nyc thread

[oshoney]

Nov 22, 2017 13:38:17 GMT -6 doso said:

Nov 21, 2017 16:08:10 GMT -6 oshoney said:

Upper west side! Just a block from Central Park between 71st & 72nd. I'm house/dog sitting for a buddy of mine which is why I'm there so long. I'm excited.

Beacon Theatre is very close to where you'll be staying. Seinfeld is doing two sets there on December 8. Sold out, but you might be able to score a last-minute single for a reasonable price. Cyndi Lauper is also there on December 9 if you're so inclined.

UWS isn't the best neighborhood for dining, but TESSA is our go-to spot for pre-Beacon dinners. They're above average in terms of food, but also prices. Jacob's Pickles has been closed most of the year after there was a fire in their building, but it looks like they've reopened. They're on my list, but Genghis has been there (I believe with Scoots perhaps?) and he raved about it. We've been to Cafe Frida across from the Museum of Natural History - perhaps slightly above average Mexican food. Gray's Papaya is a legendary hot dog stand on the corner of 72nd and Amsterdam. Playa Betty's has been recommended to us for their tacos, but we haven't been yet. I've also yet to visit The Ribbon, but it's been on my radar as a place to try. The one place you should absolutely go in the neighborhood is the original Levain Bakery on 74th just east of Amsterdam - their cookies are 100% worth the wait. Oh, and take the 1 train to 110th Street and stop by Absolute Bagels at 108th and Broadway - cash only, but some of the best bagels in the city.

Thanks dude! Tons of good info.

[oshoney]

Nov 21, 2017 21:08:10 GMT -6 goodson said:

Nov 21, 2017 15:11:59 GMT -6 oshoney said:

Yeah good call, I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for that and LCD tickets. If anyone wants to hang that week+ lemme know, I'll be up there house/dog sitting for a friend of mine so should have plenty of free nights.

we've never met right

we should chill

I don't think so and I'm down!

[dij22]

Nov 22, 2017 15:28:34 GMT -6 doso said:

Nov 21, 2017 18:20:14 GMT -6 dij22 said:

I'd be interested in this list.  Last time I was in NYC I was underwhelmed by the beer (and coffee for that matter).  Every other aspect of the city was astoundingly good though.

Were you just in Manhattan? I don't even know if there are any breweries in Manhattan other than Heartland and they suck. Most of the good ones are in Brooklyn and Queens. Also, the laws were relaxed several years ago making it much easier to open a start-up brewery or distillery, so NYC got a late start on the craft beer revolution. If you visited before 2013, most of these places were not open.

North Brooklyn
Brooklyn Brewery - They are, of course, huge for a "craft" brewery and their beers are distributed well beyond Brooklyn. But they always have a few hard-to-find beers tapped in their tasting room which is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tasting room operates on a token system. I would encourage stopping by if you're in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip.

Greenpoint Brewery - They've become one of my favorites. They put mostly IPAs in cans, but if you visit their facility, they have a large brewpub area with a wide variety of styles which typically include some inventive offerings. 

Grimm - Their taproom/brewery is not open yet, but they've been gypsy brewing for several years now. My absolute favorite New York brewer. If you see one of their beers on tap, order it. 

Interboro Spirits & Ales - Relative newcomers who brew beer but also distill spirits. Haven't tried the spirits, nor have I visited the brewery, but I've been impressed with the few beers I've tried.

If you find yourself in East Williamsburg on a Friday afternoon, be sure to stop in at The Noble Experiment for a daiquiri made with their Brooklyn-distilled rum. I don't even like daiquiris, but I crave another one just thinking about it.

Kings County Brewers Collective - Another local favorite aka KCBC. Haven't been to the taproom, but they distribute cans all around the city. The taproom looks quite nice and it has been open for just about a year. They also have a great variety of beers on tap that don't make it into cans.

South Brooklyn
Folksbier - This brewery is quite small; I never see them on tap anywhere other than Frankie's and Prime Meats down the street. There was one time when they had one beer on the menu at House of Wax in the Alamo Drafthouse. They've been around for at least two or three years, but only opened their taproom earlier in 2017. They've also been slow to offer packaged beers, having released just two cans to date. Very mellow taproom with a nice selection of their generally lower ABV offerings.

Other Half - These guys are the heavy hitters in the NY scene. People literally form lines wrapped around the block every Saturday morning to buy their newly released cans (which inevitably sell out by Saturday afternoon most weekends). They specialize in high ABV super-hopped beers and they're very good at what they do. I've really enjoyed their forays into other styles, but double and triple IPAs are their bread and butter. They finally expanded their tiny taproom this year and they now have about two dozen beers on tap at any given time. This one is worth going out of your way for.

Sixpoint - They are a "legacy" brewer, having been in business for longer than a decade and their beers are available nationwide. However, they do not have a taproom and they do not offer tours at their facility in Red Hook. That only (slightly) changed two months ago when they offered their first-ever small-batch can release with pick-up at the brewery. I wouldn't bother with their core offerings (which are fine, but unremarkable), but if you see some of their oddball one-off brews on tap somewhere, those are almost always worth a go. 

