Food and Drink: December 2006 Archives

Obviously it's better to party in Brooklyn than Manhattan (ahem), but where to go? ABL will probably be house-partying it, but if you must go out, here's some parties within walking distance of our apartment (and maybe yours):

• Abilene: Party for $65 from 9 p.m. to 1a.m. for $65, which includes an open bar and a down-home Southern feast of fried chicken, mac and cheese, veggie beans and cornbread
• Minibar: no answer!
• Brooklyn Social: open late, no cover, "plenty of sparkling drinks to go around"
• Zombie Hut: regular bar,  no cover charge
• Angry Wade's:$35 gets you a 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. open bar, which includes everything on tap, house drinks, and champagne toast at midnight
• Issue Project Room: $30 nets performances by Hill Niblock, Katherine Liberovskaya, Rebecca Moore, Sarah Ibrahim, Bradley Eros, Stephan Moore, Diana Slattery and Jim Pugliese Phase III--starts at 8 p.m.
• Ceol: "We're having a party ... DJ, champagne toast, giveaways and all that stuff" (no cover)
• Camp: Party, appetizers and s'mores on the house with no cover.
• Boat: "Open and just open." It will be decorated with sparkling wines for "the moment"
• Moonshine: The party includes New Year's karaoke from 1am -4am , but not before the midnight PBR toast. There's also a few bands next door  at the  guitar shop.
• Lido: $35 for all you can drink from 10pm to 2am with DJ
• Brazen Head: "Just champagne at midnight"
• Kili: "We're having a party; there's no cover charge"
• Magnetic Field: $15 for three live bands, the A Bones, the Swingin' Neckbreakers, the Great Gaylord

Have parties? Leave them in the comments.

It looks like renovations on the storefronts next to North Fork Bank on Court Street between 2nd and 1st Place (414-416) may yield a cafe. If I read the scrawled writing on the window correctly, it's to be called Cafe Micheal or Michel? Anybody got the word?

As first reported by bigcajig, the Little Bistro mystery has finally been solved--at least partially. A new sign has gone up indicating it will turn into a tapas spot, which could definitely be a nice addition to the neighborhood. What's unknown is whether it's the same chef cooking, and, if so, if he has any experience with tapas. One thing's for sure: That sign is fugly.

Kudos to Brooklyn Record for scoring the first shot of the pie at neighborhood newcomer Layla Jones, but maybe we got the first exterior shot? Yeah, so it's not quite as exciting, but I can say I've tasted the pie and I think I like it. We ordered one with prosciutto and red onions, and while the meat turned out to be a bit closer to big chunks of ham, everything else was pretty nice--though it's the kind of pizza that will definitely split folks. Crust is thin, if not exactly as crisp as hoped, but definitely has a nice flavor. Cute bonus: the name comes from the names of the owners' children, though the website seems a bit confused on that matter.

A friend was recently raving about a cookie he had at One Girl Cookies. Truth be told, I had kinda forgotten about the little store tucked on Dean Street near Smith. Great little shop--and I can't think of an easier or more rewarding place to stop when you need a host/ess gift in the neighborhood and you're looking for something small and sweet. This weekend, I'm planning on penning another neighborhood gift guide, if you've got any recommendations, email me.

Have you ever wanted tap beer (0h, I don't know, say Sixpoint) and not wanted to sit  at a bar? I thought the only solution was to buy a keg, but a friend of mine let me in on the growler phenomenon. What is a growler? It's a container that you can have filled full of tap beer, either at a beer/liquor store or at a bar. From Beer Advocate:

"Growlers are filled straight from the tap, sealed with a twist-cap, often with a plastic wrap over this if filled ahead of time, and are sometimes labeled. Filled prices range anywhere from around $4 to $15 or more. A deposit must be paid, often included in the price, and chances are if you bring back your washed growler, you can get a refill for a cheaper price. Just note that you must always refrigerate growlers. Doing so will give them a shelf-life of 7-10 days, or around 2-3 days once opened – if you’re lucky."

According to my friend, Thrifty at 256 Court Street will fill growlers with Sixpoint beer, but he always misses them because of the early closing time (Thrifty--stay open past 7 during the week!). Does anyone know of a neighborhood bar that fills growlers?

UPDATED: Apparently,  someone on Chowhound confused Lil' Bistro 33 in Astoria (which  is moving)  with our Little Bistro, which has been dark for a week or so. So, what's the real story? Is Little Bistro closing? On some sort of holiday break? While I was never a big fan, plenty of folks seem to love it, and there was usually a pretty decent crowd in there. I know one of the owners of the restaurant owns the building, too, so it doesn't seem like it was a rent issue, but who knows? Once again, though, this just reminds that our nabe is desperate need of decent Chinese food (and not so much Asian-influenced bistros).