Monthly Archives: February 2012

NYC Bars I'm looking forward to visiting

Some new spots that have recently opened: Amelie, a wine bar in the Village; Vucciria, a wine bar/restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen (in the old Film Center Cafe space) and New York Beer Company, a beer bar in Hell’s Kitchen (around the corner from Vucciria).  Interestingly, the Beer Authority, another beer bar a few blocks south of New York Beer Company has been slated to open for a while.  A visit to its website indicates that the spot is “opening soon”, but no date has been given.  A telephone call does not provide any additional information.  Do you know the status of Beer Authority?  If so, please share!  Both New York Beer Company and Beer Authority will be welcomed additions to the Hell’s Kitchen NYC beer bar crawl.

Pondering what NYC bars to crawl to this weekend

After being otherwise occupied the last couple of weekends, I am ready for a weekend of bar hopping around NYC.  I’m thinking of checking out a few recently-opened spots, such as New York Beer Company in Hell’s Kitchen and the new location of JBird on the Upper East Side.  If you have any suggestions of spots to hit, I’d like to hear from you.  As always, I’ll share with you some of the highlights from this weekend’s NYC bar crawl.

A visit to YN, 227 Mott Street (between Prince and Spring Streets) in Soho

A new wine bar in Soho, YN (pronounced “Wine”) offers 24 wines by-the-glass, another dozen or so out of the bottle (and five bottled beers).   Typical of the Soho/East Village feel, YN is a rather long, narrow spot with a 15-seat reverse L-shaped bar taking up the front three quarters of the area, with a small seating space in the back.  Exposed brick behind the bar complements some art on a maroon-colored wall opposite the bar.  For food, YN offers a small selection of chacuterie and cheese.  Add in the friendly staff and this is a solid spot.  If there were a Soho wine bar crawl, YN would be the crawl’s anchor spot.

The Distillery in Savannah, GA

The anchor spot for any Savannah craft-beer focused pub crawl.  21 taps and many more out of the bottle.   The first pic below says it all re: beer selection.  Spacious spot located in a historic building.  The food menu is extensive, serving regional fare as well as traditional bar eats.  The Bloody Maries are made with pickle-infused vodka, making the Distillery’s Bloody Mary quite possibly the best I have ever had!  The friendly staff makes you feel at home.

I've seen notifications like this before, but they typically do not mention this many beers!

Churchill’s in Savannah, GA

Located on West Bay Street, Churchill’s offers a good beer selection (10+ taps and 20+ bottles) along with a mix of American bar and English pub fare.  The place is spacious with a long bar area and a separate dining area.  Staff is friendly.  It is the only place that I visited more than once on my short trip.  Of course, if I had known about the next spot earlier in my trip, I would have likely returned there as well.  I will reveal this mystery spot later today.

Congress Street Social Club in Savannah, GA

Slightly off the beaten path, the Social Club has a good vibe to it.  In warmer weather (which is apparently most of the year, except for the weekend we visited!), the Social Club has a large outdoor front yard for drinking (not something we see in NYC very often!).  Inside, the L-shaped bar is to the left and in the back is an elevated section for billiards.  A few flat-screen TVs allow for good sports watching.  Beer selection offers ten draughts and nearly 40 bottles, of mainly quality beers.

Jen’s and Friends in Savannah, GA

Recommended to me by several folks, Jen’s and Friends did not disappoint.  A smallish space with a focus on craft beer (over 60 bottled beers!) and flavored martinis (over a dozen different kinds), Jen’s offers a relaxed vibe and a friendly staff.  I can imagine the place getting crowded fairly quickly since there is not much standing room between the bar on the left and the half-dozen tables on the right.  I look forward to going there again on my next visit.

The beer menu

My visit to Savannah was fantastic

I had a great time in Savannah.  I spent a full weekend there, but still wasn’t able to see everything.  The city has one of the largest historical districts in the United States.  Numerous movies have been filmed there over the years.  Some great food to be had.  I’ll be sharing some of the pub crawl highlights of my trip in the coming days.  Please check back frequently for updates.