More than a steak house or a bistro, St. Anselm is a Brooklyn restaurant, filled with independence, quiet sophistication, beautifully executed simplicity, and a touch of quirkiness. I asked our waiter if absolutely every menu item was grilled, and he replied, “Except the spinach.” The avocado-and-shrimp salad comes with grill marks.
The folks from Traif have a new Mexican(ish) restaurant, and they’ve elected to name it Xixa, pronounced “shiksa.” For those of you ladies out there who aren’t of the tribe, that’s basically what a Jewish guy’s mother might call you once the two of you started dating – at least when she’s talking to her friends. Add that up with the name of their first place (“traif” is a word for non-Kosher things like pork and shellfish), and we’re officially impressed with both the food these guys cook and their acumen for coming up with restaurant names that might piss off the nearby Hasidic community [...]
Spicy Shrimp Gorditas
Two amazing little rock shrimp gorditas with a spicy kick. There are a great way to kick off a meal at Xixa, and are highly recommended.
Spanish Mackerel Tartare
Another excellent item from the menu, and one that was actually relatively easy to share. You’ll get a nice serving of ceviche, a bunch of little home made tortilla chips, and some avocado mousse. Make little bites and be happy.
Foie Gras Al Pastor
Under no circumstances do you skip this. Two perfectly seared peices of foie gras sit atop some kind of grilled chipotle pineapple. There’s other stuff in there too, but I think I blacked out after a few bites. You might as well just have this for dessert.
Salty Churros
Just in case you still need dessert after your foie gras dessert, this is the way to go. A few salty/sweet churros with ice cream never did anybody wrong.
It’d probably be in your best interest to make it over to Bar Matchless tonight for the “Lovers Quarrel” dance party. At midnight sharp, 2 of The Weekend Warriors, DJ Jerk Chicken and Dr Fiskars will be on the one’s and two’s bringing the oldies, soul, and rock. The best part is it’s FREE! Swing by and live a little. Check out the premix for the party below. Enjoy!
Bar Matchless
557 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY, New York
Director Supralude created this excellent time-lapse video titled TNIW (That Night In Williamsburg). The audio is a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ 21 Ghosts by Near Deaf Experience. The video was shot with a Canon 5D. Watch (more…)
Popular East Village late night taco joint Snack Dragon has crossed the river to Williamsburg. Located just a stone’s throw from Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Dram, the colorful snack shack is now doing business in a hole-in-the-wall formerly occupied by a barber shop. It’s also across the street from a massive condo that’s currently under construction, and something tells us business will be brisk once that monstrosity is complete.
The menu is the same as the Manhattan locations, with tacos running $4-$5. And unlike the precious La Superior around the corner, these tacos are big suckers; last night we tried the Grilled Sole taco, which came with two ample Blue Corn Tortillas, topped with Chipotle coleslaw, black beans, jack cheese, radishes, a “zig-zag” of sour cream, cilantro, lime, and their “secret homemade salsa.” The fish was succulent and not overcooked, and one taco seems sufficient in size to preempt any impending hangovers.
Also recommended: The Nacharitos; open-faced crispy yellow corn tostadas topped with black beans, cheese, homemade salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and lime. You can get it vegetarian $4, with any meat for $6, or with steak for $7. Check out our crappy cell phone photo of the complete menu below! At the moment, the Dragon is breathing fire from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on all other nights. Cash only, delivery eventually.
Snack Dragon Taco Shack is located at South 4th Street, between Bedford & Driggs.
Blaqbook.com’s “Friday Night Mics” showcase is this Friday, Feb 8th at Spike Hill. Before every showcase we like to grab a few of the artist and give you a hint as to exactly what you’re in for.
DXA-Vintage New York Hip Hop sound redefined through the words and minds of those who grew up in the heart of New York City, and influenced heavily by the expression of the Golden era of Rap Music. Knocking beats and versatile flows delivered astutely, DXA embodies the gritty and fun of being the core of the apple.
Blaqbook.com’s “Friday Night Mics” showcase is this Friday, Feb 8th at Spike Hill. Before every showcase we like to grab a few of the artist and give you a hint as to exactly what you’re in for.
Formerly a member of Red IDentity and SquadZilla, Jonifin Marvin a.k.a. King Geoffree reemerges on the Philly hip hop scene as a solo artist. Having been born in St. Catherine, Jamaica and being raised in Philadelphia, PA has created a fiery flow in this multi-faceted artist. Unbound by any genre, Jonifin transitions on stage between magnetic hip hop lyrics, to entrancing reggae vibes, to smooth soul vocalization. Inspired by late 80′s/early 90′s lovers rock, and roots and culture reggae, coupled with being influenced by hip hop monsters such as Redman, Wu-Tang Clan, B.I.G., and Blackstar, Jonifin Marvin has been a student of music during great eras.
