe you had to be there. Don't believe me, check out Scout's Youtube videos; I liked I Wanna be Just Like Sarah Silverman. I would definitely try this place again now that I know not to be intimidated by girls in perfectly polished cocktail dresses, because they are just as wild and crazy at beer pong as my girls, you don't need to bother with the game sign up sheet, just ask some friendly boys to get next, avoid the blond waitress Scout hates, hold onto your booth for dear life, and remember the waitresses are suppose to give out free shots, so don't be afraid to ask!
Iggy's-Upper East Side-1452 2nd Avenue, between 75th and 76th Streets
The review of this terrific dive karaoke bar is in the Eat/Drink section under Undercover Karaoke.
Grubhub-My favorite online take out mecca.
All hard working people need to order take out once in awhile or all the time. I'll be honest, sometimes I prefer a Friday night of What Not to Wear, my couch, and grubhub. Grubhub is great, because you just put in your address and it will show the restaurants that deliver to you at that particular time of day. You can also search by type of cuisine; I'm partial to sandwich shops. Lastly, you can also take a look at your past orders, just encase you forget what you ate last Friday at 2 a.m.
Whiskey Ward-Lower East Side-121 Essex St.
Iggy's-Upper East Side-1452 2nd Avenue, between 75th and 76th Streets
The review of this terrific dive karaoke bar is in the Eat/Drink section under Undercover Karaoke.
Grubhub-My favorite online take out mecca.
All hard working people need to order take out once in awhile or all the time. I'll be honest, sometimes I prefer a Friday night of What Not to Wear, my couch, and grubhub. Grubhub is great, because you just put in your address and it will show the restaurants that deliver to you at that particular time of day. You can also search by type of cuisine; I'm partial to sandwich shops. Lastly, you can also take a look at your past orders, just encase you forget what you ate last Friday at 2 a.m.
Whiskey Ward-Lower East Side-121 Essex St.
Whiskey Ward is a bit hard to spot, but it’s a great hidden jem. I recently hit this spot for some pre-game action on a Thursday night. I play in an adult kickball league with a great group of people that make up HOT FEET, the team with the most spirit in the league. Please stay on the look out for a post on the Play page on my experiences kicking the ball! Back to Whisky, my two favorite things about this place: the sangria and the bartender. This place has happy hour from 5-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and the sangria pitchers are only $15! If you come after happy hour, you’ll have to pay $25 a pitcher, so watch the clock kids! My team tried out the rose wine sangria, but Ward also offers red wine sangria. All I can say is that the rose was awesome, light and refreshing with a lovely peach flavor that enhanced the rose wine. A lighter sangria is usually the way to go in the summer months and I had three glasses in the name of research, which put me in perfect game playing condition. Whiskey Ward does not have food, except peanuts, which is its only downfall, however there are some good places near by, Ray Famous Original Pizza just a few blocks away was my choice last Thursday. There is also pool at this place, which is good for my pool shark friends, but not so good for my billard challenged self. Last, let me not forget the bartender, a funny and friendly guy who will chat you up and even offer to remind you when to leave to make your kickball game!
Update: Since my last post, I have revisited The Ward a number of times and let me tell you I was not disappointed. My favorite bartender, his name's Dave by the way, is extremely supportive of our team and always gives us encouraging words before we play. My team was so happy with the service and atmosphere at Whiskey and giddy from a almost win in kickball that we came back after the game! Some of my fellow Hot Feeters tried out the pool table, I opted for the jukebox and good times were had by all. A bunch of us, including myself, also tried a lovely beer on tap the Allegash White, which is light and refreshing: http://www.allagash.com/white.htm
This is a personal favorite of mine; they are great for dining in and ordering out, although expect at least an hour wait on deliveries on a Friday or Saturday night. Last week I had another lovely dine in experience with my co-worker and good friend and her family. The young folks partook in the white wine sangria, which I have always found to die for. Once again, I’m talking about that lovely cool fruity taste that is so perfect for a sweaty summer day. One of my co-diners had a salad that looked fabulous for summer as it was made with all super fresh veggies. I had my usual, but I promise that some day I will try something new here. The favorite would be a number 13, which is a grilled panini with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, and a perfect maple pesto sauce. The pesto sauce on the panini really makes the dish, because it balances out the salt of the mozzarella and the garlic of the panini with the sweet of maple. I always get the number 13 with a side of the fresh cut fries and the garlic dipping sauce, which consequently goes great on the panini. Press 195 has something for everyone, so there is no reason to pigeon hold yourself as I have. They offer cold and hot sandwiches, soups, a number of salads, kanishes, and the option of making any sandwich a wrap (for a lighter bite). If you’re not into the sangria, they have wine by the glass and a good selection of draft beer. Although, Press 195 does not offer any music or specific entertainment, there is a very nice outdoor seating area that is in the back, secluded from the street and shaded.
