Red Hook Continued

After finishing up my beer at Rocky Sullivan's we headed over to the soccer fields to check out the scene. It was a bit of a walk, but not too bad on a nice day, even if we did get a bit lost. We knew we were getting close when we began to smell the food. We knew we were there when we saw the crowd and the sign.

We Have Arrived


Now this place is great. Most street fairs in New York are kind of bland these days with the same old food stands at every one. An exception is the Atlantic Antic, but more of that another time. Here you had real vendors making most of the food on the spot and it had the feel of a genuine Mexican fair. Now I know that not all the vendors were Mexican, but I go to Mexico every year and this is what it felt like.

And, of course, a real Mexican staple is the grilled corn smothered in mayonnaise and sprinkled with red pepper.

Grillin' The Corn


I had my heart set on a taco though. Some of the best, and cheapest, food you can get in Puerto Vallarta is on the street. There you have vendors with chairs set out and regulars show up every day and night to visit and eat. It is surprising how many tourists avoid these vendors convinced they will catch some horrible aliment from which they will never recover. Their loss, in my opinion.

Well, there was no problem in getting my taco fix here. I liked the looks of the meat being grilled here.

Grillin' The Meat


Now this was a deal that you don't find in New York too often. I got a big taco, all made on the spot, and a couple of fried pork rinds, also freshly prepared, with all the fixings I could load on my plate for only $3.

My Three Buck Special


It was great fun just wandering among the vendors and checking out the action. There were a lot of people and a lot to see.

More Corn


You can figure out which vendors are the most popular by checking out the length of the lines.

Lining Up


Now keep in mind, a lot of this food is prepared by hand and your plate assembled after you order. As a result, the lines move a bit slowly. But the wait is well worth it.

There was also a stand where you could buy various treats. This reminded me of the road-side stands that I have encountered in Mexico and Costa Rica.

A Road-Side Stand, Kind Of


There are benches by the soccer field where you can sit and some of the vendors also have tables and chairs set up.

Have A Seat


Now, I may have mentioned that the prices here are very reasonable. You can see what I mean.

The Menu


I started out with a $2 Chilean meat empanada and it was delicious. The meat was cooking in a pot and the crispy dough wrappers were being deep-fried before the whole thing was wrapped up by hand and given to you. I could have eaten a bunch, but there was more to be had.

Enjoying My Empanada


I am a big fan of cerviche so I could hardly pass up trying their offering. For $7 you got a very generous serving of some of the best cerviche I have ever had. It was chuck full of fish, shrimp, squid, and octopus. The octopus was a nice surprise because I really like it and it isn't that easy to find.

Savoring My Cerviche


The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered the seafood rice for $8 and declared it a real deal. You got a full plate of rice heavily laced with both squid and shrimp and maybe more stuff as well. The rice and the seafood were prepared separately and mixed in just before being served so everything retains its flavor. Much better than when everything is lumped together in a pot and cooked together for hours.

After eating our fill we decided to get a bit of exercise by hiking home. It was getting quite warm and the sun was out so I decided to stop into Downtown Bar And Grill for a couple of brews.

I started out with something that I hadn't seen before, a draft Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Ale from Harpoon. Most beers and ales are made using dried hops, partially because it is easier. Most hops are dried and refrigerated immediately after being picked. This makes them easier to store and ship and does result in more consistency. Plus, hops are harvested in the fall and this allows them to be used in brewing throughout the entire year.

Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh hops that contain about 60% moisture when they are picked. This way they still retain some of their natural oils and flavors that dissipate when they are dried. As a result you get a nice intense flavor in the beer. Of course you have to use them within hours of their being picked so you don't see this style too often.

Now, to Harpoon's credit, they don't over-hop this ale so you can really enjoy the hoppy flavor without being inundated by the bitterness. I found it to be quite delicious. It has a decent enough 6.7% alcohol content.

I followed this up with a Saranac Imperial IPA draft. This is a stiff 8.5% alcohol and, in keeping with the IPA tradition, very hoppy and very bitter. Nice copper color and a nice white head. It was good, don't get me wrong, but everyone is so into hops now that I am getting a bit over-hopped. I have to say I preferred the Glacier Harvest, at least on this day. But, being a bit of a hop-head, I will still be hitting the IPAs pretty hard.

All in all it was a great day. It is well worth the trip to Red Hook to try out the food vendors. Their season closes at the end of October and as mentioned in my previous blog, nobody knows what next year holds. I am certainly going to try to get back again. There is a cool liquor store in Red Hook that I want to visit again and when I do I will be posting about it.

