V: Vanderbilt Avenue

I’ve been a frequent rider of the 69 bus, which traverses Vanderbilt Avenue, for the past 2 years. The section between Grand Army Plaza and Atlantic Avenue in Prospect Heights is constantly evolving. There’s an interesting mixture of old and new–a faded ad for Brooklyn BBQ is painted on the side of a building right next to a tiny French cafe. It’s a beautiful, brownstone-y stretch of blocks, and one ripe for visiting. Next time you’re in the area, get off the bus and take a stroll.

P: Pete’s Candy Store

Bored of the usual beer & chat? With free weekly poetry readings, bingo games, and spelling bees, Pete’s Candy Store is the perfect bar for those who need a little entertainment with their booze. The drinks are excellent (I’m partial to the French Gimlet with fresh lime juice), if a little expensive. I go on bingo nights, though, so I just think of the $8 price tag as part of the cost of the game.

My bingo curiosity and its proximity to cheap Polish food were what first brought me to Pete’s. The game is fun and rushed–you might want to sit out your first round and watch hands moving from card to card to drink to card before you dive into the madness yourself. You can play as many cards as you want, and almost everyone seems to win a prize (think leftover Halloween candy in July, paper lanterns, and AC/DC CDs) eventually. You will not be disappointed. I never win anything, and even I walked out of Pete’s clutching a set of duck shaped magnates after my very first visit.

Beer for Bags

Alright, this deserves a quick interruption of the Brooklyn alphabet–this weekend New Yorkers can trade cases of beer for bags. Crumpler bags (which makes sturdy messenger and computer carry-alls) is taking beer barters instead of money. The phenomenon is fully explained on their website and in this New York Times article. Basically, they set the price, (2 cases of x beer for y bag, for exampe) and you do the rest. Apparently, buying with beer saves around 40-50%. Plus, by purchasing a bag, you get invited to the after party where the beer is imbibed. If you’re in the market for a new laptop holder or camera case, I say check it out.

B: Brooklyn Brewery

The Brooklyn Brewery, located a block from the water in Williamsburg, is an excellent weekend destination for gourmet and deal hunting beer shoppers alike. On friday nights and saturday afternoons, the warehouse is transformed into bargain bar and tasting rooms. On Saturday, you can also get a free tour of the brewing facility.

The tasting room can be crowded, but it’s fun crowded- like a party, not like a post office. The process of buying beer tokens and then waiting in a seperate line to get to the the bar can be a bit of a hassle, but your patiences gets you a cup of almost any Brooklyn Brewery product for $3. They have nearly a dozen brews on tap including seasonals that have just been released and some limited edition brews. They also have plenty of the Brooklyn Lager that’s a staple of bars across the city.

The last time I was there, they were getting rid of the remainder of their winter ale. They were selling 24 bottle cases for $12. They also sell a variety of gift items including limited run beers in gift sets, logoed glass wear, books and t-shirts for some pretty reasonable prices.

The Brewery is also a great place to stop before or after a visit to vintage mega store Beacon’s Closet (also a B) that’s located across the street.

The Brooklyn Brewery is located at 79 N. 11th st. in Williamsburg. It is open for happy hour from 6 -11pm on Fridays. Tours are available every hour on the hour on Saturday from 12 – 5 pm.

Cheap Food and Cheaper Booze

So we’ve already espoused the importance of getting out of the Lower East Side and the East Village for good food deals, but what do you do if you happen to be in that area just as your stomach starts grumbling? I have a favorite place where $6 gets you a tasty, filling meal, and just $4 extra gets you a creative mixed drink guaranteed to make you tipsy.

Sam the Cooking Guy Cooks, Rocks

While we’re plugging stuff we like, I thought I’d toss out an endorsement for Sam the Cooking Guy. Sam hosts his own cooking show that airs on NY1 and is a friend of the blog. (Well, ok, I’ve only met him twice, but he was very friendly both times.)

He’s the anti-celebrity chef, celebrity chef. His show has all the standard cooking show elements, but there’s a knowing tongue in cheekness about the way he does it. It’s great food advice with a subtext of “can you believe they let me host a cooking show?”

So good, So cheap, Soju

 

Drinking cheaply doesn’t have to mean drinking badly. For over a thousand years, Koreans have been drinking an inexpensive hard alcohol called soju. Think of it as the Korean equivalent of two buck chuck. In Seoul, restaurants charge around 1 dollar for a screw top bottle about the size of a standard beer bottle. Thus, it ranks highly on the “booze that’s cheaper than water” scale. Despite the budget friendly price, it actually tastes good.