Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Pacifico on Pacific - Mighty Mexican Margaritas

In Mexico, Pacifico is a beer, but on the corner of Pacific and Smith Streets it is a Mexican oasis amidst a sea of Asian and Italian restaurants. With string lighting and clay tiles adorning the walls, it's hard to remember Pacifico is in Brooklyn.

The menu lists classic Mexican favorites like enchiladas, fajitas, and tacos as well as new twists such as chorizo steamed mussels, macaroni and cheese, and crab cakes. Each appetizer, entree, and side dish rings in at $15 or less to keep your wallet and your belly full.

However, the real allure of Pacifico is not the food. Sangria is offered in both red and white versions in varying sizes of pitchers. The house margaritas have the strength of twenty Mexicans and, if you're not careful, will knock you out of your chair. Order a solo margarita for $6 or a pitcher to share with a lot of friends for $32. During happy hour from 4pm-7pm Monday through Friday, enjoy a margarita for just $4 or a bottle of beer for $3. Happy hour specials are good at the bar and tables, so feel free to sit on the patio or in one of the three cozy dining areas.

Weekend Brunch also offers great drinks specials with Bloody Marys, margaritas, and draft and bottle beers for $4 and mimosas and bellinis for $3 each.

Keep Pacifico on your radar for upcoming Cinco de Mayo, which is NOT Mexican Independence Day. They are rumored to have a raging party with great drink specials.

Subway Directions: Take the F or G trains to Bergen Street then walk two blocks North on Smith Street to Pacific Street. Or, take the A or C trains to Hoyt-Schermerhorn then walk three blocks South on Hoyt to Pacific, turn right and walk one block to Smith Street.

read/comment/subscribe on my examiner page

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Angry Wade's Will Make You Anything but Angry

...unless of course your team is playing poorly.

Angry Wade's, on the corner of Smith and Butler Streets, is such a "throwback" that it doesn't even have its own website. A veteran of Smith Street for 12 years, Angry Wade's remains a traditional sports bar unlike the newer yuppie and hipster bars that have popped up throughout the area in recent years. True to its roots, Angry Wade's is home to a long dark wood bar and rickety barstools, like any other dive sports bar in America. Even if there isn't a game, you can entertain yourself by enjoying the coin operated pool table or throw some darts.

With six flat screen TVs, and the beginning of baseball season, it is the perfect place to cheer your for your team. Sit at the bar with a buddy or gather your group at a table near the fireplace, order some munchies, a draft beer, and cheer on. The bar menu includes traditional bar food such as wings, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, jalapeƱo poppers, waffle fries, White Castle sliders, Tombstone pizzas, and the ever popular free popcorn. Each item is $6 or less, except the large pizza which is $9.

The fully stocked bar has a great selection of draft beers including Blue Moon, Brooklyn Lager, Guiness, Magic Hat, Stella Artois, and Bass, just to name a few. There is also an extensive list of whiskey and scotch, thirty different varieties to be exact, ranging in price from $7 to $35 a glass.

Angry Wade's happy hour specials are among the best in the neighborhood. On Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 3pm, draft beers and well drinks are 50% off. Now that's a happy hour.

Subway Directions: Take the F or G to Bergen Street then walk four blocks South on Smitih Street. The single story brick building on the corner is Angry Wade's. Enjoy.

**** I have a new, actual writing job at examiner.com and would greatly appreciate your support THERE, i.e. commenting and subscribing at that page. I will continue to post my articles here, but please visit them on examiner.com as well.

This is the link to this article: http://www.examiner.com/x-43689-Brooklyn-Restaurant-Bars-Examiner~y2010m4d8-Angry-Wades-Will-Make-You-Anything-But-Angry

This is the link to my examiner.com page with all my written articles: http://www.examiner.com/x-43689-Brooklyn-Restaurant-Bars-Examiner

Thank you so much for your support!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Ethos - Greek food in Kips Bay

I have visited Ethos two times in the past four months, which is out of character for me. I tend to like trying new places often, but sometimes it's just best to go with what you know. Ethos is a traditional Greek restaurant in Kips Bay. However, it is no diner. This is Greek dining at it's finest.

The first time I visited to Ethos was for my 25th birthday party in November with eight of my nearest and dearest. I chose Ethos because of it's vegetarian friendly options, reasonable prices, and willingness to accommodate nine people on less than two weeks notice (my bad). The second time I dined at Ethos I went with just my boyfriend for a date night.

There is no bar at Ethos so diners who are waiting for a table have to wait outside or get really friendly near the door. Luckily, the host seated the first to arrive from my party, which wasn't even me. Our table quickly filled up as did the rest of the restaurant. There is not a lot of space to move around in Ethos, so once you are sitting, I suggest staying seated. Favorite dishes from the many ordered were the appetizer plate of olives, the tsaziki sauce, and the fried calamari. We also enjoyed the eggplant dish, lamb kebab, and grilled jumbo shrimp. They also have fresh whole fish to chose from and an assortment of Greek wines and beers. Dessert is always on the house (or at least it was for me) and is a delicious Greek pastry filled with creamy goodness. It is even possible to escape from Ethos on a Saturday night after an hour and a half having spent much less than what you would at comparable Turquoise on the UES.

The great thing about going to Ethos is I know I will be greeted by friendly waiters and served delicious food. I definitely want to visit during the warmer months as they have two garage doors facing the street that I have a feeling will be open to let the cool evening breezes flow through the restaurant, making it feel even more like an escape to Greece (which I someday hope to actually do).

The Black Duck - Jazz in Gramercy Park

How does one decide where to dine for NYC restaurant week? There are so many options and so many great menus to chose from. I always use restaurant week as an opportunity to explore new dining options. The most recent NYC restaurant week this past January I decided to do just that. I looked at the list of participating restaurants, narrowed it down based on location and cuisine, then started researching. I chose Black Duck because it had something unique that I have been dying to experience in NYC since forever ago; live jazz!

Black Duck has live jazz musicians every Friday and Saturday night starting at 9:30pm for no cover charge. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard me right, no cover charge (are we still in NYC?). You don't even have to eat dinner here to enjoy the jazz. You can sit at the bar and enjoy a cocktail, or sit in one of the Queen Anne chairs up close and personal with the musicians while enjoying a bottle of wine with some friends. If jazz isn't your thing (how uncultured of you!) then enjoy classic James Bond movies playing on the flat screens at 8:00pm on Sunday nights. This is a classy place I tell you.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a restored 18th century brownstone, making it quintessentially NYC. It is connected to the Park South Hotel which resides in the brownstone and looks very swank. You can pick up some great discount coupons for Broadway shows and sightseeing tours in the lobby on your way to the restrooms, which are very well maintained I would like to add. I highly suggest reservations at Black Duck on the live jazz nights, even though the restaurant (until publishing of this post) remains a very well kept secret in NYC.

The food at Black Duck may have been overpowered by the amazing cabaret singer Lexy Casano. Everything was delightful save for two things. First, my fish portion from the regular menu (not the restaurant week prix fixe) was very small, even by normal serving size standards. Second, I ordered a white wine which the waitress poured into the red wine glass on the table, after she had placed the white wine glasses down. Then, after she poured, and I tasted, she removed the tasting glass, still with a fair amount of wine in it, and then poured into the empty white wine glass. Having worked in the restaurant business before, if I had made this mistake I would have asked the diner if she would like to hold on to the tasting glass until she was finished. Regardless, the wine lasted well past when we finished our food which left us a great excuse to linger at our table and listen to more jazz.

I will definitely be returning to Black Duck again, if not just for the jazz music. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys less conversation and more music while dining.