Red Hook

A neighborhood not far from mine is called Red Hook. Back when Brooklyn used to be one of the great ports this area was home to dock workers of every ilk. Supposedly the area got its name from the tendency of longshoremen to settle their disputes in fights with bailing hooks. Well, not really. It is actually named for its red clay soil and the fact that it is on a point of land that extends into the East River. It was originally named Roode Hoek by the Dutch and "hoek" means point or corner in Dutch. That isn't to say that Red Hook hasn't had a rough past, and it still hasn't been gentrified too much.

The reason I headed there was because on the weekends there is a lively soccer scene at one of the parks and a dynamite selection of food vendors that show up to feed the crowds. This has become so popular (Anthony Bourdain featured it on a recent television show) that the city will probably shut it down. After about forty years with no complaints the city has decided that next year they will put the spots up for bids and enforce new regulations. Of course most of the vendors, working just on week-ends and being small operations, will not be able to comply.

New York is great for this Mickey Mouse stuff. Chinatown during Chinese New Years used to jump, the streets and restaurants were packed. Then it was decided to outlaw fireworks of any type and now the streets are deserted. I mean firecrackers and lion dances and New Years always went together.

Then beer sales at street fairs was eliminated. Talk about putting a damper on things. Making pizza without wearing rubber gloves, even though it has been made that way for generations, now illegal. Homemade mozzarella cheese, a delicacy in Italy, now illegal in New York. And on and on it goes. The very things that have made New York special seem to get legislated out of existence. Oh, but cabs are now required to install GPS devices and accept credit cards, so I guess that is progress.

Well, I could go on and on about this subject, but I won't. At least not today. Instead I will focus on the positive.

The day started out gloomy so the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I thought about waiting until next week to make our pilgrimage. But then about noon the sun came out and the day turned gorgeous. We headed out and as luck would have it we caught a bus as soon as we got to the bus stop, three blocks from our house. Before heading to the soccer field though I decided to make a stop. No surprise there, I guess.

Rocky Sullivan's


Formerly the Liberty Height's Tap Room, it really hasn't changed much. A nice enough bar with a pool table and a suitably dark back room where they have live music at night.

The Back Room


Small round tables and chairs up front and I believe they have pizza. But I just needed a beer to quench my thirst and Rebecca the bartender was happy to oblige.

Bar Man And Rebecca At The Bar


I had a draft Sweet Action brewed by Six Points Craft Ales. It was quite good. Dark with a nice head and a decent 6.9% alcohol content. It is quite crisp which is a bit surprising given its darkness. A nice nutty malty flavor with just a touch of bitterness from the hops. A touch of spice and flowers as well.

The flavor results from a blend of two types of base malts and two types of specialty malts. The malts are both German Pilsner malts and English Pale malts. They also use both English hops which are on the fruity side and German hops that give it the spicy floral touch. Add a Belgian Abbey yeast and ferment it at a low temperature and this is what you get. Quite delicious.

Now, you might ask, how did I come to know so much about this beer. Well, if you go out the back door of Rocky Sullivan's this is what you encounter, the door to...

Six Points Craft Ales


I wouldn't be the Bar Man if I didn't poke my head inside to take a look at this micro-brewery that consistently turns out good brew.

The Guts Of The Operation




As you can see, there was a small tour in progress but I was too late to join in. No problem, I overheard what I needed to overhear. Apparently you can call to arrange a tour for a small group but I don't think they have any regularly scheduled tours.

Just opposite the door to the brewery is a stairway up to a very spacious split level rooftop drinking area. It was empty early this afternoon but I was assured that it packs up later in the day and on summer evenings. I would think so.

Level One


Level Two


I will most certainly make a point of stopping back here again. If only it was a bit easier to get to. But then that is what makes this neck of the woods kind of cool, it isn't really easy to get to by public transportation.

Oh, and if you are planning on visiting Six Points Craft Ales, be sure to go through Rocky Sullivan's. You will miss it otherwise. They have an almost non-existent street presence.

Six Point Craft Ales


No, Really


By the way, you can find Rocky Sullivan's at 34 Van Dyke Street.

Well, I was going to post about the food vendors at the soccer field but I got carried away a bit on my digressions. As a result I will wait until next time to cover the rest of the day. Longish posts can be a bit boring.

