How Sweet It Is: Syrup Reconsidered

Before I moved to France, when I heard the word syrup I thought of breakfast pancakes or cough medicine. But here, sweet, flavored syrups are one of life’s little pleasures. They are everywhere and added to everything–wine, sparkling water, beer, warm drinks and even champagne.

Stop by the beverage aisle of any supermarché and you’ll be confronted with row after row of the stuff. They’re much like the syrups you find in American coffee shops for flavoring Italian sodas or lattes, but here the selection and availability are unbeatable. Litchi, mango-passion-pear, mint, peach iced tea, cinnamon, grenadine. The syrups are so popular that there are 3 brands of cherry at my Carrefour–thrifty store brand, mid-range, and one with packaging and a price tag verging on luxurious.

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.

E: Egg Cream

Whether you like them or not, egg creams, a frothy, chocolate drink, are one of those things that you have to try at least once when in Brooklyn. Found at diners and soda fountains, the drink doesn’t contain eggs at all–it’s a mixture of milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup. Think of it as the champagne of chocolate milks.

There is much debate about the egg cream’s origin, but many believe it was first created in the late 19th century by a Mr. Auster of Brooklyn. It was cheaper to make than a shake, but has a similar flavor. Some say that the “egg” comes from the Yiddish word “echt,” meaning genuine or good. Others say egg creams did contain egg whites at one time, in order to make the foam frothier. Regardless, stop by a diner for an egg cream and see what you think. These days they’re sometimes offered in stawberry and vanilla, too.

Here are a few choice diners in Brooklyn where chances are pretty high you’ll be called sweetheart while ordering your egg cream:

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.

Just Like Camp- But This Time With More Drinking

Camp is the bar for people who miss theme parties, summer camp, or ideally, both. Camp is a summer camp themed bar located directly across from the Bergen stop on the F/G. The cheesey camp theme is overdone, but overdone to perfection.

The decor is all summer camp chic, complete with a natural wood bar, a fire place, a kayak, stuffed deer heads, board games and even s’mores. Drink prices are pretty typical for the neighborhood ($5 beers, $8 cocktails), but they are well made and the house specialties are summer camp themed drinks like the minty chocolate “dirty girl scout.” Movies projected on the wall and weekend dj’s are a nice touch. Despite the feeling that this is the kind of bar that’s a destination in itself, the weeknight we were there, it still had the vibe of a casual neighborhood spot.

Anne and I wandered in there the other night and were pleasantly surprised. They were out of both s’mores and rice krispy treats, which was a little disappointing, but the bar tender said that it was because we were there on Tuesday and they don’t restock until Wednesday. The drinks were good and I’d definitely go back.

Dine in Brooklyn Week- Not Too Late

Yes, this post is a little late. But it’s not yet too late.

Dine in Brooklyn Week (which is suspiciously similar to Manhattan’s Restaurant Week) is going on from March 19th- March 30th. That means you still haven’t missed it!

A whole bunch of Brooklyn’s finest restaurants are offering 3 course pre-fixe dinners for $21.12. Brooklyn’s slightly less fine, but still tastey restaurants are offering 2 for $21.12 specials.

For high end restaurants like Blue Ribbon (and Blue Ribbon Sushi), Rose Water and Ici, this is a real bargain. For more midrange restaurants like Madiba or Sotto Voce, this might not be a huge savings, but it’s a great excuse to go out. Or, take the opportunity to go to your favorite casual spot like Rice or The Park Slope Chip Shop and save a little cash.

There’s still time!

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.

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.