Category: Girls Just-a-Wanna Have Fun

We Americans can claim talent and often superiority in a variety of pursuits these days, but when it comes to drinking, Ireland still put us to shame. At least we still have better breakfast. But you don’t need an airline ticket to visit this magical land of drinking – just a liver of steel and a high tolerance for slurred singalongs. Thanks to their customers’ natural talent for holding the hooch, as well as a rich history in NYC, the Irish bar has become near-synonymous with tying one on in the Big Apple. So whether you’re as Irish as a whiskey-soaked potato, or whether you don’t know your soda bread from shortbread, these three East Village bars will give you a taste of the Emerald Isle without having to leave the Isle of Manhattan.

Bull McCabe's

Irish eyes are smiling at this St. Mark’s Place institution, where the standard 1-2 punch of cheap beer and Jäger shots will leave you with a hangover and a lot of fun (but fuzzy) memories. The spacious garden, complete with a crumbling airplane, is one of the sweetest spots in the neighborhood for a drunken summer evening. The crowd is a crazy mix of employees from the local shops and restaurants, wee NYU kids with low tolerances, and hard-drinking Irish nationals looking for a taste of home. Add to that that the ever-friendly bartenders know the value of the occasional free shot to good customers, and you’ve got the makings of some excellent Gaelic gallivanting. Oh, and did I mention they have a beer bong?

Finnerty's Irish Pub

Even though its old location in a cavern-like basement on 3rd Avenue was far superior and a lot less generic-looking, the beloved Finnerty’s Irish Pub has managed to preserve much of its dive bar charm in the move to its new 2nd Avenue digs. This isn’t a bar for discerning cocktail-sippers; the standard order is a Tall Boy of PBR and a shot of whiskey (for $6, not a bad deal). If you come with friends who don’t mind Budweiser and plastic cups, the pitchers are the way to go (plus, you can usually count on a buyback every three or four rounds). Besides the cheap beer and some seriously enormous well drinks, Finnerty’s is pretty basic; diversions include a pool table, foosball, decent digital jukebox, and of course, Erotic Photo Hunt. But the super-nice staff and funny sodden regulars, as well as one hell of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, make this place a neighborhood treasure.

Ryan's Irish Pub

Ryan’s Irish Pub (which is owned by the same people as neighbor The Thirsty Scholar and the aforementioned Bull McCabe’s) is, like most Irish bars in New York, a tad overpriced and a little too sports-bar-ish for my usual taste. However, when you come in the afternoon, before the frat crowd settles in, there are few better places to sit and hash out your day with the bartender over a pint or three. The bartenders are often Irish and always fun to talk to, and they’re usually happy to take requests for the iPod sound system. Or you can always come with friends and stake out a table on the outdoor patio, which fills up fast during the warmer months. If you stay for dinner, stick with the authentic Irish and British food, like Bangers and Mash (my favorite) and Shepherd’s Pie – nothing soaks up Guinness quite like gravy-soaked meat and potatoes.

When you find yourself in Park Slope, whether you’re with friends or on a date or even on a pleasant day out alone, it’s almost a rule that you have to stop for some coffee. One place I find myself coming to again and again is Ozzie's Coffee and Tea on Fifth Avenue, not necessarily due to its quality or its atmosphere, but simply because of its gargantuan size. Ozzie's Seventh Avenue location, a converted pharmacy, is quieter and preferred by regulars, but the Fifth Avenue one is, as I said, sprawling (by New York standards). Thus, it has more of a community hub feel, with the flyers and community newspapers by the door and the constant stream of incoming young people, plus it offers plenty of tucked-away alcoves for you to hide out in when you just feel like crawling up with a good book. Both locations are known for their relative lack of pretension, and for the fact that you can chill out as long as you want without feeling pressured to leave, unlike bustling mommy-and-stroller havens like Tea Lounge.

Ozzie’s is known equally for its coffee and its tea, and purists insist that plain coffee or loose tea is your best bet for a beverage here. As far as coffees go, Ozzie’s Blend is organic and fair trade, as are most of their other beans, from Sumatra Mandheling to Colombian Supremo. They do their roasting in-house, which means the intoxicating aroma of freshly crushed coffee beans surrounds the store like an aura, enticing you in from the street with promises of rich flavors and sweet caffeine.

I like to come here when I’m out on my own, shopping or whatnot, and need a break. The iced coffee here is strong and perfect for those sweltering summer days, plus the painting of a giant, dripping iced coffee on the front windows of the store incites a near-Pavlovian reaction from me every time. But Ozzie’s fresh fruit smoothies, iced chai, and blended coffee drinks, which are way cheaper than frapps, also hit the spot when the temperature soars.