S'more, Give Me S'more

Nothing goes together better than beer and barbecue, so anytime I have an opportunity to combine the two I jump at it. Although I really like where I live in Downtown Brooklyn, a major drawback is that I have nowhere convenient to actually do the barbecuing myself. Pete's Waterfront Ale House makes some dynamite ribs, but sometimes I like to do them myself. Luckily I have two sister-in-law's who live in New Jersey and they let me store my stuff and do my cooking at their houses. On a recent nice Sunday I took advantage of this and headed on out.

You may have noticed that I did say beer and barbecue so I stocked up on a couple of six packs before getting to work on my meat.

Have A Very Merry Monk


Merry Monk's Ale is brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Pennsylvania. It is a Tappist style Tripel and comes in at a hefty 9.3% alcohol. A Tripel is called that because brewers use up to three times the amount of malt that you would find in standard Trappist style ales. This gives them a nice gold color and a nice head.

Barbecue And Beer


I guess technically I am smokin', not barbecuein' but why quibble over details. As you can see, the ribs look delicious and the ale was mighty fine as well. It has a nice fruity nose and flavor, apples and bananas come to mind with a malty smoothness. One to be careful of because the alcoholic content is well masked. This is definitely a keeper.

My brother-in-law Jim showed up and he brought some beers of his own.

Jim And La Rulles


As you can see, demented minds think alike because the La Rulles is a Tripel as well. It is brewed by La Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles in Rulles, Belgium so it is the real deal. It is a paltry 8.4% alcohol so compared to the Merry Monk it is almost a session beer. I also have an idea why those Monks were so merry.

This beer undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle so it pours a bit on the hazy side due to the residual yeast. This is to be expected and simply adds to the flavor. Neophytes sometimes turn up their noses at this cloudiness and think it means the beer has gone bad. No, no, no.

It had a nice orangey color and a bit of an orangey aroma as well. It isn't very highly carbonated and the thin head dissipates very quickly. You get a bit of hops and spice with a slight pepper back taste. A perfectly decent beer. La Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles has only been around since 2000 so it is not one of those venerable old breweries that you stumble upon occasionally.

Rather than pass the bottle around this ale actually made it into a glass. Although not the traditional tulip glass a purist would insist upon.

Fancy Stemware


I also had a sixpack of Flying Fish Belgian Style Doubel that I picked up. Flying Fish Brewery always put out great beers and I am a big fan of their products. They are located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey so they are almost neighbors.

This beer is a comparatively mild 7% alcohol but packs plenty of flavor. It is a darker beer, more of a brown color, and probably should have been poured into a glass to really enjoy the flavor. But, what can you say, I was just quaffing, and not really tasting. I don't think this one made it into a glass at all.

Bar Man And Jim Quaffing A Brew


The beer is a nice combination of hops and malts but with the traditional spice and fruit nose and taste of beers of this type. Of course this was my third beer of this type of the day and Bar Man doesn't exactly sip and spit. I suspect that by this time my taste buds were getting a bit worn out. Next time I get this beer I will start with it.

Jim also brought along a bottle of La Chouffe, another fine Belgian Ale. This one brewed by Brasserie dAchouffe in Achouffe, Belgium. Again, big bottle so this one got the glass treatment. Well, from me it did. Jim, who has no class, drank from a coffee cup.

Bar Man And Jim About To Be Chuffed With A La Chouffe


We were back up to 8% alcohol with this one and it was holding up well. Drinking Belgian style beers all day gives you a certain perspective on things. I felt like I wanted a waffle.

A nice orangey tint and a decent head when first poured. It had the requisite mix of flowers and spice. You can also get a good taste of the yeast. The alcohol comes through pretty good on this one so you won't really get sand-bagged by it. Again, it is a bit cloudy with yeast residual on the bottom of the bottle. Jim claimed there was more in the bottle than just yeast though.

Look What I Found In My Cup


I guess it must be the secret ingredient.

After a day of drinking and eating there was only one thing left to do. Have desert. For some reason we all thought s'mores would be a good idea and there was enough heat left in the coals to make a batch.

Toasting The Marshmallow


Now for anyone who doesn't know what a s'more is, it is a delectable treat made by making a sandwich out of two Graham crackers, a piece of Hershey's chocolate and a toasted marshmallow.

The Finished Product


As always a great time was had by all, especially by Jim and Bar Man.

