With Spring teasing us with her dainty ankle of approaching warmth, it’s easy to feel torn between our winter hobbit ways and the urge to run topless into summer’s heat. What do we wear, what do we eat, and most importantly, what do we drink during this time of transition? Between the seasons of warming whiskey and cooling margaritas, it’s wine that is the most versatile of beverages. And no better way to indulge this changing of seasons than with the cheapest and most transitional way to drink: happy hour! Welcome the spring with a crisp Rosé or hold on to winter with that full-bodied red by drinking early and affordably at some of Greenpoint’s best bars and restaurants. We’ve gathered a few of the neighborhood’s top five wine happy hours, offering 2 for 1 glasses, great food and wine combos, and even a $4 vino to get you through the change and into those short shorts. Continue reading →
Tuesdays are very exciting at Greenpoint’s tapas restaurant El Born because Paella Tuesdays begins tonight! This great deal will include ‘pan con tomate’, an individual paella and a glass of wine for only $19. Nothing hits the spot more on a cold winter night than perfectly cooked meat, seafood and rice authentically prepared in the traditional Valencian way.
Looking for your new favorite brunch spot? El Born is open for Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4pm.
Can’t wait until the weekend? El Born offers a great Happy Hour, too. Stop in anyday of the week from 5pm to 7pm for 50% off “tapas” plus drinks specials that include 2 for 1 Spanish beers and $20 pitchers of sangria, mojito and margarita.
Stay tuned for El Born’s special New Years Eve menu and party…
With so many new restaurants opening in Greenpoint, it’s becoming hard to think of a cuisine that hasn’t already been covered. But modern Spanish is, surprisingly, something we’re lacking, and something which El Born (651 Manhattan Ave) looks set to do very well. Continue reading →
I ran into Nythia, the badass Kings of Karaoke chica and she was raving about a new Mexican spot on Nassau Ave where she’d just eaten called Sindicato (57 Nassau Ave) which just opened two weeks ago. It’s right next to Lokal and the Bradley Manning mural across from McCarren Park.
Mexican is not my favorite kind of food, not because it isn’t absolutely delicious, but because I feel like total shit afterward. For a while I thought it was from the sweet and salty margaritas. I can guzzle those. Then I began to wonder if it was all that corn. Who can resist buckets after buckets of tortilla chips? Continue reading →
It’s no surprise that One Stop Beer Shop on Kingsland Ave was included in New York Magazine’s Where to Drink? 2012 on a Thursday night. The Kings of Karaoke are there, throwing the best karaoke party in Brooklyn! Plus Greenpoint artist Subtexture’s work, a series called Street Shadows is looking great on the walls.
But it’s not the only night to enjoy awesome drink AND food. On Memorial Day we popped in for some beer and A/C, which was pumping. The Margabucha, on the beer cocktail menu caught my eye. I’m still not sold on the idea of beer cocktails, but I love kombucha, and aside from the tequila, this actually looked good for me. Well it tasted good for me, too! Not too sweet, just how a good margarita should be.
We got to looking at the food menu (they serve brunch on weekends but alas it was Monday) and we ordered the Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mushrooms along with the Chorizo, oh my! The dishes were the perfect size (and price) for sharing, and they were delicious.
I look forward to eating my way through the rest of the menu.
Calyer, one of Greenpoint’s newest and most exciting restaurants, invited Greenpointers over for dinner.
It was a cold and rainy evening, which meant taxi service, which meant I could wear my impracticably high heeled “date night” boots. (The only hobbling I can do in them is from a car to a chair.) Boots on, date on!
When we arrived I immediately began confusing the wait staff, “We have reservations. A table for 8, please.” (I meant 8pm.) The place was pretty full and the hostess looked worried but was a doll.
After sorting that out, Virginia, the lovely manager gave us a corner table from which we could see the whole restaurant and sit beside each other, which I call “french style.”
The interiors are done in that Brooklyn, this-place-has-been-here-forever but not contrived style. The low ceilings give the place a cozy, sailboat cabin feel. Cocktails please!
We ordered a Siren Song (Pisco, St. Germain, Cava, Bergamot) & La Bebida De Los Dioses (Herradura Antiguo Tequila, Lime, Maple, Syrup, Chili & Xocolatl Mole Bitters). Both were mixed and balanced beautifully.
If the cocktails sound inventive, with a spicy spanish twist, wait for the plates, which are served tapas style, perfect for my over-ordering tendencies.