Now for the downsides. Ozzie’s charges for Wi-Fi, which is kind of dumb when it’s offered in basically all the other area cafés for free. The Fifth Avenue store gets REALLY hot during the summer, to the point where I tip the baristas double out of sheer pity as I watch sweat drip down their faces. Cleanliness falls behind fairly often (think overflowing trash cans), and general maintenance drops when there’s any kind of a rush (the all-important, but much too small, summertime water pitcher goes dry for hours at a time as thirsty patrons gaze at it longingly). All this despite the fact that there are obviously a ton of employees running around looking confused, which points to the larger problem -- that Ozzie’s tends to hire young, inexperienced workers willing to work for a song, but who are oftentimes completely inept. Another major problem is that they only offer paper cups for their beverages, and even use paper plates for their food, which is both environmentally irresponsible and, well, tacky.

All those negatives aside, Ozzie’s has a lot going for it. The coffee is dependably good, the food is decent if not outstanding (try the red velvet cake), and, most importantly, it’s a giant, thriving coffee shop. People-watching here never grows old, and there are usually a lot of cute single people hanging out. Plus, Fridays they host Open Mic night, so you can kick back a few espresso shots and get down with your Seattle side while you listen to grungy amateur acoustic guitarists sing about feelings. There’s something to be said for a place where that kind of atmosphere is still alive and well.

There are plenty of perfectly wonderful restaurants, bars and cafés in New York and the surrounding boroughs, but it is the rare establishment that can combine all three. That's why Bar Toto has been, and remains, a Park Slope mainstay. The mostly-Italian eatery is a great place to take your friends for a girls' night out, due to the place's lively café attitude, but it's an equally good date destination, with candlelit tables and ever-flowing wine making for a downright romantic setting. Most importantly, you can sit here for hours, over coffee, food, drinks and conversation, and in true Italian fashion, it won't be frowned upon by the wait staff.

The place has the appearance of a European sidewalk café from the outside, especially between April and September or so, when Bar Toto's outdoor seating becomes a hot commodity. The interior, with its pressed-tin ceiling and antique knick-knacks, feels like something straight out of 1960's Rome (if you ignore the lack of smoke clouds and Vespas parked outside). I always feel a bit like I've stumbled onto the set of an old movie when I come here, and indeed the location is often used for film shoots. The thing that stands out the most the first time you visit, however, is the seating arrangement. It still seems strange even after months of eating there, actually. They don't leave any room between the tables! When you're getting seated, you see, the waiter pulls out not your chair, but your table, and after one of you is seated, back the table goes, and you're locked in. Tables flying here and there, people awkwardly squirming out to use the bathroom…it all seems so impractical, and yet it works.

When gathering with friends and loved ones, I believe you should always start with an appetizer, and the House Antipasto ($10) is a time-tested crowd-pleaser in this regard. The complimentary flavors of the assorted cheeses, pickled vegetables and cured meats leave your hunger piqued and your senses tingling. Pay attention to the daily specials, because some of the best dishes I've tried at Bar Toto have been specials – a sign of good cooks at work. As far as entrées go, I particularly recommend the pasta dishes, which include the fantastic Penne with Peas and Prosciutto in Tomato Cream Sauce ($9). The restaurant's flatbread pizzas are topped in classic Italian style and are great for a light meal, but if you're really hungry, go for one of Bar Toto's special Panini Burgers. The Toto ($9) is the house Panini Burger, and comes grilled to order, topped with Gorgonzola cheese and red onion. The fries that accompany this and a number of other entrées are abnormally delicious, and would be fantastic alone as a snack with drinks (with a side of mayonnaise if you really want to do it up European-style).

Even if you dine elsewhere, you can stop by Bar Toto afterward for $3 drafts and well drinks at Reverse Happy Hour, which takes place seven nights a week from 11:00pm to 2:00am. Late-night Happy Hour is a tricky thing, though; by 2:00am, going to work the next day starts to seem a little more optional.

There's a lot to be said for being single this Valentine's Day. You won't need to seek out a good wax, there will be zero jitters about whether or not to wear sexy lingerie, and best of all - no expectations! So heed my advice and grab your best gal pals for a perfect Valentine's Day in the city.

Since chocolate is the overarching theme of every Valentine's day, plan to meet your girlfriends at Vosges Haut Chocolat (132 Spring St.) where you can all indulge in an exotic sampling of truffles like the Black Pearl, which has hints of wasabi in it. Once you've satisfied your sweet tooth, walk over to Soho Nail (458 West Broadway) where you'll get a fantastic manicure and pedicure for a measly $20. Talk about being a cheap date.

