Check out the review of Earl’s in the New Yorker. Guys, you rock.
Category Archives: What my friends are up to
New Location for Vinyl Wine
The Mikes are moving. Next door to Starbucks, steps from the 6 train, on Lexington between 96th and 97th streets. We’ve been helping them get ready. Soft opening tonight!
The thirsty rockers have come along.
If you’ve been to the old space, you’ll notice this one is quite a bit bigger.
In addition to greater shelf space, you'll also find a piano. Ask nicely, and maybe this guy will play for you.
Wait until you see some of these record covers that adorn the checkout.
Scrubbing the shelving last night. Donkey & Goat's The Stonecrusher made the job more fun.
Filed under What my friends are up to, Wine
Earl’s in TONY
Get your growler on. Photo by Paul Wagtouicz.
Earl’s Beer and Cheese is at it again. This time, they’re featured in the “Where to Drink this Week” section of Time Out New York.
Worth a trip uptown, indeed.
Filed under Alcohol in the News, What my friends are up to
“Earl’s a Pearl”
Super big ups to Adam, Corey, Mike and the rest of the Earl’s crew!
NY Mag’s Underground Gourmet gives Earl’s Beer & Cheese a glowing, 3 star review. “Some of the best (and cheesiest) bar food in town.” “As fine a convergence of food and setting that this precinct has seen since Rao’s.”
Yeah, baby.
photo by Danny Kim for NY Mag
Filed under Alcohol in the News, What my friends are up to
So Much Pretty
One week from today, my sister-in-law has a book coming out.
You can pre-order it from Amazon. You can read more about the book and about her on her website.
My favorite review for it so far is the LA Times:
“So Much Pretty” is harder to pin down, trickier in its aims and delivers a skillful, psychologically acute tale of how violence affects a small town, its tentacles enmeshed so deeply into the collective fabric that it takes the thoughts and actions of one intelligent adolescent to shake things up and force everyone to examine their duplicitous complacency. To say more about Hoffman’s constantly surprising story is to reveal too much, but the payoff is more than worth the slow-building suspense.”
Look for her in the NYT Book Review this Sunday, 3/13. We’ll all need a drink in anticipation of that, which leads me more to the point of this post.
I’ve developed two cocktails for the release party we’re hosting for Cara at The Monday Room next week.
So Much Pretty
1 1/2 oz. McKenzie Bourbon
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Carpano Antica Vermouth
Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Serve up in a chilled glass with a cherry garnish.
Cara’s favorite cocktail is a Negroni (she hasn’t tried this one yet), and if you subbed gin for bourbon, that’s what you’d get. I wanted to use a spirit from upstate, since that’s where the story takes place. The drink has a girly color, which belies its non-girly flavor. Once you read the book, you’ll get why this last part makes sense.
So Much Pretty, 0% abv
4 oz. ginger beer (I like Fentimans, though I think we’re using Ithaca for the party, for additional upstate-appropriateness)
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. star anise simple syrup (made this at home, more on this later)
Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass over ice and garnish with candied/crystalized ginger.
When asked in an interview if she could only eat one thing for the rest of her life, Cara replied crystalized ginger, so that explains version 0% abv.
Looking forward to toasting So Much Pretty with a So Much Pretty!
Filed under Cocktails, Events, What my friends are up to
Earl’s Beer & Cheese
Mike is at it again, poised to become the mayor of East Harlem. Earl’s opened just over a week ago and here are some shots from this past weekend.
The logo, also a print hanging just inside the entrance, was designed by our friend, Chad.
Two deep at the bar, many folks from the neighborhood.
Sad to be back from vacation, but happy to see our buddy's young bar so busy. It has a great, neighborhood feel, reminiscent of Marshall Stack.
It's worth the trip for the food alone. I tried the tomato soup and the grilled cheese with pork belly and kimchi. I heard the pot pie is killer.
Filed under Bar Reviews, What my friends are up to
Vinyl Wine coming soon
My buddy Mike is opening a wine store uptown, on the east side of Lexington between 99th and 100th streets. He’ll feature about 100 selections from all over the world, most falling in the $10-20 range. All have been tasted and I’ve had the chance to throw in my two cents. He’s hoping to open within the next two weeks, but in the meantime, you can find the store on Facebook. Shots of the inside (including a picture of Elton John in a white leisure suit drinking rosé) coming soon!
Filed under What my friends are up to, Wine
To hold you over
I have some posts in the works, including a nod to the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris, but until I can get it together, I thought this might hold you over.
One of my dear friends has been traveling in Central America – primarily Costa Rica – since January (I’m not jealous) and she started a blog. She’s written a few posts about beverage, but my favorite is titled, “It’s not wine, it’s Clos“.
Filed under What my friends are up to
A Thirsty Spirit 