Beer and flowers

Beer and flowers together. Why not? I find the duct tape zigzagging down the window like Frankenstein’s scar sort of interrupts the festiveness of the picture, though.

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I don’t think this bar wants my business

5th Ave. near 18th Street

Ellis Bar tries my nerves. Even a cool mug of beer didn’t help entirely. The first visit, it was little kids running around while their parents sat in the corner and ignored them, and the second time, it was the music. The bartender saw the place wasn’t crowded, and put on her loud, metallic favorites. I get the message; there are other places in the neighborhood.

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Eurotrippin’ @ Korzo

They decided Eurotrip didn’t sound right and was sending a confusing message for a restaurant serving stylized Eastern European chow. Now the place is called Korzo. At Fifth Avenue and 20th Street, it’s off doing its own thing, in the neighborhood called Greenwood by some (a.k.a., Park Slope Really South or Sunset Park North?).  I hope Korzo finds its audience; this area needs more restaurants and hang-outs.

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Brunch at the frat house

Wait, the beer tray decor was giving me an imaginary flashback, until I saw the tin ceiling reflected in the mirror and knew I wasn’t in frat-land. The Park Slope Ale House, on Sixth Avenue @ 5th Street, has expanded their weekend pub grub to include brunch. It’s pretty standard fare, but if you are waking up slowly and aren’t in the mood for a cheery and bright restaurant, you may find the dark interior of the Park Slope Ale House more to your taste.

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Brooklyn Inn

Middle room at the Brooklyn Inn

I’ve walked past the Brooklyn Inn, at the corner of Bergen and Hoyt (near the Bergen St. stop on the F train) hundreds of times; I’ve been meaning to there for a while, since I read online reviews that described it as a real neighborhood joint.  On weekends, especially, I try to steer clear of crowds and people who go out to see and be seen. The Brooklyn Inn is not that kind of place. The front room has a bar, the middle space has tables, and there’s a pool table in the back. The crowd spanned about four decades, and the mood is low key and friendly. I was there around 8:00 PM, so I don’t know what the place looked like at midnight. I’m not sure I’ll find out, but I’ll definitely go back for a cold draft beer.

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I love this building

305 Third Avenue, between 12th and 13th Streets, is a place of relaxation, kind of like a local 2-stop spa. Start your visit up a few flights, at the Brooklyn Acupuncture Project, where Robbie and Sarah will expertly and affordably address your ailments. Acupuncture is a mysterious thing, so if you’re feeling wobbly and a little off-kilter, I’d recommend a stop at the Draft Barn on the ground floor, maybe a cheese spread appetizer and cool beverage.

The Draft Barn is the Gowanus outpost of a restaurant on Avenue X in Brooklyn. Here, beer rules. There’s a revolving assortment on tap and 200+ bottled brands. The space is nouveau rathskeller; real timber beams suggest ye olde character without the unpleasantness of centuries of smoky, beery funk.

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Some cheer in my beer

The Bell House is on 7th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, in the neighborhood now known as Gowanus.  Beloved by the Yelp crowd for its performance space, I can vouch only for the lounge (at a non-peak time). Nice space, nice help, nice beer selection.

The beauty of Bell House is its relative isolation. I have a beef with complainers who say the place is out of the way, in an industrial never-never land. When you go, get out at the 4th Avenue stop on the F train, not Smith & 9th, to avoid crossing the canal. Or take the R to 9th Street. Bring a friend. Hell, if you’re scared, hold your friend’s hand and run those couple blocks from the subway to the Bell House. Then, when you arrive safe, winded, and thirsty, of course, remind yourself that being hip is about pushing boundaries, including the geographical.

Walk Gowanus in daylight, and you’ll get the feeling that Park Slope has started sliding downhill, and the brownstones have turned to low cinderblock buildings. Whatever. You cheated death to get to the Bell House at night, and that’s what counts.

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