Once your tootsies are pampered, continue to indulge yourself at Sabon (93 Spring St.) This pricey but fabulous soap shop will let you scrub your hands in their giant sink. If you're not in the market to purchase some of their washes (roughly $30) ask for some free samples, which they'll gladly dish out. Walk around Soho with your newly purchased soap and hit up lots of the fabulous boutiques where you can continue to indulge in some shopping. Cynthia Rowley? (376 Bleecker St.) Marc by Marc Jacobs? (163 Mercer St.)

Now that you've worked up an appetite shopping, you may as well stop in to Magnolia's for another ode to your sweet tooth. Just cross your fingers that the line isn't too long. Gather up your shopping bundle and catch a great indie flick at the Angelika Theater – no girly movies allowed. You can cry over spilled hot chocolate on V-day, but not over boys. Grab a cab and cap off the night with some sushi on the west side. Try Empire Sushi Garden. Excellent service, excellent sashimi, and excellent sake! End the ladies lovefest at nearby Alice's Tea Cup where you can rehash your day over a cup of tea – and perhaps another dessert. You can never have too much dessert on Valentine's Day.

All of the action and excitement in Brooklyn’s Park Slope happens along its wide avenues, and as the neighborhood has developed, the action has moved steadily West towards the shore. Prospect Park forms a natural Eastern border to the neighborhood, and nearby Seventh and Eighth Avenues dominated the scene up until around the late 90’s. Since then, Fifth Avenue has undergone a radical transformation from one interminable, impoverished strip mall to the new center of the neighborhood. Trendy bistros replaced 99 cent stores, and dilapidated brownstones were whisked away, only to be replaced by construction zones, their wooden fences plastered with idealistic renderings of architecturally-confounding condominiums.

Some of the bars, stores and restaurants on Fifth Avenue predate the Avenue’s ‘hip’ status, however, and The Gate is one of them. It benefits from its prime location at the heart of Park Slope, across from Byrne Park, a popular park and playground surrounded by upscale restaurants and boutiques. Just like nearby Commonwealth, The Gate is a neighborhood joint through and through, a place where the regulars look more like your cool middle-aged college professor than your typical shrieking sorority girl (the staple resident of New York bars). If anything, the walk-in business generated by the street’s newfound popularity has turned off a lot of longtime loyal customers, who liked the place back when they could sit down with a Scotch and work on their novel in relative peace any night of the week, or strike up a lively debate with the bartender and the handful of other locals who haunted the place.

But whether they like it or not, The Gate has acquired a lot of new fans, and during the warmer months, when the bar’s large patio is swarming with after-work tipplers, mingling under clouds of cigarette smoke, the place becomes a great place to chat up cute locals. The bar has become a place for local residents to meet people who are actually interesting and literate and don’t harbor plans to start a hedge fund, and that is a rare thing indeed.

The bartenders at The Gate are great at what they do, and they’ll give you expert opinions on any of their fine selection of beers, both draft and bottle, as well as their carefully chosen Scotches, Whiskies, and whatever else your liver is craving. A constantly rotating selection of beers, focusing on smaller breweries (Rogue, Brooklyn, Blue Point) gives regular customers the chance to try things they might otherwise never taste on tap, if at all. The taps switch over to a new theme every few weeks, whether it’s beers made in the state of New York, Winter-themed brews, or beers that start with the letter A (OK, I made that last one up). Tech-savvy brewhounds can check The Gate’s blog to find out what’s on tap (http://thegatebrooklyn.blogspot.com/).

Royale is one of my favorite Park Slope bars, but it also stands as a lesson in “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” You see, it once featured exotic, harem-style canopies that half-enclosed round booths in the bar’s large back room, giving the place the unmistakable atmosphere of a desert oasis. In a neighborhood where most bars hang up a beer sign or two and call it a day, people came to Royale for their unique décor, among other things. Despite the popularity of the harem booths, a year or so ago, they inexplicably disappeared, replaced by normal (albeit larger) booths. Things just ain’t been the same since then.

