Jets-Less Super Bowl: Now I Can Rest Easy, and Bar Spotlight: MikNic Lounge

I really dislike the Steelers. But for those who know me, I dislike the Jets even more. Sitting at the Berman Bothers household watching this unfold with a tallboy of Joose, basically a knock off Four Loko, I at least was content with the 24-19 result, even if I wasn't thrilled with the Green Apple artificial flavors...

Cold weather aside, our fair borough was particularly pleasant with some Apt. 138'ing on the holiday this week and Hana Cafe'ing for weekly sushi (apparently the Tuna Lover special wasn't all it was cracked up to be but man that spicy sauce on regular rolls is intensely good).

Brooklyn Fare's expansion is starting to show a little more; they are starting to stock the additional space with goods and the lines are getting longer and longer; they should figure out a way to create real lines so people don't end up fighting over who was first to purchase the 6.99 organic lentil chips (you'd think yuppies wouldn't yell at each other as much but it certainly happens there, it's almost more fun than going to Pathmark). Flank steak was on sale again which was great.

Getting rid of potato "eyes" while prepping meals is kinda gross for some reason; it's like a mini-cactus bug that grows out of the potato. It makes my hands stiffen up.

I need to eat in Fort Greene more often; somehow Flatbush acts as a larger divide than it really is and there's plenty of great food across the way, the most I've gotten out of it was Black Iris but definitely want to partake of the small soul food joint about a block or two east of Flatbush.

MikNic Lounge (misspelled MikNik by Gothamist) is opening up next week on Columbia to give some additional watering hole options slightly closer to Atlantic without having to usher all the way down to Moonshine. Singer/songwriters rejoice: live music and a backyard could make for a relaxing summer spot. The west side is certainly an area that could use some additional burst as people look for the next bustling area in Brooklyn to latch onto. It looks cute and true to that part of the neighborhood and we'll see what kind of vibe will inherit the space. Here's a sneak peek from their Facebook page below. I really dig Columbia and hope that more traffic will come around, there's a few staples like Alma but this might seem more like a Last Exit.

The MTA this week just didn't have it's shit together at all. I say that with utmost prejudice due to the fact that all of the things that required speed and or convenience of the subway this week were not supported by timely and consistent service. There's nothing more defeating about New York public transportation than seeing three B trains come through one station before you finally see a Q train, which is what you want. The look on people's faces are so volatile, the head shakes so terse and violent that you're afraid that they might have not gotten enough neck stretches earlier in the morning to warrant such movement. Couple that with the MTA dude on the front end at Dekalb who just belts out incoming trains as if he's on a radio show and proceeding to yell out the synopsis of The Kids Are Alright, and you have a recipe for putting on the iPodz.

Digital Dumbo is coming up, can't wait! 2nd anniversary of canoodling and rubbing elbows with all kinds of agency types. I might want to try to meet more than 2 people this time...

Or I could just creep:

Keep it on the down low.

Taino Soleil Replaced by Downtown Ale House: Iiiiinteresting

Downtown Ale House has taken over the former spot of Taino Soleil and this is good news for DoBrah folks who still feel like they need just a little extra something to get their options flowing. I see a new nabe spot although Taino Soleil had a spirit all its own.

So here we go, there's a slightly full range of scrumptious food including 3o cent Sunday wings and reasonably priced apps and burgers. An ale house should mean some selection which it does have currently listed on the site. There is plenty of space and some TVs leftover from the previous incarnation so I see a bright future ahead with sports involved maybe. Anywho, the space is needed to help build some sort of nightlife surrounding the Fulton Mall. This plus the Shake Shack, although miles away in terms of hype, constitutes some place for people to go and eat or drink after hours and should draw some attention due to the proximity to an important piece of real estate in the area. The actual block this is on isn't the best but it's a good space and from the photos it seems like they were able to put a lot of materials from Taino to use.

I will definitely stop by at some point! Oh did I mention Tuesday Karaoke? Tuesdays are always the new Thursdays...

Bar Spotlight - The Sackett

I always wondered which bar has the tiniest bathroom in New York. Vittorio's in the West Village has a bathroom the size of a pea and it's kinda hilarious.

The Sackett I don't think is the smallest, but I was pleasantly surprised at the proximity of everything within a forearm's distance. There are two different kinds of pros with large and small bathrooms. Large bathrooms make you feel like it's a sanctuary, where you get away from the hubbub of socializing or looking at anyone but yourself (if they have a mirror).

The small bathrooms are just kind of funny to me, it's like they shoved a bathroom into a space where it wasn't really meant to be. You could probably wash your hands while doing whatever. Turn one way, your nose is to the wall. Turn the other way, you're kissing the mirror. Turn a third way, you notice the small details and nicks and chips of the door.

