One way to lift your spirits during the gray days of winter—which have been disgustingly rainy, not beautiful snow-filled wonderlands—is by simply snuggling up to your honey with a nice hot toddy in hand, in front of a fire. And yet, most of us live in apartments where fires are decidedly not encouraged. Those silly building codes. Luckily, some of our favorite neighborhood bars are here for the nights where you have to fill that primordial need to get out of the cold and warm up by the fire.
Achilles Heel (180 West St) – If the staff of Achilles Heel loves one thing, it’s fire. Their fireplace keeps everything toasty through the night, but if you there in the evening, don’t be surprised if it’s being used for actual cooking.
Battery Harris (64 Frost St) – The cold can’t stop the beach vibes outside Battery Harris so they have a big fire pit to help keep you warm. It’s almost like a late summer beach bonfire. Almost.
Black Rabbit (91 Greenpoint Ave) – All the way at the back of the bar is Black Rabbit’s perfect make-out spot: on the bench in front of the fire. It’s preferred by 3 out of 4 couples.
Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave) – Though your drink options are limited to what Brouwerij Lane’s is carrying beer/cider-wise, the fireplace and friendly company more than make up for the lack of hot toddies.
Greenpoint Beer & Ale (7 N 15th St) – To make up for all the drafty cold seeping through Greenpoint Beer & Ale’s huge glass garage doors is a substantial fireplace. Pro tip: you’ll want to sit at the bar, it can get a bit hot right in front.
Spritzenhaus (33 Nassau Ave) – Our very own beer hall has one of the most impressive fireplaces. Open on three sides, you can usually get an adjacent table, but if not, you can also enjoy from a spot at the bar.
Union Pool (484 Union Ave) – The magical backyard of Union Pool is kept warm through the winter by their fire pit, so you won’t catch a chill while waiting for your tacos.
Crank up the heat on a cold night with some of these classics. There’s a reason people have turned to these drinks to warm-up for hundreds of winters. Step out from the cold and into one of these inviting bars for a drink that will make you want to curl up in a wool blanket or break our the bubbles to celebrate the end of 2016!
Hot Toddy – The Topaz. Photo by Desirée Flores
The Topaz
251 Bushwick Ave., East Williamsburg
Hot Toddy $11, $8 at Happy Hour M-S 5-8 p.m., all night Sun.
The “best dressed” hot toddy in Brooklyn. This holiday favorite is mixed to perfection featuring the flavors of the season. Allspice Dram, pimento bitters, lemon and honey accompany Lairds & Co. Five Star Whiskey. This cocktail is sure to warm your heart. 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).
We've been feeling a lot like this lately. Photo via @troutfishininamerica
Dear Daniel,
Can you offer some tips for folks who are feeling perpetually ‘down in the dumps’ due to winter weather/lack of sunlight/freezing cold temps? I do my best to exercise regularly, eat well, and sleep enough, but sometimes those tactics just aren’t enough to beat seasonal blues.
Dear Winter Blues,
This winter has been particularly challenging for all of us. Grey, freezing cold days and endless snow, ice, and dirty frozen Brooklyn streets are certainly not a recipe for igniting a joyful spirit. Continue reading →
Whoa. It’s 2014, Greenpointers. How did we make it? Well, sometimes it’s best not to ask so many questions. Instead, let’s focus on the newly-fallen snow glittering around our sweet ‘hood. After all, it is the soft theme of this week’s mix. Chamber pop group The Antlers‘ mainstay Peter Silberman curates the sedating set.
If this weather is leaving you longing for warmer days or perhaps a tropical vacation, save the airfare and head over to Battery Harris (64 Frost St) where you can enjoy a spicy meal and exotic cocktails that will shake off those winter shivers.
Chicha Morada Cocktail
We were invited for a taste and chat with Head Chef Zachary Frankel who shared some recipes and told us why spice is perfect during the cold months.
Spicy food is really satisfying in the winter because it warms you up from the inside. Spice makes your metabolism fire. I also think having island treats reminds people of the summer to come.
Doing an image search for “ice dancing” or “figure skating” makes me realize what honey badgers these people are. I won’t even mention the obvious. Sure they defy gravity and death with their moves, but those outfits make me wonder whether they would actually eat a cobra, fall asleep from the venom, then wake up and continue eating. They clearly don’t give a fuck.
Alls I am saying Greenpoint, is when you practice your camel spin you better be wearing some sequins…
And now you don’t need to go all the way to wherever there is an ice skating rink outside of Brooklyn because McCarren Park Rink opens today!
It will will be open through January, seven days per week from 11am-10pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors/student and $4 for kids. Skate rentals are $5
On Thursday 1/24, a crowd of nearly forty Greenpointers gathered at Greenpoint Church to discuss the recently opened Homeless Respite. Pastor Ann asked that all press and bloggers reveal the publication and keep off the record comments off the record. It was a neighborly forum and while the night had some very difficult and uncomfortable moments, important progress was made.
(For the record, no one spoke off the record, but I did not directly quote or identify residents.)
First and most importantly, ten homeless men, our neighbors, would sleep in warm beds on an 18 degree night without the risk of freezing to death. This is a good thing.
Second, issues of communication, a big concern for Milton St residents, was discussed (loudly, with some yelling) and promises were made for improvement. More open meetings to discuss the impact of the church’s services on the residents of Milton St will be scheduled.
When it was my turn to introduce myself, I said, “I am in attendance first as a member of the church and next representing Greenpointers.” I write this blog post from the same position. I am not an unbiased reporter. I openly support the efforts the church makes to care for those who would otherwise be left to go hungry or sleep in the cold. That being said I will do my best to be sympathetic to the residents of Milton St who are opposed to the shelter and share the burden as well. Continue reading →