Royale is still a beautiful bar, however, and its stylish color palette and antique decorative touches keep me coming back year after year. I took my drinking buddy, Liz, to the bar the other day after work. Liz is no stranger to the bar herself, and she was as ready as I was to take advantage of what the bar refers to as Royal Happy Hour, which takes place every day between 5pm and 9pm. Wine, well drinks, and selected draft beers are two for one during this special, so Liz and I toasted our Yuenglings, all aglow with the promise of a free second round

Our favorite bartender, Christopher, has excellent taste in movies, and is always playing something awesome when you walk in the bar. This can be treacherous, as I inevitably end up watching the film instead of socializing. On the other hand, there’s something comforting about taking in a screening of “The Big Lebowski” while you down your brews, bonding with the barflies over the wacky antics of Jesus the Bowler.

For those more interested in catching up with their friends, the bar’s refurnished back room offers a bevy of other options. A beer pong table will allow you to get your friends drunk and show off your table tennis skills at the same time, while the permanent DJ booth hosts an ongoing rotation of spin artists who represent a rainbow of genres for all tastes. The bar turns into something of a dance club on the weekends, and that’s when it really sets itself apart from the other bars in the area. The next time you’re in the area on a Saturday night, take your girlfriends to Royale and dance the night away with the hip locals. It’s a good excuse to put the moves on the cute emo guy at the end of the bar, or, failing that, to work off the six beers that got you on the dance floor in the first place.

The south side of Park Slope is changing rapidly. The area was once known mainly for its auto shops and beauty parlors, and unless you had JFK Chicken in mind, you would be sorely disappointed if you chose to stage a night out on the town there. As the rent in Park Slope proper escalates, however, and the bohemian artist types who made the neighborhood what it is are forced out, Park Slope south, with its cheap rents and friendly neighbors, is a natural refuge. And as always seems to happen, as soon as the poor artists are forced into a particular as-yet-ungentrified neighborhood, the businesses soon follow. So nowadays, thanks to the sky-high rates on brownstones in the P Slope, my little neighborhood is becoming home to sushi places, health food stores, upscale cafés, and now, miracle of miracles, a wine bar!

Vin Rouge provides a welcome respite from the slough of nearby hipster bars where the house special is never more than a few clicks from PBR. Its warm, inviting interior beckons passersby through the French doors along the street, which they prop open during the summer, giving the place an open-air atmosphere. Exposed brick and an elegant wooden bar lend a Parisian feel, but the cozy and attractive smoking patio is vintage New York.

The small, knowledgeable staff will charm you with their enthusiasm for wine from the minute you arrive, but it would be difficult to make a misstep here. The menu is comprehensive in terms of types of wine offered, but it is also short, and thankfully, kind on the wallet. No bottle is over $50, and glasses range from about $5-12, so you can afford to try a few different things. Bringing your friends automatically multiplies the number of wines you can taste, and makes the tasting all the more fun, so invite all the wine lovers in your life to really make a night out of it. Such an ambitious tasting requires munchie foods, which Vin Rouge is now serving. Appetizers range from $3-10 and include nuts, olives, and a number of different cheese and meat plates. Bread is provided by the nearby Lopez Bakery, while the gourmet meats and cheeses hail from Bierkraft, a beloved Park Slope haven for beer and upscale deli foods (think Duck Confit, not Boar’s Head).

I have been here several times and have had the good fortune to taste a large number of fantastic wines. I have always been a sucker for Sangiovese, and the one I tried here, the Collelceto Sangiovese, Rosso di Montalcino, 2003 Tuscany ($9) was just lovely. Deliciously dry and poured generously by our bartender, it lasted me a long and pleasant time. My friend Liz ordered a special, the Bogle Petit Syrah ($10), and was equally pleased with her choice, finding it rich and complex in flavor. The Pâté Plate with cornichons, mustard and bread ($7.50) sounded interesting, but we instead opted for the Two Cheese Platter ($10), and while we thoroughly enjoyed the cheeses, we found the crackers provided to be a bit, well, cheap. A nice cheese deserves more than Ritz, that’s all I’m saying.

We soon forgot about the crackers, however, as the wine continued to flow. We opted for a round of dessert wines, always fans of a nice port or sherry. The one I decided to go with, the Casta Diva Muscat, 2005, Alicante, Spain ($9) was incredible, a wine that made me understand the term “nectar of the gods.” The Graham's Port "Six Grapes" NV, Duoro, Portugal ($6), while perhaps not as transcendant as the Casta Diva Muscat, was a formidable dessert wine on its own, and I would certainly recommend it to Port fans like myself.