I know this is quite a bit just discussing bar bathrooms, but hey it's early Saturday afternoon.

Anywho, I've been wanting to hit up the Sackett for a hot second and finally got the chance to grab a drink there with the better half while walking down 4th Ave. toward the Union R stop. It's very unassuming with little fan fare and the space feels immediately intimate. We were both into it for sure, although there was a lot of "totally"s taking up the adverbage between these two women at the bar and I couldn't figure out what exactly they was referring to. It's neatly laid out, small, cozy, wonderful jukebox, and ripe for casual conversations (but not encounters I don't think). It's a great place for pairs, triples and quads, as you sit and talk about your favorite movies and stuff.

The best word to describe The Sackett would be compact; there are no frills and everyone kind of keeps to themselves. The prices are reasonable, and like Abilene, Genny Cream Ale exists in the gullet of their selection.

I have a hankering to compare it to bars such as Buttermilk or 4th Ave. Pub or Black Sheep Pub but it's got it's own thing going for sure. Perfect for a nightcap from Union Hall (depending on how you're feeling).

Favorite bathroom songs has to include this right?

Nightmare On Smith Street - Halloween at NY Perks

NY Perks will always trump whatever you're doing. Kevin Barry's probably does as well during the eve, but what's great about NY Perks is that it's been there for years probably giving a big middle finger to Bar Tabac (hell I would anyway). Actually Ceol is probably giving a big middle finger to Bar Tabac too. Anywho, Perks has some scares lined up for Halloween Eve tonight with 2 for 1 Grey Goose drinks from 9 to 11 which is a good way to scare any embarrassment you MIGHT have about your costume. Ladies are free before midnight and men probably aren't but you knew you were paying dude, Halloween and New Year's are the easiest reasons to do covers at the door.

You know it's going to be serious. It's like the Van Wilder Halloween party, not the lame Richard Halloween party. You wouldn't want Tara Reid in any case.

For more, go to NY Perks official site and additional info from here.

For Those Who Don't Know: I Love The Fulton Mall

There have been a couple of well meaning articles on The Fulton Mall lately, with the stiff-as-morning-wood Wall Street Journal and the less dreamy New York Observer putting for their respective thoughts on how the strip will come about in the next few years. WSJ says, well big chains and big money are signalling a "rebirth" happening next to the religious squawking by Hoyt and the NYO says, well if you look at your facts, the Other Kings Plaza is already cream of the crop in terms of sales and general foot traffic (although the Arby's shutting down in a matter of months is kind of a shame).

What bothers me is that everything is seen from a perspective of upscale is better. Big developers are better. Gentrification is better. Shifting the overall "populace" in the area is better. "Catering" to the new residents literally a block or two away is a better, brighter future. Who comes up with that bullshit? I'm not saying an H&M is a bad thing; functionally they provide affordable clothing with a little style to boot. Although Aeropostale is totally lame. As the NYO points out though, there's nothing actually wrong with the Fulton Mall, and what's more frustrating, it's actually comparable to the best shopping the city has to offer. Living a block from the mall actually reminds me of Fulton Street in the city where I lived around the corner from 3 million dollar bonuses in suits as well as low end clothing/fast food with a heavy immigrant population.

Brownstoner's reader comments on the article are spot on and probably articulate what I want to say better. What the WSJ is missing (and what I was hoping the NYO was more fiercely vocal about, although hey, this isn't blogging right, it's journalism?) is a sense that The Fulton Mall serves a much greater purpose that they failed to realize. They also treat the strip as if it needs a total overhaul because well, it's not gentrified enough. As the NYO pointed out, whatever dirtbag wrote the WSJ piece is not writing it from the perspective that the mall is a viable, competitive, and highly sustainable economy for working class and middle class folks (with a decidedly disheveled and quite awesome Macy's) equal to strips in the city, it's from the perspective that it needs to be cleaned up and upscaled, using the new "type" of resident as part of the reasoning. It's just so dismissive and it bugs me; that's how powerful words can be, one way or the other. I guess causing me to blog isn't exactly mindblowing but hey I could be shopping for Halloween candy so the kids in the building don't think we're trolls.

