All About Beer Demo Virtual test : Page 74
A good way to burn off a few of these liquid calories is by walking around a neighborhood. Erin Drain, manager of the South Loop location of wine store Lush (1257 S.Halsted Street) that boasts an diminutive but impressive beer bottle selection, says nearby Pilsen is ripe for exploration including “one of the best, original restaurants around: Honky Tonk BBQ” (1213 West 18th Street). Between Pilsen and Bucktown lies über-hip Wicker Park. Drain points to its “great shops and restaurants and arts scene. Myopic Books (1564 North Milwaukee Avenue) is one of the best used-book stores in the city. Lots of couches and cats.” And in the heart of the hood, Dee’s Place (2114 W. Division Street) is a late-night soul restaurant with everything from ribs to fried okra. This new jazz-club themed place is BYOB and a mere block from D & D Liquors (2006 W. Division Street) witha huge bottle selection. Of course, depending on how late you’re there and how much local beer appre-ciating you do, you may need to hit the Twisted Spoke (501 N.Ogden Avenue). At this biker-themed joint from the Einhorn brothers (Cliff and Mitch) behind Lush, Drain stresses the need to order either the Elvis French Toast (it’s stuffed with bananas and peanut butter) or the spicy, cheesy “Chilla Killas” chilaquiles. And if it’s hair of the dog you’ll be needing, while they have about 170 bottles and 20 taps including local brewers Half Acre (4257 N. Lincoln Avenue), Metropolitan (5121 N. Ravenswood Avenue) and Two Brothers Brewing (in this case being Jim and Jason Ebel), which is 30 miles west in Warrenville. NEW YORK Beer-wise, musically, gastronomically, so-cially—NYC’s got whatever fl oats your boat. So after starting your beercation with a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry with your favorite brewto toast the Statue of Liberty as you pass her—perhaps Brooklyn Local 1 (Belgian Strong Pale Ale)—start exploring. Prepare tospend a day in bothManhattan and Brooklyn, as eachoff ers a cornucopia of righteous establishments. It seems everyone has at least one friend in New York and fortuitously, one of mine has gone the beer geek route. Chockie Tom lives in Brooklyn and worksin Manhattan as a bartender (and sausage cooker) atWechsler’sCurrywurst, a “German as fick biersnob haven,” so she’s SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL July 17 siren.villagevoice.com swinging doors.” When the bartender asks you, “Light or dark?” he’s not asking your general preference but rather that you seri-ously have two choices, the light or the dark ale. What a great way toappreciate the variety that craft beer has brought us, not just in the past 30 years, but the past 150. While there must be more restaurants ELECTRIC ZOO Sept. 5-6 www.electiczoofestival.com in New York than anywhere else on Earth, Katz’s Deli (205 E. Houston Street) is a compulsory noshing experience at one of the oldest (1888) and best Jewish delica-tessens. It’s tough deciding between a real salami or pastrami sandwich, or, y’know, try the tongue. And if you’ve never had a New York Chocolate Egg Cream, theirs is aces. Depending on how charged your battery CMJ MUSIC MARATON Oct. 19-13 cmj.com/marathon Music fests take over New York dur-ing the summer months and include weekly events at Summer Stage in Central Park. Siren is a free all-day indie-rock bonanza at Coney Island. Electric Zoo is an electronic music gathering at Randall’s Island Park (between Harlem and Astoria) head-lined by the Chemical Brothers and Armin Van Buuren. And don’t forget the granddaddy, CMJ Music Marathon, which is a bit later in early autumn. got the best of everything. As for tackling the island, Central Park is great for walking around and visiting the Museum of Modern Art, but unlike Munich’s English Garden, there are no great biergartens. So make your way down toward Greenwich Village on just about any train. Start in the West Village for happy hour at the Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker Street), replete with esoteric draft beers where you may fi nd Stoudt’s Peppercorn Pumpkin or a cask of IPA from New York microDefiant. Ambling towardthe East Village, be sure to make a pit stop at McSorley’s Old Ale House (15 East SeventhStreet). Since 1854, the bar notes that notables “from Abe Lincoln to John Lennon passed through McSorley’s 74 ALL ABOUT BEER VOL. 31, NO.4 SEPTEMBER 2010 is, New York is the town that never sleeps. So long as you’re in the East Village, say hi to Chockie next door for a late night cur-rywurst atWechsler’s and maybe a 0.2-liter stange (pronounced: schtawn-guh) of Reiss-dorf Kölsch or a glass of Berliner Weiss to gowith the curry fries. Heck, if you make it to 4 in the morning, you can still soak up your pints or liters with Chockie’s top-choice drunk food, “disco fries,” atOdessa (119 Avenue A at First Street)—gravy on waffl e fries with mozzerella. “Th ere are a lot of French fries in this town, man,” she says, but swears by Odessa’s. Oh, if you do need some sleep, though New York is expensive, the beds are cheap-ish at the East Village Bed and Coff ee (110 C Avenue), a cute but not cutesy B&B where rooms start at $115. Get some rest; you’ve got more music and beer to explore. As for beering it up in the boroughs, Brooklyn is really the prime place to see how New Yorkers tie one on. Start by taking the L train to the Brooklyn Brewery (79 N. 11th Street) for happy hour on Fridays and weekend tours. Not only can you get the freshest pint of Brooklyn Lager or Pennant Ale ’55, but a Brewmaster’s Reserve should be available, whether it’s Manhattan Project (designed to taste like a Manhattan cocktail) or Cookie Jar Porter (designed to taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie). Since you’re already in the Williamsburg neighborhoodat this point, you’re steps away from Spuyten Duyvil (359 Metropolitan Avenue), “the best beer bar in Brooklyn as far as selection,” says Chockie. “The staff is knowledgeable withgoodseasonal offerings, and they have a great backyard.” And best of all, the owners opened a phenomenal BEATCRAVE.COM, NOKTURNALIST.COM, CMJ.COM, VOIR.COM
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