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11211 Travel Guide

Further Reflections on Pizza: Brooklyn's Motorino Pizza Napoletana

March 29, 2009 at 3:21 PM | 0 Comments

It takes coglioni to open a fancy new pizza restaurant in an Italian part of Brooklyn, but Motorino is giving it a go in Williamsburg anyway. Just three blocks from the mostly take-out Sal's Pizza - a longtime favorite of mine - Motorino is looking to attract a more upscale, sit-down clientele, with a handsome wood-accented interior, dim lighting, and downtempo techno tunes piped through the sound system. Motorino's claim to fame is its wood-burning oven, which produces Neapolitan-style pizza with its signature fluffy crust that's ever-so-slightly scorched on the bottom. Since Williamsburg was originally populated by Italians from in and around Naples, particularly the town of Nola, Motorino's version of Neapolitan pizza is sure to receive a curious yet skeptical reception.

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Is Your Facial Hair of World Champion Quality?

March 12, 2009 at 10:21 AM | 1 Comment

Aside from the occasional octogenarian who refuses to admit the Dodgers ever moved away, Brooklyn is not known for its sports prowess. But that doesn't mean it isn't a highly competitive place, so we're glad to see the Williamsburg crowd has found something productive to channel their energy into.

The borough's competitive streak will be on display this Saturday at Public Assembly for the New York City Beard and Moustache Championships. Cash prizes will be awarded for the craziest facial hair in a wide range of categories, including goatee, sideburns, patchy beard, full-grown freestyle, and yes, even a contest just for the ladies (who are allowed to fake it).

Who knows? You might even catch a facial hair legend-in-the-making. The best of the best may try their luck at the World Beard and Moustache Championships (no joke), to be held this Spring in Anchorage, Alaska.

Related Stories:
· New York City Beard and Moustache Championships [Official Site]
· World Beard and Moustache Championships [Official Site]
· Brooklyn travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: roendoftheroad]

Are Donuts the New Cupcakes?

March 5, 2009 at 1:31 PM | 2 Comments

We think so! Judging by the fervor we've seen around the virtual food world lately, we're ready to say the cupcake craze is over and donut madness has begun. It makes sense really, given the economy, that foodies would abandon the trendy, overpriced, over-fancified cupcake for the original fried dough comfort food.

So over the next few weeks we'll be taking a look at our favorite Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives—from beloved old school pastry shops to designer donut newcomers.

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Hipsters Need BBQ Too

February 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM | 0 Comments

The bizarre-but-tasty NYC BBQ trend isn't just for outer borough dives and trendy Manhattan celeb faves. One of the city's most celebrated new-ish BBQ joints is Fette Sau, a giant party scene of a restaurant set in an old factory space on Williamsburg's crowded Metropolitan Avenue.

There's something that screams not-genuine-BBQ when you walk into Fette Sau on a weekend evening and see hundreds of drunk 20-something hipsters spread out on picnic-style benches, downing flights of whiskey and shouting each other down while they impatiently await their orders. Despite the faux-rustic décor, you'd never think you were anywhere but Williamsburg.

But whether this is your kind of scene of not, the grub comes through in a big (and most-definitely-genuine-BBQ) kind of way. Smoked ribs fall off the bone, juicy pork belly melts in your mouth, and meals are finished with perfect pickles trucked in from Lower East Side legend Gus' Pickles.

· Fette Sau [Yelp!]
· NYC BBQ Coverage [Jaunted]
· BBQ coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [Gandhu & Sarah]

Rock Out at Brooklyn's Passout Records

February 1, 2009 at 3:35 PM | 0 Comments

After finishing up Saturday's entries, I met a friend and walked over to Passout Record Shop, an independent music store on Grand Street in Brooklyn dedicated to punk, hardcore, garage, and soul. Our friend Seth was performing an in-store show with his band, Blackout Shoppers, in honor of the release of their first album, Pass Out, and we showed up to offer our support and witness the insanity.

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Rockabilly in Brooklyn - The Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

January 31, 2009 at 4:24 PM | 0 Comments

As is often the case, we started out last night at the Brooklyn Brewery, and when the taps went dry, we made our way east on North 11th Street to the Sound Fix Lounge, a homey pub attached to one of Williamsburg's most well-regarded independent record stores. There were seven of us, and we shuffled in quickly, shaking off the cold and taking our places at the last available table, a bit of good luck that set the tone for the rest of the evening. As our eyes adjusted to the dimly-lit space, we noticed a handful of people dressed in 1940's-style clothing, ladies in flouncy skirts and snug white blouses, gentlemen in brown suits and crisp white dress shirts. They were here to see the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., a local rockabilly trio, and they were serious about their swing.

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The Brooklyn Brewery: A Splendid Friday Night Destination For Those Who Love Beer and Hanging Out

November 9, 2008 at 3:31 PM | 1 Comment

There's something special about visiting the Brooklyn Brewery during Friday night Tap Room Hours. It feels liberating in a way that a regular pub happy hour doesn't. After all, it's not a bar, it's a brewery, and even when it's crowded, there's room to wander among the huge vats and kettles and sacks of barley, malt, and grain while sipping a freshly-brewed beer and savoring the weekend as it unfolds. So in the interest of serving any readers who consult this site in an earnest attempt to ferret out fun things to do in their destination, let me give you the ABC's on one consistently enjoyable option in New York City.