I regret that I never manage to save room for dessert when I go to Vin Rouge, but I plan on trying their Wine Sorbet ($2/scoop) one day, or perhaps their Assorted Sugar Cookie Plate ($3.50) or the decadent-sounding Brownie with Ice Cream and Vodka Raspberry Sauce ($5). Unfortunately, they don’t yet serve cappuccino drinks (despite the fact that they are an offshoot of Has Beans, the popular café across the street), but they do offer French Press coffee and a variety of teas, which should satisfy your after-dinner caffeine deficiency. In a place with so many incredible bottles of wine on their racks, however, you’d be well advised to forget about the coffee and bone up on your knowledge of Sherry instead. I’ll toast to that!

Head back to the days of jazz and the prohibition at Flatiron Lounge (27 West 19th St). This popular jaunt in the flatiron district has a fantastic menu of cocktails that are each made with lots of tlc. The art deco interior and club room setting made me feel like the Rat Pack would be bursting through the doors at any moment. Don't be intimidated by it's hip décor, you'll fit in and feel at home with the affable staff and great crowd.

Every bartender has their favorite specialty drink – and so do the regulars. My pick? The Metropolis. It tastes like a Granny Smith but it isn't sweet – it's the perfect blend of apple and vodka. The atmosphere is very hip where the young and trendy like to hang out – though the crowd is mixed. For example, Flatiron Lounge is a place where you can take your visiting parents or a cousin who's still in college – and all parties would appreciate its vintage vibe. Bartenders are dressed like it's the roarin' 20's – all in black with dapper ties tucked into their shirts. The rest of the crowd is dressed, well, cool.

Weekends are usually packed but it's never hard to get attention from the bar staff. If you have to wait a few minutes for another drink, they'll let you know – and send you a water to hold you over. An average drink will set you back around $12 – but it's completely worth it. If you're a true martini lover, this place is your dream come true. Sample one of the martini flights where you'll get to try three mini martinis in a common flavor theme. This cocktail lounge should be a must on every visitors (or New Yorker's) list.

There are very few elegant eateries in the vicinity of Times Square that aren’t teeming with tourists. If you’re a New Yorker looking for some vino and a meal (or if you’re a tourist that hates the traps), then check out Divine Bar (236 West 54th St.). Also brother to an east side location, Divine Bar specializes in a great wine list and tapas.

The atmosphere is very hip – with dim lighting, leather seating, and a large bar on the lower level showcasing their extensive wine selections. If you’re looking for something other than pubs or sports bars in midtown west, this is the place. At my most recent outing to Divine, my friend and I each had a flight of merlot to start off the evening – a great selection of four wines for only $9.50. Since tapas are their specialty, we also shared an artichoke dip ($10.50), a brie pastry with nuts and dates ($10.50), as well as a delicious spinach salad ($10.50). The tapas are very generous and we could have easily filled up on two.

For a Friday night at 8 p.m. we were able to have a quiet meal upstairs (while a large crowd was at the bar below) but were still able to hear each other and enjoy our meal. The waiter was knowledgeable and pleasant – and gave us the thumbs up when we ordered the brie. Divine also has "vinoversity" - where you can sign up for wine tasting classes that are apparently quite popular. One thing to note: not a great place to go with a large group unless you call ahead – most tables seem to be suited for groups no larger than four. Either way, I felt the experience overall was simply…divine.

On a recent Saturday night, my friends and I decided to visit what many New Yorkers refer to as "Clubland" a.k.a the strip of trendy clubs along Tenth Avenue in Chelsea. As we approached Marquis, the endless line seemed less than thrilling and had us wishing we had never left Queens. Next door, however, we came across a frosted door, a guy with a clipboard, and no line. Score. The promise of drinks without a wait was reason enough for us to give Glass (287 Tenth Avenue) a try.

Glass was designed by architect Thomas Leeser and it's futuristic bar area opens into a bamboo garden that is more reminiscent of an airy Asian tea garden instead of the west side of Manhattan. The line to the bar was never long and the drinks were never too expensive (a ketel and cran cost me $10). I was also pleasantly surprised at how friendly the staff was. At one point several of my friends could not get a drink at the bar and the manager quickly sent a waitress to our table to take personal drink orders… making us feel like VIPs though in reality, we were very far from it.

Though there isn't an actual dance floor, the outdoor area serves as one with seating lining the perimeters. The DJ was spinning lots of old school Madonna and some new Kanye – a perfect blend if you're looking to dance the night away. The weirdest – and most well-known – aspect of Glass are the bathrooms. The co-ed bathrooms boast only three stalls for men and women so the lines tend to get painfully long. The bathroom mirror is two-way, so if a line does start to fill outside of Glass, everyone can watch you wash your hands though you can’t see them. Though the bathroom left me feeling like I was hanging out in a fishbowl, I'll definitely revisit Glass…as long as there’s still no line.