St. Paddy’s Day Oysters at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster
Oysters seem almost too sophisticated for such a holiday. It feels like we’re trying to class up the joint. Maybe we are? Either way, you should head to Greenpoint Fish & Lobster (114 Nassau Ave) for $1.50 Irish Point Oysters before doing all these other things. Continue reading →
On Friday everyone becomes Irish for a day—at least in the local bars, but Greenpoint actually has a long and colorful Irish history. The first Irish came to Greenpoint way back in the 1850s. Like many of the others who arrived here then, the Irish were lured by jobs in the booming shipbuilding business. An 1855 Greenpoint census revealed that about thirty percent of the locals were Irish born. Other Irish soon followed to work in the many factories and refineries that sprung up locally after the Civil War.
In 1864 Captain James McAllister, from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, started his maritime transport company with a single sail lighter, but it was the perfect time and place to open such a business. McAllister soon got more work than he could handle transporting the oil of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. He brought over many of his family and neighbors from his hometown Cushendall, Co. Antrim and many of the present day Irish families in Greenpoint have Cushendall roots. Quickly the Irish dominated the waterfront and worked the many nautical and longshoremen jobs along the bustling East River and Newtown Creek shorelines. One of these Irish-American longshoremen was the colorful Pete McGuinness, “The King of Greenpoint,” for whom McGuinness Boulevard is named. He later entered politics and ran the area as the last old style Irish ward boss until his death in 1948. Continue reading →
Hearty beef & Guinness stew with carrots and mushrooms, over mashed potatoes
My mother is born-and-raised solid country stock from County Westmeath, Ireland. She remembers St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as chiefly religious, with the country going to mass with freshly-picked clovers pinned to buttonholes to honor their patron saint. Then there would be a shared family meal with special-occasion ingredients like beef or lamb, usually presented in roasts or stews.
Regardless of how you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or whether you want to avoid all related shenanigans entirely), this traditional Irish dish is straight-forward, nourishing, rich, and perfect for spooning out among any group of friends and family (though with all due respect to my grandmother and her preferred method of just dumping everything in a big pot and leaving it, I’ve added and tweaked some steps to improve texture and flavor).
Here is an excerpt from an interesting article in Voices of NY about an Irishman who admires the Polish community in Greenpoint:
“…living among Poles reminds McDonagh of Ireland.
Greenpoint, similar to pre-boom inner-city Dublin, is littered with old factories, warehouse buildings and loft-spaces primed to be re-envisioned by architects and city-planners … In 2011, the Polish in Ireland superseded the British as the largest non-national community in the state. They are now part of the genetic landscape back home.
In 2005 I received a ticket for an open container at the intersection of Nassau and Manhattan avenues. It was St. Patrick’s Day. I had been carrying my 24 ounce Budweiser in a brown paper bag when I saw the NYPD cruiser approaching. I stuffed my beer in a garbage can, but it was too late. The cruiser stopped, a cop got out, looked into the trash can and gave me a ticket.
I did not pay that ticket.
In Spring of 2012, I heard about a Safe Surrender day in BedStuy and attended. I, along with hundreds (thousands?) of other – mostly black males – stood in long lines for most of the morning until we appeared before a judge in a local BedStuy church, where our tickets were resolved without fines or other punishment.
The minister of the church, noticing a white face in the crowd, became curious about me asking, “What’d they get you for?” When I told him, he just guffawed and shook his head.
All this to relate that Gothamist recently reported about the New York neighborhoods with the most public drinking complaints as well as those with the most public urination complaints submitted via 311 in the last two years.
Greenpoint is the only neighborhood to top both lists!
A Brooklyn Ink follow-up article on the topic assumed that all 311 complaints were solely about the homeless population in Greenpoint, referred to as “drinkers” – but does not verify that the 311 complaints are actually traced to complaints about the homeless population’s public drinking. The article quotes locals about the homeless – that “they stink” and “are obnoxious and rude” before admitting that “[t]hese people need support.”
Of course 311 complaints could just mean there are more people willing/able enough to complain in that neighborhood than in others, not necessarily that there is more public drinking and urination in those places. Given the recent troubles involving the shelter at Greenpoint Church on Milton Street, perhaps the number of Greenpoint complaints should not be surprising.
WEDNESDAY 3/14 * Chutney Class with DP Chutney Collective @ Good Yoga (73 Calyer St) 7pm, Learn to make and take home 2 fresh chutneys: coriander/mint & tamarind, and one cooked and unusual eggplant chutney, which will be canned. I am personally making RYE SHAKES! Class is $25 and includes all materials and cocktails. Limit 12 people. RSVP to greenpointers (at) gmail.com. ♦ What Would You Do With 4,500 sq ft of Arts Space? @ [email protected] (2 Kingsland Ave) 6-9pm, discussion with Chloë Bass of Arts in Bushwick and Noel Allain of The Bushwick Starr ♫ Permanent Wave Benefit for Right Rides @ Deathy By Audio (49 So. 2nd St.) 8pm, $7, Performances by The Art of Shooting, Hello Phones, Leslie Hong, Beach Mom, plus bake sale and zines
THURSDAY 3/15 • Edward Mullany, Paula Bomer, Melissa Broder and John Dermot Woods @ Word (126 Franklin St) 7pm, a night of emerging voices in short fiction and poetry * Imperial Stout Weekend @ Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave.) Thru Sunday 3/18 ♦ Big Reality @ 319 Scholes (Bushwick) 7pm, curated by Brian Droitcour, “Big Reality” proposes that contemporary everyday life seamlessly integrates elements of fantasy and play through consumer technology and networked media. ♫ Lips @ Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lorimer) 11pm, Lips has a unique sound characterised by masterful songwriting and a sly sense of humor. Her ability to both transfix and entertain make her a must see live act.