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Being A Grownup Is Sweet

November 6, 2008 at 3:05 PM | 0 Comments

Break the bounds of Broadway with our coverage of the Brooklyn arts scene.

The sweet-toothed might be disappointed not to find a sugar emporium at the site of Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg--and that it is, in fact, a bar. So bring your own Ring Pops and candy beads when you check out this hive of activity during its flagship event, the Williamsburg Spelling Bee.

Held on alternate Mondays, the Bee is one of those hipster-y institutions that's easy to mock but hard not to enjoy. With real grown-up prizes and comedian Jen Dziura at the mic, it's way more fun than the now-closed "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" on Broadway--not to mention cheaper, even if you run up your bar tab. Pete's also regularly hosts a Euro-style pub quiz not to mention intimate concerts.

This weekend: Seattle folk rockers Whiting Tennis keep their Wimbledon wardrobes clean Thursday at 10. Four local poets read Friday at 7 at Pete's Big Poetry for a mellow start to the weekend. On Sunday, atone by stopping by rebel minister Jay Bakker's Revolution Church at 4 pm. As the son of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye, he knows a little bit about holding the attentions of a crowd.

Related Stories:
· Exercise Your Mind And Body At The Brooklyn Lyceum [Jaunted]
· Brooklyn Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: karenfoto]

Give Me That New Old Thing

October 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 0 Comments

Break the bounds of Broadway with our coverage of the Brooklyn arts scene.

Despite its old-timey sound, the Music Hall of Williamsburg wasn't around for A Tree Grows In Brooklyn: The combination bar and concert space opened last fall out of the bones of former venue Northsix, which itself found life in a former mayonnaise factory.

With three levels and two bars, it's far from a neighborhood dive, but there are some couches too--in case you prefer your indie rock basement style.

This week at the Music Hall of Williamsburg: It's sold out, but if you're savvy you can still catch nouveau glam rockers MGMT Friday (if you can stand all that glitter); Saturday brings the works of arcane folkie Rachael Yamagata, and not only the lonely will appreciate next Thursday's show by Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts.

Related Stories:
· Music Hall of Williamsburg [Official Site]
· Neither Arenas Nor Dives, New Clubs Hope to Succeed with More Style [NYT]
· Brooklyn Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bryan Bruchman]

Already Focusing on Future Punk-Rap Projects

October 28, 2008 at 4:18 PM | 0 Comments

We heard that the Real Worlders were hanging out with Brooklyn-based band Shiragirl earlier this fall, and it seems at least one cast member is seriously into the quartet: Devyn Simone got on stage with the group during its recent performance at CMJ.

The show was at The Trash Bar, not far from the last Real World-Shiragirl mashup at Public Assembly. Still, why all the gigs in Williamsburg? Are all the venues Red Hook really turning away the cast?

Related Stories:
· The Trash Bar [Official Site]
· Devyn Simone [Myspace]
· Devyn Simone [Facebook]
· "Real World: Brooklyn" Spotted Hula Hooping [Jaunted]

Dust Off Your Top Hats and Capes: The Opera is Coming to Brooklyn

October 25, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments

Everybody likes to make fun of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with its insufferably ironic scenesters and their asymmetrical haircuts, but it's still one of the best neighborhoods in New York to find bold new ideas in music and art. Case in point: the 'burg will host the borough's first opera in years this November when OperaOggiNY stages a performance of Franco Leoni's one-act verisimo opera L'Oracolo. The company is renovating the 600-seat McCaddin Memorial Hall Theater on Berry Street between South 2nd and South 3rd Streets, and will welcome city opera buffs to its grand opening performances on November 6, 7, and 8. Admission is only $20, which seems like a bargain for a "real" opera, and there are dozens of great bars and restaurants nearby - Dressler comes to mind - where patrons can discuss the tenor's register over drinks and snacks. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd is drawn to these classical performances in the midst of hipsterville.

[Photo: nag-brooklyn.org]

Related Stories:
· OperaOggiNY [Official Site]
· OperaOggiNy to re-open McCaddin Memorial Hall Theater on Berry Street [nag-brooklyn.org]
· Opera Comes to the Burg [Gothamist]
· Opera Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

The Nightlife Rock Stars of "Real World: Brooklyn"

September 25, 2008 at 4:00 PM | 1 Comment

Depending on your feelings about "The Real World: Brooklyn," the blogger behind Driven by Boredom is either the luckiest or sorriest guy on New York's nightlife scene this month.

After seeing cast member Chet Cannon canoodling with Whitney Thompson, he bumped into the reality show stars-in-the-making at another rock show, this time at Public Assembly in Williamsburg:

Once again "The Real World" has snuck into my life to see another friend's band. First it was Semi Precious Weapons and now its Shiragirl. This time I did some apologizing to the cast for the drama I may have caused them particularly Chet Cannon and Scott.

Chet wanted me to make it very clear that he is not engaged, and both of them know this sort of thing comes with the package of being on TV. When it is all over Chet is going to get a job in finance and Scott hopes to make it as an actor.

At least they were having fun in Brooklyn this time!

Related Stories:
· Shiragirl v. "The Real World" [DbB]
· "Real World: Brooklyn" Borough Avoidance Explained [Jaunted]
· Chasing "The Real World" Map [Jaunted]

[Photo of Public Assembly: Google]