All posts by deronc

A visit to Flatiron Room in Manhattan's Flatiron District

Pub Crawl NYC Reviews

Whiskey… and whiskey!  And other corn-based, alcoholic amber-colored liquids are the focus at this spot at 37 West 26th Street.  A bar and some seating and tables for standing in the main area.  Toward the back of the main room is a performance stage and then a small second story level toward the back of the space.  What catches your eye is how the place is just lined with whiskey/scotch/bourbon bottles.  Such liquids from all over the world are available at the Flatiron Room.  A nice space and we hope to bring some out-of-town guests here as it has a definite “only-in-NY” feel.

The performance stage toward the back of the main area
Part of the wall lined with amber-colored liquids

A visit to SD26 in Manhattan's Flatiron District

Pub Crawl NYC Reviews

Located at 19 East 26th Street, SD26 is a wine bar / restaurant located on the northern edge of Madison Square Park.  We’ve visited this spot a few times now.  The spot offers a large lounge/bar area in the front half, along with a more formal dining area at the back, past the long lounge/bar area.  We did not try the food here.  The wine selection was decent, but pricey, even for Manhattan standards.  Still worth a visit.

An update on the South Street Seaport bars

Pub Crawl NYC Random Thoughts

As a follow-up to our post from earlier this month, it sounds as though numerous South Street Seaport bars, particularly the ones along Front Street (Stella, Nelson Blue, Bin 220, Keg 229), will be closed for several more months.  According to local community leaders, some of the historic buildings housing these Front Street bars will be under Restricted Use until March/April of 2013.  Only at that time can the whole scale renovations begin.  In the meantime, you can enjoy libations in that area at Jeremy’s Ale House and Meade’s, the two bars in the area that re-opened within a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy.

The weekend in pub crawling

Pub Crawl NYC Random Thoughts

We had a solid NYC pub crawling weekend.  Checked out several spots on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, including Two Bit’s Retro Arcade and Fig 19.  We’ll have brief reviews on both spots forthcoming.  We’re gonna continue bar hopping this week, as this will be our last week of bar crawling before we take our annual Christmas break.  We anticipate visiting some recently opened spots in the East Village and The Windsor in Midtown South, (yet another) upscale sports bar in the Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue.  As always, we’ll keep you informed on our progress.

A visit to Center Bar in Manhattan's Time Warner Center

Pub Crawl NYC Reviews

Taking over the space that was Clo Wine Bar, Center Bar, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center, offers an upscale atmosphere and a place to get a drink if you’re waiting for a table at one of Time Warner Center’s many restaurants.  The main drink focus here is cocktails, both their take on classic drinks and some of their original concoctions.  Nearly two dozen cocktails are available.  Also a few bottled beers and wine by the glass.  Food menu consists of small bites.  Good spot if you happen to be in the Time Warner Center for another reason, but it’s not a destination spot for your night out.

The entrance to the bar area
The lounge area

Saying farewell to one NYC bar and hello to a new one

Pub Crawl NYC Random Thoughts

Last week, we got word that The Hairy Monk had closed, following a dispute with its landlord (aren’t these disputes happening an awful lot of late?  We digress — full DNAinfo story here).  The Hairy Monk was a solid spot for Third Avenue NYC sports bar crawl (and, if you’re a Boston fan, one of the few spots for the Boston-friendly NYC pub crawl).  We had been to Hairy Monk several times over the years.  Good bar food and a decent tap beer selection.  The bar will be missed.

When one bar closes, there’s another one that opens.  In this particular instance, we are talking about a new spot on the Lower East Side called Two Bit’s Retro Arcade, now open at 153 Essex Street (read the full story DNA info here).  The spot is supposed to have 1980s video games for a quarter play, along with craft beer and wine.  If this formula sounds familiar, it’s because you’re likely a big fan of Barcade in Brooklyn.  We love Barcade and if Two Bit’s can replicate what Barcade has done, then we will be very happy.  In addition, Two Bit’s has the potential to replace the one of the two spots on the LES craft beer NYC pub crawl that closed approximately a year ago.

What are your thoughts on the closing of Hairy Monk and the opening of Two Bit’s.  Please leave us a comment!

Happy December 5th!

Pub Crawl NYC Random Thoughts

Today marks the 79th anniversary of the end of Prohibition.  On this date in 1933, Utah became the 36th U.S. state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution (achieving the required 75% of states to approve the amendment).  This ratification overturned the 18th Amendment, which outlawed alcohol in the United States.  So, how will you be marking the anniversary today?  Leave us a comment to let us know!

The status of some South Street Seaport bars five weeks after Sandy

Pub Crawl NYC Announcements, Pub Crawl NYC Random Thoughts

A few weeks go, we reported that most of the South Street Seaport bars were still closed for business in the Sandy aftermath.  We took another visit there recently and are unhappy to report that not much has improved.  Of the bars closed three weeks ago, Heartland Brewery, Fresh Salt, Stella, Keg 229, Bin 220, Nelson Blue and the Paris Cafe, all remain closed and most entrances to those bars indicate “Restricted Use Only”.  A couple of photos below.

This is Fresh Salt, now completed boarded up.
This was the main bar area of Hearltand Brewery. You can see the outline in the floor toward the rear of the room where the physical bar was.

If you know a more detailed status of any of the bars listed above, please drop us a note.