It’s fun to dine at a place like Calyer with a taste hound like Jon, because there is always a hint of a surprising flavor that is hard to put your tongue on. Was it tarragon in the amuse bouche of Squash Jelly with Sunflower Seeds? It’s even better when the wait staff is patient and knowledgeable and eager to run back into the kitchen to find out from the chef: allepo pepper, cinnamon and star anise. Ah!
Aside from delicious plates, it was great chatting with our waitress Cara, who is part-Sicilian (which means she is admittedly half crazy like me) and has an awesome blog called Write By Hand dedicated to hand fonts. What makes Calyer a Greenpoint restaurant is that it embodies what Greenpoint is, a great place filled with great and creative people.
Calyer has the kind of menu from which you want to order every plate, and since they are meant for sharing, you can. What follows is a description of some of those delightful, unexpected and exceptional dishes.
Scallop Ceviche (Corn Nuts, Aji Amarillo, Crispy Corn)
Yeah we said corn nuts! Don’t even get us started on these salty-brain massages. The scallops were fresh and sweet and the dish was well-balanced with heat from the aji pepper, and tang from the red onions and lime. This dish went perfectly with our cocktails.
Duck Confit Terrine (Quail Egg, Yellow Plantains, Dandelion Greens)
“Why is this duck square?” Layers of juicy duck leg between layers of plantains was topped with a perfectly runny quail egg that made up for the dryness of the plantain. Jon talked about this dish all weekend. I think he might be falling in love with duck. Home run duck!
Chicharones (White Bean Puree, Brussels Sprouts Leaves, Anchovy Vinaigrette)
When this dish arrived I wanted to ask for a side of antacid. Giant pieces of deep fried pork skin in what reminded me of a citrusy rock shrimp batter. I didn’t get any of the anchovy flavor. Deep fried anything is my motto, but maybe better for a late night bar snack and not smack in the middle of dinner.
Grilled Mackerel (Sunchoke Puree, Sunchokes, Citrus Salad)
Perfectly cooked fish with subtle char flavor. Sunchokes plus sunchokes equals earthy crunchy awesomeness. The citrus salad gave the dish a fresh kick. We killed it.
Brussels Sprouts (Chicken Sausage, Garlic, Culantro)
My favorite dish of the night, hands down. I have a thing for cruciferous veggies but it was the chicken sausage that stole my heart. Chicken sausage is an idea I don’t normally like, but this sweet and spicy, softly caramelized chorizo flavored chicken with pimentón, or Spanish Paprika, made me rabid (in a good way). It reminded me of the chicken and rice my Puerto Rican Godmother makes, and what do you know? The chef, Gabriel Moya, is Puerto Rican. The culantro here is not the same as cilantro and it was an unexpectedly fragrant garnish for this dish.
During the meal we enjoyed deliciously recommended white wine, the Javier Sanz Rueda and a red, the Primitivo Quines “Cono 4.” Then desserts cocktails (of course!)
‘Little Fox’ Toddy (Old Overholt Rye, Snap Liquer, Cinnamon, Whisky Barrel Ages Bitters & Butter – ding, ding, ding! – A winning cocktail. It’s warm, it’s buttery, it’s spicy and it’s whiskey-ey. Did I mention the pat of butter that melts into the glass?
Northside (Whipper Snapper Whisky, Aperol, Antica Formula, Old Time Aromatic Biiters) – We don’t remember this being memorable, probably because the toddy stole the show. I had to swat Jon hands from grabbing my butter cocktail. Mine!
We had two choices for dessert, so we went with both obviously.
Deconstructed Apple Pie
Self-explanatory: apples, pie crust, spiced walnuts. This would make a perfect apple pie but I wasn’t thrilled about eating the doughy pie chunks on their own. There wasn’t a crumb left.
Lemon Curd (Almond Crust, Pickled Kiwi & Kumquats, Kefir)
Lemon desserts are not what I normally order but this has become a new addition to my crave list. The sweet smooth of the lemon curd was well matched with the sour fruits and creamy kefir, all on a chunky almond crust. Outstanding.
We loved Calyer and talked about all the fun flavors we discovered well after our meal. The food, aside from delicious and inventive, was gorgeously plated and fun to photograph. The atmosphere was friendly and cozy. A perfect date place with great cocktails. I hope to return for brunch when that dreamy chicken sausage takes sandwich form!
