Experimental Cocktail Club
There’s merely-creative cocktails, and then there’s “experimental” cocktails. You can sip a well-made drink mixed with an infused liquor or unique housemade bitters at any number of mixology dens; but the esoteric ingredients on the menu at Experimental Cocktail Club…
Mission Chinese
Update: Mission Chinese has reopened at 171 East Broadway as of December 2014 Here’s the secret to enjoying a meal at Mission Chinese: go during lunch. It’s probably a great dinner spot, but hey, 1-2 hour wait for a table…
The Lowline
In the future we’ll ride elevators underground into the park, and hike through subterranean forests. At least, we will if the Lowline, which aims to be the world’s first underground public park, moves forward. The proposed site, a former trolley…
5Pointz
Update: 5Pointz has been demolished to clear space for new residential towers. Going to 5Pointz is a little like stepping into technicolor Oz. Stumbling onto it, usually while rumbling overhead on the 7 train, is a little bit of a…
Storm King’s Sugar House
Storm King is one of my favorite arty-zen places in upstate New York, and it’s as good a place as any to chill out and search for one’s photography mojo. The outdoor museum, located about an hour’s drive north of…
Nicoletta
Reading the New York Times‘ review of Nicoletta was a little like watching a particularly nasty football tackle. I mean, the guy had it coming, since he was all mandexed out, helmeted, and running into a wall of eleven other…
The Best Saison Beers For Summer Drinking
When I drink a saison beer I feel like my mouth is having a very dry and witty and natural conversation that I wish could keep going forever, without resulting in hungover self-hatred the next day. But, seeing as this…
Why Tomatoes Suck (When They’re Not Awesome)
Bad tomatoes are everywhere. They’re the bland, wet layer on your $12 burger and the mealy red crescents in your otherwise sprightly salad. They’re on grocery store shelves puffed up like water balloons, and at your higher-end chains, they’re laquered…
The Scuttlebutt from Saltie
I never fell hard for a vegetarian sandwich until I met the Scuttlebutt from Saltie. Two of my most hated ingredients–black olives and capers–lurk within this sandwich and I don’t even care because it’s that good. In fact, I wouldn’t…
The Hog from Xe May Sandwich Shop
Unfortunately I never really acquired a taste for banh mi. Which is a shame, because these Vietnamese sandwiches are probably the best bang for your buck when it comes to a flavorful under-$5 meal. I’ve had banh mi from Saigon…