Priyanka Phagoo- May 15th, 2017

The food is equally alluring as the view. 

The only thing better than a good view, is good food. Whether it be Williamsburg or Red Hook, the waterfront strip brings together cuisines from around the world. Flavors that excite all five senses are to be found right here in Brooklyn, while taking in the beauty of Manhattan. Whether you are traveling with a family of seven or three, as couple, or by yourself, there is much to add to your list of culinary experiences.

FRIDAY

1) 3 pm.  SWEET CHICK

Feed your appetite mouthfuls of the east and west coasts in the trendy, and very busy, Sweet Chick, located at 164 Bedford Ave. Try New York’s beloved deli bacon, egg and cheese on another level. A bacon, egg and cheese on a brioche or biscuit, for $7.50, includes house cured bacon and aged white cheddar. If that’s not sophisticated enough for you, try the Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich accompanied with a bourbon molasses glaze, black eyed pea spread, crispy jalapeños, and fries or salad ($14).

2) 4 pm. KINGS COUNTY DISTILLERY

Hop on a 45 minute tour of New York City’s oldest operating and smallest commercial distillery in the country, located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (299 Sands Street). Kings County Distillery hand-makes moonshine, bourbon, and other whiskeys at the 117-year-old Paymaster Building. They use New York grain and traditional distilling equipment to make distinctive spirits. Taste their award winning and praise worthy whiskeys for $14 per person.

3) 5 pm. MoFAD

For a dosage of history and a little taste of China, head over to the Museum of Food and Drink at 62 Bayard Street. Learn about the history of Chinese cuisine, influential chefs, and menus. Witness the making of fortune cookies and create your own fortune. Experience the lightness Southern Chinese dishes carry, compared to Northern. Northern Chinese dishes tend to have heavy spices and more meat. This intimate museum allows you to sample a dish made by various chefs with your preference in mind (vegetarian samples are an option). Tickets go for $14 (adult), $9 (students), $7 (youth 6-17) and no charge (5 and under.)

4) 7 pm. NITEHAWK CINEMA

Take movie night to another level at Nitehawk Cinema located at 136 Metropolitan Ave. Kickback with a classic, or semi-new, movie and a crisp glass of wine. Indulge in bulgogi marinated chicken, kimchi-Fuji apple slaw with kewpie mayo on flour tortillas (Korean Chicken Tacos) with an Old Blue Last Lager ($18). Entrees range from American to Korean, Turkish to Mexican.

SATURDAY

5) 10 am. BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE

Wake up with a peculiar variety of coffee flavors at Blue Bottle Coffee, located at 160 Berry Street. Time is of the essence and flavor is priority. These roasters only serve their selections on its peak days. Enjoy a fruity, radiant, and creamy cup of Three Africas with a bowl of oatmeal ($10). Other options include: Colombia Pasto Finca San José (grapefruit, raspberry and buckwheat honey), Hayes Valley Espresso (syrupy, dark chocolate and brown sugar) or Night Light Decaf (a malt versatile selection.) This intimate coffee shop will catch your palate off guard.

6) 12 pm. SMORGASBURG

Smorgasburg is the ideal place to hungrily stroll while enjoying the view. This food market on the waterfront offers a range from Indian, Jamaican and Korean to wings, fries, oysters and lobster. This food festival is held every Saturday (90 Kent Ave) and Sunday (Breeze Hill, Prospect Park). Treat yourself to savory, thick, crispy and perfectly seasoned ruffle fries from Home Frite ($9) and an order of five succulent, spicy BBQ wings from Dan and John’s Wings ($8). For something a little less mainstream, stop by Baked Cheese Haus for gooey strands of cheese scraped onto toasted baguettes with cured ham, cornichons, and green onions.

7)  3 pm. RED HOOK WINERY

The medium body, low acid, touch sweet flavors of jack fruit, roasted coconut and banana white wine are tastes you won’t want to miss out on. And if white isn’t your preference, try the medium body, medium full tannin flavors of mint, dark berries and spice. All are found at the Red Hook Winery at 175-204 Van Dyke Street (Pier 4). Engage in a tasting of 4 different Red Hook Wines (2 oz pours) from 12pm – 6pm ($15 per person).

8) 7 pm. ALMA

Experience Mexican the New York way, at Alma. A bone-in grilled pork chop marinated with an ancho chile sauce, served with mixed vegetables & a red jalapeno sauce goes well with a Cucumber Margarita (cucumber infused tequila, triple sec & lime juice with a kick of homemade salsa picante) ($34). Enjoy every bite and every word of conversation while looking at the sparkling Manhattan skyline on the rooftop. Brunch is served on weekends and dinner is served on weekdays.

9) 10 pm. BROOKLYN FARMACY & SODA FOUNTAIN

Satisfy your late night sweet tooth with classics from the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain at 513 Henry Street. The atmosphere of this shop adds authenticity to its milkshakes, egg creams, ice cream floats, and specialty sundaes. Transport yourself to the 1920s with a Broken Cones Milkshake (a vanilla shake with pieces of sweet sugar cones) and a 100% all-beef hot dog from Brooklyn Hot Dog Co., served on a Caputo’s hot dog roll ($17). Whether you’re craving sweet or savory, this once apothecary, has it all.

 

LODGING (TripAdvisor)

Standard Room with Queen Bed-

May- $229.00/Night

June- $269.00

Elite Queen Room/Manhattan View-

May- $249.00/Night

June- $289.00

Elite King Room/Manhattan View-

May- $269.00/Night

June- $309.00

 

REFERENCES:

Alma: Mexican Restaurant. Retrieved from http://www.almarestaurant.com/.

Blue Bottle Coffee Inc. (2017). Blue Bottle Coffee. Retrieved from https://bluebottlecoffee.com/.

Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. Retrieved from http://www.brooklynfarmacyandsodafountain.com/.

CHIPS. Kings County Distillery. Retrieved from http://kingscountydistillery.com/about/.

Hitparade. Sweet Chick NYC. Retrieved from http://sweetchick.com/.

Jillian, Anthony. (2016, March 31). The five best new vendors coming to Smorgasburg (opening outdoors this weekend!). Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/the-five-best-new-vendors-coming-to-smorgasburg-opening-outdoors-this-weekend-033116.

MoFAD- Museum of Food and Drink. Retrieved from http://www.mofad.org/.

Nitehawk Cinema- Williamsburg. Retrieved from https://nitehawkcinema.com/williamsburg/.

Red Hook Winery. Retrieved from https://www.redhookwinery.com/.

Strand, Oliver. (2011, July 5). Brooklyn Market: Woodstock of Eating. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/dining/reviews/smorgasburg-in-williamsburg-brooklyn-for-food-lovers.html.

Smorgasburg: Saturday- Williamsburg. Retrieved from https://www.smorgasburg.com/saturday-williamsburg/.