Now associated with the TreeHouse-Coalition, Jonifin with all his contagious energy is set to engage audiences both live on stage and through their speakers. You can expect commanding beats and vocals on every track; truth and sincerity in every lyric.
At blaqbook’s last hip hop showcase, ASPCP opened. It was super early and no one was really out of work yet. Although, the crowd was light they still did they’re thing and I was able to capture some great footage of them. The footage created some buzz amongst my interweb peers.
So we decided to bring them back for this showcase and give them a well deserved later show time. Recently the Philly youngsters dropped this new track “Four Horsemen”. This new school of hip hop are bringing intellect to table. Before hip hop was more about money, women, sex, etc. I’m not saying I didn’t and don’t love it like the next man.
I am saying the dialogues and rhyme schemes the Badass’s, Tyler’s, and ASPCP’s of the world are coming with are wise far beyond their years. Come see them live this Friday at Spike Hill during blaqbook’s Friday Night Mic’s” showcase.
The show is at capacity as far as the Facebook invites are concerned, so if you want guaranteed admission grab a ticket from the Spike Hill website here. Hope to see you Friday!
Williamsburg Therapy Group has moved a few doors down to 38 Grand Street in the former Metropolitan Hotel, built in 1870. This landmark building’s parlor floor has undergone an extensive renovation transforming it into the permanent home of WTG, while maintaining the property’s old world charm. As the group expands, it continues to meet the needs of this dynamic and vibrant neighborhood, brightening the lives of local residents in need of mental health care.
Williamsburg Therapy Group is a full service mental health practice staffed with top doctoral-level psychologists and psychiatrists with years of experience in both private and public spheres of the mental health profession. Founded by psychologist Dr. Daniel Selling, the group also includes Dr.’s Maureen Lindmeier, Jacob Kaplan and psychiatrist Dr. Jason Hershberger. All of the doctors share an innovate treatment philosophy that incorporates tenets of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems Theory, Solution Focused Therapy and Psychoanalytic Theory to provide patients with customized and practical solutions to achieve a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Williamsburg Therapy Group
Areas of practice include: Relationships, Anxiety & Depression,
Severe Emotional Conditions, Addiction
When Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Band traveled across Canada by train in 1970 in the wake of Woodstock, the spontaneous collaborations and rollicking party atmosphere inspired what became the 2003 documentary “Festival Express.”
It also became the inspiration for two music-industry stalwarts, who are about to mark the grand opening of their Williamsburg watering hole, Passenger Bar, on Wednesday Jan. 9, with a roster of well-known performers set to take the stage.
The railroad-themed bar, located at 229 Roebling St. at South Third Street, is intended to reimagine the traveling jam session, hosting musicians from around the city as well as around the world to drink together, play together and perhaps form new creative collaborations, according to the team behind the bar.
“When I saw ["Festival Express"] years ago, it just always stuck in my head,” said music-industry veteran Melissa Aubert, who manages musicians like Andy Rourke of The Smiths, and opened the bar with partner Jay Weilminster, a drummer who has toured with bands like The Kills and bartended on the Lower East Side for a decade. [...]
The railroad-themed venue, formerly a dance club, is packed with subtle details inside its two-story space. The upstairs level overlooking the main room is decorated with a sleeper-car theme, with a high shelf along the wall like old luggage racks.
The bathroom toilet paper rolls rest on train nail spikes, beneath old, weathered postcards on the bathroom walls. The liquor shelves behind the bar are shaped like a train tunnel, and railroad lanterns are scattered around the space.
The reclaimed-wood bar is hugged by a 1,100-pound train rail, which serves as a footrest to heighten the feel of drinking at an old railroad station or saloon, the creators explained.
“The whole design concept has that railroad feel, but it’s very hidden — like you don’t notice that you have your foot on a train rail until someone points it out or you look down,” said Aubert, noting the bar is filled with that sort of “hidden, little detail.”
The grand opening on Wednesday will include an open bar from 8 to 9 p.m., with a set by banjo player Morgan O’Kane at 10 p.m. and a DJ set by actor/comedian David Cross and Jaleel Bunton of TV on the Radio at 11 p.m. As part of its mission, the bar plans to hold a series of live performances funded by Cross and Les Savy Fav bass player Syd Butler. The sessions will be recorded and released as “The Passenger” tapes, giving people who missed hearing the performances in person an opportunity to hear them.
Here’s the film that inspired the concept, “Festival Express.”
GQ just released their list of most outstanding American restaurants of 2013, and Williamsburg’s own St. Anslem made the list. GQ Food critic Alan Richman writes:
Director 
