Here are some new spots I hope to visit over the next week or two.  I’ve read about two spots recently in Tribeca, AOA Bar & Grill and Tribeca Taproom.  I believe AOA, located at 35 6th Avenue, resides in the same spot as a recently shuttered restaurant.  In fact, I think that address has turned over a few times over the past several years.  I know almost nothing about AOA, but here’s hoping it will last longer than the last few businesses to occupy that spot.  The Tribeca Taproom, located just south of Greenwich & Franklin Sts, sits in the spot vacated years ago by Pig N Whistle.  If Tribeca Taproom lives up to its name, I hope it will be a welcomed addition to the Tribeca craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

Two other spots on my to-do list include JBird and Bar Centrale in the Hell’s Kitchen/Midtown West.  From what I understand, these are both artisnal cocktail bars, but the trick to visiting these two spots is making a reservation.  Unlike most drinking establishments, you must have a reservation before showing up.  Bar Centrale will take reservations over the phone, but JBird only accepts reservations by email (reservations@jbirdny.com)!

What are your thoughts on these four spots?  Please share your comments here.

I love Croxley Ales.  I hadn’t been there in quite a while, so I decided it was time for another visit.  Some people go for the wings, others go to watch sports.  I go there for the beer selection (the message at the bottom of the menu, shown below, says it all).  Around two dozen taps, solid tap rotation and some hard-to-find brews.  If you haven’t been in a while or have not been at all, it’s time to head over to Croxley Ales, an integral part of any Alphabet City craft beer NYC pub crawl.

What are your thoughts on Croxley Ales?  Share your comments here.

Located at 115 St. Mark’s Place, The Burger Shop is another burger joint for NYC.  Although at the time of my visit (late evening on a Friday), only one patron was eating a burger.  Most patrons were focused on the solid beer selection of 16 quality taps and nearly 50 bottles.  The space is set up with a small bar on the right, opposite a few tables for parties of two and four.  The kitchen is beyond the bar.  With a friendly staff, this spot, regardless of its name, is a nice addition to the East Village craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

I found this clip on youtube recently:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o-EESlhlKQ

My thoughts:

I must admit, I’ve been to nearly 70 bars/lounges in Astoria, but I have not yet been to Central Lounge.  I might need to add it to my next Astoria NYC bar crawl.  I think Zodiac (which, according to NY Magazine, is now closed) was more of a restaurant with some weekend nightlife “timesharing” (live music and dancing, 4am closing, etc.). I’m pretty sure I ate at Zodiac once years ago.  Food was solid. 

The weekend’s surprise snowstorm got me thinking about winter.  Sometimes, pub crawling in the cold weather can be a great time!  In a future post, I will discuss some good winter spots for an NYC pub crawl.  Typically, one type of spot includes those cozy establishments that reside on basement level without windows and, therefore, patrons have no visual reminder of falling snow or people walking around completely bundled up in winter attire.  Establishments with fireplaces are also solid during the cold months.  What are your feelings on good spots for a winter time NYC bar crawl?  Share your thoughts here.

The Fulton (121 Fulton Street, btw Nassau and Dutch Streets)

A new gastropub at the northern edge of the Financial District!  One of the first signs of the somewhat predictable makeover of Fulton Street, The Fulton is located in the space left behind by Blarney Stone.  Very spacious with a long bar area and two small to medium-sized seating areas on either end of the space, along with a larger dining space in a separate room, The Fulton is a new after-work hotspot in an immediate area that is lacking in such places.  For sports fans, there are numerous flat screen TVs on either side of the bar.  Eight fairly generic tap beers round out a drink menu that includes several $15 artisinal cocktails (with creative New York-centric names such as The Downtown, Bull & Bear and The Fulton Mary).  The food, which can be described as a mix of upscale bar and bistro fare, is solid.  For those who live and work nearby, this spot is a must visit.

The Irish American (17 John Street, btw Broadway and Nassau)

A block south and around the corner from The Fulton, The Irish American plays a similar role in the makeover of the western-most block of John Street.  The place formerly known as The John Street Bar & Grill had a facelift.  The sizeable front bar area is dwarfed by a very large dining area in back, which has a mix of high-top tables and booths.   A lone pool table resides at the back of the dining area.  The tap beers consist of 30 mostly quality offerings.  The Irish American is a solid addition to the Financial District Irish NYC pub crawl and the budding Financial District craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

The Growler (55 Stone Street, btw William Street and Coenties Slip)

As if Stone Street needed another bar!  But, as much as I like Stone Street, until Growler opened, I always felt Stone Street was missing a true craft-beer focused bar.  Ulysses’ sort of fills that void, but there are still too many easy-to-find beers at Ulysses’ for it to be considered a destination beer bar.  The Growler has 20 beers on tap and most of them are from the New York or Pennsylvania (Six Point, Lake Placid, Troegs, among others).  A limited food menu of sandwiches, sausages, cheese and chacuterie.  The space is long and narrow, with entrances on both South William and Stone Streets.  The long bar takes up almost one entire side of the space.  Along the wall opposite the bar are several high-top tables.  On the basement level, near the bathrooms, there is another smaller bar area that looks available for private parties.  In short, a great spot.  Definitely one for the Financial District’s own craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

Have you been to these places?  Share your thoughts here.