Jets Opener

Well, at least the weather was nice. In fact it was a perfect day for a football game. The parking situation at the stadium is a mess though because a new stadium is being built right in the area of the parking lot where we have been tailgating for almost as long as the Jets have played here. We knew we would have to get to the game early to stake out a new territory. We also knew this might not be easy because everyone thinks they have squatter's rights to where they are used to parking. The situation is alleviated a bit if you are a season-ticket holder because only then can you get a parking pass that will allow you to actually park in the lot. And only one pass per owner of season tickets, regardless of how many tickets you own. Everyone else has to park in a satellite lot and then take a bus. This makes it hard on people who regularly go to the game but don't have their own tickets.

Well, Bernie wasn't about to get caught flat-footed. We were bound and determined, along with our buddy Bob and his wife, the Lovely Loretta, to get there early and establish a base camp. We were going in blind though, so we didn't know what to expect. Bernie showed up at my place at 6:00 A.M. and after about a ten minute delay due to me running a bit late, we were on our way. We met up with Bob and his wife at a gas station by the stadium and headed in. Luckily we got there early enough so that finding a spot wasn't a problem.

Early Arrival


This spot really was great because they are now strictly enforcing the one spot per car rule. We usually set up a tent between two cars so we thought this might be a problem. However, by parking right in front of the the parking lot pole we found we had ample room behind the car to set up.

Base Camp Established


After setting up we celebrated with some Jets themed donuts and coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.

Breakfast Of Champions


Of course this was also the perfect opportunity to crack open my keg of Heineken, which is Jets themed as well, although not intentionally.

Bernie Cracking The Keg


I had my first glass and I found it to be quite good. In my opinion, much better than bottled Heineken. It seemed smoother and had a bit more malt flavor to it. Maybe next time I will try to do a direct comparison to the bottled Heineken but we didn't have any with us today.

Bar Man Sampling The Beer


As our group grew others got their nose wet as well.

Ronnie Pulling His Beer


The only complaint I had about the keg was that as you got down to the end you really can't control the pressure and so the last several glasses you try to pour come out mostly foam. It didn't seem to make any difference how we tried to pour it, the result was pretty much the same.

The Foam


I have a keg of Heineken Light that I will bring to the next game and we will see if that one works better. If not, they may need to figure out a way to adjust the pressure a bit.

My friend, J.C., likes Russian beers so he usually brings an assortment to the game. I very seldom meet a beer I don't like, although I like some much less than others. These Russian beers are usually very good though. They tend to favor the malt over the bitters, which is fine with me. Now don't get me wrong, I like a hoppy IPA, and the hoppier the better. It is just that it seems as though hops is the new thing and even a lot of lagers are starting to taste like IPAs. A nice malty beer is a pleasant change of pace and this one was just fine.

New Neighbor, Bar Man, And J.C. About To Quaff


Oh yes, our new neighbors. As you can imagine, parking spaces like the ones we scored hadn't just been sitting vacant all these years. Eventually the crowd who used to park here showed up and a few of them weren't too pleased that we had "poached" their spot. We kind of explained that there were thousands of people who had been displaced and they all had to park somewhere so spots were pretty much up for grabs. Most of them were cool with this but a few seemed to continue to harbor a bit of a grudge. As more and more of our crowd began to infiltrate they realized that a whole crowd had moved in and that we weren't about to relocate. As I said, most of them just accepted the inevitable and we kind of blended the two groups together so we at least have a temporary truce. Most of their group was really quite friendly, but we will see if there will be some kind of a competition as to who can get to the game earliest in the weeks to come.

Back to the beer. I can't pronounce the name of the Russian beer we were drinking, but here is a picture. I know you can buy it at any number of deli's in Brighton Beach where there is a large Russian community.

Russian Beer


Now, just because we got to the game early doesn't mean we left early. We always like to let the crowd thin out a bit and have a post-game tailgate party while we are waiting. As you can see, by the time we were ready to leave the parking lot looked as deserted as when we arrived. A bit messier though.

Late Departure


Now, and I think this is a bit unfair, the Mysterious Chinese Lady said that the condition of the parking lot at the end of the game was very similar to the condition of our kitchen after I do my tailgate preparations. You be the judge.

Parking Lot


Kitchen


All and all we had a good time even though the Jets just got creamed by New England and our quaterback Chad left the game with an injured ankle. The play that will get shown again and again on ESPN was the longest kick-off return for a touchdown in NFL history, 108 yards. I can say I was there, even though it wasn't the Jets who did it. It could be a long season, but at least our next home game is against Miami. We always do well against them. Our next game though is against Baltimore and with their defense we will be in big trouble if Chad has mobility problems. I suspect he will not play.