The Gate was the spot to be post graduation last Friday. A bunch of my fellow teachers and I got together there to toast to our summer status, after we happily discovered it opened early. Call The Gate at 718-768-4329 to check when they open, if you’re thinking of making it an early drinking day. The Gate has a great selection of draft beers for the beer loving set, as well as bottles, cans (PBR), mixed drinks, and wines by the glass. I selected a Hufen Wister, which was just the ticket for a sweaty day with its light and fruity taste and the orange garnish just served to amp up the flavor. Our group sat inside at the booth benches and on stools, which was not the most comfortable arrangement for all involved, but not too bad. The World Cup playing on flat screens over the bar and endless education banter was about all we needed in the way of entertainment. This spot does have fenced in outdoor seating area that is open for most of the year. BEWARE STROLLER USERS-The Gate has now outlawed strollers from Thursday-Sunday.
The Gate is also right across the street from Washington Park, a place where I like to sit and read or people watch. The park also holds great outdoor events throughout the summer.
Cherry Tree-Park Slope Brooklyn-65 4th Avenue, between Bergen and St. Marks Place
My love for this place might be slightly biased by its close proximity to my place of residence. Recently, however I brought a first timer to my favorite neighborhood haunt and she confirmed that it’s a pretty sweet spot. Cherry Tree got a major upgrade in the looks department when the backyard was redone last year. This backyard has two levels and the upper level, which is available for private parties, has a fountain. The lower level has tables, standing area, a private little comfy brick cave (I’m not sure exactly what this is for, but it’s a unique idea), and last but not least there is a giant chess game. Inside Cherry Tree offers a constantly changing variety of beers on tap, mixed drinks, wine by the glass, and a number of forms of entertainment. Last week, I tried the draft Shock Top, which I very much enjoyed; it was light and fruity after all! In the way of entertainment, this place around my corner has a megatouch game, a Big Buck Hunter game, a jukebox, a home made drinking Jenga (for crazy fun later in the evening), a pull down big screen on which Cherry Tree shows big games, and a Wednesday night trivia night where you can win a $100 bar tab. The best thing about Cherry Tree is the atmosphere; it feels intimate, the bar keeps are talkative and friendly, and there is a content stream of cool neighborhood folks on hand there every night to enjoy some drinks with. The only negative of Cherry Tree, and it pains me to say anything, is there is no kitchen. Once upon a time, this place offered a fabulous selection of pizzas and some other amped up bar foods. Now-a-days, you’ll have to settle for the large selection of take-out menus that Cherry Tree keeps behind the bar.
Aces and Eights-Lower East Side-34 Ave. A
Please see the Play section for a full review on Aces and Eights.
Cherry Tree-Park Slope Brooklyn-65 4th Avenue, between Bergen and St. Marks Place
My love for this place might be slightly biased by its close proximity to my place of residence. Recently, however I brought a first timer to my favorite neighborhood haunt and she confirmed that it’s a pretty sweet spot. Cherry Tree got a major upgrade in the looks department when the backyard was redone last year. This backyard has two levels and the upper level, which is available for private parties, has a fountain. The lower level has tables, standing area, a private little comfy brick cave (I’m not sure exactly what this is for, but it’s a unique idea), and last but not least there is a giant chess game. Inside Cherry Tree offers a constantly changing variety of beers on tap, mixed drinks, wine by the glass, and a number of forms of entertainment. Last week, I tried the draft Shock Top, which I very much enjoyed; it was light and fruity after all! In the way of entertainment, this place around my corner has a megatouch game, a Big Buck Hunter game, a jukebox, a home made drinking Jenga (for crazy fun later in the evening), a pull down big screen on which Cherry Tree shows big games, and a Wednesday night trivia night where you can win a $100 bar tab. The best thing about Cherry Tree is the atmosphere; it feels intimate, the bar keeps are talkative and friendly, and there is a content stream of cool neighborhood folks on hand there every night to enjoy some drinks with. The only negative of Cherry Tree, and it pains me to say anything, is there is no kitchen. Once upon a time, this place offered a fabulous selection of pizzas and some other amped up bar foods. Now-a-days, you’ll have to settle for the large selection of take-out menus that Cherry Tree keeps behind the bar.
Aces and Eights-Lower East Side-34 Ave. A
Please see the Play section for a full review on Aces and Eights.
