If you’re a beer-lover in NYC here’s one event you shouldn’t miss. Since most people in the US like their light, ice-cold, and bubbly lagers, cask ale, or “real ale,” is pretty uncommon outside of the city. Since the lifespan of a cask ale once tapped is only a few days, the idea of this event is genius: get a whole bunch of cask ales together, for a swarm of beer lovers to drink over three days, or until the casks are kicked. Strategically, the first night is the night to go, but you can still drink your fill tonight and tomorrow at Chelsea Brewing Company at Chelsea Piers. Hopefully I’ll even have some crappy Treo pictures to add once I get it working again.

The definition of Cask Ale or “Real Ale” by the Campaign for Real Ale is is: “Unfiltered, unpasteurized beer brewed only from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.” Unlike keg beer, which is filtered, artificially-carbonated, served cold, and stored in a drum that forces beer out under gas pressure, cask ale contains living yeast that continues to ferment. Finings such as irish moss are added to drag the yeast down to the bottom so you don’t get a mouthful of yeastiness. It is best consumed within three days of the cask being tapped, although a stronger beer will last longer.

If you’re not wild about the idea of sipping a warm, flat pint of sediment-heavy ale, it’s actually better than it sounds. I tasted a few (natural) bubbles, and didn’t miss the excess. The beer is cool (though not cold), and I did taste more yeast, but I found it was easier to notice other flavors too, especially with a row of little glasses lined up for tasting. Of the two-page, 46-beer list, I picked the one cask that was never delivered to be excited about: The Blue Point Cherry Imperial Stout. But I was pleased with the Butternuts extra-special porkslap, a unique pale ale which had a nice maltiness as opposed to being overly hoppy. The Brooklyn ‘Black Ops’ imperial stout (10% ABV and aged in bourbon barrels) was rich, molasses-dark, and VERY strong. I probably over-reached a bit by ordering a pint of it (I noticed my server’s eyebrows did shoot up a bit when I asked for “a big one.”). Each beer is available in an 8 oz or 16 oz glass, and prices range from about $3.00-$4.50 for 8oz, and $6.00-$9.00 for 16oz. There’s no admission fee, though you need to purchase sheets of $20 “tokens.” Beer-friendly food such as bratwurst and knishes are also available. I drank up all my tokens before I got to try it, but the word on the street is the pulled pork is worthwhile.

The 2nd Manhattan Cask Ale Festival

NYTimes.com: “The Power in the Cask: Old Ways New Beer”

Friday September 19-Sunday September 21
Chelsea Brewing Company, Chelsea Piers
17th Street and West Side Highway

I don’t know of too many baked goods that warrant their own website comparing them to mermaids and unicorns, but City Bakery’s pretzel croissant has one, perhaps deservedly so. A dream-concoction of sweet and savory, the pretzel croissant boasts a flaky, salty, sesame seed-studded crust, which you crunch through to reach the chewy whole wheat middle. A hint of pretzel leads to irresistible nibbling while the tad-buttery, doughy center leaves you oh-so-satisfied. For the dwindling moments spent with this snack, mere pretzels and croissants seem bland by comparison, and cult-like devotion is completely understandable.

At $3.50 each, pretzel croissants are what I’d call an affordable luxury, but if you’re really gunning to get the most bang for your buck, pack one up and pair it with a cold beer (I like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - $2.00/bottle). Now you can call it “brunch fit for a champion.”

And for the record, the cookies, muffins, scones and tarts at City Bakery are all pretty good, but their pretzel croissants and the hot chocolate are the stuff you’ll day-dream about some day when you’re far away from Manhattan.

City Bakery 3 West 18th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenue
Mon-Fri 7:30am-7pm Sat 7:30am-6pm Sun 9am-6pm

Well the big news to kick off ‘08 is that after a crazy month of job-hunting, amongst other unsnacky things, I’m no longer recently-laid-off, I am newly-hired! So from the freight elevators, mannequin stores, and sidewalk plant shops of Chelsea, I’m bouncing back to the black glass skyscrapers, tourist clots, and corporate cafeterias of Midtown. Some things remain the same: I’ll still be tinkering with the webernets, but this time in the magazine world.