As a person who is part of a new community settling into the neighborhood, I wholeheartedly, except for welcoming an H&M and stores that would fit well into the current state, reject this way of thinking about the Fulton Mall. I stand behind the fact that I can get a much better selection of what I want at the Fulton Mall than the Atlantic Center (although I do love me some Pathmark). I stand behind the fact that I can foster a newfound interest in snazzy kicks at Foot Action, Foot Locker, AND Finish Line. I stand behind the fact that there are stores that sell DVDs, jewelry, shoes, and cell phones AT THE SAME TIME. I stand behind the fact that you have the easiest selection of fast food joints ever for those who eat fast. It's like, when did the idea of good shopping (read: affluent) get in the way of the naturally existing economy of the past several decades?

Does the article add to the long list of excitable press surrounding the area? Sure. Is it an interesting outlook? Certainly, considering the development of the area. Yet, does it take into account anything beyond appearances of white it could be? No. The half-assedness of it is the most blatant diss.

Am I the exception rather than the rule when it comes to new residents wanting a gentrified mall? I hope not, but if I am, I'm at least urging people to really not shop at Aeropostale. Seriously.

Me Rikey New Noodles and Soup: Naruto Ramen in Park Slope

I love noodles. I love pasta. Barring several favorite foods, I think I could eat any form of noodles at any time. I just ate some pasta salad tonight. It was extremely awesome.

I was walking down 5th Ave. and noticed that a new Naruto Ramen (there's another one in Manhattan) whose "grund opening" this week on Sept. 10th (yes it's complete with typo on the door) is awesome punk rock music to my ears. It's no St. Mark's noodle house (the dishes are a little more expensive but hopefully just as good) but definitely something new to bring to the neighborhood to liven up the food options. The menu is somewhat limited in comparison as well but think of it as something to take out or a quick bite of what I kind of call Asian soul food.

There's just something to the idea that you can have something chewy and soft and in the case of long noodles, a large, unending type of food that sauce and other collective ingredients adhere to, along for the ride into my tummy. Carbonara, chow fun, whatever it is. Bowls and bowls of noodles. Noodles noshing around yum yum yum yum...

Here's the front of the takeout menu:

Fish cakes and boiled eggs, that's not what Maryland does.

Speaking of delicious, here's some Hi-Standard with special appearances by Fat Mike and No Use For A Name:

This Weekend There's SCRATCHbread: The Gathering and Sailor Jerry-mandering

A couple of things that I may be in attendance for, so much to do, so little time on a Sunday.

The friends at SCRATCHbread and their insanely delicious concoctions are not only at the Brooklyn Flea every weekend but they happen to throw their own events. I can't say where this next one is held so if you sign up for their SCRATCHbread newsletter you just may get the scoop on these assemblies (we have that right as 'Mericans). Also, if you're into the whole social play of grassroots funding for businesses, check out their 'Right to Deliciousness' campaign on KickStarter.com, a cool way of getting support for your cause, whatever it may be. Since Brooklyn is all about homegrown businesses (have you seen West Brooklyn lately?) maybe it will trend as well as Groupon has.

The other thing is Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum who helps sponsor Williamsburg jelly pool parties with some very good bands over the course of several Sundays this summer. I doubt newfangled hipsters would appreciate Cap'n Jazz, but hey, I'm not here to flick snob snot at anyone (they did not end up playing due to weather). For more on Sailor Jerry, go to their official site.

Cheers to the weekend!

Street Art on Lawrence in Downtown Brooklyn

Saw this today, not sure how long it's been up, pretty chill on a summer Friday while getting a gyro from the Souvlaki House. I think this block is the one that will be turned into yet another huge, sky-swallowing building in the area.

Saved By The Bell House 7.24.10

Themed parties are almost always a good time if there's enough support and a good build (theme decor, good venue, willing participants). Even bad theme parties are kind of funny/depressing in their own way. The idea is that if you are willing to devote a night (or a weekend, or possibly weeks) to something you didn't create/nostalgia/embarrassment/letting loose, you should look out for more theme parties, especially among hipsters. Because they love a good, ironic time.

Yesterday was a Full House of activity, going to beach, getting burned, going to a great barbeque in Ozone Park, seeing a friend get harassed by two men on children's bikes, and wonton love of a show that for all intensive purposes was just cheesy (save a few moments) and had no sense of what high school was actually like: Saved By The Bell.

Don't get my wrong; I enjoy SBTB a lot. I liked it growing up, and I still enjoy watching it in the morning before work. I don't own the series like Pat Craig does, but that's ok.

The Bell House being an amazing venue was the perfect place for a Saved By The Bell dance, where 3 dollars for every ticket went to oil relief. By the time the main part of the dance was over and The Bayside Tigers wrapped up their set, there was a real dance party in the front lounge. Everything is just set up well.

