Thankfully only available in the Middle East.

Via TableTalk

“It evokes both an Art Deco parlor room and a Spanish colonial cathedral,” Huckman says of the décor. The dramatically rounded high ceiling — beautiful and impossible to ignore — disguises multiple layers of soundproofing, cushioning noise that might migrate upstairs to the neighbors. Bar stools are fastidiously and playfully tiled by hand in eight-bit patterns. Even the floors tell a story: Greenpoint’s Tall Cotton Supply sourced the reclaimed pine salvaged from a 1906 Philadelphia apartment building.

Like the décor, food and drink offerings are spirited and original. “The cocktail menu is lighthearted and approachable,” says the bar manager Jeremy Oertel (of Dram and Mayahuel). “Some of the drinks are stirred and boozy. Others are light and refreshing, and then I threw a couple oddballs in there just for fun.” Basically, there’s a tipple for everyone. Original concoctions include the subtly smoky Scarlet Fever: shaken tequila blanco, Mezcal, peach liqueur and lime juice, poured into a Champagne coupe and finished with a spicy salt rim. Read the rest of this entry »

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joonyounglee's flickr

The War on Brunch continues this morning and the hipster brunch-goers have lost an important battle: Lokal, the perpetually crowded bistro at the intersection of Nassau, Bedford, and Lorimer, is facing a citation for breaking a rule that states that sidewalk cafés cannot operate before noon on Sundays.

Lokal’s owners will go in front of a judge on June 11th. Despite all of the neighborhood’s brunch places, Lokal is the only one to receive a citation so far.

Tom Burrows, the public safety general for the area’s Community Board 1 is the main voice behind the battle against early morning brunch spots. Burrows’ main concern is that outdoor eating crowds the sidewalks for Sunday churchgoers.

It was just a matter of time before gentrified Brooklyn got its own Portlandia spin off, even if unofficial. Here is a video making the rounds today with a pretty amusing storyline (the pains of going from neighborhood to neighborhood in search of plans), although some jokes tread on pretty well-worn territory.

Looks like there is another clip in the series, posted three months ago.

NYCSummerStage flickr

While disgruntled neighbors were successful in moving the Waterfront concerts out of East River Park, the City Parks Foundation announced today that its SummerStage series will be returning to the venue. CPF released its full schedule for the summer, which includes 12 dates at East River Park. This will be SummerStage’s third season there.

The 12 events include dance, comedy, and music. Click here for the full schedule, including the major Central Park shows.

The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do — her first record in 7 years! — is out in June.

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Specialty pizza chain Two Boots is giving away free samples of their The Dude pizza (Cajun bacon cheeseburger pizza topped with tasso ham, andouille sausage, ground beef, cheddar, and mozzarella) right now. If you’ve never been to Two Boots, the chain was started by two filmmakers in the Village in the late ’80s. Today’s The Dude samples – named after the protagonist in The Big Lebowski - is one of their many special pizzas named after movie icons. One of the locations even doubles as a video rental store.

Stop by any of the Two Boots locations between 4:20 (ahem) and 6pm for your free half-slice. Closest to North Brooklyn are the ones in Park Slope and on Avenue A in the Village.