Tag Archives: Beer

Outside the Box, Inside an NYC Beer Garden: Bierhaus

20 May

Great as Manhattan is, the space constraints are rough, which makes finding an awesome beer garden quite difficult.  Your options are limited; while I’m not above brown-paper-bagging in the park, unfortunately, public intoxication is frowned upon illegal.   Venturing to outer boroughs might yield great spots, but it’s a real commitment, plus with the weather we’ve been having lately, who knows when outdoor venues will be a safe bet?!  My solution?  Think outside the box and head to Bierhaus (3rd Ave @ 45th St), an unconventional Midtown spot with all-weather-friendly appeal and beer garden feel.

Recently, a friend and I were looking for a late afternoon hang in Midtown East. We both like to try new places, especially where there are good odds of meeting new people; Bierhaus was a great call.  It’s crowded with a mix of after-work types and casual peeps passing through (not to mention the odd group of folks wearing authentic German getups, no joke).   Communal picnic tables are perfect for chatting it up with neighbors and add to the friendly vibe.  With a sunroof ceiling there’s also the added benefit of bright natural light (a major preventative in acting on beer-goggle impulses – not that I would EVER do that…)

All the beers served are Hofbräu, so if you’re looking for something that tastes like a Blue Moon, Stella, etc, just ask a bartender or St. Pauly Girl your waitress and they’ll hook you up.  Staying with the theme, you can expect German music both over the PA system and live, feat. the Polka Brothers.  The soft dough pretzel is pretty awesome; get a large ($9) and try both mustards – the spicy is sinus-clearing!  While there’s no replacing an authentic, outdoor beer garden, sometimes it’s just not feasible – so why miss out on the experience?  Bierhaus is a legit alternative that’s so convenient you can roll up with your bros and lederHOSen.

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Games, Free Pizza, & Beers – Oh MY: Croc Lounge

20 Jan

RR is a Natural with Pizza (and accepts tips)!

If there’s one thing I like better than a dive bar with an excellent selection of beers on tap, it’s a dive bar that provides boozing patrons with a FREE personal pan pizza with every beer purchased.  But it doesn’t end there folks, add skee ball, video games + naked photo hunt and you’ve got yourself Dive Bar Nirvana.  And that’s just what Crocodile Lounge in the East Village (14th St btwn 1st/2nd Aves) is – and I’m not just saying that because they let me man the pizza ovens.  Ok, so maybe they didn’t “let me”…

Croc Lounge brings in a wide mix of crowds from the hipsters, to some NYU kids and lots of local 20-somethings in between. It’s the perfect date spot with games to entertain you and free pizza if you don’t wanna buy her dinner get hungry. The bartenders are laidback dudes, there are a ton of great brews ready for the pouring and the free pizzas are actually great – plus for a buck per topping you can add your pick of a ton of add-ons from pepperoni to pineapples.

FACT: Free Pizza Tastes Better

A few things to note about the Croc: it has a huge pizza oven in the middle of the bar, so while that keeps things nice and toasty in the winter, you may want to think twice before heading there on the hottest day of the summer. Also, Wednesday night is trivia night which, if it’s your thing, great – but if it’s not your bag, perhaps go another night.  Crocodile Lounge is definitely one of those awesome spots sure to impress a date or even a group of friends… Now get on over there and have yourselves some free pizza!

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The name says it all… GOOD BEER!

16 Nov

 

Me Likey

What they should’ve called this place is Great Beer because it is AWESOME.    The spot is on 9th St between Avenue A/1st Ave – it’s a few steps down from the sidewalk so keep your eyes peeled!  When you walk in, you’re met with walls covered floor to ceiling in beers, exposed brick and a butcher’s block bar to hang around.  Everything about this place is inviting including the peeps who work here – they’re friendly + knowledgeable.  Buy a Growler and fill it up there or choose from the 100s of loose and packaged bottles for sale there.

Growler Says: "Fill Me Up!"

As much as Good Beer is a beer retailer, it’s also a great local hang.  They always have 12 different beers on tap – the 4/4oz beer flight for $8 is a great bang for your buck. My FAVE?  The Arrogant Bastard which was a darker beer but not too heavy.  As far as eats go, the food was the biggest surprise of the evening – I had the Vegan Spicy Italian Sausage over warmed sauerkraut and it was possibly the best faux-meat I’ve ever had – it was fennel and spicy pepper heaven.  The food items also included pretzels and real meat sausages, cheese and meat plates – all were priced to keep me coming back for more.

"There's so much BEER in this Clubbb"

I highly recommend you check this place out.  It’s good for a group, a date or just stopping in to pick up beer for your next soiree.  It’s multi-purpose-awesomeness.

 

www.goodbeernyc.com

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You MUST Try: Northern Spy

12 Nov

Don’t let the name fool you – there’s nothing sneaky about the Northern Spy Food Company’s amazing selection of farm-fresh, seasonal menu items.   This spot is my fave new resto in the East Village (12th St btwn Ave A/B) and I’m not alone – the scene was hopping with everyone from hipsters to suits to B/C list celebs – but all this was pulled off without being sceney or in the least bit pretentious.  You could’ve been in Winchestertonfieldville, Iowa (although I’m sure the food there couldn’t hold a candle to Northern Spy).

While we waited (it was about 20 mins or so), I had a glass of red and Ben had a beer to pass the time – I loved the selection of local beers for only $5.  The menu offers a lot of variety as well – there were SO many things calling out to us that Ben and I opted to order several smaller dishes that were all veggie friendly so I could partake (but don’t worry there were plenty of meaty selections too).  Keeping in mind that their menu changes daily but many similar items are always offered, here’s what our tasting tour included:

"Who YOU callin FLAT?!"

Flat Bread w/ caramelized shallots – warm, fluffy bread that’s smothered in delicate shallots and oil…  Oh.Em.Gee. Only $4?!  I’ll take another order to go… Kale Salad – the slightly bitter greens are perfectly suited to the cheddar cheese on the top, and I must mention those crunchy almonds!  It’s really quite a big portion of delish – we almost didn’t finish it.  Almost…  Gnocchi – sweet potato pillows of buttery goodness – it’s the perfect portion for sharing several items.  I think I may have had more than my fair share though… whoops… Wild Rice Salad – this fab collab of rice, feta, mint and lemon sounds simple, but is SO different from anything I’ve ever had.   Not sure why, but it vaguely reminded me of a blueberry muffin in a savory rice salad – this was a very GOOD thing.  Ben is nodding with me on this one…  Runner Beans w/clothbound cheddar – These beans were gynormous and the sharp, gooey cheddar coating each and every one of these gentle giants filled my mouth with complete and total ecstasy.

 

"What big BEANS you have!"

…Soooo yeah, I’m kind of serious when it comes to my food…  But let’s get down to biz with a bottom line: the total bill was $42, no joking.  Sure, there are def ways to go a little bigger, but for me, getting to taste a little bit of everything was the way to go.  Now GO!!!!

But wait a tick – one last suggestion… Looking for drinks before or after?  Shoolbred’s on 2nd Ave & 12th St (just 2 blocks over) is the essential cold weather bar.  Grab a draft beer (they’re 2-for-1 everyday from 4-8pm – BOOYAH) and park yourself by the fireplace.  Finish said beer and repeat.

Over and out.  Toodles!

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