SNERT

Okay, no pictures, just a question. In a recent post I mentioned I was having a snert with my shot of Old Crow. Now I remember from my youth that a snert referred to a small beer that was served with a shot of whiskey. This belief was reinforced by the fact that Hagar the Horrible's dog is named Snert. I assumed that this was because Hagar likes his beer.

However, I have been unable to find any documentation to verify that snert is actually used in that manor. I am pretty sure that at one time I did see such a definition though. It seems to me that snit is another term that means the same thing. I did find a definition for snit that said it was a unit of measure equal to 3 ounces, so this would fit. Most of the references I have recently found for snert are for it being an acronym for a variety of disparaging comments such as "Sexually Needy Emotionally Repressed Troll" or "Snot Nosed Egotistical Raging Teen."

If anyone can help me out with finding some documentation for the term snert being used to describe a small beer, please post a reply or send me an email. I will be most grateful.

Mainly Murray's

In terms of venerable old steakhouses, Murray's has to be at the top of almost anybody's list. Old is without question. It was started by Art and Marie Murray in 1946 and remains at its original location. Up until about a year ago it remained completely unchanged. Now, however, the interior is done in shades of chocolate brown, replacing the pastel pinks that had dominated for over fifty years. It remains as classy as ever though.

Murray's, Home Of The Silver Butterknife Steak


But, I am getting ahead of myself. After returning to Minneapolis from Rainy Lake I spent a couple of days with my friends, Rico and Sandy. You saw them in the pictures of Nye's. On the morning of our return to New York the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I drove to the airport, checked our car and luggage, and took the nifty light rail train downtown. It is a quick and convenient ride marred only by a somewhat demented ticketing system.

You pay two dollars, I think, for a ticket. Because we were going to go downtown and then back to the airport we each bought two. When the train came there was nobody collecting the tickets so as I sat there with it in my hand I noticed that it was only good for two and a half hours from the time of purchase. Initially I couldn't figure out why and regretted my purchasing two tickets at once. I should have regretted purchasing any because nobody ever collected the tickets, coming or going. In fact, other than one other person at the airport, obviously a tourist, I never saw anyone purchase a ticket. I think people were laughing at us when we bought ours.

I guess the theory must be that periodically uniformed and heavily armed security forces will board the train and anyone not having a ticket less than two and a half hours old gets beaten to a bloody pulp. But, being Minneapolis where the streets are clean and nobody crosses a street against the light you would probably just be scolded a bit and then given some lutefisk to stop your crying.

But, I digress. Right next door to Murray's was the Lyon's Pub, so I decided to go in and have a beer before my meal.

Lyon's Pub


This was a very comfortable bar with tables outside where you could sit and have a cool one on a nice sunny day. I prefer the inside unless I am on a lake or ocean or something. Sitting on a busy sidewalk in the middle of downtown isn't really my idea of how to enjoy a beer. Well, I guess if I had several and then started making disparaging remarks to everyone returning to work after their lunch break it could be kind of fun.

I decided to have a Summit Extra Pale Ale at the bar.

Dave The Bartender And Bar Man


Minneapolis and its sister city St. Paul used to be the home of many fine breweries such as Hamms and Grainbelt. They were also the home of the Lakers once which is why a team based in Los Angeles has that name. Minnesota has over 10,000 lakes, and their license plates proudly announce that fact to the world. And, you can probably guess where Land O' Lakes butter comes from. By the way, if you cut out the package of butter that the Indian maiden is holding and then cut out and paste in her knees you get an image of a topless Indian maiden. This is vastly amusing to anyone who has never seen it before, particularly grade-school boys.

Opps


Summit Pale Ale is a refreshing crisp beverage with a hint of hops and a subtle malty flavor. It is a nice burnished copper color with a small head that rapidly dissipates. Kind of like a good all around session beer should taste like. I would have gladly had another but I was looking forward to my steak next door. Dave said he didn't know why I was going there for their aged beef when they served fresh stuff here. Quite a card, that Dave.

Of course I had to have a pre-lunch libation at their very classy bar up front. This is the perfect setting to have a well-constructed cocktail so I ordered a Manhattan made with Jim Beam. I am developing a taste for these although a purist would insist that they be made with Canadian Rye Whiskey. I am not that much of a purist though so I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

A Touch Of Manhattan In Minneapolis


After the drink we headed to the dining room where the Mysterious Chinese Lady and I shared a perfectly done and perfectly delicious Silver Butterknife Steak. They sure haven't lost their touch because it was great. I have been eating here off and on for well over 40 years. It is the last remaining great restaurant of my youth left in downtown Minneapolis. Two of the others were Charlie's and Harry's, both long gone though.