I was wearing my Malibu Sands shirt thinking 8 other people would be wearing it but I was dead wrong. Half the people didn't dress up, the other half were a mix of 3 really dressed up people and 100 semi-dressed up people. Leotards, skinny suspenders, light jeans, I couldn't help but wonder if this was 1994, or people just thought it was an 80s party. Because there has to be a difference right? Reagan vs. Clinton? Shit I should have worn my chain wallet. And brought like a copy of Swingers. Or something. Empire Records by the way is one of the top 10 worst movies ever. I stand by that wholeheartedly.

Folks who bought a ticket received one free vodka lemonade drink ticket and a view of strobe lights and a huge Bayside logo where you could take your picture and feel like a has been actor. "Man in the Mirror" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and other tunes got the dance floor slightly going but everything was surprisingly pretty chill (the dance party in the front was way more solid, Union Pool-ish in a way). The Bayside Tigers played all 90s alt-rock hits; I called 3 of them (Blur, Harvey Danger, and Lit) and we sung most of them throughout. At least they played Bosstones and Blink 182 right?

There were some crazy ladies, some drunk ladies, and a wider age range than usual, probably 21 to 36. Everything was just a lot of fun, it didn't sell out, there was room to dance, I actually listened to suburban 90s alt-rock (except for godamn 3 doors down, god they suck, rembrandts, suck, gin blossoms, double suck for being catchy, eve 6, suck, all played by these bands), and you had just enough characters (yes you lady in the flower top just going batshit crazy, it's a band covering Oasis, not actually Oasis) to make the people watching interesting. When they started playing 3 Doors Down, I kid you not half the people went to go get a drink. People have spoken.

A young woman seemed to twist or land on her ankle the wrong way and I helped get her to the comfortable couch by the side of the stage. There was also a group who came up to me and asked for my picture because I looked EXACTLY (their word) like their friend from LA. I guess I'm not the only Asian with a normal haircut.

The bar moved quick, everyone was having fun, there were cupcakes out front from Robicelli's where you can find all over west Brooklyn and a couple of other locations including the new dessert shop Farmacy on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens.

All in all, a very fun experience and worth it. And btdubs, there are several other clubs in the area. And I still want to go to Canal Bar on 3rd Avenue. They are really trying to turn Gowanus into like a Brooklynized meatpacking aren't they?

Speaking of slightly cracked out neighborhoods:

Evenin' Guv'ner - Meatopia 7.11.10

Eh ra, juicy. Succulent pork. Chicken Sausage. Spicy brisket, Fizzy Lizzy. Bacon ice cream, chopped up ribs, BBQ, Bike N Roll. The fact that you wait a gazillion minutes for a 80 second boat ride to Governor's Island (we could have swam) is pretty hilarious but those Furman Street apartments have a lot going for them.

Anywho, Meatopia was going on, and it was raging within the first hour it started. It was kind of disorganized as the stations were not clearly marked (if you want to give people an easy map, you might as well put the station numbers NOT on the ground) and the lines were a mess. On top of that several stations ran out of food within an hour or two, and the whole event didn't even last to 5pm. The rain was somewhat nice, especially while biking around the island. You could definitely see a private school movie being filmed here, or something scarier like a Shutter Island or something.

The food at Meatopia was pretty awesome though; you got tasting tickets that were marked off as you went through the stations, and we tried not to overstuff ourselves and had a couple of nice picks, including the wonderful Abe & Arthur rib, complete with bawdy/edgy white-Asian racism as the chef was BBQing and the Asian dude was chopping it up. It was packed with juice and just amazing. Six Point was all over this with beer, as they seem to be with every event within striking distance of Brooklyn.

I kind of half expected someone from PETA to go undercover and then throw a huge bucket of paint to destroy stations, but that didn't happen. I also witnessed a nasty PR lady who was talking about me in front of me as if I wasn't there. She did the whole mutter under her breath like a 6 year old child. Real mature lady. You're not curing cancer. And you should concentrate on organizing a better event.

I found the island stunning. The buildings were interesting to me, abandoned but still intact. Since NYU will actually have some sort of campus by taking this place over, it's just like a nice little time capsule of a sort of Federal time, a few roads, almost no cars, and very little signs of industry (with no retail it retains a certain residential quality). We went into a gallery where there were paintings inspired by the island. Old school New York American houses, and the meat stations and whole roasting lambs and pigs added to the effect. Here are some pictures.

This guy looked pissed that well his paddle boats went around in a pond-sized area.

Maple Bacon Ice Cream from The Bent Spoon. Tasting ticket not eligible, but damn good ice cream.

