Autumn has crept in and I can’t help but feel a little sad that day trips to the Rockaways have gone away, cafes have stowed away their outdoor seating and battened down the window hatches (except for Five Leaves because… well I don’t really know why). The only way to fight this sadness is to replace these feelings with happy moments, happy feelings and most importantly, happy hours.
By embarking on a food-focused Greenpoint happy hour crawl I discovered my preferred method to get a little taste and a lot of feel out of a few places in one night. Here are some of my favorite omnivorous dishes in the hood during the typically alcohol-focused creation known as ‘happy hour.’
A fish counter with a penchant for service, this white-tiled silvery-scaled spot on Nassau Avenue offers oysters for $2, beer and cider for $5, wine and cava for $6, and a catch of the day menu a la carte. And it makes me want to remind you that one dollar oyster promotions are completely unsustainable. Places that are still offering this deal regularly are likely getting oysters from ecocidal farms; we could all do our part by not expecting and seeking dollar oysters.
Last summer, Greenpointers could be seen peering into the windows of Naked Dog, trying to guess when it would open. The restaurant been serving up delicious pastas to the neighborhood for several months now, but they’ve just started serving brunch, and it’s definitely crave-worthy and a little different from your usual brunch.
Owner Cecilia Di Paola is a wonderful, welcoming host and the kind of person you want to sit at the bar and chat with. Pop in to say hello to our new(ish) neighbor and dine in the beautifully-decorated, light-filled space this weekend.
Many people have been anxiously awaiting the opening of The Naked Dog. There aren’t too many eateries on West Street, and this restaurant front has been teasing Greenpointers since the end of 2014. Many delays – permits, that sort of boring thing – prevented them from opening up until this past week. Continue reading →
As Pope Francis alights upon our city, the New York Times turns its attention to Greenpoint’s own St. Anthony Church, where graffiti, theft, and abuse of holy water bely the sometimes less savory side of embracing the destitute.
Progress for Newtown Creek’s new Kosciuszko Bridge are right on track. Where public development projects are concerned, no news is certainly newsworthy.
New York’s first Polish Dual Language Program has landed at PS34. On the agenda: preserving the neighborhood’s cultural heritage, preparing kids to succeed in English, and raising a class of high-achieving wunderkind. Continue reading →
There’s been a whole lot of comings and goings amongst Greenpoint’s bars and restaurants recently. Here’s a round-up of a few changes that are on our radar…
Brooklyn Barge Bar (3 Milton Street) – This novelty floating bar has been a long time in the making and it’s looking like they’ll miss the boat with the summer crowd if they don’t get things going soon. Time Out are throwing a ‘first look’ party ($25 for unlimited beer and oysters) on the barge on August 26th, so it’s quite likely that this will be their opening night. Let’s hope they don’t have to cancel like they did with their 4th July celebrations. But, if they do, at least it means that Transmitter Park will stay a haven of tranquillity for a little longer.
Brooklyn Label (180 Franklin Street) – A sign in the window of this popular brunch spot says ‘closed for renovation’, along with a request to renew their sidewalk liquor license. However, it’s just been confirmed by the owners that the business is actually being sold and will be re-opening as something different in due course. Continue reading →
