Spaghetti and Mama’s Meatballs. Photo by Molly Tavoletti.
Echoes of the Cozy Royale catering hall can still be heard in the warm dining room in the back of the bar at Humboldt & Jackson (434 Humboldt Street). The Royale’s former owner, Joanne Perrotta, had turned down many other offers when she was looking to retire. For years, families and neighbors gathered for dinners there, and Perrotta wished to pass on that sense of community along with the space. Perrotta cared more about who was going to take the place over rather than what it was going to be.
The first time I set foot in Humboldt & Jackson was the very day it opened. I followed the renovation of the Cozy Royale into this place, a newly-titled “American Tasting Room,” step-by-step on my daily walk to the Graham Avenue L train and was thrilled to have a prospective place to call my own—my Cheers, if you will. I would cement my status by getting in right at the beginning. Over the three years since their opening I realized that the feeling of ownership and comfort that I felt is exactly what Bill Reed, the bar’s charismatic owner, wants for all his guests.Continue reading →
It’s hard getting to the beginning of anything, but with Troost (1011 Manhattan Ave) in Greenpoint, it might help to keep in mind a street sign in Kansas City: Troost Ave. “I just liked the way it looked,” the owner, John Ortiz says, one evening during a sit down at Goldie’s, on what we both agree is the “other side” of Greenpoint. Troost opened its doors in 2011. It started as a café, beer and wine bar. But it’s grown since then to include a full bar and live music. But John is specific. It is “not a music venue. It’s a bar that has music.” It having music occupies a lot of the conversation.
“It’s interesting,” he says, “to see artists respond when you put limitations on them.” The limitations are familiar to anyone who attends shows or is a musician in New York. They come down to two things: noise and space. “It’s almost always worked out. One or two cases, maybe.” One aspect that keeps things going is a good relationship with the neighbors. “They all have my number. They’re great. Sometimes I get a text saying, ‘hey, last night was a little loud,’ but for the most part, the relationship is really good.” Another is just figuring out who could and should play. Who does the approaching? “It’s pretty much word of mouth, musicians putting me in touch with other musicians,” he says. Continue reading →
New apartments aren’t the only thing popping up on West Street! This past weekend, West Wine Bar had its soft opening at 67 West Street between Noble and Milton in Greenpoint, and at 5 pm on Sunday, the place was bustling. The door was wide open with knowledgeable and friendly staff ready to greet the neighborhood. There were a handful of patrons at tables throughout the evening with locals popping in and out to check out the new space. And, of course, the wines, of which there are many.
The Brooklyn Barge (3 West Street, at Milton) finally opened yesterday for its third season. This is Greenpoint’s only waterfront bar with unbeatable views of Manhattan. It’s the kind of place you can round up a dozen friends last minute or bring a date to watch the sunset and twinkling skyline after dark. You can enjoy ten beers on tap (half of which are local to NY), sample the shared bites menu or go with their signature Barge Tacos or Burger. There’s something for everyone including veggie and gluten-free options.
The launch of the NYC Ferry service (which had prices drop down to $2.75 one-way) will surely increase traffic from Manhattan to Greenpoint foreshadowing the imminent boom of housing along West Street. As a result, we should probably expect bigger crowds at the Barge this season. Continue reading →
Thanks to a warm welcome from the neighborhood and the initial success of the pop-up, Threes Brewing is extending its stay in Greenpoint! The outpost will continue to occupy the former Cassette space at 113 Franklin Street (corner of Kent St.) at least through the summer.
Though I’d been hearing great things about the Gowanus brewery for a while before my first visit, it was a Luluc concert at Tiny Montgomery—the brewery’s versatile private dining room that doubles as an intimate concert venue—that inspired my first trip to the original Threes location. With a coffee shop by Ninth Street Espresso conducive to tackling some work before the show, my sense of the place was that it would lend itself nicely to spending the day and then enjoying food by one of the pop-ups featured at the time (its food is now exclusively by The Meat Hook) and beers with friends who joined for the show.
Now much of what I loved about that welcoming, experience-focused, “come hang” vibe is just down the block from me. Known for its frequent and interesting programming, Threes will bring more of the same to Threes @ Franklin + Kent with live music and other events starting in May. In the meantime, there will be DJs a few nights per week, as well as a lineup of other breweries coming by each Wednesday (4/19 Industrial Arts; 4/26 KCBC; 5/3 Other Half; 5/10 LIC Beer Project; 5/17 Barrier Brewing; 5/24 Transmitter). Continue reading →
From 4pm-2am this Saturday (3/11), local favorite bar The Moonlight Mile (200 Franklin St.) will be serving up drink specials and good times for its 3-year anniversary. Kick back, relax and enjoy the vibes. RSVP on Facebook
It seems like all we’re doing these days is saying goodbye to our favorite barsand restaurants. Throw this one onto the pile and pour one out while drinking it all in at The Drink (228 Manhattan Ave.) this Saturday night from 5pm onward.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the very last party (and days) at The Drink.
For six-and-a-half years this bar has been a place where we celebrated, mourned, gathered in activism, and made friends and chosen family that will last a lifetime. But as the neighborhood changes, so do we, and so Saturday we’re having one last blowout to make (and forget) memories with our chosen community of very special weirdos ❤️
Hallelujah! Something’s happening in the old Cassette space, making Franklin Street a little less sparse. The past several weeks we’ve seen Brooklyn Label paper up their windows, Mr. Souvlaki bit the dust, Mrs. Kim’s is “renovating”, and Jimmy’s packed up before year’s end. Gowanus’s Threes Brewing will be opening a temporary bar and beer shop at 113 Franklin Street (at Kent) starting today, and it will run at least through the end of the month and possibly longer. Continue reading →
Little King’s tiny interior, filled with cozy familiarity. Photo by Jane Beiles
If you’ve exited the Graham Avenue L station recently, a tiny newcomer tucked away next to the corner bodega and behind a knockout set of art deco doors may have caught your eye. Little King (749 Metropolitan Ave.) has been quietly open for the past several weeks, nestled inside an elfin den that actually feels like it’s just the right size. It’s perfectly cozy, and to those nearby should become a favorite neighborhood spot. Given Graham Avenue’s recently changing landscape—late October saw the closure of Oak Wine Bar, soon Daddy’s is shuttering (and we hear Mother’s is not far behind)—in addition to a handful of empty storefronts, the area could use an additional post-work friendly local joint to wind down in and meet up with friends. Or even a good place to meet a Tinder date—Little King’s style is dressed to impress yet worn and approachable, so it fits the first date bill.
Inside Little King—the timeless vintage interior impeccably designed by partner Christina Salway—you’ll find a careful selection of all natural and biodynamic wines, a full bar with classic-sounding yet original cocktails (The John Henry, The War Horse, The Stoddard, among others), and a tight bar food menu. Continue reading →
I sat down at the bar at Cherry Point (664 Manhattan Avenue), trying to forget my post-election blues. I ordered a glass of wine and began to appreciate the decor and soft lighting that makes Cherry Point such a laid back, hip place. Suddenly I was seized by an urge for a cocktail. I asked the bartender Steve Walkiewicz if he had a personal favorite and a smile crossed his face and his eyes gleamed as he told me I had to try his very own creation called “A Sensitive Man.” Walkiewicz quickly went to work pouring the ingredients and then vigorously shaking them. He served it straight up, and the presentation was truly a thing of beauty—chocolate bitters on top of egg whites, looking ever so much like a barrista’s capuccino.
