After our tour at New Belgium, we went to the nearby Odell brewery in Fort Collins. This brewery had a sizeable tasting room, which offered over a dozen beers. Our favorite was the Amber. Below are a few pics from our visit.
Another part of the tasting room
The folks from Murray’s Cheese recently opened a wine and cheese spot three doors west of the cheese shop location. Taking over from the short-lived Bin on Bleecker (and Bar’rique before that) at 264 Bleecker Street in Manhattan’s West Village, Murray’s Cheese Bar is a must-visit for those who like wine and cheese. Dozens of wines out-of-the-bottle available, with another 18-20 out of the glass (and 6 quality tap beers). Open daily from 5pm – 1am, Murray’s Cheese Bar is a long and fairly narrow space. A long bar is on the left-hand side and seating for parties of two to six opposite the bar. A kitchen resides in the back. The food, to state the obvious, centers around cheese. In addition to cheese plates and chacuterie, Murray’s Cheese Bar offers their take on classic cheese-centered dishes such as grilled cheese and fondue. We recommend the classic grilled cheese (don’t forget the tomato soup — very tasty!). This spot is a great addition to the West Village wine bar crawl!
What are your thoughts on Murray’s Cheese Bar?
Pub Crawl NYC spent a recent weekend in Denver’s LoDo (Lower Downtown) section. We were able to sample a few of the area’s drinking establishments. Below are a few pics from the jaunt around LoDo.
Wynkoop Brewpub offers about 15 taps of their own beer including 2-3 seasonals.
Tavern is a Sports Bar, located in the shadow of Coors Field. Very spacious lower level on the ground floor. Nice roofdeck available in warm weather months (see below). Tavern has bloodymary bar offering nearly 20 fixings!
The next photo below was not a place we visited (it wasn’t open for business during the time we passed by), but the sign says it all.
Pub Crawl NYC hit some spots in Sunnyside in Queens; Greenpoint and East Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Belmont (aka Arthur Avenue) in the Bronx. So, we got to see some parts of the five boroughs that we don’t often visit. Details and brief reviews of the spots forthcoming over the next several days.
Pub Crawl NYC visited the New Belgium Brewery and Odell Brewery in Fort Collins (a detailed take on each one forthcoming). We did not have enough time during our visit to see additional breweries, so we’ll have to return to Fort Collins to see the other dozen or so. But, we learned one interesting fact that sets some of these Fort Collins craft breweries apart from their East Coast brethren: The Fort Collins ones are open nearly everyday of the week and for at least eight hours each day. And, visitors can spend as much or as little time as they would like in the breweries’ tasting rooms. These breweries are almost like Napa/Sonoma wineries, in that regard. Most craft breweries on the East Coast are open to the public a day or two (usually only on weekends) and get the visitors in and out in a fairly quick fashion. Space is likely part of equation here. Most craft breweries on the East Coast don’t have much room for a large tasting room. Furthermore, to this Northeast native, life in Fort Collins is much more laid back compared to most East Coast and Northeast cities. What are your thoughts on this, why do you think Fort Collins’ breweries seem more welcoming and accommodating to their visitors?
Pub Crawl NYC is very excited. This will be the first weekend in four that we are back in town and able to bar hop around the five boroughs. We do not have a set itinerary as of yet, so we are open to suggestions. Where do you think we need to crawl this weekend? Please share your thoughts!
After spending nearly a week in Colorado, Pub Crawl NYC has returned home and is eager to get back to bar hopping around the five boroughs. While we are bar crawling around NYC over the next several days, we’ll also share a few highlights from our visit to Denver and Fort Collins. Please check back frequently for our take on the Denver and Fort Collins bar scene.
After Pitch & Fork, we headed to The Penrose, located at 1590 Second Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd Streets). The Penrose is another gastropub, that is more bar than restaurant. The Penrose is owned by the same group as the downtown spot, The Wren. Spacious spot with two bar areas. About a dozen quality tap beers, The Penrose is on the cusp of being part of the Upper East Side craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.
On a recent weekend evening, Pub Crawl NYC visited Pitch & Fork as well as The Penrose.
More restaurant than bar, Pitch & Fork is a gastropub, located at 1606 First Avenue (between 83rd and 84th Streets). Eight mostly-quality tap beers. Try the meat & cheese platter!
Check back later this week for our brief take on The Penrose!
We’ll be spending a few days in Denver and Fort Collins, CO. Can you recommend some must-see bars in those two cities, craft-beer focused or otherwise?