FRIDAY 3/16 ♦ SOUVENIR @ Camel Art Space (722 Metropolitan Ave.) 6:00pm, an exhibition not of art but of objects which recall and refer to the work of artists who have exhibited at Camel Art Space. ♦ A.I.R. Time @ Flux Factory (39-31 29th St., LIC) 6-9pm, an exhibition that presents a dynamic array of work made by spring residents at the continually evolving Flux Factory, More info ♦ Dave Miko @ Real Fine Arts (673 Meeker Ave.) 7-10pm, Performance at 9pm, An Exhibition of Painting Obscured by Performance ♫ 16mm Noir films & the “Villains of Vaudeville” @ Vaudeville Park (26 Bushwick Ave.) 7:30pm, a curated night of rare and out of print 40’s-60’s Noir Films and TV projected on 16mm, with live “Dark Synth Jazz” sets from the Villains of Vaudeville in between the screenings ♫ SameinSane/Hypnotoad/U-Recken/Eg~Bot & Lauryn @ Europe (98 Meserole Ave) 10pm, $25, psy-trance
♣ SATURDAY 3/17 – ST. PATRICK’S DAY ♣ • Volunteer at McGolrick Park, 11am, Turn McGolrick green on St. Patrick’s Day! Sign in under the pavilion and pick up grass seed to spread on the barren lawns. Free crafts for kids in the playground! Rain date – Sunday March 18. * North Brooklyn Boat Club Potluck Work Party @ North Brooklyn Boat Club (Ash St. and McGuiness Blvd) noon-4pm, see the club’s new home, learn about the project, help prep the site, grill, drink, rain date Sunday 3/18 • St. Patrick’s Day @ The Habitat (988 Manhattan Ave) Irish Drink & Food Specials • Veronica People’s Closing Party @ VPC (105 Franklin St) 2pm, last chance to eat amazing Antojitos Mexicanos (3pm) and enjoy great coffee, drinks and friends at a favorite local (recently out of the closet) bar in Greenpoint. A “Self Portrait Project” will document goodbyes. ♦ Winter BBQ + Potluck @ [email protected] (2 Kingsland Ave) 4-9pm, Celebrate the ending of Round Robin’s 2-mo. residency, bring stuff to grill, salads, potato salad, pickles, brownies, live Music, games, food, art, beer • Grand Street Pub Crawl (Grand St, Williamsburg) 4-8pm, drink and food specials at bars and restaurants all along the street ♫ St. Patricks Day @ Mark Bar (1025 Manhattan Ave.) 8pm, bands, corned beef and cabbage, $3 beer all night
• St. Patrick’s Day @ One Stop Beer Shop (134 Kingsland Ave) Free shots, beer pong, games, food specials, 2 for $1 Jello Shots, and $4 irish car bombs, Plus $25 Unlimited Drinking Pass for 2 Hrs, more info • LSJ Presents New Work in Progress @ St. John’s Theatre (94 Norman Ave.) 9pm, play written and directed by Sean Edward Lewis, RSVP: email info (at) stjohnstheatre.org ♫ Fina’mor/So Hideous My Love/Satevis/Alkahest/Druglord @ St. Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) 8pm, $17 ♫ Truckfighters/The Midnight Ghost Train/La Otracina @ Public Assembly (70 N6th St) 8:30pm, $13
SUNDAY 3/18 * BK Swappers Anniversary @ Third Ward (195 Morgan Ave.) 12:30pm–5pm, FREE, a full schedule of demos, talks and alternate swaps, more info • Chess Tournament @ Polish & Slavic Center (176 Java St) 10am-4pm, $20, more info email chesstourney (at) townsquareinc.com * Memorial Ride and Walk @ Manhattan Ave. & Green St. 1:45PM, Organized by the NYC Street Memorial Project, this ride and walk honors cyclists and pedestrians killed on New York City Streets. This year, NAG and Transportation Alternatives have organized a special Memorial Walk focused on the dangerous McGuinness Boulevard. • Fading Ads Walking Tour @ WORD (126 Franklin St.) 2–4pm, get a glimpse into Greenpoint’s history with a walking tour, led by author and photographer Frank Jump. • LSJ Presents New Work in Progress @ St. John’s Theatre (94 Norman Ave.) 9pm, play written and directed by Sean Edward Lewis, RSVP: email info (at) stjohnstheatre.org ♫ Jo Schornikow @ Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lorimer St) 9:30pm, special set with surprise scottish guest!!! shortbread n oatcakes for everybody
MONDAY 3/19 • Dine in Brooklyn begins (3/19-3/29): While I am disappointed that only 3 Greenpoint restaurants are participating, including Lokal (905 Lorimer St), it’s cool that 2 are Polish: Karczma (136 Greenpoint Ave.) & Krolewskie Jadlo (694 Manhattan Ave.) Closeby, Bamontes (32 Wither St.), an old (I mean old) school Italian-American joint, white table cloths, waiters in tuxedos, major bolognese sauce and kick-ass martinis, is in. Did I hear someone say Greenpointers Restaurant Week?
TUESDAY 3/20 * VCR Party @ Nitehawk Cinema (136 Metropolitan Ave) 9:30pm, $11 variety show, featuring a stellar lineup of comedians, storytellers and video collectors sharing their favorite video clips, more info ♫ Coney Island Novels with Tara Altebrando and Haley Tanner @ Word (126 Franklin St) 7pm, Largehearted Lit unites authors and musicians in a celebration of storytelling.
* Greenpointers’ Pick
♫ Music
♥ Pheremones Likely
♦ Art Event