Things In My Neighborhood - MoneyGram Whitecastle

Remember Rounders with Matt Damon and Ed Norton? There's something very watchable about that movie in an understated way; nothing particularly original but there's a slow, observing eye about it. It almost feels 80s in a way, 80s in a Curly Sue New York kind of way. One thing that is in that movie that you don't see often is characters using check cashing services or money transfer services. In fact, you never really see that at all but they are all over the place. It seems to be part of the fabric of urban life in many areas of Brooklyn.

Nowadays banks take care of more services just because there are more people who have checking accounts, but sometimes I see a pretty sizable line at my nearest MoneyGram location about three blocks away from me. It's under the radar (and cloaked behind some construction) and the process feels under the radar too; the idea of transferring straight cash has a real old school appeal. If time equals money, and there's no other avenue to get physical cash, then taking a fee to give a needed lifeline sounds like a plan. At this point for the summer they are running a promotion where on a 50 dollar send, you pony up 5 bucks. You can check out details here.

Anywho, to my real point, which was next to the MoneyGram, say you are receiving this said 50 bucks. What do you do with it? I know exactly what you do with it on Willoughby. You walk right next door to the downright nasty Whitecastle, and you stuff yourself with sliders and those chicken ring things. It's a one two punch: moolah at MoneyGram, then poobah at Whitecastle. For the win.

And now, a word from our monsters:

Contraband Cinema at BAM: I Will Crush You, I Will Krush Groove 7/8

Two films (not Miracle at St. Anna) will be playing next week as part of BAM's current Contraband Cinema series that are toward the top of my favorites in respective categories. It just so happens, these two films are playing on July 8th. The series examines a wide range of films that are politically charged in different ways: personal, imagined, proposed, social. I'm just surprised a few more well known films such as Harlan County USA wouldn't be on here. Anywho, BAM does it again and I'm glad I'm about a 10 minute walk from it.

Sound and Fury, an extraordinary documentary about a deaf family and their internal debate about cochlear implants and deaf culture, is on the early bill on the 8th. It's heartbreaking and the frustration of the father is so incredible to witness because it comes from pureness of heart.

And for the main event of the evening, Rocky IV. Before you laugh, consider that it is the most pleasurable of the 6 films in the series (not the best, just the most touch-yourself one) and the undercurrent of 80s propaganda along with other mainstream films such as Superman IV and any Chuck Norris movie makes it an excessive and really interesting movie. It's not that it should be given a gold star for merit, but it also comes from a pure purpose it seems, even if it's subconscious. That and Sylvester Stallone slurring through an epic speech in English to a Russian audience that realistically doesn't understand him is hilarious. Those crazy Russians, just in time for all that hobknobbery about spies.

In other news, I enjoyed the new Karate Kid (I own the original on VHS).

I would give you the training montage to Rocky IV. It's insanely awesome. However, I'll just give you a scene from Gorky Park.

Mermaid Parade in Coney Island 2010: Hot Rods and Perverts Galore

I had a Nathan's that came to 4.36 because of tax in Luna Park. Are you kidding?

I also went on the Wonder Wheel for the first time.

Wonder Wheel Operator: Did she tell you to go on the swinging cart?

Me: Stationary, stationary!

Girlfriend Who Totally Does Rollercoasters: NOoooo we have to go on the swinging one.

Wonder Wheel Operator: Hey man, listen to her, I've been listening to my wife for the last 37 years, best thing I ever did.

Me: Okay okay (apparently I speak in single word repeats)

I'm so not a rollercoaster/heights person. I had to clench so hard to prevent The Browning Version on that swinging pendulum of death and it was just a ferris wheel.

Coney Island is something of a shit show all the time. The train ride out there is one of my favorite parts actually; you get to see a little bit of Brooklyn life along the way, and what emphasizes that is I don't travel that far out often so the ride becomes a little more special and more observational than usual.

The last time I went to the Mermaid Parade it was probably 6 years ago. This year, it's bigger than ever, but I have a few things to nitpick. First, it's a very disorganized sort of hodge podge of a parade. Second, you end up getting trapped very easily on one side or the other, or even worse, trapped in one section of the boardwalk and you think you can get out but you hit a dead end.

But I digress. There are many colorful mermaids, and even more perverts, and a smattering of families, so it's your basic Mardi Gras for 12+ set. We got to take some pictures next to a few guest stars on To Catch a Predator who were spouting off some of the cheesiest lines I've ever heard at the mermaids. "Show us your fins" is a stupid saying dude.

Anywho, after backtracking a couple of stops to lovely Sheepshead Bay (I say godDAMN there's a Chinese buffet) and pigging out on Rendazzo's, we were in for the day and out for the night.

Here are some pictures we took in the same attitude since we couldn't get close enough.