Lunches I will miss, in no particular order: honeycrisp apples from the Greenmarket, pretzel croissants from City Bakery, coffee from Blue Dog (and thank you to the adorable bespectacled boy who would pour my daily medium black coffee without my having to say a word), fresh mozzarella slices from 33 Brick Oven, sweet corn relish hot dog and fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce from F&B, and gruyere + avocado burger with sweet potato fries from brgr. Chelsea, I hardly knew ye. But at least there’s still Midtownlunch.

In a town known for its pizza, it can be pretty damn difficult to find a good, cheap slice. There’s a dozen places where you can order up superb whole pies, but try ordering a slice at some old-school joint and you’ll be laughed out of there.

I didn’t expect a lot from Brick Oven 33. A hole-in-the-wall chain that’s camped out on the North and South sides of 23rd Street like an interstate Burger King, and unconvincingly slaps “Gourmet” on its signage, Brick Oven happens to have a decent margherita slice ($3.25). Don’t be tricked by the three-dollar-mark into ordering the merely above-average regular slice ($2.25). The margherita really shows off their tangy tomato sauce, which is topped with a bit of melted fresh mozzarella, instead of buried under processed cheese. My slices came with a subtle top-layer of grease, and the thin crust is easily folded in half. My only gripes would be that a little more char on the crust would serve this slice well, and the seating, of course, is limited. But then standing around and eating pizza is an essential NY skill.

If you’re anywhere near the West Fourth subway, definitely still head to Joe’s, but Brick Oven’s a good standby further uptown. They’ve just opened a spotless, heavily windowed location at the people-watching extravaganza that is the corner of 14th St. and 6th Avenue, so I’m guessing we’ll be seeing a few more blue Brick Oven awnings popping up around town.

Brick Oven 33 - 527 6th Ave at 14th St., 268 W 23rd St. at 8th Ave, 171 W 23rd St. at 7th Ave, and 489 3rd Ave. at 33rd St.

There’s something kinda pathetic about eating lunch in a cubicle. The pungent smells and crunching sounds accompanying coworker’s lunches are almost are irritating as the act of chasing breadcrumbs down the crannies in my keyboard. But what other options are there when looking for a quick snack at work that’s free of social obligation? The corporate cafeteria feels like college. The lunchroom is awkward. The park—well, you’ll just attract the hard-eyed stares of hungry pigeons and squirrels and a lot of cigarette smoke. I’m not looking for a third place so much as a fourth place; a refuge away from society where I can quietly stuff my face.

I once solved this riddle for an entire year by eating in my car.

F&B in Chelsea does a pretty good job at being my work refuge. This is “haute” fast food, done well. If you order anything, get the frites (about $2.50)—they’re superbly crisp, with a creamy garlic aioli dipping sauce, or “misted” with truffle oil. Even the herbed green bean “fries” are yummy and come with a neat wooden poking fork. The hotdogs are also a good bet (about $3.75)—though I find their skin somewhat tough and elasticky, tasteful and imaginative toppings—especially the sweet corn relish, or sauteed mushrooms and onions, more than make up for it. I’ve not yet tried the beignets, though the price is tempting ($1.00 for three); the Swedish Meatball sandwich was a little disappointing, but the option of ordering beer or champagne (??) along with it is nice to have.

Not the cheapest lunch, (a dog, fries, and drink combo with dipping sauce will set you back about $8) but the clean, sleek bars and high stools lining the walls are inviting to the lone luncher, and they generally play music that doesn’t suck. When I’m here, I feel loved.

F&B, 268 W 23rd St. at 8th Ave.

Mon-Fri 11 am – 10:30 pm, Sat & Sun 12 pm – 10:30 pm