Threes Brewing - Great space that features a large taproom, beer garden, food by the Meat Hook and a bottle shop/coffee shop. They tend to offer a counterpoint to the high ABV IPA trend and I'm particularly fond of their saison/farmhouse/table beer brews. They always have a couple of guest taps as well as a couple of wines on tap. And you can always pick up cans and bottles to go in their bottle shop. Meat Hook's food is damn good, too.

Scoots has been to Folksbier and Threes, so he can also offer an opinion about those brewers. He can also attest to the mob scene at Other Half! (He visited before they'd opened up their new expanded taproom).

Queens
Big Alice - I've seen them referred to as a nanobrewery and that's probably accurate. I always enjoy visiting their tiny taproom which has never been too crowded. I don't think I've ever seen them on tap anywhere and while their brews are hit or miss, they get points in my book for trying new things (and often succeeding). 

Finback - I haven't visited this taproom, but I've had a number of their beers over the years and they're completely solid.

Singlecut - No great way to get there (it's a solid 15 minute walk from the last N/W train stop), but they have a large space with board games and bands playing on the loft overlooking the taproom. Their beers are pretty good, too.

Transmitter - This is another tiny brewery - in fact, it's basically a garage. They had limited hours when they will open a few bottles and pour out tasters, but you can't sit down and drink a full beer. You go, buy some bottles and leave. Some of their bottles can be found around the city and they're on tap in some places, too. Their specialty is saison/farmhouse beers and they are second to none when it comes to these styles. 

This is awesome - thank you for this!  I'm bookmarking this for our next trip out in February.

Only one from your list recall having out there is Sixpoint.

[doso]

My pleasure! Where are you staying and what do you have planned for the February visit?

[dij22]

Nov 22, 2017 16:03:28 GMT -6 doso said:

My pleasure! Where are you staying and what do you have planned for the February visit?

Literally nothing planned yet, but flights were dirt cheap so we figured a short trip to NYC would be fun.

I think we're staying with a friend in Astoria, which will be my first time in Queens outside of a Mets game.

[sthubbins]

anybody going to Angel Olsen on Friday?

[doso]

Not I - if I hit up a show Friday, it will be Patterson Hood at Rockwood Music Hall. Found out earlier today that he's opening for The Hold Steady show at Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow night, however, so I might skip Friday assuming I make it in time to see him there.

You in town this weekend?

[sthubbins]

yeah, but probably just Friday night through Saturday afternoon

[doso]

I work at home on the sixth/top floor of our apartment building and the structure began swaying gently about 30 minutes ago. Only lasted a couple of seconds and sure enough, there was a 4.4 magnitude earthquake about 120 miles away near Dover, Delaware that happened at the same time.

I've had very limited experience with earthquakes, but this one was much different than the others I've felt. One was in Illinois several years ago. The epicenter was downstate, but it work me up with a loud bang that made me wonder if a car had slammed into my house. The other time was in Los Angeles after they'd had a larger (but not major) quake. Those were aftershocks that made the chandeliers rattle and felt more like a subway passing underneath. Odd how this one was more of a swaying motion, but perhaps it felt different on the ground.

Anyone else feel it?

[oshoney]

Anyone hitting up Autre Ne Veut @ Elsewhere on Thursday?

[dij22]

Nov 22, 2017 15:28:34 GMT -6 doso said:

Nov 21, 2017 18:20:14 GMT -6 dij22 said:

I'd be interested in this list.  Last time I was in NYC I was underwhelmed by the beer (and coffee for that matter).  Every other aspect of the city was astoundingly good though.

North Brooklyn
Brooklyn Brewery - They are, of course, huge for a "craft" brewery and their beers are distributed well beyond Brooklyn. But they always have a few hard-to-find beers tapped in their tasting room which is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tasting room operates on a token system. I would encourage stopping by if you're in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip.

Greenpoint Brewery - They've become one of my favorites. They put mostly IPAs in cans, but if you visit their facility, they have a large brewpub area with a wide variety of styles which typically include some inventive offerings. 

South Brooklyn
Other Half - These guys are the heavy hitters in the NY scene. People literally form lines wrapped around the block every Saturday morning to buy their newly released cans (which inevitably sell out by Saturday afternoon most weekends). They specialize in high ABV super-hopped beers and they're very good at what they do. I've really enjoyed their forays into other styles, but double and triple IPAs are their bread and butter. They finally expanded their tiny taproom this year and they now have about two dozen beers on tap at any given time. This one is worth going out of your way for.

We're going to be in town this weekend and we're checking out these three from your list (thanks so much again for compiling this!).  Our Airbnb is conveniently like a 3 minute walk from Greenpoint Brewery so that should be great.

Also super excited for Dear Evan Hansen and to go to MoMA for the first time.

Bagel recommendations are always appreciated.