If you ever get to Minneapolis, I strongly urge you to try out Murray's, and bring your appetite or order something smaller. It is a bit pricey, but not for what you get.

Nye's: Nice, But Best?

Last October Esquire Magazine had a nice write-up on Nye's in Minneapolis. In fact, the author rated it "The Best Bar In America." Now Nye's has been around, at least at their current location, since 1950's, so the place does have legs. I, on the other hand, grew up in Minneapolis and have been around even longer. And, yes, I did frequent Nye's. Mostly for the food though. Usually their spare ribs and sauerkraut, prime-rib when I was splurging. I can't say I ever hung out at the bar that much though. My favorite bars back in those days were Broadway Bar, the original location, and Lyle's, where everyone I knew hung out. Back then Broadway Bar was much cooler, in a bit of a rough way, than Nye's, and they had the best pizza in town, maybe in the world. Now this isn't to say that Nye's isn't a mighty fine bar, because it is. But the best bar in America? That might be a stretch. Everyone has their own favorite though.

Be that as it may, when I returned to Minneapolis from my trip up North I thought it would be fun to hit Nye's for old-times sake. My buddy Rico and his wife Sandy went with The Mysterious Chinese Woman and me and we arranged to meet another buddy, Jerry, at the bar. You may remember them from the infamous Brokeback Cabin posting, among others.

Bar Man And Rico At Nye's


Needless to say, we did not heed the "Do Not Enter" sign out front.

Here are a couple of more shots to give you an idea of the spread of the place. On the corner is the bar and the other two areas have dining and yet another bar.

The Sprawl




Now, if you think a good bar is a dark bar, then Nye's meets that criteria. I don't think there is anywhere that you can see outside. In fact, their really aren't any windows except for one in the bar. But you can't see out of that one because it is pretty much opaque.

My buddy Jerry showed up so we had one at the bar before settling into our table for dinner.

Jerry, Sandy, Bar Man, Rico with Dan the Bartender


I had a Manhattan with their well-whiskey which, I believe, was Jim Beam. Usually I like mine made with Maker's Mark, but I am starting to favor some of the other bourbons now. Maybe because they are newer to my palate. They seem to have a deeper, smokier taste. Interestingly, in the Midwest, you have to specify that you want your Manhattan with whiskey. Brandy Manhattans seem to be the norm. This doesn't seem to have hit the East Coast yet, as far as I know.

The dining area, adjacent to the primary bar area, is decorated in what Esquire said was a bordello style. It is, I guess. Can't say I have seen to many bordellos though so I will have to take their word for it.

Bordello Decore


I think, with the American flag and all, this is what a bordello might look like if it was run by your neighborhood VFW or American Legion. Which gives me a great idea on how those venerable institutions could revitalize their memberships.

There is a second bar in the back, but it seems like it is more of a service bar than one at which you could actually have a drink.

Bar In The Back


If you are ever in Minneapolis I would recommend you make the effort to pop into Nye's, just so you can see what Esquire thinks is the best bar in America looks like. There are several others in the neighborhood too, so you could do a bit of a crawl if you wanted.

Oh, I had the spareribs and sauerkraut for dinner and although I liked them, the Mysterious Chinese Woman thought they were a bit bland. I explained to her that in the Midwest these were considered spicy. In the Midwest adding salt and pepper is considered a bit daring. Lutefisk rules.

Having A Wet One

Ah, even on a bright sunny day you can find a spot to have a wet one in Downtown Brooklyn.

Having A Wet One


I figured as long as I was in Brooklyn I would have one of my favorites, a Brooklyn Lager. As I am sure many of you know, I am a big fan of Brooklyn Brewery's beverages. They consistently turn out good brews and their Brooklyn Lager is a very drinkable all-around beer, especially on a sunny day in the "rain."

For those of you who have access to Beer Advocate, a great publication covering the brewing industry, Garrett Oliver is on the cover of the August 2007 issue. Garrett is the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and has done an incredible job promoting not only his own beers, but craft beers in general.

You can read more about Garrett and get a lot of good information about beers either from Beer Advocate's magazine or their website.

You can check out their website here:

And, if you want to find out more about Brooklyn Brewery, here is where to go:

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By the way, the above are non-paid-for endorsements. However, Garrett, if a case or two of your beer mysteriously shows up on my doorstep, it would not be returned.