[alady]

I would have loved to see that with Ben Platt in it - saw him in Book of Mormon here and he was so good.

[doso]

Awesome! Sounds like you have a great weekend planned.

My personal favorite for bagels is a Montreal-inspired place called Mile End in Boreum Hill. Be warned, their small space fills up quickly, but you can always order to-go at their window. They offer a full menu, so you can sit down and get, say, a smoked meat sandwich with latkes and pickled veggies. Other Half is near the Smith-9th Street F/G stop and Mile End is just a couple stops away near the Bergen St. station.

If you're craving NYC-style bagels, the mayor's favorite is the Bagel Hole in Park Slope. This is a couple of stops beyond Other Half on the F/G at 7th Avenue. I'm sure andrewvb, thissy and/or wanny can recommend some bagel places closer to Greenpoint/Williamsburg.

A few tips:

• It's supposed to be warmer, but rainy this weekend.
• Check mta.info for station closings - more than ever, the weekends can be challenging when it comes to subway service with the MTA struggling to keep up with maintenance needs.
• Go to Other Half's Instagram feed to see the cans they are releasing this Saturday. There will be a line down Smith Street when the cans go on sale at 10am on Saturday, but everything is sold from a warehouse space. If you go early, you can simply skip the line if you're not buying cans and walk right into the taproom and enjoy some beers on tap.
• Check out Brooklyn Brewery's website to understand how their token system works for beers. Worth a read before showing up.
• Mrs. DoSo saw Dear Evan Hansen last year and loved it!

[andrewvb]

fwiw brooklyn brewery isnt worth going to for more than a drink. hopefully since it's winter there won't be a line. the free tour was nothing. the area is a mess on weekends usually too.

the greenpoint place is sweet. obviously, torst is in greenpoint and totally worth going to if that's where your airbnb is. other half rules, i didnt even know it expanded some. i was sad not to make it there when i went in december.

academy annex is a good record store near where it seems like you're staying if you like records. anella up there has the best brunch. black rabbit was a cool bar on greenpoint ave if it's still open.

i have no good bagel recs, sorry. el-p's deli frankel is open in greenpoint now, it looked nice when i walked by it. i would guess they have good bagels.

[genghisnyc]

for bagels and smoked fish, go to either Sadelle's or Russ & Daughters, both in Manhattan. Sadelle's is West Village and Russ & Daughters is lower east side. both will have lines, but both are worth it, too.

[dij22]

Jan 9, 2018 11:47:54 GMT -6 alady said:

I would have loved to see that with Ben Platt in it - saw him in Book of Mormon here and he was so good.

Yeah he was amazing in Book of Mormon, and he's incredible in the Dear Evan Hansen videos I've seen.  Bummed to miss him but the new guy looks great too.

[dij22]

Jan 9, 2018 13:44:53 GMT -6 genghisnyc said:

for bagels and smoked fish, go to either Sadelle's or Russ & Daughters, both in Manhattan. Sadelle's is West Village and Russ & Daughters is lower east side. both will have lines, but both are worth it, too.

Awesome, we will probably hit up both.  

[alady]

Russ & Daughters is also the home of the chocolate/cinnamon babka if you're a Seinfeld fan

[dij22]

Where does the TSA stand on bringing babkas onto a plane

[alady]

I muled one

[genghisnyc]

those babkas are insane.

[Deleted]

Line at Russ & Daughters moves pretty quick, fwiw. Don't get discouraged if it's out the door.

[Deleted]

Greenpoint is a great spot - my wife and I stayed there back in April. Like doso said, check the station closings - we were screwed because all of the lines going into Brooklyn were closed the weekend we were there.

East River State Park has some nice views of Manhattan and is walking distance in the neighborhood. Try to hit up Torst at lunch for their beer/sandwich deals.

[no dice]

I'll back Greenpoint Brewery, great brewpub. If you are up by Black Rabbit or Brooklyn Bazaar, I'd recommend getting dinner at Karczma for some excellent Polish food.

[dij22]

Greenpoint Brewery was A+. We stayed a long time and had pretty much every beer on tap and they were all fantastic.

Torst was really great. Super fun atmosphere and great beer and food.

Brooklyn Brewery had a line and a weird ass token system so we did not go out of spite.

Other Half was very good but I don't know if they need to brew like 17 different Imperial Double IPA's. Some variety would be nice.

MoMA was unbelievable. Basically spent like 4 hours on one floor so I can't wait to go back.

[doso]

Pre-Grammy shows in NYC:

[doso]

The first Celebrate Brooklyn! show at the Prospect Park Bandshell to be announced for the 2018 season is The Decemberists with M. Ward opening on June 13.

[doso]

Longwave is back(ish?) - they're playing a show at Mercury Lounge on April 7. Haven't seen them since 2008.

[doso]

Elvis Costello and the Imposters at Brooklyn Steel on March 7 plus a pair of shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester (March 8 & 9).

[thisismyname]

Despacioooooo